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What is the ISA?

The ISA is a high-quality test that international schools use to monitor student performance in mathematical literacy, reading and writing over time and to confirm that their internal assessments are aligned with international expectations of performance. The ISA is specifically designed for students from diverse cultural backgrounds, and for schools with a variety of curricula. The ISA is currently administered at DISV to students in grades 5, 7 and 10, once a year in October. From the October 2009 Grade 3 will also take the ISA. It takes two mornings to administer. The ISA is administered in English and is appropriate for students whose language of instruction is English. The ISA is based on the internationally endorsed mathematical literacy and reading frameworks of the OECD’s Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). It is designed and developed in Australia by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER).

What does the ISA Measure?

• Reading (Retrieving information, Interpreting, and Reflecting and evaluating)

• Mathematical literacy (Quantity (related to number and measurement), Space and shape (related to geometry), Uncertainty (related to estimation, data and probability) and Change and Relationships (related to algebra and functional relationships)

• Writing (Narrative and Exposition) (Content, Structure, Language (with attention to ESOL/ESL characteristics) and Spelling

Who uses the ISA?

Students in international schools in around 80 countries participate in the ISA annually.

What will the ISA tell us?

The ISA allows DISV to compare the mathematics, reading and writing performance of individual students, class groups and grade levels within their DISV with all other ISA international school students. ISA reports also provide schools with detailed diagnostic information about student performance. Additionally, ISA results for grade 9 and 10 students can be compared against PISA.

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