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Digest of Education Statistics
1996 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest

Table 394.Mathematics test scores of 9-year-olds in educational systems participating in the International Assessment of Educational Progress: 1991


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                        |                                |                                                                 |                                                       |
                        |     Average percent correct    |           Percentile scores                                     |                      Topic averages                   |           Process averages
                        |--------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------
                        |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |Data       |          |           |            |
        Country         |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |Numbers   |          |          |analysis,  |          |           |            |
                        |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          | and      |Measure-  |          |statistics,|Algebra   |Conceptual |Procedural  |Problem
                        |   Total  |   Male   |   Female |     1    |     5    |    10    |    90    |    95    |    99    |operations|ment      |Geometry  | and       | and      |under-     |knowledge\2\|solving\3\
                        |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |probability|functions |standing\1\|            |
------------------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|-----------|----------|-----------|------------|----------
           1            |     2    |     3    |     4    |     5    |     6    |     7    |     8    |     9    |     10   |     11   |     12   |     13   |     14    |     15   |      16   |       17   |     18
------------------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|-----------|----------|-----------|------------|----------
                        |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |           |          |           |            |
                        |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |           |          |           |            |
IAEP average............|63.3  --- | ---  --- | ---  --- | ---  --- | ---  --- | ---  --- | ---  --- | ---  --- | ---  --- |61.2  --- |67.2  --- |63.9  --- |67.6   --- |61.8  --- | 63.2  --- |  66.7  --- |58.5  ---
                        |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |           |          |           |            |
Populations             |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |           |          |           |            |
 (comprehensive)        |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |           |          |           |            |
                        |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |           |          |           |            |
