On Monday night Decorah High School Principal Kim Sheppard shared the results of a testing program last March with the Decorah Community School Board.
Decorah was one of six high-achieving (based on ACT scores) high schools in Iowa invited to participate in a France based testing program, OCED (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development). The goal is to determine how students around the globe are prepared in critical thinking and problem solving. Related tests, originally based around business interests, have been broadened in the OCED testing.
Decorah, as part of the Iowa contingency, ranked well above the United States average, and very high internationally. The test included hundreds of schools in 34 countries. Of particular interest is that the Decorah students were randomly selected and not hand picked to include only top tier students. The group included 78 students who were 15 years old (freshmen and sophomores).
Sheppard said she was very gratified with the results, which she says helps them evaluate the curriculum and how the district systematically prepares the students. It is not certain how, or if, the test might be used in the future.