Analyzing Tools
A selection of publicly available online tools and tutorials for exploring the IAP data is provided below. Some of our analyzing tools require you to download the study-specific data files. To access the data files for each of the international large-scale studies, please view the Results and Data section.
Online Tools
Statistical Software Tools
Training
OECD Tools
Results and Data
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) publishes international data and results on education in various formats, including First Look reports, Statistics in Briefs, Data Points, blogs, other reports, and data files. To further help users explore the data, a list of online tools and tutorials, compiled both from NCES and external sources, is available on the IAP Analyzing Tools page.
This page highlights a selection of international data publications and products released by NCES. A complete catalog of the publications and products that use data from the international studies is available on the IAP Publications and Products page.
Results
First Look Reports
First Look reports provide initial findings of the international education studies from a U.S. perspective.
| Study | Report title and description | Release date |
|---|---|---|
| PIAAC | Highlights of the 2023 U.S. Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) Results Web Report PIAAC is a large-scale international study of working-age adults (ages 16–65) that assesses adults’ skills in three domains (literacy, numeracy, and adaptive problem solving) and collects information on their education, work experience, and other background characteristics. This web report highlights the results for U.S. adults from the most recent data collection, which took place in 2023, and compares them to the results from the combined 2017 and 2012/14 data collection. It provides overall results for all three PIAAC domains, as well as results for the following key variables: gender, age, race/ethnicity, educational attainment, current employment status, nativity, and self-reported health status. Changes in demographics as well as changes in performance within each of the variables between 2017 and 2023 are discussed. | December 2024 |
| ICILS | International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS) 2023 Results ICILS is a computer-based international assessment that measures 8th-grade students’ skill and experience in using information communications technologies (ICT) in two domains: computer and information literacy (CIL); and computational thinking (CT). In 2023, the United States and 34 other education systems participated in a computer-based assessment of students’ ICT capabilities; in addition, students and teachers provided responses to survey questions on computer access, use, and self-efficacy. | November 2024 |
| PIRLS | Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) 2021 Highlights PIRLS is an international comparative study that measures 4th–grade reading performance. Administered every 5 years since 2001, PIRLS provides valuable information on the reading literacy of students in the United States and how their reading performance compares to that of students in other parts of the world. The study also surveys students’ attitudes toward reading and their reading habits. In addition, students’ principals answer questions about students’ school experiences. A total of 65 education systems, including the United States participated in the 2021 PIRLS assessment. | May 2023 |
| TIMSS | Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2019 Results TIMSS provides reliable and timely data comparing the mathematics and science achievement of U.S. students to that of students in other education systems. Since 1995, and typically every 4 years, TIMSS data have been collected from students at grades 4 and 8. In 2019, more than 60 education systems, including the United States, participated in the seventh cycle of TIMSS. | December 2020 |
| PISA | Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2018 Results PISA measures 15-year-old students’ literacy in reading, mathematics, and science every 3 years. Periodically, PISA data collections include optional assessments, such as financial literacy and problem solving. The United States participated in the three main assessments along with nearly 80 other education systems, and the optional PISA assessment in financial literacy with 20 other education systems, in 2018. The results for the main assessments were released in December 2019, and the financial literacy assessment results were released in May 2020. | December 2019 and May 2020 |
| TALIS | Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2018 Results TALIS is a survey of teachers, teaching, and learning environments. In 2018, lower secondary teachers (grades 7, 8, and 9) and principals from 49 education systems, including the United States, participated in the third cycle of TALIS, answering questions about themselves, their work, and their work environments. Volume II, released in 2020, presents the second part of the TALIS 2018 results; volume I of the results was released in June 2019. | June 2019 and March 2020 |
| IELS | International Early Learning Study (IELS) 2018 Pilot Summary IELS is an international play-based assessment of 5-year-olds’ knowledge and skills in emerging literacy, numeracy, self-regulation, and social-emotional skills. In addition to the child assessment, parents and teachers of the children were asked to complete questionnaires. Three countries participated in this first-of-its-kind study: England, Estonia, and the United States. | March 2020 |
| ICILS | International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS) Results ICILS is a computer-based international assessment that measures 8th-grade students’ skill and experience in using information communications technologies (ICT) in two domains: computer and information literacy (CIL); and computational thinking (CT). In 2018, the United States and 13 other education systems participated in a computer-based assessment of students’ ICT capabilities; in addition, students and teachers provided responses to survey questions on computer access, use, and self-efficacy. | November 2019 |
