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Collaborative Problem Solving: Proficiency Levels


Overall Level Descriptions

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Table CPS2. Percentage distribution of 15-year-old students on the PISA collaborative problem solving scale, by proficiency level and education system: 2015
Education system Below level 1 Level 1   Level 2   Level 3   Level 4
Percent s.e. Percent s.e.   Percent s.e.   Percent s.e.   Percent s.e.
OECD average 5.7   0.10 22.4 * 0.16   36.2 * 0.18   27.8   0.17   7.9 * 0.11
Australia 4.3   0.31 15.6 * 0.58   31.2   0.61   33.6 * 0.82   15.3   0.69
Austria 4.5   0.44 20.2   0.85   35.8 * 0.99   30.4   1.01   9.1 * 0.65
B-S-J-G (China) 5.8   0.66 22.4 * 1.12   37.9 * 1.16   27.4   1.30   6.4 * 0.89
Belgium 5.7   0.49 21.1   0.79   36.7 * 0.72   29.3   0.77   7.1 * 0.56
Brazil 21.2 * 0.76 43.0 * 0.65   27.7 * 0.74   7.5 * 0.53   0.6 * 0.13
Bulgaria 15.3 * 1.14 34.1 * 1.21   32.6   1.16   16.0 * 1.02   2.0 * 0.32
Canada 3.4 * 0.28 15.0 * 0.70   32.0   0.83   33.8 * 0.86   15.7   0.66
Chile 8.4 * 0.70 33.9 * 1.15   40.5 * 1.04   16.0 * 0.97   1.2 * 0.23
Chinese Taipei 2.7 * 0.30 14.2 * 0.74   37.2 * 1.01   36.3 * 0.98   9.6 * 0.79
Colombia 14.1 * 0.95 42.3 * 0.98   33.8   1.00   9.2 * 0.60   0.6 * 0.16
Costa Rica 9.4 * 0.63 40.6 * 1.14   39.6 * 1.09   9.9 * 0.71   0.5 * 0.15
Croatia 6.6 * 0.64 28.7 * 0.99   41.8 * 1.00   20.4 * 0.86   2.4 * 0.31
Cyprus 13.0 * 0.62 36.0 * 1.08   35.5 * 1.00   14.0 * 0.66   1.5 * 0.25
Czech Republic 4.6   0.45 21.6 * 0.84   39.6 * 1.00   28.8   1.01   5.4 * 0.39
Denmark 2.7 * 0.27 16.3 * 0.80   38.8 * 0.88   33.4 * 0.93   8.9 * 0.65
Estonia 1.8 * 0.25 13.5 * 0.69   35.4   1.12   37.2 * 1.01   12.2   0.81
Finland 3.4 * 0.39 14.7 * 0.79   32.2   1.02   35.2 * 0.98   14.4   0.77
France 7.0 * 0.54 22.6 * 0.73   36.2 * 0.94   27.6   1.00   6.6 * 0.53
Germany 3.6   0.42 16.9   0.84   34.3   0.86   32.4 * 0.78   12.7   0.73
Greece 10.4 * 1.05 31.6 * 1.23   37.9 * 1.07   18.1 * 1.01   2.0 * 0.30
Hong Kong (China) 1.9 * 0.33 11.7 * 0.82   33.6   1.13   39.7 * 1.14   13.0   0.80
Hungary 8.7 * 0.61 28.6 * 0.97   37.4 * 0.89   22.0 * 0.91   3.3 * 0.38
Iceland 4.6   0.50 22.5 * 0.98   38.1 * 1.21   28.2   1.03   6.5 * 0.63
Israel 11.5 * 0.93 30.2 * 1.06   30.7   1.19   22.1 * 1.00   5.4 * 0.52
Italy 7.8 * 0.61 26.9 * 1.01   38.5 * 1.05   22.6 * 0.90   4.2 * 0.52
Japan 1.2 * 0.25 8.9 * 0.66   31.4   1.05   44.4 * 1.06   14.0   0.83
Korea, Republic of 1.5 * 0.26 11.4 * 0.72   35.1 * 0.94   41.6 * 1.02   10.4 * 0.79
Latvia 5.6   0.50 25.4 * 0.90   41.3 * 0.93   23.8 * 0.98   3.9 * 0.47
Lithuania 8.3 * 0.58 30.2 * 0.91   39.3 * 1.00   19.7 * 0.89   2.5 * 0.32
Luxembourg 6.5 * 0.47 24.8 * 0.67   36.3 * 0.74   25.5 * 0.74   6.8 * 0.44
Macau (China) 2.2 * 0.26 12.7 * 0.54   35.6 * 0.92   38.4 * 0.95   11.1 * 0.57
Mexico 12.2 * 0.85 41.2 * 1.42   37.4 * 1.22   8.8 * 0.65   0.4 !* 0.12
Montenegro, Republic of 17.6 * 0.65 44.7 * 0.87   31.6   0.77   5.9 * 0.51   ‡   †
Netherlands 3.4 * 0.39 18.6   0.89   35.7 * 0.86   32.3   1.01   10.0 * 0.72
New Zealand 3.8   0.40 15.9 * 0.70   31.3   0.90   33.2 * 0.98   15.8   0.88
Norway 4.4   0.49 21.0   0.81   39.5 * 1.11   28.3   0.99   6.8 * 0.59
Peru 18.1 * 0.98 43.3 * 1.15   30.6   1.06   7.6 * 0.73   0.4 * 0.12
Portugal 4.6   0.44 21.5 * 0.91   40.2 * 0.85   28.4   0.98   5.2 * 0.50
Russian Federation 7.3 * 0.66 29.2 * 1.34   39.6 * 1.19   20.3 * 1.17   3.6 * 0.48
Singapore 1.6 * 0.20 9.7 * 0.47   27.8 * 0.63   39.5 * 0.75   21.4 * 0.63
Slovak Republic 9.5 * 0.65 31.1 * 0.96   38.4 * 1.12   18.4 * 0.93   2.6 * 0.38
Slovenia 4.4   0.38 21.2   0.83   38.6 * 1.24   29.3   0.93   6.4 * 0.65
Spain 4.4   0.41 21.4   0.94   41.6 * 0.85   28.3   0.82   4.3 * 0.37
Sweden 4.5   0.48 20.1   0.98   35.9 * 1.10   30.3   1.12   9.1 * 0.86
Thailand 12.2 * 1.01 41.9 * 1.24   34.5   1.23   10.4 * 0.90   0.9 * 0.27
Tunisia 24.5 * 1.32 59.5 * 1.47   15.2 * 1.08   0.8 !* 0.25   ‡   †
Turkey 14.9 * 1.11 44.5 * 1.40   33.6   1.47   6.9 * 0.80   0.2 !* 0.08
United Arab Emirates 16.2 * 0.80 37.7 * 0.88   31.6   0.96   12.8 * 0.60   1.8 * 0.19
United Kingdom 4.2   0.39 18.3   0.84   34.6   0.75   30.9   0.88   12.0   0.74
United States 4.9   0.51 18.9   0.95   32.7   0.76   29.7   1.01   13.8   1.01
Uruguay 12.9 * 0.66 37.7 * 0.85   34.2   0.88   13.6 * 0.74   1.7 * 0.26
                                     
