CMEC

The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is an international assessment of the skills and knowledge of 15-year-old students and, in addition, provides information on a range of factors that contribute to successful students, schools, and education systems.  PISA is a collaborative effort among member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

PISA covers three domains – reading, mathematics, and science.  Although each assessment has questions from all three domains, the focus shifts.  In 2000, the emphasis was on reading, with mathematics and science as minor domains.  In 2003, mathematics was the major domain and in 2006, it was science.  In 2009, the focus is back on reading. The repetition of the tests at regular intervals yields timely data that can be compared internationally and over time. 

As PISA is an international test, it measures skills that are generally recognized as key outcomes of the educational process. Rather than testing on facts, the assessment focuses on young people near the end of their compulsory schooling and their ability to use their knowledge and skills to meet real life challenges. 

Participation

International participation in PISA has grown steadily – from 32 countries in 2000, to 41 countries in 2003, to 57 in 2006, including all 30 OECD countries. Canada has participated in PISA since the beginning through a partnership of CMEC, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, and Statistics Canada. 

All 10 provinces have participated in each assessment. Over 22,000 Canadian students from more than 1,000 schools have taken part in each PISA test.  Both the schools and the students within the schools are selected randomly.  This large sample size permits results to be reported for each province and for both the French and English language school systems in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, and Manitoba. The test is administered in both French and English.

The results are valid only on the pan-Canadian and provincial level.  No results are attributed to individual schools or students.  PISA does not assess individual student achievement.

The Assessment

In addition to the two hours of direct assessment of reading, mathematics, and science, students in Canada complete a background questionnaire on themselves and their home, questions about information and communications technology, and questions about their school experiences, work activities, and relationships with others. School principals complete a separate questionnaire.

In determining the content of the assessments, international experts from OECD member countries developed definitions for each domain that guided the preparation of the testing instruments:

• Reading Literacy: The capacity to understand, use, and reflect on written texts in order to achieve one’s goals and potential, develop knowledge, and participate in society.
  
• Mathematics Literacy: The capacity to identify, understand, and engage in mathematics, and make well-founded judgements about the role that mathematics plays in the private, occupational, and social lives of constructive, concerned, and reflective citizens.
  
• Scientific Literacy: The capacity to use scientific knowledge, identify questions, and draw evidence-based conclusions in order to understand and help make decisions about the natural world and the changes made to it through human activity.

 
The Benefits of PISA

Canada invests significant public resources in the provision of elementary and secondary education and Canadians are concerned about the quality of education provided by schools.  The skills acquired by the end of secondary school are the essential foundation for further learning and for meeting the social and economic challenges of the future.  PISA examines the level of achievement of 15-year-olds, providing an indication of the knowledge and skills they have acquired and their preparedness to continue their studies or enter the workforce. 

Results from PISA are valuable to educators, governments, social policy analysts, and advocacy groups. Comparative information helps in the evaluation of the effectiveness of existing programs and practices and the understanding of the influences of socioeconomic status and other factors on educational success.

PISA Results 

On an international level, Canada has performed very well in all of the PISA assessments.

• In the 2006 science assessment, only Finland and Hong Kong-China had significantly higher scores than Canada.
• In the 2003, mathematics assessment, again only Hong Kong-China and Finland performed significantly better than Canada.
• In the 2000 reading assessment, only Finland scored significantly higher than Canada.

 
Much more information is available on each of the assessments: