Dr. Pierre Brochu is a prominent Canadian expert in large-scale assessment. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Teaching in French from Université de Sherbrooke, a Certificate in Anthropology from Université de Montréal, a Masters of Arts in Education from the University of Ottawa, a Master of Science in Project Management from Université du Québec, and a Ph.D. in Human Development and Applied Psychology from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto (OISE/UT).
Dr. Brochu has made significant contributions to education and large-scale assessment across Canada over a career spanning more than 30 years. After teaching in the provinces of Quebec, Nova Scotia, and Manitoba, he worked in test development and program management with the Department of National Defense and the Canadian Nurses Association. He later contributed to provincial student assessment programs in Manitoba and British Columbia before serving for 15 years as Director of the Canadian national assessment program with the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC).
In this role, he coordinated the launch of the Pan-Canadian Assessment Program (PCAP) and managed provincial participation in international large-scale assessment studies. As part of his national and international responsibilities at the CMEC, he directed the implementation of the PCAP, the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), the International Computer and Information Technology Study (ICILS), and the Teacher Education Development Study in Mathematics (TEDS-M).
As a former member of the PISA Strategic Development Group (SDG) and the IEA General Assembly, Dr. Brochu represented the Canadian provinces and territories, providing strategic policy advice on international assessment projects. Following his tenure at the CMEC, Pierre served as Acting Director, Data and Reporting with Ontario’s Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO).
Ten years ago, Dr. Brochu founded Consultation MEP Consulting Inc., an Ontario-based firm that provides bilingual (English and French) consulting services in the areas of psychometrics, test development, standard setting, training, program evaluation, project management, quality assurance and school monitoring, as well as report writing. Pierre also served as a part-time professor in educational measurement at l’Université d’Ottawa.
Having spent the majority of his career in the field of large-scale student assessment, Pierre brings a thoughtful perspective to the critical issue of test fairness. He believes that test developers should strive to use the tools and techniques that enable students to demonstrate their knowledge and skills in the most valid and reliable ways possible. Advancements such as online testing or the use of artificial intelligence for item development or scoring are valuable only to the extent that they enhance the quality of assessments.
Pierre derives great satisfaction from his professional work; however, away from the office, his personal interests include home renovation and gardening. Please feel free to reach out to Pierre at: p.brochu@consultationmepconsulting.com.
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