PISA RESULTS BEYOND RANKINGS: WHY DON’T ROMANIAN STUDENTS READ WELL?|

Abstract

When PISA results are publicly disclosed there is some media frenzy, with a focus on hierarchies worldwide, in the EU, and in the region, as well as various emotions, that range from sensationalism to utter denial. This paper aims to offer deeper insight into the field of text comprehension. Beyond the rankings and based on the PISA results, we explore gaps in learning reading, within the context of the evolution of contemporary texts and the youth’s interaction with these. The first part reviews the new trends in reading comprehension – as they are highlighted in the PIRLS and PISA respective frameworks and the European framework for the study of literature in secondary education - as well as the renewed reading competencies that are stipulated in the official curriculum for the Romanian language and literature (middle school). This section aims to clarify the components of the reading process that should be learned (and assessed) in school. The second part attempts to answer the question: how is reading assessed within PISA and the National Assessment Exam? The two assessments are being examined considering focus, item specificity, contextualization of evaluation, typology of texts and their format support, as well as the responses appraisal and the results reporting. The ensuing comparison offers explanations for the distance between the results obtained at PISA and the National Assessment Exam, as well as the weaknesses in optimizing and assessing reading competence in the Romanian school. The last part concerns the need to innovate reading practices, by overcoming the backwash effect of the National Assessment, and the strategies that teachers could use to improve reading skills, using the PISA framework and the released items.