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United States continues to lag behind first-world peers

International study measures students' math literacy and problem solving

December 2004 - In 2003, U.S. performance in mathematics literacy and problem solving was lower than the average performance for most OECD [Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development] countries.* The United States also performed below the OECD average on each mathematics literacy subscale representing a specific content area (space and shape, change and relationships, quantity, and uncertainty).

 

The U.S. score was below the OECD average science literacy score in 2003.

 

The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) is a system of international
assessments that measures 15-year-olds’ capabilities in reading literacy, mathematics literacy, and science literacy every 3 years.

 

* Our note: OECD countries include most European countries, Iceland, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Mexico, and the United States. See the report for the full list.

 

(Click here to be taken to the National Center for Education Statistics report in PDF format...)