Korean Perspectives on Assessment of Student Achievement

In this paper, two nationwide assessments for elementary and secondary students' educational achievement in Korea were reviewed for their assessment frameworks and the overall results; the Diagnostic Test for Basic Skills (DTBS) of Grade 3 elementary students and the National Assessment of Educational Achievement (NAEA) for Grade 6, 9 and 10 students. Also, the results for Korea in two large-scale international comparison studies were reviewed; the Trends in International Mathematics & Science Study (TIMSS) and the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Finally, the author makes some suggestions for future research and policies on the student achievement from the Korean perspective. (Contains 3 figures and 2 tables.)