Massachusetts students ace reading, science in global test

The math scores on PISA are similar to 2015 results on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, a standardized test given only in the U.S. Math scores on the NAEP tests for fourth-, eighth- and 12th-graders dropped a year ago.

Some 540,000 students across 72 countries or cities were quizzed with a computer-based test during the latest version of the survey, known as the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).

-In math, the USA average score was 470, below the global average of 490.

The Gelang Patah MP demanded an explanation on the matter, claiming that the results which were released by the Education Ministry might not have the same official PISA 2015 results released by the OECD in London yesterday. Whilst the new rankings have seen results in science rise from 21 to 15 globally, maths has slipped a place to 27 and with reading rising a place to 23. Both sets of figures tell us the same thing: reform is essential.

New Zealand’s rise in the rankings was largely because countries previously ranked above it declined, Craig Jones, deputy secretary for evidence, data and knowledge said.

“However, in 2015, Mexico’s mean score was lower than the score attained in 2009”, it said.

The study evaluated 15-year-old students’ performance in science, math and reading.

Schleicher said, as cited by the BBC, that Asian countries such as Singapore managed to achieve excellence without wide differences between children from wealthy and disadvantaged families.

“We are primarily competing against ourselves. Without a complete change in direction, things will keep getting worse”.

While Irish students have maintaining their position in reading and maths over recent years, there was a significant drop in science performance. In 2006, 19 percent of students in the bottom socioeconomic quartile had science scores in the top quartile.

One of Scotland’s leading educationalists said it was “no longer credible” to describe the country’s education system as “world-leading”. On average, boys in OECD countries are twice as likely to expect to work as engineers, scientists or architects, whereas girls are three times more likely to expect careers in healthcare. “All schooling sectors need to be focused on this as the most important priority”, Mr Willox said.

The survey also credits the ability of the teachers in the city-state to teach the students, labeling them as “pillars of Singapore’s education system”.