Publisher's Synopsis
The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is a collaborative study among OECD member countries to assess the knowledge and skills of 15 year olds in reading, maths and science. The study also considers a range of socio-economic characteristics of the student, their family and school attended. This report presents the findings of the survey carried out in March 2000 to assess student achievement in Northern Ireland, with a focus on reading literacy. Findings include: 1) Northern Irish students did significantly better than the OECD average in reading, maths and science; 2) girls scored significantly higher than boys in reading, a finding that was repeated in all participating countries, whereas in both maths and science gender differences were less marked; and 3) the type of school attended was the most important socio-economic factor, with those attending grammar schools doing best in reading proficiency.
