The United Sates is making incremental gains in science and math on the 2009 Program for International Student Assessment but scores remain below the international average, according a report released this week. Experts reacting to the data say the progress is encouraging.
Highlights From PISA 2009: Performance of U.S. 15-Year-Old Students in Reading, Mathematics,
and Science Literacy in an International Context compares the academic performance of students across 34 industrialized countries that are members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. PISA is intended to illustrate how well students can apply their academic knowledge in the real world.
The United States has ranked near the middle among the OECD countries – a status that has fueled talks regarding academic standards and students’ ability to be globally completive. The nation’s improvements in science and math are notable bright spots given the shortages of qualified workers in fields that heavily involve those subjects. The nation ranks 17th in science and 25th in math.
In reading, the nation has remained stagnant in its performance and ranks 14th.
With global competition on the mind of educators, economists and other stakeholders, it is clear that the latest PISA report will further fuel conversations about how the nation can best prepare students to lead our nation.