Korea.................. |74.8 (0.6)|77.2 (0.7)|72.4 (0.8)|26.2 (0.9)|41.0 (3.7)|50.8 (4.7)|93.4 (0.0)|95.1 (0.0)|98.4 (0.0)|74.6 (0.6)|73.0 (0.8)|75.4 (0.7)|79.3 (0.6) |72.1 (0.7)| 75.0 (0.6)|  78.7 (0.6)|68.8 (0.6)
Hungary.................|68.2 (0.6)|68.2 (0.8)|68.2 (0.8)|20.4 (2.3)|33.3 (1.5)|40.7 (1.2)|90.2 (2.5)|93.4 (0.0)|98.4 (0.0)|67.5 (0.7)|71.6 (0.7)|68.6 (0.7)|63.4 (0.8) |72.4 (0.8)| 68.2 (0.6)|  70.8 (0.7)|64.4 (0.7)
Taiwan..................|68.1 (0.8)|68.4 (0.8)|67.8 (0.9)|19.2 (1.6)|32.1 (4.6)|41.0 (1.8)|91.8 (1.7)|95.1 (0.0)|98.4 (0.0)|67.1 (0.8)|69.3 (0.8)|69.2 (0.8)|72.8 (0.8) |64.2 (0.8)| 68.5 (0.8)|  76.1 (0.8)|55.7 (0.8)
(Former) Soviet Union\4\|65.9 (1.3)|66.4 (1.2)|65.4 (1.4)|20.0 (0.6)|30.8 (1.0)|37.7 (0.7)|90.2 (0.7)|93.4 (2.3)|98.4 (0.0)|65.7 (1.3)|71.3 (1.0)|64.4 (1.3)|60.1 (1.5) |67.8 (1.3)| 63.0 (1.3)|  72.0 (1.2)|61.7 (1.4)
Israel\5\ ..............|64.4 (0.7)|66.0 (0.8)|62.7 (0.9)|21.3 (0.4)|30.4 (2.8)|38.6 (3.1)|86.9 (2.1)|91.8 (0.0)|96.7 (0.0)|63.6 (0.8)|69.9 (0.7)|58.8 (0.9)|63.9 (1.0) |66.8 (0.7)| 62.6 (0.8)|  68.3 (0.8)|61.6 (0.8)
Spain\6\ ...............|61.9 (1.0)|61.9 (1.3)|61.8 (1.1)|18.8 (0.6)|26.8 (1.8)|32.8 (2.0)|86.9 (0.0)|90.2 (2.4)|96.7 (0.0)|61.3 (1.1)|60.8 (0.8)|60.1 (1.1)|69.3 (1.1) |58.3 (1.1)| 60.8 (1.0)|  66.1 (1.0)|57.3 (1.1)
Ireland.................|60.0 (0.8)|59.9 (0.9)|60.1 (1.1)|16.0 (3.3)|24.6 (0.4)|31.2 (1.5)|85.0 (3.9)|90.2 (0.0)|95.1 (0.0)|58.0 (0.9)|64.2 (0.8)|57.9 (0.9)|65.2 (0.8) |59.4 (1.0)| 59.3 (0.8)|  63.9 (0.8)|55.5 (0.9)
Canada\7\ ..............|59.9 (0.5)|59.9 (0.7)|60.0 (0.6)|19.6 (1.6)|28.3 (2.5)|35.7 (1.5)|83.6 (0.0)|88.5 (0.0)|93.4 (2.8)|55.0 (0.6)|65.4 (0.5)|64.7 (0.6)|72.3 (0.5) |56.4 (0.6)| 60.4 (0.5)|  61.1 (0.6)|57.4 (0.5)
United States...........|58.4 (1.0)|58.7 (1.1)|58.0 (1.2)|18.0 (1.1)|24.6 (0.0)|29.5 (2.1)|83.6 (0.0)|90.2 (2.3)|96.7 (1.6)|54.3 (1.1)|63.2 (1.0)|56.9 (1.0)|72.8 (1.1) |55.3 (1.0)| 59.7 (1.0)|  59.5 (1.1)|54.5 (1.0)
Slovenia................|55.8 (0.6)|55.8 (0.7)|55.9 (0.7)|18.9 (0.8)|27.7 (1.8)|34.0 (0.8)|79.3 (0.3)|84.5 (0.0)|93.1 (0.0)|52.7 (0.6)|62.4 (0.6)|63.1 (0.8)|54.2 (0.8) |57.8 (0.6)| 56.3 (0.6)|  57.6 (0.6)|52.3 (0.7)
                        |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |           |          |           |            |
Populations             |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |           |          |           |            |
 (with exclusions or    |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |           |          |           |            |
  low participation)    |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |           |          |           |            |
                        |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |           |          |           |            |
Italy\8\ ...............|67.8 (0.9)|69.5 (1.0)|65.9 (1.1)|23.0 (2.0)|34.4 (1.6)|42.6 (0.3)|90.2 (1.7)|93.4 (4.9)|98.4 (0.0)|67.3 (0.9)|73.3 (0.9)|64.6 (1.1)|71.1 (0.9) |60.8 (1.3)| 67.8 (0.9)|  72.5 (0.9)|60.6 (1.1)
Scotland................|65.7 (0.9)|65.8 (1.1)|65.6 (1.1)|23.0 (0.1)|32.8 (0.0)|39.3 (2.8)|89.8 (4.6)|93.3 (2.7)|96.7 (4.6)|62.1 (1.0)|71.3 (0.9)|68.5 (0.8)|73.9 (0.8) |63.1 (1.2)| 66.3 (0.8)|  67.9 (1.0)|61.8 (0.8)
