Dr. Roberto Ricci is the current President of INVALSI, Italy’s Istituto Nazionale per la Valutazione del Sistema di Istruzione e Formazione (National Institute for the Evaluation of the Education System). His work focuses on educational assessment, including digital competencies and the use of artificial intelligence in evaluation. He holds B.A. and M.A. degrees in Statistics and a PhD in Statistical Methodology for Scientific Research from Alma Mater Studiorum at the University of Bologna.

His 35-year career began as a secondary school mathematics teacher. After 15 years in the classroom, Roberto joined the Regional Institute for Educational Research (IRRE) of Emilia-Romagna (a region in northern Italy) as a researcher. In this role, he conducted research on formative and summative assessments, comparative national and international assessments, mathematics teaching in secondary schools, and the teaching of statistics in elementary and secondary education.

Following three years at IRRE, he was appointed Director of the Provincial Evaluation Service for Italian-Language Schools in the Autonomous Province of Bolzano, also in northern Italy. As Director, he was responsible for all activities related to the evaluation of the provincial education and training system. His experience as a classroom teacher, researcher, and system evaluator laid the foundation for his transition to INVALSI, where he has worked for the past 10 years.

During his first five years at INVALSI, he served in a variety of capacities, including Researcher and Senior Researcher, focusing on national and international assessments; Research Director, coordinating the evaluation research area and developing standardized testing systems; and a member of the Board of Directors. As President for the past five years, he has led the development and implementation of national student testing, as well as initiatives on digital skills assessment and educational poverty indicators.

At the international level, Dr. Ricci is currently a member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Education Policy Committee. He represents Italy at the OECD’s Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (OECD CERI), and participates in the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) Strategic Development Group, which advises on technical innovation and assessment of soft skills.

He is also the President and co-founder of FLIP+, an international, non-profit, collaborative organization comprising more than 20 countries that facilitates the global sharing of best practices and experiences in the field of computerized assessment of learning. An interesting initiative currently under exploration is an AI-generated digital library of educational materials, such as assessment items and reading selections, that could serve as an open resource for education ministries and teachers.

INVALSI assessments are administered to students in five grades across the Italian school system: Grades 2, 5, 8, 10, and 13 (the final year of upper secondary school). Students in elementary school (Grades 2 and 5) take paper-and-pencil tests in Italian and Mathematics; Grade 5 also includes an English reading and listening test. Secondary school students (Grades 8, 10, and 13) take computer-based tests in Italian, Mathematics, and English, except in Grade 10, which typically focuses on Italian and Mathematics only. For Grades 8 and 13, participation in these assessments is a mandatory requirement for admission to the final State examinations. INVALSI provides data at the school, school system, and national levels, including student-level data, to support educational improvement.

Roberto discusses the organization’s modernization priorities, including using artificial intelligence (AI) to streamline student assessment, while emphasizing that humans must remain integral to the process. He explains that he learned about Vretta’s work through online research, attending international conferences, and the company’s collaboration with FLIP+, where together, they focus on transforming learning and assessment through the use of technology. The platform’s success is evidenced by its broad adoption by education assessment bodies across Canada.

Dr. Ricci is modest about his accomplishments but is most proud of INVALSI’s vital role in the Italian education system, supporting schools in evaluating and improving educational quality. He explains that during the pandemic, the organization played a key role in supporting the education system by providing the national government and local authorities with data and evidence to inform and implement support policies aimed at mitigating the effects of the pandemic and addressing pre-existing learning gaps.

He has received numerous awards recognizing excellence in research and contributions to educational assessment. He has authored many books and scholarly articles on educational assessment, statistical methodology, and the impact of standardized testing on learning outcomes.

Outside his professional responsibilities, Roberto enjoys spending time with his family (including his beloved Springer Spaniel, Annie) and is passionate about reading and hiking in the forests and mountains outside of Rome.