The average U.S. science literacy score was below the average of the 30 OECD-member countries. U.S. students had a lower average score than students in 16 OECD-member countries and a higher average score than students in 5 OECD-member countries.

The 2006 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA 2006) reports on the science literacy of 15-year-olds in 57 educational jurisdictions, including the 30 member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and 27 non-OECD countries and subnational education systems. PISA 2006 provides scores on three subscales of scientific competencies in addition to a combined scientific literacy score. The average U.S. science literacy score was 489, which was below the average of the 30 OECD countries (500). U.S. students had a lower average score than students in 16 OECD-member countries and a higher average score than students in 5 OECD countries. U.S. students also scored lower than their peers in 6 non-OECD jurisdictions and higher than their peers in 17 non-OECD-member jurisdictions.

On specific scientific skill subscales measured in PISA 2006, the average score of U.S. students was below the OECD average in explaining phenomena scientifically and in using scientific evidence. No measurable difference was found between U.S. students’ average score and the OECD average in identifying scientific issues (see table 19-1).

In a majority of participating jurisdictions (37 out of 57), including the United States, no measurable differences were found between the average combined science literacy scores of males and females (see table 19-2). Among jurisdictions where significant score differences were found by sex, 8 showed males outperforming females and 12 showed females outperforming males. In two of the three scientific skill subscales measured in PISA 2006, most jurisdictions showed a significant difference in the scores of males and females: in identifying scientific issues, females outperformed males; in explaining phenomena scientifically, males generally outperformed females.

Within the United States, the combined science literacy scores of U.S. 15-year-old Hispanic, Black, and American Indian/Alaska Native students were below the OECD average (see table 19-3). The average score of U.S. White students was above the OECD average, while the average scores of U.S. Asian, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, and students of more than one race were not measurably different from the OECD average.