| PIAAC | U.S. Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) International Highlights Web Report PIAAC is a large-scale international study of working-age adults (ages 16–65) that assesses adults’ skills in three domains (literacy, numeracy, and digital problem solving) and collects information on their education, work experience, and other background characteristics. The United States was among the 32 countries that participated between 2012 and 2015. This web-based highlights report provides overall results for all three PIAAC domains in an international context, as well as results for the following key variables: educational attainment, current employment status, nativity, and self-reported health status. | November 2019 |
| PIAAC | Highlights of the 2017 U.S. Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) Results Web Report PIAAC is a large-scale international study of working-age adults (ages 16–65) that assesses adults’ skills in three domains (literacy, numeracy, and digital problem solving) and collects information on their education, work experience, and other background characteristics. This web report highlights the results for U.S. adults from the most recent data collection, which took place in 2017, and compares them to the results from the combined 2012/14 data collection. It provides overall results for all three PIAAC domains, as well as results for the following key variables: gender, age, race/ethnicity, educational attainment, current employment status, nativity, and self-reported health status. Changes in demographics as well as changes in performance within each of the variables between 2012/14 and 2017 are discussed. | November 2019 |
| PIRLS | Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) 2016 Results PIRLS data are used to compare the reading skills of fourth-grade students over time; the assessment is designed to align broadly with the reading curricula in the participating countries. PIRLS 2016 is the fourth administration of this international comparison since its initial administration in 2001. In 2016, there were 58 education systems (including countries and subnational entities) that participated at grade 4. The focus of the report is on the performance of U.S. students relative to their peers in other education systems in 2016 and on changes in reading achievement since 2001. For a number of participating education systems, changes in achievement can be documented over the 15-year period from 2001 to 2016. Also included are results from the first administration of ePIRLS, an innovative, computer-based assessment of online reading. | December 2017 |
| PIAAC | Skills of U.S. Unemployed, Young, and Older Adults in Sharper Focus: Results From the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) 2012/2014: First Look PIAAC is a large-scale international study of working-age adults (ages 16–65) that assesses their skills in three domains (literacy, numeracy, and digital problem solving) and collects information on their education, work experience, and other background characteristics. The purpose of this report is to present updated and additional results for literacy, numeracy, and problem solving in technology-rich environments from the U.S. PIAAC household data collection, based on data collected in 2012 and 2014. The results are presented for three key subgroups of adults “living in households” who were oversampled in 2014: unemployed adults, young adults (ages 16–34), and older adults (ages 66–74). | March 2016 |
Statistics in Brief
Statistics in Brief reports present descriptive data in tabular format to provide useful information to a broad audience, including members of the general public. They address simple and topical issues and questions. They do not investigate complex hypotheses, account for interrelationships among variables, or support causal inferences.
| Study | Statistics in Brief title and description | Release date |
|---|---|---|
| TIMSS | This interactive web-based Stats in Brief uses data from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) to explore changes between 2011 and 2019 in the score gaps between students at the 90th percentile (high performing) and the 10th percentile (low performing). The study–which examines data from 47 countries at grade 4, 36 countries at grade 8, and 29 countries at both grades–provides an important picture of pre-pandemic trends internationally. This Stats in Brief also provides new analyses of the patterns in score gap changes over the last decade. The focus on patterns sheds light on which part of the achievement distribution may be driving change. | October 2022 |
| PISA | Health and STEM Career Expectations and Science Literacy Achievement of U.S. 15-Year-Old Students This Statistics in Brief reports the percentages and average scores of students who foresee either a career in the health fields or in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. The report analyzes career expectations and science achievement by gender, race/ethnicity, immigration status, and a measure of socioeconomic status. | June 2020 |
| PIAAC | A Description of U.S. Adults Who Are Not Digitally Literate This Statistics in Brief uses data from the 2012 Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) to examine the rate of digital literacy in the United States, including how this rate varies among demographic and workforce groups and how it compares to the digital literacy rate in other countries. | May 2018 |
| PIAAC | Adult Education Attainment and Assessment Scores: A Cross-National Comparison This Statistics in Brief builds upon the findings in an earlier NCES report to provide additional cross-national comparisons of adult literacy and numeracy proficiencies by educational attainment based on the 2011-12 Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). | September 2017 |
Data Points
Data Points present information on education topics of current interest in a brief, two-page format.
