by Lourdes Barceló, Head of Education
“What can’t be measured can’t be improved.” This phrase, attributed to the mathematician Lord Kelvin and often cited in business schools, is grounded in the idea that comparative analysis facilitates improvement and, consequently, the attainment of the goals set by any company or institution.
In the case of PISA tests, these exams establish standards of competence across different areas. Proposed by the OECD, these tests gauge educational proficiency in mathematics, reading comprehension, and science, evaluating students’ capacity to extrapolate and apply their knowledge in varied learning scenarios.
At St PETER’S, we aren’t particularly fond of exams or grades determined solely through testing. We believe that with sufficiently personalized education, engaging syllabus, and a positive school environment, students learn and derive enjoyment from the process. For us, student assessment is holistic, focusing not only on academic accomplishments but also on personal development and all the extracurricular learning included in our educational framework. Consequently, we attribute relative importance to PISA indicators.
However, it’s heartening that our students have achieved outstanding results in this external evaluation, positioning St PETER’S among the premier schools in Spain and globally, with over 40 points above the Spanish average in Reading, and over 60 in Science and Mathematics. From the comparative analysis of the data, the following conclusions emerge:
Reading: St PETER’S scores 515 points, on par with Korea (515), marking the third-best result globally, following Singapore (575) – the leader in the PISA ranking – Japan (536) – the second-place holder – and significantly surpassing Finland (484), Spain (474), and the OECD country average (476).
Mathematics: St PETER’S achieves 532 points. In this instance, the countries with the strongest outcomes globally are Singapore (575) and Japan (536). Our score surpasses that of Finland (484), Spain (473), and the OECD average (472).
Science: St PETER’S attains 551 points. In this subject, the score is close than the leading country in the ranking, Singapore (561), and it exceeds Japan (547), Finland (511), Spain (485), and the OECD average (485).
The PISA tests serve as another instrument affirming that results not only fail to diminish with an innovative educational approach but rather, they thrive. The potential of our curriculum content, coupled with a methodology grounded in critical thinking, fosters the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and competencies across all learning domains.
Congratulations to the students who have achieved these remarkable results, and to the teachers who have adeptly guided them on the path to success.
