ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the sources of influence that shape Australian education policy, and the preliminary effects of their influence. The stated goals of both the Education Revolution and the Melbourne Declaration are to improve excellence and equity. The OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) is an international NGO that was established following World War II to facilitate global economic growth among its 35 member countries. In 1997, under pressure from the United States, the OECD created what is known as the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), a mathematics, science, and reading standardized assessment administered every three years to 15-year-olds in OECD member and non-member nations. Public–Private Partnerships (PPPs) are problematic for a number of reasons. This will involve raising awareness among policymakers and the general public about the limitations of using PISA and NAPLAN data to make inferences about student achievement, school quality, and system effectiveness.
