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Table B.1.20. Percentage distribution of 15-year-old students scoring at each proficiency level on the PISA mathematics literacy scale, by jurisdiction: 2003
Jurisdiction Below level 1   Level 1   Level 2   Level 3   Level 4   Level 5   Level 6
Percent   s.e.   Percent   s.e.   Percent   s.e.   Percent   s.e.   Percent   s.e.   Percent   s.e.   Percent   s.e.
OECD average 8   0.2   13   0.2   21   0.2   24   0.2   19   0.2   11   0.1   4   0.1
                                                       
OECD countries                                                      
Australia 4   0.5   10   0.5   19   0.6   24   0.7   23   0.6   14   0.5   6   0.5
Austria 6   0.7   13   0.8   22   0.9   25   1.1   21   0.8   11   0.9   4   0.5
Belgium 7   0.6   9   0.5   16   0.7   20   0.7   21   0.6   18   0.7   9   0.5
Canada 2   0.3   8   0.4   18   0.6   26   0.7   25   0.6   15   0.6   6   0.5
Czech Republic 5   0.7   12   0.9   20   1.0   24   1.0   21   0.9   13   0.8   5   0.5
                                                       
Denmark 5   0.5   11   0.6   21   0.9   26   0.9   22   0.8   12   0.9   4   0.5
Finland 2   0.2   5   0.4   16   0.6   28   0.7   26   0.9   17   0.6   7   0.5
France 6   0.7   11   0.8   20   0.8   26   1.0   22   1.0   12   0.7   4   0.4
Germany 9   0.8   12   0.8   19   1.1   23   0.8   21   1.0   12   0.9   4   0.5
Greece 18   1.2   21   1.2   26   1.0   20   1.0   11   0.9   3   0.5   1   0.2
                                                       
Hungary 8   0.8   15   0.8   24   1.1   24   0.9   18   0.9   8   0.7   3   0.4
Iceland 5   0.4   11   0.6   20   1.0   26   0.9   23   0.8   12   0.6   4   0.4
Ireland 5   0.6   12   0.8   24   0.8   28   0.8   20   1.1   9   0.8   2   0.3
Italy 13   1.2   19   0.9   25   1.0   23   0.8   13   0.7   6   0.4   2   0.2
Japan 5   0.7   9   0.7   16   0.8   22   1.0   24   1.2   16   1.0   8   1.1
                                                       
Korea, Republic of 3   0.3   7   0.7   17   0.8   24   1.0   25   1.1   17   0.8   8   0.9
Luxembourg 7   0.4   14   0.7   23   0.9   26   0.8   19   0.9   9   0.6   2   0.3
Mexico 38   1.7   28   1.0   21   0.9   10   0.8   3   0.4   #   †   #   †
Netherlands 3   0.7   8   1.0   18   1.1   23   1.1   23   1.3   18   1.1   7   0.6
New Zealand 5   0.4   10   0.6   19   0.7   23   0.9   22   0.8   14   0.6   7   0.4
                                                       
Norway 7   0.5   14   0.8   24   1.2   25   1.0   19   1.0   9   0.6   3   0.4
Poland 7   0.6   15   0.8   25   0.8   25   0.9   18   0.9   8   0.5   2   0.3
Portugal 11   1.1   19   1.0   27   1.0   24   1.0   13   0.9   5   0.5   1   0.2
Slovak Republic 7   0.9   13   0.9   24   0.9   25   1.1   19   0.8   10   0.7   3   0.4
Spain 8   0.7   15   0.9   25   0.8   27   1.0   18   0.7   7   0.6   1   0.3
                                                       
Sweden 6   0.5   12   0.6   22   0.8   26   1.0   20   0.8   12   0.6   4   0.5
Switzerland 5   0.5   10   0.6   18   0.8   24   1.0   23   0.7   14   1.1   7   0.9
Turkey 28   2.0   25   1.3   22   1.1   14   1.3   7   1.1   3   0.8   2 ! 1.0
United States 10   0.8   16   0.8   24   0.8   24   0.8   17   0.7   8   0.5   2   0.4
                                                       
Non-OECD jurisdictions                                                      
Hong Kong-China 4   0.7   7   0.6   14   1.0   20   1.3   25   1.2   20   1.0   11   0.9
Indonesia 51   2.1   28   1.1   15   1.1   6   0.7   1   0.4   #   †   #   †
Latvia 8   0.9   16   1.1   26   1.2   26   1.2   17   1.2   6   0.7   2   0.4
Liechtenstein 5   1.3   8   1.7   17   2.8   22   2.5   23   3.1   18   3.2   7   1.7
Macao-China 2   0.6   9   1.3   20   1.4   27   1.8   24   1.7   14   1.6   5   1.0
                                                       
Russian Federation 11   1.0   19   1.1   26   1.1   23   1.0   13   0.9   5   0.6   2   0.4
Serbia and Montenegro 18   1.4   25   1.1   29   1.2   19   1.1   8   0.9   2   0.4   #   †
Thailand 24   1.3   30   1.3   25   1.1   14   0.9   5   0.5   2   0.3   #   †
Tunisia 51   1.4   27   1.0   15   0.8   6   0.6   1   0.3   #   †   #   †
Uruguay 26   1.3   22   0.8   24   0.9   17   0.7   8   0.7   2   0.3   1 ! 0.2
† Not applicable.
# Rounds to zero.
! Interpret data with caution. (Estimates are unstable.)
NOTE: In order to reach a particular proficiency level, a student must have been able to correctly answer a majority of items at that level. Students were classified into mathematics literacy levels according to their scores. Exact cut point scores are as follows: below level 1 (a score less than or equal to .357.77); level 1 (a score greater than 357.77 and less than or equal to 420.07); level 2 (a score greater than 420.07 and less than or equal to 482.38); level 3 (a score greater than 482.38 and less than or equal to 544.68); level 4 (a score greater than .544.68 and less than or equal to 606.99); level 5 (a score greater than 606.99 and less than or equal to 669.3); level 6 (a score greater than 669.3). The OECD average is the average of the national averages of the OECD member countries with data available. Because PISA is principally an OECD study, the results for non-OECD countries are displayed separately from those of the OECD countries and are not included in the OECD average. Due to low response rates, data for the United Kingdom are not displayed in the table. Standard error is indicated by s.e. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.
SOURCE: Data from Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), 2003. Lemke, M., Sen, A., Pahlke, E., Partelow, L., Miller, D., Williams, T., Kastberg, D., Jocelyn, L. (2004). International Outcomes of Learning in Mathematics Literacy and Problem Solving: PISA 2003 Results From the U.S. Perspective (NCES 2005–003), table B-6. National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC.
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