| Study | Data Point title and description | Release date |
|---|---|---|
| PIAAC | Low-skilled Adults in the United States: 2012/14 to 2017 This Data Point examines the U.S. adult population with low levels of English literacy and numeracy at two points in time–in the years 2012/2014 and 2017–using the data from the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). PIAAC is a large-scale international study of working-age adults (ages 16–65). | May 2022 |
| PIAAC | International Comparisons of Adult Literacy and Numeracy Skills Over Time This Data Point summarizes trends in adult literacy and numeracy skills since the 1990s for the countries that participated in all three international adult literacy studies over the past three decades: Canada, Hungary, Italy, Norway, the Netherlands, New Zealand and the United States. These studies are the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS), conducted in 1994–98; the Adult Literacy and Lifeskills Survey (ALL), conducted in 2003–08; and the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), conducted in 2012–17. | December 2021 |
| PIAAC | Adult Numeracy in the United States This Data Point summarizes what the data from the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) show about adult numeracy in the United States. PIAAC is a large-scale study of working-age adults (ages 16–65) in 37 participating countries. | September 2020 |
| PIAAC | Adult Literacy in the United States Using the data from the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), this Data Point summarizes the number of U.S. adults with low levels of English literacy and describes how they differ by nativity status and race/ethnicity. | July 2019 |
| PIAAC | Literacy and Numeracy Skills of U.S. Men and Women This Data Point examines the literacy and numeracy skills of U.S. men and women using the combined data from the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) in 2012 and 2014. Men and women did not have significantly different literacy scores, but men had higher numeracy scores overall as well as in each age group and educational attainment level examined. | August 2018 |
| PISA | Collaborative Problem-Solving Skills of 15-Year-Olds: Results From PISA 2015 The focus of this Data Point is on the performance of students in the United States relative to their peers in the 50 other education systems that participated in the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) collaborative problem-solving assessment in 2015. The PISA assessment of collaborative problem solving measured students’ ability to solve a problem by sharing the understanding and effort required to come to a solution and pooling their knowledge and skills to reach that solution. | November 2017 |
| PISA | Financial Literacy of 15-Year-Olds: Results From PISA 2015 This Data Point presents the results of the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2015 financial literacy assessment of 15-year-old students in the United States and the 14 other education systems that participated. The Data Point discusses how U.S. 15-year-olds performed, on average, compared to their peers in the other education systems; compares the performance of U.S. 15-year-olds on the 2015 and 2012 assessments; and presents the percentage of top and low performers in the United States and the other education systems. | May 2017 |
International Indicators from the Condition of Education
International comparison indicators in the NCES’ Condition of Education present data and analyses on topics such as international enrollment rates, student assessments, educational attainment, and education expenditures.
| Study | Data Point title and description | Release date |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Enrollment Rates by Country This indicator uses data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to compare education enrollment rates by age group across countries. | May 2022 |
| Other | International Educational Attainment This indicator uses data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to compare educational attainment across countries using two measures: high school completion and attainment of any postsecondary degree. | May 2022 |
| Other | Education Expenditures by Country This indicator uses data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to compare countries’ expenditures on education using two measures: expenditures on public and private education institutions per full-time-equivalent (FTE) student; and total government and private expenditures on education institutions as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP). | May 2022 |
| TIMSS | International Comparisons: Mathematics and Science Achievement at Grades 4 and 8 This indicator uses 2019 data from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) to report on the mathematics and science achievement of grade 4 and grade 8 students internationally. The indicator reports average scores and 90th-10th percentile score gaps. | May 2021 |
| PISA | International Comparisons: Reading, Mathematics, and Science Literacy of 15-Year-Old Students This indicator uses 2018 data from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) to report on the reading, mathematics, and science literacy of 15-year-old students in 79 education systems. The indicator reports average scores and proficiency levels in each subject. | May 2020 |
| PIRLS | International Comparisons: Reading Literacy at Grade 4 This indicator uses 2016 data from the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) to report on the reading literacy of grade 4 students internationally. The indicator reports average scores and international benchmark percentages from both PIRLS and ePIRLS. | May 2018 |
International Tables from the Digest of Education Statistics
The Digest of Education Statistics contains a set of tables covering the broad field of American education from prekindergarten through graduate school. International comparisons of education are contained in chapter 6 of the Digest.
| Study | Data Point title and description | Release date |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Chapter 6. International Comparisons of Education Chapter 6 of the Digest of Education Statistics contains tables on international comparisons of education, including on population, enrollment, and teachers; achievement, instruction, and school environment; attainment, degrees, and outcomes; skills of adults; and finances. | Ongoing |
Other Reports
Reports exploring special topics or presenting a specific new methodology are listed in this section.
