Excluding students with disabilities from the culture of achievement: the case of the TIMSS, PIRLS, and PISA

International tests of achievement narrowly measure specific academic subjects, but have larger educational policy implications. These tests come to summarize national education systems and are used in national and international discourse. However, students with disabilities are being entirely exclu...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of education policy Vol. 28; no. 2; pp. 216 - 230
Main Author Schuelka, Matthew J.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Routledge 01.03.2013
Subjects
Academic achievement
Achievement Tests
critical analysis
Disabilities
Disability
Disability Discrimination
Education policy
Education systems
equity/social justice
Expectation
inclusion
International Programs
Limited English Speaking
Mental Retardation
National Assessment of Educational Progress
Physical Disabilities
Politics
Program for International Student Assessment
Progress in International Reading Literacy Study
Social exclusion
Social Justice
Standardized Tests
Student Participation
Students
Testing Accommodations
Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study
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Summary:International tests of achievement narrowly measure specific academic subjects, but have larger educational policy implications. These tests come to summarize national education systems and are used in national and international discourse. However, students with disabilities are being entirely excluded from participation in the discourse of achievement. The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, Progress in International Reading Literacy Study, and Programme for International Student Assessment all actively exclude students with disabilities from being measured when the testing agencies set up 'desired target populations' and report out on testing participation. This exclusionary discourse establishes that students with disabilities do not belong in a culture of achievement and educational evaluation, which has an impact on policies concerning educational equity and maintains the oppression of low expectations. US policy requires that 95% of all students take achievement tests and be given reasonable accommodations. This paper concludes that international achievement tests should follow the same standard.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-2
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ObjectType-Feature-1
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ISSN:0268-0939
1464-5106
DOI:10.1080/02680939.2012.708789