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This week on The Learning Curve, Gerard and guest cohost Dr. Jay Greene interview Andreas Schleicher, Director for Education and Skills, and Special Advisor on Education Policy to the Secretary-General at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Paris, on understanding the links among education, skills, and innovation for students worldwide. Mr. Schleicher discusses the Cold War challenges that arrived with the launch of Sputnik; globalization and competitiveness; and how international testing has improved our understanding of educational performance. He also addresses the wider learning loss, educational impact, and financial implications that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on global K-12 education and competition among nations.
Stories of the Week
Jay pointed to a story in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that underscores the move toward greater school choice across the country. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ education overhaul legislation, introduced this week, would include offering ESAs to every student as part of “the most far-reaching, bold and conservative education reforms anywhere in the entire country.” Gerard shared a story from the Dayton Daily News about the Miami Valley Career Technical Center adding programs to give Ohio high school students “a step up on college.” In generations past, vocational education was often considered a second-best choice for students in many states. Today, voc-tech’s reputation continues to soar, offering students a blend of high academic standards and practical training for excellent jobs, with a growing number of programs in states across the country.
Guest
Andreas Schleicher is Director for Education and Skills, and Special Advisor on Education Policy to the Secretary-General at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Paris. He initiated and oversees the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and other international instruments that have created a platform for policymakers, researchers, and educators worldwide to innovate and transform educational policies and practices. He has worked for over 20 years with ministers and education leaders around the world to improve quality and equity in education. Before OECD, he was Director for Analysis at the International Association for Educational Achievement (IEA). He studied physics in Germany and received a degree in mathematics and statistics in Australia. He is the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the Theodor Heuss Prize, named for the first president of the Federal Republic of Germany for “exemplary democratic engagement.” He holds an honorary professorship at the University of Heidelberg.
Tweet of the Week
In competition against the smartphone, the book, the idea of reading, lost significant ground. By 2016, just 16 percent of 12th-grade students read a book or magazine daily. As recently as 1995, 41 percent did. https://t.co/prH4VrEPXH
— Education Next (@EducationNext) February 21, 2023
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