| Study | Report title and description | Release date |
|---|---|---|
| PIAAC | Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC): County-Level Estimation for Age and Education Groups Methodology Report This is the third methodology report on Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) Small Area Estimation (SAE) published by the National Center for Education Statistics in PIAAC Cycle I. The first report was written to describe the methodology used for the purpose of creating model-based estimates of average scores and high, middle, and low proficiency levels of adult skills for all states and counties in the U.S. The second report described the statistical models to produce the same types of estimates for state-level age and education groups. This report describes the methodology used to produce the county-level estimates by age and education groups. | September 2022 |
| PIAAC | Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC): State-level Estimation for Age and Education Groups Methodology Report This is the second methodology report on Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) Small Area Estimation (SAE) published by the National Center for Education Statistics in PIAAC Cycle I. The first report was written to describe the methodology used for the purpose of creating model-based estimates of average scores and high, middle, and low proficiency levels of adult skills for all states and counties in the U.S. This report further describes the statistical models to produce the same types of estimates for state-level age and education groups. | June 2022 |
| PISA/PIAAC | 2012-2016 Program for International Student Assessment Young Adult Follow-up Study (PISA YAFS) PISA measures 15-year-old students’ literacy in reading, mathematics, and science every 3 years. In 2016, U.S. students who participated in PISA 2012 were administered a follow-up survey that included measures of adult numeracy and literacy. Initial results from this follow-up survey focus on how reading and mathematics performance at age 15 relate to literacy and numeracy skills and education, workforce, and life outcomes later in young adulthood. | June 2021 |
| PIAAC | Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC): State and County Estimation Methodology Report This report describes the statistical methodology used to produce estimates of average scores and of high, middle, and low proficiency levels of adult skills for every state and county in the United States. | April 2020 |
| TIMSS | Estimating Student Achievement at the Topic Level in TIMSS Using IRT-Based Domain Scoring Student achievement data from large-scale assessments have traditionally only been analyzed at the overall subject (e.g., mathematics) or content area (e.g., geometric thinking) levels. This report introduces a method to analyze large-scale student achievement data at the topic level (e.g., using fractions), using data from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) fourth-grade mathematics assessment. | February 2020 |
| TIMSS Advanced | U.S. Performance on the 2015 TIMSS Advanced Mathematics and Physics Assessments: A Closer Look This report provides in-depth analyses that (1) examine the demographics, school characteristics, and coursetaking patterns of the small subset of U.S. 12th-graders taking the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) Advanced assessments; (2) describe the extent to which the topics assessed in the study were covered in the curricula of the advanced mathematics and physics courses taken by U.S students; (3) provide detailed performance data within content domains for student subgroups and for students overall; and (4) illustrate student performance with example items. | December 2019 |
| PIAAC | Analyzing U.S. Young Adults' Skills by Student and Employment Status: Methodology for a New PIAAC Variable With Initial Results The purpose of this report is to provide researchers with a simple and efficient way of investigating policy issues related to young adults (age 16–34) and their transition into the labor force using Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) data. In particular, the report introduces a student-and-employment status variable; explains how this variable was developed; and illustrates the use of the variable, reporting skills by student and employment status. | June 2018 |
| PIAAC | Highlights From the U.S. PIAAC Survey of Incarcerated Adults: Their Skills, Work Experience, Education, and Training This report examines the skills of incarcerated adults in relationship to their work experiences and to their education and training in prison. The report presents results in the literacy and numeracy domains for groups of incarcerated adults by various characteristics, including employment prior to incarceration, experiences with prison jobs, skills certifications, educational attainment in prison, and participation in academic programs and training classes. | November 2016 |
Blogs
NCES publishes blog posts to help you stay informed about the latest findings and trends in education. All NCES blogs can be found at https://nces.ed.gov/blogs/nces/.
Data
Data Files
For each international study an International Database is released by the international organization overseeing that study. These International Databases include U.S. data along with data from all other participating countries or education systems. When NCES collects data for international studies, it usually makes two additional versions of the data available after the international release:
- (1) U.S. public-use data files. (These NCES files contain U.S.-specific variables not found in the International Database), and
- (2) U.S. restricted-use data files. (These NCES files are made available to those who obtain restricted-use licenses).
Below is a list of available U.S. datasets provided by NCES, including links for more information on the specific datasets and how to access, download, and analyze the data. Each dataset includes an accompanying technical report. To further help users explore the data, a list of online tools and tutorials, compiled both from NCES and external sources, is available on the NCES Analyzing Tools page.
| Study | Available NCES datasets with U.S.-specific variables |
|---|---|
| Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) | 2001, 2006, 2011, 2016 https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pirls/datafiles.asp |
| Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) | 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019 https://nces.ed.gov/timss/datafiles.asp |
| International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS) | 2018 https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/icils/datafiles.asp |
| Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) | 2000, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2016,* 2018 https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pisa/datafiles.asp *PISA-PIAAC Young Adult Follow-up Study |
| Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) Advanced | 1995, 2015 https://nces.ed.gov/timss/datafiles.asp |
| Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) | 2013, 2018 https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/talis/data.asp |
| Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) | Household Data: 2012, 2012/14, 2017 Prison Study Data: 2014 State and County Estimates: 2012, 2014, 2017 https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/piaac/datafiles.asp |
| Adult Literacy and Lifeskills Survey (ALL) | U.S. ALL Restricted-Use Data File: 2003 Stats Canada’s International ALL Public-Use Data Files: 2003-2008 |
| International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) | U.S. IALS Restricted-Use Data File: 1994 Stats Canada’s International IALS Public-Use Data Files: 1994-1998 https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/ials/data.asp |