A New Internationalization Trend? The PISA Study, the Bologna Process, and U.S. Education Policy

Abstract

In this chapter, we analyse the United States’ (11,8,) reactions to international initiatives in education policy. While the country has participated in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) study since its beginning in 2000, the U.S. does not participate in the European Bologna initiative due to its geographical distance. However, the U.S. has assumed observer status in this process since 2005. Overall, the PISA Study and Bologna Process have not triggered any far-reaching reforms in the U.S. In fact, many political actors have only recently noticed these international initiatives. Key policy elements such as output orientation, evidence-based policy-making, an economic understanding of education, and quality assurance were already widespread in the American education system. Hence, the U.S. has shown limited tangible response to PISA, although it continuously has ranked below average. Only recently have policy-makers and stakeholders started to incorporate PISA findings into their decision-making processes. Conversely, Bologna has become a more prominently discussed topic in the higher education policy community mainly for reasons of compatibility with the new European systems. Along these lines, the scattered introduction of European-style, three-year bachelor’s programmes at individual U.S. universities provide evidence of the increasing indirect influence of Bologna.