## Section 1 Cultivating Solid Academic Achievement

## 1 The current state of academic achievement of Japanese children

## (1) National assessment of academic ability

According to the results of international assessments of academic achievement (PISA2003 and TIMSS2003) announced at the end of 2004, it indicated that the academic ability of Japanese children overall ranked high internationally, although their reading comprehension was declining. In addition, according to the research on curriculum announced in April 2005, it revealed problems in students' ability to give written answers in Japanese and in their ability in lower secondary school mathematics.

To address these problems, the Central Council for Education issued a report in October 2005 entitled “Redesigning Compulsory Education for a New Era.” In order to verify the results of education and ensure quality, this report recommended implementation of a national assessment of children’s academic achievement and degree of understanding and indicated the direction in which this national academic achievement assessment should proceed.

Following such situation, the conference about specific methods for implementing national assessment of academic achievement compiled a report in April 2006. This report proposed the significance and objectives of implementing national assessment of academic achievement, framework of the assessment in terms of school years and subjects, and the method of public announcement, etc.

Based on these propositions, MEXT conducted the national assessment of academic achievement on April 24, 2007, administering the test to all students in the sixth year of elementary school and the third year of lower secondary school, and announced the results of the assessment on October 24, 2007. The assessment, which was administered to all the students of targeted school years, was implemented for the first time in 43 years.

## (2) Overview of the national academic achievement assessment

## [Aims of assessment]

The national academic achievement assessment was conducted for the following two objectives:

• To verify the results of education and education measures, identify associated problems, and implement necessary improvements by ascertaining and analyzing the state of academic achievement of students in all regions with a view to equalizing opportunities for compulsory education nationwide and improving the level of this education

• To enable boards of education and schools to assess the results of the education they provide and of their education measures, and to identify associated problems relative to the nationwide situation with a view to improving the academic achievement and motivation of all schoolchildren

## [School years assessed]

In principle, all schoolchildren of national, public, and private schools in the school years given below were assessed.

Elementary school assessment: Sixth-year of elementary school, sixth-year of schools for special needs education elementary departments

Lower secondary school assessment: Third-year of lower secondary school, third-year of secondary education schools, third-year of schools for special needs education lower secondary departments

## [Contents of assessment]

## Assessment concerning school subjects

For Japanese and arithmetic/mathematics, questions primarily concerning “knowledge” and “use” were set.