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Some observations from the chart:
Finland: ranked 1st in reading, 1st in science, 2nd in maths, and 3rd in problem-solving;
Korea: ranked 1st in problem-solving, 2nd in reading, 3rd in maths and 4th in science;
Hong Kong: ranked 1st in maths, 2nd in problem-solving, 3rd in science, but a disappointing 10th in reading.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20041207.weducation07/BNStory/Front/
Globeandmail.com
Canadian students fall back in OECD tests
By CAROLINE ALPHONSO
From Tuesday's Globe and Mail
UPDATED AT 2:09 AM EST Tuesday, Dec 7, 2004
International tests in reading, math and science show that Canadian teenagers have slipped in the rankings during the past three years despite efforts across the country to boost academic performance.
Over all, Canada ranked third in reading, seventh in math and 11th in science in a comprehensive survey conducted last year in 41 countries and released yesterday by the Paris-based Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. In 2000, Canada boasted a second-place standing in reading, sixth in math and fifth in science.
"It's basically stayed the same in the last three years, despite some efforts to raise our achievement scores," said Douglas Willms, director of the Canadian Research Institute for Social Policy at the University of New Brunswick. "One really needs to pay attention as we move forward."
One official said the drop in Canada's ranking could be attributed partly to the fact that nine more countries, including Hong Kong and Macao-China, were added to the list surveyed.
The test measured 15-year-old students and graded all countries on a scoring scale that set the average performance at about 500. In 2003, Canada's score in reading was 528, above the OECD average but down from its 2000 score of 534. In science, the score dropped to 519, a decline of 10 points.
In mathematics, two components were examined in both years: space and shape, and change and relationships. In those two areas, Canadian students showed a small gain, but when two new components were added the overall score and ranking had dropped.
A test of problem-solving skills was also administered last year, with Canadian students ranking ninth.
Finland came out on top, finishing first in reading and science, and second to Hong Kong in math.
Pierre Reid, Quebec's Minister of Education, said the fact that Canadian students surpassed the OECD average was reason for encouragement.
"This is a very good indication that we're doing something right in Canada," he said. "We're investing our money in the right place."
But education budgets in many provinces have been frozen or reduced over the last decade, and as a result, test scores could suffer in the future, said Charles Ungerleider, a University of British Columbia education professor.
"Education budgets in most jurisdictions in Canada have not received the kind of attention that they should be given," he said.
"If you want to improve educational success, [the vulnerable groups] are exactly the groups that you have to address."
Some 250,000 15-year-olds wrote the test, known as the Program for International Student Assessment, the second survey of its kind. This time around, PISA focused on math skills, but also measured proficiency in reading and science.
A breakdown of provincial results shows Alberta teens having an edge, scoring 549 in math, behind only Hong Kong, and 543 in reading, tied with Finland for top spot.
Scores in the four Atlantic provinces were generally lower than elsewhere. Prince Edward Island scored 489 in science, below the OECD average. Education officials said socioeconomic status could be one factor, but not the only one, affecting student achievement in Atlantic Canada.
Education officials insisted yesterday that much of the investment made in improving student performance, such as capping class sizes and increasing the time devoted to reading instruction, has gone into the early years. The results won't be seen until a decade from now, they say.
"You wouldn't expect a dramatic improvement in a short period of time," said Prof. Ungerleider.
Mr. Willms said: "In absolute terms, we're really holding our own."
He pointed to countries like Asia that do well in math and science, partly because of an active tutoring industry. "We want to be among the top-performing countries, but we want kids that are well-rounded." Officials say improved teacher training and curriculum changes will mean better performance on standardized tests in future.
Scott Murray, director-general of institutions and social statistics at Statistics Canada, said Finland's advantage comes from its relatively homogeneous population. He said it also has included education excellence and equity in all of its social and economic policies, yielding better results in test scores.
The OECD study says Canada's relatively egalitarian education system means socioeconomic status and parental education have less of an impact on performance here than in other countries.
"Socioeconomic background of individual students accounts for 5 per cent or less of performance variance across schools," it said.
The gender gap continued to show up in the test scores, prompting the OECD to say that closing the gap warrants continued attention.
In Canada, girls outperformed boys in reading skills, while boys continued to shine in math.
Only in science was there little difference in the scores of boys and girls, except in Ontario, Nova Scotia and Manitoba, where boys continued to do better.
"The fact that the gap in science has closed, not completely but considerably, is a good sign," Mr. Murray said.
Recognizing that these gaps begin to emerge in primary grades, school boards have started addressing the disparity in reading and math. Single-sex classes are being piloted in public schools across the country. Also, girls are being encouraged to enter programs such as engineering.
"There is no silver bullet," Mr. Murray said. "A whole bunch of things matter a little bit. When you add them all up, they add up to quite a big difference."
The report also showed that wealthier countries tend to do better in educational terms than poor ones. But the OECD said that high expenditure is not necessarily a key to success. A number of countries, including Canada, do well in terms of value for money in their education systems, while some big spenders perform below the average. In a separate report, the OECD ranked Canada 19th out of 30 developed countries for its funding of primary and secondary schooling in 2001.
