This report from the National Center for Education Statistics in the
Institute of Education Sciences summarizes the performance of U.S.
15-year-old students on the Program for International Student Assessment
(PISA) 2006, comparing their scores with their peers internationally.  The
report contains findings on science literacy (the focal subject in 2006) and
mathematics literacy.

PISA is sponsored by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development (OECD), an intergovernmental organization of 30 industrialized
countries, and has been administered three times, in 2000, 2003, and 2006.
 The United States participated in all three administrations.  In 2006, 57
education systems (called jurisdictions in the report) participated,
including all 30 OECD countries and 27 non-OECD jurisdictions.

Results show that the average score for U.S. students in science literacy
was lower than the average of other OECD countries (489 vs. 500). Compared
to the 29 other OECD countries, the United States scored lower, on average,
than 16 OECD countries, not significantly different from 8, and higher than
5.

Compared with all 56 other jurisdictions, the United States scored lower
than 22 jurisdictions, not significantly different from 12, and higher than
22.

When comparing the highest-achieving students in science literacy (those at
the 90th percentile), there was no significant difference between the United
States and OECD average scores.  Among the OECD countries, 9 had higher
average scores for students at the 90th percentile than the United States.
 Among all jurisdictions, 12 jurisdictions had higher average scores at the
90th percentile than the United States.

In 2003, the U.S. average for science literacy was below the OECD average
and the U.S. placement among OECD countries was about the same as in 2006.
It is not possible to compare science literacy scores between 2006 and 2003
directly because of a change in the assessment framework.

Other findings include:

*   On two of the three science subscales (explaining phenomena
scientifically and using scientific evidence) U.S. 15-year-old students had
an average score below the OECD average in 2006.  There was no difference
between the U.S. average score and the OECD average on the identifying
scientific issues subscale.

*   The U.S. average score in mathematics literacy (474) was lower than the
OECD average (498).  There was no significant change in the U.S. score when
compared to 2003.

*   In mathematics literacy, U.S. students scored lower than their peers in
23 OECD countries, not significantly different from their peers in 2, and
higher than their peers in 4.  When comparing the highest-achieving students
(those at the 90th percentile), U.S. students scored lower than the OECD
average in mathematics literacy (593 vs. 615).

*   The international report contains results on reading literacy for other
participating jurisdictions.  U.S. data on reading literacy were judged
invalid by OECD because of an error in the test administration.

For more information on PISA visit http://nces.ed.gov/Surveys/PISA/

To download, view and print the publication as a PDF file, please visit:
http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2008016