The OECD Programme for International Student Assessments (PISA) are
high profile and powerful international comparative assessments of 15-
year olds used by governments worldwide in assessing and benching
educational outcomes and achievements between countries. While Irish 15-year olds performed above average in literacy in the PISA assessments
during the first three cycles in 2000, 2003 & 2006, an ‘apparent’ serious
decline in literacy achievement in the 2009 assessments resulted in a
national outcry about literacy teaching and literacy standards in Irish schools. This paper examines some of the reactions and responses to the Irish PISA 2009 results by various stakeholders. It goes on to highlight and
discuss some of the positive and negative impacts that the official
responses to the Irish PISA 2009 results appears to have had on literacy
development policy and practice in Irish schools, especially in light of the
return to a strong Irish performance in literacy in PISA 2012 assessments.
The paper also takes account of and make reference to PISA data and the Irish performance in the PISA 2015 tests, the results of which were released in early December 2016.