England.................|59.5 (1.9)|58.5 (1.5)|60.3 (2.9)|17.2 (2.1)|26.7 (1.6)|32.8 (0.5)|86.9 (2.5)|91.8 (3.3)|96.7 (0.0)|53.6 (2.1)|67.2 (1.6)|67.0 (1.5)|70.4 (1.7) |56.9 (2.1)| 60.7 (1.7)|  59.2 (2.0)|57.9 (1.9)
Portugal................|55.5 (0.9)|56.8 (1.1)|54.2 (1.1)|16.7 (1.9)|26.2 (0.5)|31.6 (0.8)|81.7 (2.6)|86.9 (0.0)|93.4 (1.6)|54.4 (1.1)|58.3 (0.7)|55.6 (1.2)|57.1 (1.0) |54.6 (1.0)| 55.7 (0.9)|  59.5 (1.1)|49.2 (1.0)
                        |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |           |          |           |            |
Populations (Canadian)  |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |           |          |           |            |
                        |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |           |          |           |            |
Quebec-French...........|64.5 (0.7)|65.1 (0.8)|64.0 (0.8)|23.0 (0.0)|32.8 (0.6)|40.7 (4.5)|85.3 (0.0)|88.5 (1.3)|95.1 (0.0)|59.1 (0.8)|68.1 (0.7)|72.8 (0.7)|76.8 (0.7) |63.6 (0.8)| 64.6 (0.6)|  66.2 (0.9)|62.0 (0.8)
Quebec-English..........|62.5 (0.8)|62.9 (0.9)|62.0 (1.0)|18.0 (0.0)|29.5 (0.4)|36.1 (1.7)|86.9 (0.9)|90.2 (0.0)|96.7 (0.0)|58.5 (0.9)|69.1 (0.7)|64.1 (0.9)|73.2 (0.7) |57.5 (0.8)| 63.5 (0.8)|  63.9 (0.8)|58.7 (0.8)
British Columbia........|61.9 (0.5)|61.8 (0.7)|62.0 (0.6)|18.2 (1.3)|29.5 (2.3)|36.1 (3.1)|85.3 (0.0)|90.2 (0.2)|96.7 (0.0)|58.7 (0.6)|67.4 (0.5)|62.4 (0.5)|72.3 (0.6) |56.5 (0.5)| 62.1 (0.4)|  63.7 (0.6)|59.1 (0.6)
New Brunswick-English...|59.8 (0.7)|60.3 (0.9)|59.3 (0.9)|17.5 (3.5)|26.7 (0.0)|33.9 (3.6)|83.6 (0.0)|88.5 (5.5)|95.1 (0.0)|56.1 (0.8)|66.0 (0.7)|63.1 (1.0)|69.3 (0.8) |54.6 (0.7)| 61.2 (0.7)|  61.1 (0.8)|55.7 (0.7)
Ontario-English.........|56.8 (0.7)|56.3 (0.9)|57.2 (0.9)|18.0 (0.0)|24.6 (2.4)|31.2 (1.5)|81.1 (4.6)|85.7 (3.1)|93.4 (0.0)|52.0 (0.8)|63.3 (0.7)|60.0 (0.9)|69.5 (0.7) |52.2 (0.7)| 57.6 (0.7)|  57.6 (0.8)|54.3 (0.7)
Ontario-French..........|54.5 (0.6)|54.7 (0.7)|54.3 (0.6)|18.0 (2.7)|26.3 (0.4)|31.2 (0.0)|77.1 (1.0)|82.0 (0.0)|90.2 (5.3)|48.2 (0.6)|60.0 (0.7)|61.7 (0.7)|67.6 (0.7) |55.1 (0.6)| 55.9 (0.6)|  54.4 (0.6)|52.4 (0.7)
------------------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|---------------------|----------|----------|-----------|----------|-----------|------------|----------

1 Conceptual understanding questions analyzed students' abilities in understanding of mathematical facts and concepts.

2 Procedural knowledge tasks required students to apply knowledge and concepts in solving routine problems using procedures taught in the classroom.

3 Problem solving questions required the student to apply several skills to a unique situation. These tasks usually involved multiple steps.

4 Schools in 14 republics, where instruction is in Russian.

5 Schools where instruction is in Hebrew.

6 Schools where instruction is in Spanish, in all regions except Cataluna.

7 Four provinces.

8 Emilia-Romagna province only.

---Data not available.

NOTE.--Standard errors appear in parentheses.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, International Assessment of Educational Progress, "Learning Mathematics," by Educational Testing Service. (This table was prepared February 1992.)


1996 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest