Achievement of 15-year-olds in Wales: PISA 2006 National Report

The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is a survey of the educational achievement in science, mathematics and reading of 15-year-olds organised by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Wales participated fully in the survey for the first time in PISA 2006, with results submitted by 124 schools and over 3,000 students. A total of 57 countries were involved in the study; this included 30 OECD member countries and 25 members of the European Union.

Key results for Science:

• The mean score attained by students in Wales was similar to the OECD average.
• Wales had a wide spread of attainment compared with many other countries - (while there were some at the highest level of achievement, there was a substantial tail of low-scoring students).
• The Welsh score ranked 22nd internationally (when identifying the component parts of the UK separately).

Key results for Mathematics:

• The mean score for mathematics in Wales was below the OECD average.
• The Welsh score ranked 34th.

Key results for Reading:

• Students in Wales performed below the OECD average.
• The Welsh score ranked 30th internationally.
• The spread of attainment was similar to the OECD average although fewer students reached the highest achievement levels than in many other of the participating countries.

Gender differences:

• Boys outperformed girls in Mathematics and Science, but not in Reading.

Contact:
Tel: 029 2082 5060
Email: school.stats@wales.gsi.gov.uk

Further Information:
Additional information about PISA can be found on the OECD website.
The national reports are available online:
PISA 2006 Welsh Report
PISA 2006 English Report

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