Examining the Role of International Achievement Tests in Education Policy Reform: National Education Reform and Student Learning in Five Countries

This education policy paper was undertaken to identify, both for ‘developing’ countries and donors who support education in these countries, best practices in education policy reform that are believed to contribute to improvements in student learning outcomes with a focus on increasing equity in performance among student populations. This paper uses as a point of departure five country cases where student learning, as measured by scores on one or more international achievement tests, has increased over time.