Fast Facts

Question:
How does achievement of American students compare to students in other countries?

Response:

The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) is a system of international assessments that measures 15-year-olds' performance in reading literacy, mathematics literacy, and science literacy every 3 years.

PISA was first implemented in 2000. PISA is sponsored by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), an intergovernmental organization of 30 member countries. In 2006, fifty-seven jurisdictions participated in PISA, including 30 OECD countries and 27 non-OECD countries.

On the 2006 PISA, the average score of U.S. 15-year-olds in mathematics literacy was 474, which was lower than the OECD average of 498. (Possible scores on PISA assessments range from 0 to 1,000.) The average mathematics literacy score in the United States was lower than the average score in 23 of the other 29 OECD countries for which comparable PISA results were reported, higher than the average score in 4 of the other OECD countries, and not measurably different from the average score in 2 of the OECD countries. Comparable mathematics literacy results were also reported for 27 non-OECD jurisdictions, 8 of which had higher average scores than did the United States. In science literacy, the average score of 15-year-olds in the United States was lower than the average score in 16 of the other 29 OECD countries, higher than the average score in 5 of the other OECD countries, and not measurably different from the average score in 8 of the OECD countries. In 6 of the 27 non-OECD jurisdictions, the science literacy scores of 15-year-olds were higher than the average score in the United States. PISA 2006 reading literacy results were not reported for the United States because of an error in printing the test booklets.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Digest of Education Statistics, 2008, Chapter 6 (NCES 2008-022).

Related Tables and Figures:  (Listed by Release Date)

• 2009, Digest of Education Statistics 2008, Table 403. Average mathematics literacy, reading literacy, and science literacy scores of 15-year-olds, by sex and country: 2006
  
• 2009, Digest of Education Statistics 2008, Table 404. Mean scores and percentage distribution of 15-year-olds scoring at each mathematics literacy proficiency level, by country: 2006
  
• 2009, Digest of Education Statistics, 2008, Table 405. Mean scores and percentage distribution of 15-year-olds scoring at each scientific literacy proficiency level, by country: 2006
  
• 2007, The Condition of Education 2007: International Comparisons of Mathematics Cognitive Domains of 4th- and 8th-Graders
  
• 2006, The Condition of Education 2006: International Comparisons of Mathematics Literacy
  
• 2006, The Condition of Education 2006: U.S. Student and Adult Performance on International Assessments of Education Achievement.
  

Other Resources:  (Listed by Release Date)

• 2009, Comparative Indicators of Education in the United States and Other G-8 Countries: 2009
  
• 2009, Program for International Student Assessment (PISA): This site provides access to publications and data that focus on 15-year-olds' capabilities in reading literacy, mathematics literacy, and science literacy.
  
• 2009, Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS): This site provides access to publications and data on the comparative study of the reading literacy of young students.
  
• 2009, Trends in the International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS): This site provides access to publications and data on the mathematics and science achievement of U.S. 4th- and 8th-grade students.