Austria

Use and Impact of PIRLS

Austria’s experience with large scale assessments is relatively recent and began at irregular intervals with three IEA international studies of educational achievement:

• The Computers in Education Study (1987 to 1993)
• The Language Education Study (1993 to 1996)
• The Third International Mathematics and Science Study (1993 to 1997)

Austria’s participation in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Developmentʼs (OECD) Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) in 2000 was the beginning of regular participation in international assessments, not only in PISA but in IEA studies. In order to complement the PISA data obtained at the end of compulsory schooling with data from the end of primary education, Austria’s federal government decided to participate in PIRLS and TIMSS as well. Austria has participated in PIRLS 2006, 2011, and 2016, and in TIMSS 2007 and 2011.

PIRLS data are widely used in public debates and in practical work for developing educational programs (e.g., teacher training courses developed by the Coordination Center for Reading [Koordinationsstelle: Lesen]). The PIRLS results that attract the most frequent attention relate to the percentage of students with sizable deficits in reading achievement, association between socioeconomic status and student reading performance, the reading achievement of immigrant students, early reading socialization within the family and within preschool education, and reading socialization within school. As mentioned, the Coordination Center for Reading in the Ministry was established to coordinate a network of University Colleges of Teacher Education throughout Austria, thereby bringing together experts in preservice and in-service teacher training with teachers and others with expertise in the area of school supervision. However, one essential purpose of the center is to disseminate the PIRLS results among primary school teachers. The center has been working closely with the Austrian national study center for PIRLS to achieve this aim. PIRLS results have also had an impact with respect to identifying topics relevant to professional development related to reading instruction for teachers offered by University Colleges of Teacher Education. Moreover, PIRLS results have fed into debates on educational standards in Austria. Austriaʼs participation in large cross-national studies was an important starting point for fostering evidence‑based policymaking as it provides a sound database. International studies have made education a prominent political issue and have drawn attention to areas of concern.

These studies have highlighted strengths but also weaknesses of Austria’s education system, and the results showed a need for reforms. Educational reforms implemented in recent years include the introduction of the new secondary school, a compulsory year of kindergarten for all 5-year-olds, the introduction of educational standards testing, the introduction of a standardized school leaving examination (Standardisierte Reifeprüfung), and a legislative decree on reading instruction.¹¹ A legislative package of July 2016 comprised the school entry and primary school package and aims to create a joint education area between the ages of 4 and 8 to enable a smoother transition from kindergarten to primary school. This will be achieved, for example, with more exchange of information between kindergarten and primary school teachers. In the future, the school locations also will be able to decide autonomously whether there are alternative performance assessments (e.g., verbal assessments).