OECD Education Working Papers
This series is designed to make available to a wider readership selected studies drawing on the work of the OECD Directorate for Education. Authorship is usually collective, but principal writers are named. The papers are generally available only in their original language (English or French) with a short summary available in the other.
- ISSN: 19939019 (online)
- https://doi.org/10.1787/19939019
Using Student Test Results for Accountability and Improvement
A Literature Review
This report discusses the most relevant issues concerning using student test results in OECD
countries. Initially the report provides an overview of how student test results are reported in OECD
countries and how stakeholders in these countries use and perceive of the results. The report then reviews
the literature relating to using student test results for accountability and improvement purposes. Two
general findings can be drawn from the literature: (1) accountability based on student test results can be a
powerful tool for changing teacher and school behaviour, but it often creates unintended strategic
behaviour, and (2) no test can be a perfect indicator of student performance. Drawing from these findings
the report discusses the advantages and disadvantages of using student test results for accountability and
improvement. The discussion touches upon four themes: (1) assessment design, (2) the use of test results,
(3) stakeholder involvement, and (4) implementation.
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