[originaltext] W: The Program for International Student Assessment, or PISA t

W: The Program for International Student Assessment, or PISA test, has been given to 15-year-olds in 65 countries and educational systems every three years since 2000, a way to test and compare performances in reading, math and science, with an emphasis on how facts and figures can be not just learned, but used. Results from 2012 were released today, and, once again, the U.S. hovered near the middle of the pack, lagging in some areas, even as other countries advanced. Math remains the biggest challenge; 29 other systems had higher average scores than American high schoolers. The U.S. fared better in reading, where it ranked 20th, and in science, ranking 23rd. The best results were in East Asia, where students from Shanghai, Singapore, South Korea, and Japan, among others, placed near the top.
   As in the past, though, some education experts question just what and how much PISA tells us, given social, cultural, and economic differences among nations. The PISA test is coordinated by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the OECD. Andreas Schleicher serves as deputy director for education and skills there. He helped develop and run the test, and joins us now. And welcome to you.
   M: Thank you very much.
   W: So, explain to us first, what is the role and importance of these tests? What do they actually tell us?
   M: Well, they allow us to look at what is possible in education. They show us what the world’s leading education systems are, show what is possible in terms of student achievement, in terms of equity in educational opportunities, and show a very important mirror in which we can look at ourselves in the light of what other countries show is possible, really.
   W: So when we look at ourselves here in the U.S., the headline once again was average.
   M: Well, yes, I think the U.S. is an average performer. But we have seen actually a lot of movement around the world, Shanghai, Singapore moving from good to great, in Europe, Poland, Germany actually addressing many of the same challenges the U.S. faces in terms of creating a more equitable distribution of learning opportunities. There’re a lot of lessons in there, not just sort of seeing where you are, but also how things can become better.
   W: So, give us some examples. What do you see some countries doing well that we are not doing here?
   M: Well, particularly in East Asia, they give a great value to education. They attract great people into the teaching profession. They attract the most talented teachers into the most challenging classrooms, something the U.S. has great difficulties with. I mean, every student believes that they are the owners of their success, that investment in learning and effort is going to make a difference, not talent.
   This is the end of Conversation Two. Questions 6 to 10 are based on Conversation Two.
   Question 6
   What is PISA?
   (pause: 10 seconds)
   Question 7
   How did Americans perform in PISA?
   (pause: 10 seconds)
   Question 8
   What can we learn from the PISA results?
   (pause: 10 seconds)
   Question 9
   Which country faces the same challenge as the U.S.?
   (pause: 10 seconds)
   Question 10
   Why are there more talented teachers in East Asia?
   (pause: 10 seconds)