Subgroup Gaps as Policy Signals

When a national PISA release highlights large score gaps by income, immigrant status, or race/ethnicity, those gaps function as early, auditable signals that should re‑prioritize policy (targeted tutoring, resourcing, curriculum, or language supports) rather than be treated as static rankings. Regular, disaggregated international assessments can and should trigger concrete local interventions where disadvantage is concentrated. — Public, disaggregated international achievement data convert abstract inequality into concrete policy levers and electoral issues by revealing where resources and reforms will have the largest impact.