Frequently asked questions

iPIPS general:

• Why do we need an international study of children starting school?

• Why take part?

• Why is this study viable when suggestions for others have been rejected?

• How to avoid 'teaching to the test' and other unintended consequences?

• What about iPIPS in developing countries?

Sampling:

• How many children will be assessed in each jurisdiction?

• How will the sampling methodology be developed?

Assessment:

• How will differing ages be taken into account?

• Why stage not age?

• How will differing pre-school experiences affect the results?

• How will you create an assessment that works across so many languages?

• How will you take into consideration the different cultures with differing behaviours and understanding?

• Can I add in some items that will only be relevant to my country?

• How can you take an English assessment and make it relevant and suitable for other countries?

• Why is an adaptive assessment appropriate for this age of child?

• What technical challenges does iPIPS pose?

Equating:

• How will equating be carried out?

League tables:

• Will iPIPS produce league tables?

Secure Data:

• What comparative data will it yield?

• How robust will the data be?

• How will I be sure the data from my children will be secure?

• What about data protection laws in different countries?

Results and reporting:

• How long after conducting the assessment will I be able to see the results for my jurisdiction?