U.S. state education systems                                    
Massachusetts 2.7 * 0.60 12.8 * 1.48   29.6   1.83   35.0 * 1.91   19.9 * 1.92
North Carolina 3.9   0.62 18.2   1.52   32.4   1.67   31.7   1.98   13.8   1.55
† Not applicable.
! Interpret data with caution. Estimate is unstable due to high coefficient of variation (>30 and ≤50 percent).
‡ Reporting standards not met due to coefficient of variation over 50 percent.
* p<.05. Significantly different from the U.S. percentage at the .05 level of statistical significance.
NOTE: Education systems are ordered alphabetically. Scores are reported on a scale from 0 to 1,000. To reach a particular proficiency level, a student must correctly answer a majority of items at that level. Students were classified into proficiency levels according to their scores. Exact cut scores are as follows: below level 1 (a score less than 340); level 1 (a score greater than or equal to 340 and less than 440); level 2 (a score greater than or equal to 440 and less than 540); level 3 (a score greater than or equal to 540 and less than 640); and level 4 (a score greater than or equal to 640 ). Proficiency level 1 and below level 1 are sometimes combined in reports and referred to as below level 2. Descriptions of the skills and knowledge demonstrated by students at each proficiency level are available in exhibit CPS1. The OECD average is the average of the national percentages of the 32 OECD member countries that participated in the collaborative problem solving assessment, with each system weighted equally. B-S-J-G (China) refers to the four PISA participating China provinces: Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Guangdong. Malaysia administered the collaborative problem solving assessment but due to sampling issues its data were deemed not comparable and thus are not shown here. Standard error is noted by s.e. Italics indicate non-OECD countries and education systems. Results for Massachusetts and North Carolina are for public school students only. Detail may not sum to totals due to rounding.
SOURCE: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), 2015.

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