We are delighted that St. Joseph's CBS Nenagh is one of 172 schools selected for PISA 2025.

The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is an international assessment of ‎the skills and knowledge of 15-year-olds, who, in most countries, are nearing the end of compulsory education.

PISA ‎assesses students’ performance on ‘real-life’ tasks that are considered relevant for effective ‎participation in adult society and for life-long learning. PISA is a project of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). In ‎Ireland, the project is managed by the Educational Research Centre on the behalf of the ‎Department of Education.

Since the year 2000, PISA has been implemented every three years, with the exception of the eighth cycle of the study which was due to take place in 2021 but was delayed by one-year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The ninth cycle of PISA will take place in 2025. The number of participating countries has risen from 32 in 2000 to 90 for PISA 2025, making it one of the largest studies of ‎its kind‎.

The subject areas or ‘domains’ assessed by PISA are reading literacy, mathematics, and science. In each ‎cycle of PISA, one of these domains is the main focus (‘major domain’) of the assessment, with ‎less emphasis placed on the remaining domains (‘minor domains’). In 2025, science will be the major domain.

PISA has transitioned to a computer-based assessment; since 2015, almost all participating countries, including Ireland, have administered PISA entirely by computer.

Along with assessing the achievements of students, PISA collects detailed contextual information from students, parents, teachers, and principals through the context questionnaires.

In Ireland, the student, parent and school principal questionnaires will be a part of the assessment in 2025. In addition, a nationally developed questionnaire for science coordinators will be included as part of the administration of PISA 2025 in Ireland.‎

Preparations are well underway for the Main Study scheduled to take place in 172 schools between March and April 2025. As in previous cycles, students will also be asked to complete a computer-based questionnaire. Students’ principals will also be asked to complete a computer-based questionnaire, while their parents/guardians and the science coordinators in their school will be asked to fill out a paper-based questionnaire. Inspectors from the Department of Education, assisted by external support staff, will administer the assessment to students.

This is a great opportunity for our school but also for our students that have been chosen to participate. We look forward to partaking in the study over the next number of weeks and are sure many parents will engage in the questionnaires also.

Here is an information video about PISA 2025 from Yvonne Keating, Chief Inspector with the Department of Education: PISA 2025 Information Video