R. Želvys, A. Jakaitienė, D. Stumbrienė
NEPC Conference 2018 Primary Colours of Education #3 School Leadership Matters, April 16-17, 2018, Baška, Croatia.
Abstract. Lithuania participates in international student achievement studies like PISA, TIMSS, PIRLS and others. There is also a vast database of the assessment of student achievement at the end of lower secondary education and during the state maturity examination. However, the interest of the politicians is mainly limited to the place of the country in the international rankings. They do not consider the factors influencing the level of student achievement and do not rely on the data for undertaking policy decision. In order to change the situation for the better a group of researchers initiated a research project related to the usage of big data in education. In an interdisciplinary project, which unites knowledge and competencies in social and physical sciences, researchers will try to find out the factors of effectiveness and efficiency of educational systems in Lithuania and other EU countries.
Construction of the composite index of measuring effectiveness and efficiency will allow to monitor the development of education and will contribute to the implementation of a more efficient educational policy. The creation of the unique database of national education will enable to establish the added value of Lithuanian schools in the areas of student achievements and social mobility and will provide researchers and school administrators with an opportunity to analyse large quantities of educational data.