Measuring the need of the neediest − An investigation of PISA for Development’s Family Resources Index at the extremes of the distribution

Anabelle Andon, W. Joshua Rew and Thomas F. Luschei

International Journal of Educational Development, 2025, vol. 117, issue C

Abstract: International large-scale assessments (ILSAs) use proxy variables and scales to gain a sense of a student’s family background and socioeconomic status (SES). Historically, ILSAs have helped quantify how inputs influence outputs in educational systems, to compare systems of education, to yield educational trends, and to guide policymakers and other stakeholders to improve education quality. However, when those indicators and scales have flaws, we make incorrect assumptions, create faulty models, and derive erroneous conclusions. More importantly, because results of ILSAs inform policy, we risk engaging in decision-making inequitably with real human consequences. In this study, we trace the history of SES scales, discuss existing critiques, and review solutions and innovations. We then place a spotlight on one of those problems, the poor targeting of SES scales at the extremes of the distribution (i.e., high and low SES), and investigate whether items from PISA for Development’s student contextual questionnaire adequately target the Family Resources Index (FRI) scale across the seven countries that participated in Strand B. Although we find that items reasonably target the FRI scale, the nature of targeting varies across countries and appears to depend on the level of national economic development. Further, we challenge researchers to shift their focus from exclusively measuring the background and identities of students and their families to also measuring how systems and structures themselves cause inequities.

Keywords: International large-scale assessments; Socioeconomic status (SES) scales; Item response theory; Item targeting; PISA for Development (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0738059325001531
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:injoed:v:117:y:2025:i:c:s0738059325001531

DOI: 10.1016/j.ijedudev.2025.103355

Access Statistics for this article

International Journal of Educational Development is currently edited by Stephen P Heyneman

More articles in International Journal of Educational Development from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().