1. Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2009 Results
Stuart Kerachsky
Deputy Commissioner
December 7, 2010

2. PISA Background
International student assessment coordinated by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
65 participating countries and other education systems
All 34 OECD member countries
26 non-OECD countries and 5 non-national education systems
Administered every 3 years since 2000

3. PISA Background Assessment of 15-year-old students
Content knowledge not limited to school-based curricula
PISA assesses applied knowledge/literacy:
“How well can students nearing the end of compulsory schooling apply their knowledge to real-life situations?”
Three subject areas:
Reading Literacy
Mathematics Literacy
Science Literacy 3

4. What’s in the PISA 2009 U.S. Report
Reading
Literacy
Mathematics Literacy
Science
Overall scores x
Subscale scores
Proficiency levels
Trends
Subgroup scores 4

5. PISA 2009 Reading Literacy Results5

6. PISA 2009 Reading Literacy: OECD
U.S. average score of 500 not measurably different from the OECD average score of 493
6 OECD countries had higher average scores.
14 were not measurably different from the United States.
13 had lower average scores.
SOURCE: Fleischman et al. (2010). Highlights From PISA 2009: Performance of U.S. 15-Year-Old Students in Reading, Mathematics, and Science Literacy in an International Context (NCES ) . 6

7. PISA 2009 Reading Literacy: All
Among all participants
9 had higher average scores than the United States.
16 were not measurably different.
39 had lower average scores.
SOURCE: Fleischman et al. (2010). Highlights From PISA 2009: Performance of U.S. 15-Year-Old Students in Reading, Mathematics, and Science Literacy in an International Context (NCES ) . 7

8. PISA 2009 Reading Proficiency Levels
Highest proficiency level is level 6.
Below level 2 students may not be able to consistently “make valid comparisons or contrasts” based on even a single feature in the text or consistently “recognize the main idea in a text unless it is prominent” in the text.
At level 4 students are described by PISA as capable of “difficult reading tasks” and “critically evaluating” a text.
SOURCE: Fleischman et al. (2010). Highlights From PISA 2009: Performance of U.S. 15-Year-Old Students in Reading, Mathematics, and Science Literacy in an International Context (NCES ) . 8

9. U.S. at the OECD Average for Key Proficiency Levels in Reading
18 percent scored below level 2 (not measurably different from OECD).
30 percent scored at or above level 4 (not measurably different from OECD).
SOURCE: Fleischman et al. (2010). Highlights From PISA 2009: Performance of U.S. 15-Year-Old Students in Reading, Mathematics, and Science Literacy in an International Context (NCES ) . 9

10. Consistently Higher Average Scores for Females in Reading
U.S. female students scored higher on average (513) than male students (488).
The U.S. female-male difference was smaller than the OECD average difference and the difference in 45 countries and education systems.
Female students scored higher on average than male students in all 65 countries and education systems.
Please delete all references to Columbia and Albania on this graph. DONE
SOURCE: Fleischman et al. (2010). Highlights From PISA 2009: Performance of U.S. 15-Year-Old Students in Reading, Mathematics, and Science Literacy in an International Context (NCES ) . 10

11. Average U.S. Reading Score Unchanged From 2000
There was no measurable change in the U.S. average scores over time.
There was no measurable difference between U.S. and the OECD average scores in 2000 or in 2009.
OECD averages are based on 27 OECD member countries that participated in 2000 and
495
Please delete the 2006 reference point in this graph DONE
SOURCE: Fleischman et al. (2010). Highlights From PISA 2009: Performance of U.S. 15-Year-Old Students in Reading, Mathematics, and Science Literacy in an International Context (NCES ) . 11

12. PISA 2009 Mathematics Literacy Results12

13. PISA 2009 Mathematics Literacy: OECD
U.S. average score of 487 lower than the OECD average score of 496
17 OECD countries had higher average scores.
11 were not measurably different.
5 had lower average scores.
SOURCE: Fleischman et al. (2010). Highlights From PISA 2009: Performance of U.S. 15-Year-Old Students in Reading, Mathematics, and Science Literacy in an International Context (NCES ) . 13

14. PISA 2009 Mathematics Literacy: All
Among all participants
23 had higher average scores than the United States.
12 were not measurably different.
29 had lower average scores.
SOURCE: Fleischman et al. (2010). Highlights From PISA 2009: Performance of U.S. 15-Year-Old Students in Reading, Mathematics, and Science Literacy in an International Context (NCES ) . 14

15. PISA 2009 Mathematics Proficiency Levels
Highest level of mathematics proficiency is level 6.
Below level 2 students may not be able to consistently “employ basic algorithms,” or make “literal interpretations of the results” of mathematical operations in real-life settings.
At level 4 students can “complete higher order tasks” such as “solving problems that involve visual or spatial reasoning…in unfamiliar contexts.”
SOURCE: Fleischman et al. (2010). Highlights From PISA 2009: Performance of U.S. 15-Year-Old Students in Reading, Mathematics, and Science Literacy in an International Context (NCES ) . 15

