Indicator 7: Reading, Mathematics, and Science Literacy Performance of 15-Year-Old Students

G-20 Countries Included: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States

In reading literacy among 15-year-olds, the United States had larger percentages of high performers and smaller percentages of low performers than 9 of the 14 other participating G-20 countries, but Australia, Canada, France, Japan, and the Republic of Korea each had larger percentages of high performers and smaller percentages of low performers than the United States.

Indicator 7 draws on data from PISA 2012 to describe 15-year-old students' performance in reading, mathematics, and science literacy. Similar to other indicators in this section, it examines the percentages of students reaching different levels of proficiency on a performance scale. In PISA, the proficiency levels range from below level 1 to level 6 in all three subjects. For each subject, the indicator focuses on the percentages of students at the high and low ends of the scale (that is, those at level 5 or 6 and those at level 1 or below, respectively).

In 2012, the percentage of students reaching the high end of the performance scale in reading literacy (i.e., at level 5 or 6) in the participating G-20 countries ranged from 1 percent or less in Argentina, Brazil, Indonesia, and Mexico to 18 percent in Japan. In the United States, 8 percent of students reached level 5 or 6. The percentage of students at the low end of the performance scale (i.e., at level 1 or below) ranged from 8 percent in the Republic of Korea to 55 percent in Indonesia; it was 17 percent in the United States. The United States had larger percentages of high performers and smaller percentages of low performers than 6 of the 14 other participating G-20 countries, but Australia, Canada, Japan, and the Republic of Korea each had larger percentages of high performers and smaller percentages of low performers than the United States. There were no measurable differences in the percentages of high or low performing students between the United States and the remaining 4 countries.

In mathematics literacy, the percentage of students at the high end of the performance scale ranged from 1 percent or less in Argentina, Brazil, Indonesia, and Mexico to 31 percent in the Republic of Korea. In the United States, 9 percent of students reached level 5 or 6, which was not measurably different from two participating G-20 countries, higher than in five countries, and lower than in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and the United Kingdom. The percentage of students at the low end of the performance scale ranged from 9 percent in the Republic of Korea to 76 percent in Indonesia. All but four of the participating G-20 countries (Canada, Germany, Japan, and the Republic of Korea) had higher percentages of students at level 1 or below than at level 5 or 6. The percentage of U.S. students at level 1 or below was 26 percent, which was higher than in all but 5 of the 14 other participating G-20 countries.

In science literacy, the percentage of students at the high end of the performance scale ranged from less than 1 percent in Argentina, Brazil, Indonesia, and Mexico to 18 percent in Japan. In the United States, 7 percent of 15-year-olds reached level 5 or 6, which was not measurably different from two participating G-20 countries, higher than in six countries, and lower than in Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and the United Kingdom. The percentage of students at the low end of the performance scale ranged from 7 percent in the Republic of Korea to 67 percent in Indonesia. The percentage of U.S. students at level 1 or below was 18 percent, which was lower than in all but 6 of the 14 other participating G-20 countries.

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Definitions and Methodologie

In PISA 2012, countries were required to sample students who were between the ages of 15 years and 3 months and 16 years and 2 months at the time of the assessment and who had completed at least 6 years of formal schooling, regardless of the type of institution in which they were enrolled.

PISA scores are reported on a scale from 0 to 1,000, with the scale average fixed at 500 and the standard deviation fixed at 100. The PISA achievement scales were designed to reliably measure student achievement over time, and the metric of the scales was established for reading in 2000, mathematics in 2003, and science in 2006.

To help in interpreting what students' scores mean in substantive terms, the scale is divided into levels, based on a set of statistical principles. Based on the tasks that are located within each level, certain kinds of skills and knowledge are needed to complete them successfully. The cutpoint scores for each level differ between subjects, but in each subject there may be students who perform below level 1. (In the case of reading literacy, level 1 includes two sublevels, level 1a and 1b.)

In reading literacy, toward the top of the scale, students can handle texts that are unfamiliar in either form or content. They can find information in such texts, demonstrate detailed understanding, and infer which information is relevant to the task. They are also able to critically evaluate such texts and build hypotheses about them, drawing on specialized knowledge and accommodating concepts that may be contrary to expectations. Near the bottom of the scale, students begin to demonstrate the reading literacy competencies that will enable them to participate effectively and productively in life. Questions require recognizing the main idea in a text, understanding relationships, or construing meaning within a limited part of the text when the information is not prominent and the reader must make low-level inferences. The levels, with score-point cutoffs in parentheses, are 1b (262.04 to less than 334.75), 1a (334.75 to less than 407.47), 2 (407.47 to less than 480.18), 3 (480.18 to less than 552.89), 4 (552.89 to less than 625.61), 5 (625.61 to less than 698.32), and 6 (above 698.32).

In mathematics literacy, toward the top of the scale, the tasks typically involve a number of different elements and require high levels of interpretation. Usually, the situations described are unfamiliar and so require some degree of thoughtful reflection and creativity. Typical activities involved include interpreting complex and unfamiliar data, imposing a mathematical construc- tion on a complex real-world situation, and using mathematical modeling processes. Near the bottom of the scale, questions set in simple and relatively familiar contexts require only the most limited interpretation of a situation and direct application of well-known mathematical concepts. Typical activities include reading a value directly from a graph or table, performing a very simple and straightforward arithmetic calculation, ordering a small set of numbers correctly, counting familiar objects, using a simple currency exchange rate, and identifying and listing simple combinatorial outcomes. The levels, with score-point cutoffs in parentheses, are 1 (357.77 to less than 420.07), 2 (420.07 to less than 482.38), 3 (482.38 to less than 544.68), 4 (544.68 to less than 606.99), 5 (606.99 to less than 669.30), and 6 (above 669.30).

In science literacy, typical questions near the top of the scale involve interpreting complex and unfamiliar data, imposing a scientific explanation on a complex real-world situation, and applying scientific processes to unfamiliar problems. At this part of the scale, questions tend to have several scientific or technol- ogical elements that need to be linked by students, requiring several interrelated steps. On the bottom of the scale, questions require less scientific knowledge and are applied in familiar contexts, with easy scientific explanations that arise directly from given evidence. The levels, with score-point cutoffs in parentheses, are 1 (334.94 to less than 409.54), 2 (409.54 to less than 484.14), 3 (484.14 to less than 558.73), 4 (558.73 to less than 633.33), 5 (633.33 to less than 707.93), and 6 (above 707.93).

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