Compare globally, interpret locally: international assessments and news media in Israel

Abstract

ABSTRACTIsrael is one of the early adopters of international large-scale assessments (ILSAs) and it has participated in all but one assessment since the mid-1990s. However, we know very little about the reception of ILSAs in the Israeli context. To address this gap, I use a sample of news stories from two daily newspapers: Yedioth Ahronoth and Ha’aretz (n = 173). Taken together, these newspapers provide a ‘window’ to the public discourse about ILSAs in Israel. The analyses reveal three key patterns. First, public discourse about ILSAs developed gradually, and not immediately after the release of the first few reports. Second, policy makers are more active in the public discourse about ILSAs than other actors (e.g., students, teachers, parents, and education scholars). Third, public discourse about ILSAs constructed an achievement crisis that calls for change in policy/practice. These patterns facilitated the institutionalisation of ILSAs in the Israeli context, beyond the contribution of transitional organisations.