Bell Globemedia
© 2004 Bell Globemedia Publishing Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Finland: ranked 1st in reading, 1st in science, 2nd in maths, and 3rd in problem-solving;
Korea: ranked 1st in problem-solving, 2nd in reading, 3rd in maths and 4th in science;
Hong Kong: ranked 1st in maths, 2nd in problem-solving, 3rd in science, but a disappointing 10th in reading.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20041207.weducation07/BNStory/Front/
Globeandmail.com
Canadian students fall back in OECD tests
By CAROLINE ALPHONSO
From Tuesday's Globe and Mail
UPDATED AT 2:09 AM EST Tuesday, Dec 7, 2004
International tests in reading, math and science show that Canadian teenagers have slipped in the rankings during the past three years despite efforts across the country to boost academic performance.
Over all, Canada ranked third in reading, seventh in math and 11th in science in a comprehensive survey conducted last year in 41 countries and released yesterday by the Paris-based Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. In 2000, Canada boasted a second-place standing in reading, sixth in math and fifth in science.
"It's basically stayed the same in the last three years, despite some efforts to raise our achievement scores," said Douglas Willms, director of the Canadian Research Institute for Social Policy at the University of New Brunswick. "One really needs to pay attention as we move forward."
One official said the drop in Canada's ranking could be attributed partly to the fact that nine more countries, including Hong Kong and Macao-China, were added to the list surveyed.
The test measured 15-year-old students and graded all countries on a scoring scale that set the average performance at about 500. In 2003, Canada's score in reading was 528, above the OECD average but down from its 2000 score of 534. In science, the score dropped to 519, a decline of 10 points.
In mathematics, two components were examined in both years: space and shape, and change and relationships. In those two areas, Canadian students showed a small gain, but when two new components were added the overall score and ranking had dropped.
A test of problem-solving skills was also administered last year, with Canadian students ranking ninth.
Finland came out on top, finishing first in reading and science, and second to Hong Kong in math.
Pierre Reid, Quebec's Minister of Education, said the fact that Canadian students surpassed the OECD average was reason for encouragement.
"This is a very good indication that we're doing something right in Canada," he said. "We're investing our money in the right place."
But education budgets in many provinces have been frozen or reduced over the last decade, and as a result, test scores could suffer in the future, said Charles Ungerleider, a University of British Columbia education professor.
"Education budgets in most jurisdictions in Canada have not received the kind of attention that they should be given," he said.
"If you want to improve educational success, [the vulnerable groups] are exactly the groups that you have to address."
Some 250,000 15-year-olds wrote the test, known as the Program for International Student Assessment, the second survey of its kind. This time around, PISA focused on math skills, but also measured proficiency in reading and science.
A breakdown of provincial results shows Alberta teens having an edge, scoring 549 in math, behind only Hong Kong, and 543 in reading, tied with Finland for top spot.
Scores in the four Atlantic provinces were generally lower than elsewhere. Prince Edward Island scored 489 in science, below the OECD average. Education officials said socioeconomic status could be one factor, but not the only one, affecting student achievement in Atlantic Canada.
Education officials insisted yesterday that much of the investment made in improving student performance, such as capping class sizes and increasing the time devoted to reading instruction, has gone into the early years. The results won't be seen until a decade from now, they say.
"You wouldn't expect a dramatic improvement in a short period of time," said Prof. Ungerleider.
Mr. Willms said: "In absolute terms, we're really holding our own."
He pointed to countries like Asia that do well in math and science, partly because of an active tutoring industry. "We want to be among the top-performing countries, but we want kids that are well-rounded." Officials say improved teacher training and curriculum changes will mean better performance on standardized tests in future.
Scott Murray, director-general of institutions and social statistics at Statistics Canada, said Finland's advantage comes from its relatively homogeneous population. He said it also has included education excellence and equity in all of its social and economic policies, yielding better results in test scores.
The OECD study says Canada's relatively egalitarian education system means socioeconomic status and parental education have less of an impact on performance here than in other countries.
"Socioeconomic background of individual students accounts for 5 per cent or less of performance variance across schools," it said.
The gender gap continued to show up in the test scores, prompting the OECD to say that closing the gap warrants continued attention.
In Canada, girls outperformed boys in reading skills, while boys continued to shine in math.
Only in science was there little difference in the scores of boys and girls, except in Ontario, Nova Scotia and Manitoba, where boys continued to do better.
"The fact that the gap in science has closed, not completely but considerably, is a good sign," Mr. Murray said.
Recognizing that these gaps begin to emerge in primary grades, school boards have started addressing the disparity in reading and math. Single-sex classes are being piloted in public schools across the country. Also, girls are being encouraged to enter programs such as engineering.
"There is no silver bullet," Mr. Murray said. "A whole bunch of things matter a little bit. When you add them all up, they add up to quite a big difference."
The report also showed that wealthier countries tend to do better in educational terms than poor ones. But the OECD said that high expenditure is not necessarily a key to success. A number of countries, including Canada, do well in terms of value for money in their education systems, while some big spenders perform below the average. In a separate report, the OECD ranked Canada 19th out of 30 developed countries for its funding of primary and secondary schooling in 2001.
Bell Globemedia
© 2004 Bell Globemedia Publishing Inc. All Rights Reserved.
