Student Performance
Topic Box from the 2011 Final Benchmark Report
PISA |
| The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is a tool developed in 2000 to measure the reading, mathematics and science skills of 15-year old students around the world. In an effort to assess students’ ability to address real-life challenges, PISA focuses on measuring capabilities beyond knowledge of curricular content. PISA also gathers policy oriented data such as the characteristics of high- and low-achievers as well as high- and low-performing schools and countries. |
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2009 Results |
| Shanghai-China (556) placed first among the 75 participating countries. Canada ranked sixth. The difference between the best (Korea) and worst (Mexico) performing OECD countries, 114 points, is the equivalent of more than two years of formal schooling. |
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| Shanghai-China and Korea placed first and second in the 75-country survey,
respectively, yet they possess GDP per capita levels that are below the OECD average. This underscores how students in low-income countries can outperform those in high-income ones. Little of the differences in student performance among countries is accounted for by the correlation between GDP per capita and student performance. |
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| Although a student’s socio-economic background accounts for 14 percent of the gap in reading performance, a school’s socio-economic status is a greater
predictor of student performance in reading with effects as large as a year’s worth of schooling. Results also suggest that high-quality teachers are bigger determinants of student success than low student-teacher ratios. |
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BC's Results |
| In 2009, British Columbia’s average scores in science, reading, and mathematics were 535, 525 and 523, respectively (see Figure). The province was above the national average in science (529) and reading (524). Among the 75 participating jurisdictions, British Columbia was bested by seven in reading and science. In mathematics, British Columbia was slightly below the Canadian average of 527 and was bettered by 15 jurisdictions. |
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| The average scores of 15-year old British Columbia residents in reading and mathematics were lower in 2006 and 2009 than in 2000 and 2003, but only the decline in mathematics (from 538 in 2003 to 523 in 2006 and 2009) was statistically significant. It is too early to know whether or not these small declines are indicative of long-term trends, but they are potential warning signs that are worth monitoring. |
Sources
BC Progress Board; Centre for the Study of Living Standards; Statistics Canada; OECD. |
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