The report provides a social and historical perspective on how Finland's education system was built and emerged as a high performer in Europe by 2000. In highlighting Finland's strengths, the authors focus on: (1) Finland's long-standing commitment to supporting all of its students as the driver of strong outcomes; (2 the systems's emphasis on…

Those who work in second- and foreign-language testing often find Koretz's concern for validity inferences under high-stakes (VIHS) conditions both welcome and familiar. While the focus of the article is more narrowly on the potential for two instructional responses to test-based accountability, "reallocation" and "coaching,"…

Draws on a theory of education for a Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) framework based on the structure of general education in modern educational systems. Shows that pedagogical research on school and instruction is formed by the relationship of instruction, didactics, curricular development, and achievement control. (CAJ)