Thesis advisor: Ina V.S. Mullis / As an extension of the effort devoted to updating the questionnaires for TIMSS and PIRLS 2011, this dissertation explored a new reporting strategy for contextual questionnaire data. The study investigated the feasibility of constructing "global indicators" from a large number of diverse background variables, which could provide policy makers and practitioners with meaningful information on effective learning environments. Four broad constructs of effective learning environments were derived from the TIMSS and PIRLS Contextual Frameworks for 2011. These were: 1) effective school environments for learning to read, 2) effective home environments for learning to read, 3) effective classroom environments for learning mathematics, and 4) students' motivation to learn mathematics. Using the TIMSS and PIRLS 2011 Frameworks, the conceptual definitions of the constructs were formulated as constructs maps. Next, relevant questionnaire items were identified that addressed each aspect of the construct maps, capitalizing on the full range of background information in the TIMSS 2007 and PIRLS 2006 International Databases. The questionnaire items were used to create sets of variables for scaling, and subsequent to principal component analysis to confirm scale unidimensionality, the variables were combined into 1-Parameter IRT (Rasch) scales. The idea of conveying the meaning of the broad contextual scales through item mapping was explored, as well as reporting country-by-country results on the global scales. The scaling was successful and it was concluded that contextual information could be reported more globally in future cycles of TIMSS and PIRLS. However, the study also demonstrated that it is extremely complicated to choose background constructs at the right level of aggregation for both analysis and reporting. It is difficult to develop scales that summarize data for educational policy makers without loss of vital information. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2011. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Research, Measurement, and Evaluation.

This paper treats changes of the literacy concept. It presents five most important conceptual frameworks, such as literacy rate, functional literacy, Freirean framework, New literacy studies and literacies of information. Literacy can be defined as the ability to read and write, as a set of basic skills or as competencies. Because of OECD's influence, the functional literacy concept is the most powerful one. Literacy involves a continuum and is oriented mostly towards economical outputs. Influence of OECD is supported by the international surveys IALS, ALL, PIAAC, PISA and LAMP. The surveys TIMSS and PIRLS organized by IEA are influential as well. This paper summarizes the most important critical reviews to the OECD's methodology and to the interpretation of the results. It also comments current activities of OECD, UNESCO and European union. Based on the socio- cultural framework, it brings in several recommendations how states and organizations could approach literacy and its assessment. The paper relies on the documents of UNESCO, OECD, IEA, the World Bank, the European union and on the published works of foreign and local experts.