Germany Takes On Education Reform (Education Everywhere Series)
When low scores on the 2000 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) exams revealed the inequities in their education system, many German states began to make comprehensive efforts to improve the quality of their schools.
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Education Everywhere Video Series
This series takes a look at high-achieving education systems and model schools around the world to see what makes them successful. This series is a co-production with the Pearson Foundation.
Germany is the largest country in the European Union, with a population of eighty-two million. It is also Europe's strongest economy, and prides itself on a strong literary tradition and belief in social equality.
Much like the United States, education policy in Germany is not controlled by the central government, but by the states, where educational achievement varies.
The country was shocked when the results of the first PISA exams in 2000 were not only lower than the OECD average for reading, but revealed a higher correlation between family socio-economic status and student achievement than any other OECD country. This "PISA shock" led to national debate on how best to reform Germany's complex education system.
Germany Fast Facts
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Source: Germany: Once Weak International Standing Prompts Strong Nationwide Reforms for Rapid Improvement PDF report by the OECD.