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The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is an international comparative study of student achievement directed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). PISA measures how well 15-year-olds, who are nearing the end of their compulsory schooling in most participating educational systems, are prepared to use the knowledge and skills in particular areas to meet real-life opportunities and challenges. PISA 2015 is the sixth cycle of PISA since it was first conducted in 2000. Seventy-two OECD countries or partner economies participated in PISA 2015. In Australia, PISA is managed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) and is jointly funded by the Australian Government and the state and territory governments. This report presents the results for Australia as a whole, for the Australian jurisdictions and (where relevant) for the other participants in PISA 2015, so that Australia’s results can be viewed in an international context, and student performance can be monitored over time. The relationship of socioeconomic background to scientific literacy achievement and the influence of other student- and school-level factors are also examined in this report. The PISA assessment focuses on young people’s ability to apply their knowledge and skills to real-life problems and situations. The term literacy is attached to the domains of science, reading and mathematics to reflect the focus on these broader skills and as a concept it is used in a much broader sense than simply being able to read and write. The OECD considers that science and mathematics are so pervasive in modern life that it is important for students to be literate in these areas as well.
Copyright Australian Council for Educational Research 2017
This report will be available for download at 12.01 AM 15 March 2017 AEDT (Australian Eastern Daylight Time).