The collection of school benchmarking data is fairly standard right around the world using tools like the PISA for Schools test. This test is identical for all schools that are participating in the collection of benchmarking data.

The test is available on demand but it’s recommended that this is not used more than once a year. There is both a competency-based test as well as one or two additional questionnaires that the students are required to complete.

Testing is available both online and through offline digital delivery

When choosing to select a test, each school can decide whether their students will complete the test online or offline. This gives schools the ultimate flexibility and ensures that all schools are able to participate, whether their students have access to a reliable internet connection or not.

Having set tests also means that it’s far easier for teachers and educators to administer and oversee their students while they’re completing the tests.

The tests are competency-based

All benchmarking tests are designed to measure the competency of a random selection of students at each school in the subjects of mathematics, English, and science. Many of the questions are scenario-based and are designed to determine how well students understand what they are being taught and also how well they are able to retrieve and apply this knowledge.

Because all the tests are the same, no matter where in the world the school is located, the results offer a much better understanding of how schools and students are performing on a global scale.

Additional questionnaires explore student attitudes

In addition to the competency-based tests, students are also given additional questionnaires to help understand their attitude toward learning and their school environment.

These questionnaires also help to understand the home environment of the students involved as well as their social skills and their level of motivation toward improving their results and their knowledge.

These questionnaires give a broader picture of the relationship between the student and the school and how this affects the student’s ability to learn and achieve greater results.

How results are measured

Once the tests have been completed, they are put through a software program that evaluates the results of each student and determines whether those results are on, above, or below the standard.

These benchmark standards are set by evaluating a comprehensive set of results and determining averages from all of these results. Generally, this evaluation is all done by computers and the results are compiled into a report.

By working on global averages, it makes it easy for schools to see how their students are faring in relation to other schools around the world.

In summary

School benchmarking data is collected by providing both competency-based test questions and questionnaires to a random selection of students from each participating school. The test questions are the same, no matter where the school is situated around the world.

Once the tests are completed, the data is collated and the results are measured against the standard benchmarks that have been set previously. This information is then put into a comprehensive report that allows individual schools to compare their performance against others.