Beyond grades
Raising the visibility and impact of PISA data on students’ well-being
Students are much more than their grades. Beyond performing well in school, students
must learn to manage their relationships with others, confront stress, find purpose
in what they do, and deal with a series of factors oftentimes beyond their control
– all of this, during a particularly sensitive period of their lives. How they do
across all these dimensions of life shapes their well-being, which in turn affects
their school performance and their life outcomes beyond school.
In 2015, PISA broke new ground by including indicators of student well-being alongside
traditional measures of academic performance. However, the data on student well-being
often remain overshadowed by country and economy scores in mathematics, science, and
reading - traditionally considered the primary outputs of PISA.
This paper presents a proposal to increase the visibility and policy impact of PISA
indicators on well-being, by organising them in thematic areas and presenting them
through data visualisations that respond to the needs of different kinds of users.
The proposed PISA dashboard on students’ well-being has the potential to offer policy
makers, educators, parents, and other stakeholders a comparative perspective on how
well schools are fostering the essential foundations for students to lead fulfilling
lives.
Available from April 12, 2024
In series:OECD Education Working Papersview more titles