16. U.S. at OECD Average at PISA Mathematics Proficiency Level 2; Below OECD Average at Level 4
23 percent of U.S. students scored below level 2 (not measurably different from OECD average).
27 percent of U.S. students scored at or above level 4 (smaller than 32 percent for OECD average). 23
* p < .05. Significantly different from the corresponding OECD average percentage at the .05 level of statistical significance.
SOURCE: Fleischman et al. (2010). Highlights From PISA 2009: Performance of U.S. 15-Year-Old Students in Reading, Mathematics, and Science Literacy in an International Context (NCES ) . 16

17. Higher Average Scores for Males in Mathematics
U.S. male students scored higher on average (497) than female students (477).
Male students scored higher on average than female students in 35 countries and education systems; female students scored higher on average than male students in 5 countries.
The OECD average was higher for male students (501) than female students (490).
Please delete all references to Columbia and Albania on this graph. DONE
SOURCE: Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) International Data Explorer, PISA Available at: . 17

18. Average U.S. Mathematics Score Up From 2006
In 2009, the U.S. average score was higher than that in 2006, but not measurably different from the U.S. average in 2003.
The U.S. average score was lower than the OECD average score in 2003 and in 2009.
OECD averages are based on 29 OECD member countries that participated in 2003 and
499*
*p < .05. U.S. average is significantly different from the OECD average at the .05 level of statistical significance.
**p < .05. U.S. average in 2006 is significantly different from the U.S. average in 2009 at the .05 level of statistical significance.
SOURCE: Fleischman et al. (2010). Highlights From PISA 2009: Performance of U.S. 15-Year-Old Students in Reading, Mathematics, and Science Literacy in an International Context (NCES ) . 18

19. PISA 2009 Science Literacy Results19

20. PISA 2009 Science Literacy: OECD
U.S. average score of 502 not measurably different from the OECD average of 501
12 OECD countries had higher average scores.
12 were not measurably different.
9 had lower average scores.
SOURCE: Fleischman et al. (2010). Highlights From PISA 2009: Performance of U.S. 15-Year-Old Students in Reading, Mathematics, and Science Literacy in an International Context (NCES ) . 20

21. PISA 2009 Science Literacy: All
Among all participants
18 had higher average scores than the United States.
13 were not measurably different.
33 had lower average scores.
SOURCE: Fleischman et al. (2010). Highlights From PISA 2009: Performance of U.S. 15-Year-Old Students in Reading, Mathematics, and Science Literacy in an International Context (NCES ) . 21

22. PISA 2009 Science Proficiency Levels
Highest level of science proficiency is level 6.
Below level 2 students may not be able to consistently “provide… explanations in familiar contexts or draw conclusions based on simple investigations” or consistently “make literal interpretations.”
At level 4 students “select and integrate explanations from different disciplines of science or technology” and “link those explanations directly to…life situations.”
SOURCE: Fleischman et al. (2010). Highlights From PISA 2009: Performance of U.S. 15-Year-Old Students in Reading, Mathematics, and Science Literacy in an International Context (NCES ) . 22

23. U.S. at the OECD Average for Key Proficiency Levels in Science
18 percent of U.S. students scored below level 2 (as did 18 percent in OECD countries, on average).
29 percent of U.S. students scored at or above level 4 (as did 29 percent in OECD countries, on average).
This graphic should be shown different to shown only those at or above level 4 and below level 2. The key will be deleted as will Level 3. Please try this highlighting above level 4 all the same pattern or color and below level 2 another pattern or color. Also, please show us a bar chart lay out for these as well. DONE
SOURCE: Fleischman et al. (2010). Highlights From PISA 2009: Performance of U.S. 15-Year-Old Students in Reading, Mathematics, and Science Literacy in an International Context (NCES ) . 23

24. Higher Average Scores for Males in Science
U.S. male students scored higher on average (509) than female students (495).
Male students scored higher on average than female students in 11 countries, but female students scored higher on average than male students in 21 countries.
The OECD average for both male and female students was 501.
Please delete all references to Columbia and Albania on this graph. DONE
SOURCE: Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) International Data Explorer, PISA Available at: . 24

25. Average U.S. Science Score Up From 2006
In 2009, the U.S. average score was higher than that in
The U.S. average score was lower than the OECD average in 2006, but not measurably different than the OECD average in 2009.
OECD averages are based on the 34 OECD member countries.
501
* p < .05. U.S. average is significantly different from the OECD average at the .05 level of statistical significance.
**p < .05. U.S. average in 2006 is significantly different from the U.S. average in 2009 at the .05 level of statistical significance.
SOURCE: Fleischman et al. (2010). Highlights From PISA 2009: Performance of U.S. 15-Year-Old Students in Reading, Mathematics, and Science Literacy in an International Context (NCES ) . 25

26. International Data Explorer Website26

27. International Data Explorer:
For More Information
PISA at NCES:
Supplemental Tables:
International Data Explorer:
PISA at OECD:
Sophie Vayssettes
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