Characteristics of U.S. 15-Year-Old Low Achievers in an International Context. Findings from PISA 2000. Statistical Analysis Report

摘要

The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), sponsored by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and carried out in 32 countries, including the United States, evaluates 15-year-old students' literacy in three areas: reading, mathematics, and science. The first PISA survey was conducted in 2000, with additional assessments planned on a 3-year cycle. Each survey focuses on one of the three types of literacy; in PISA 2000, reading literacy was the major focus. Therefore, it is possible to perform a detailed examination of reading literacy within and across countries. This report has two objectives: first, to explore how the demographic and educational characteristics of low-performing students compare to other students within the United States; second,to analyze if the United States differs from the other PISA countries in terms of the characteristics of its low-performing students.