and across nine provinces but was significantly reduced in New
Brunswick
As shown previously in this chapter, females outperform males in reading in all countries participating in PISA 2009. Across OECD countries the average difference of 38 points in favour of females represented a significant increase from 32 points in 2000. Across Canada, the gender gap remained similar at 34 score points in 2009 and 32 score points in 2000 and in nine of the ten provinces there were no statistical changes in the magnitude of the reading gap favouring females (Appendix Table B.1.22). On the other hand, in New Brunswick, the reading gap favouring females decreased substantially from 48 score points to 32 score points
Chart 1.4
Change in the percentage of students below reading proficiency level 2 and at or above reading proficiency level 4 on the combined reading scale between
PISA 2000 and PISA 2009, Canada and the provinces
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* *
*
* Are not statistically significant.
N.L. P.E.I. N.S. N.B. Que. Ont. Man. Sask. Alta. B.C. Canada OECD
average 0
-10
-15 10
5
-5
0
-10
-15 10
5
-5
percent percent
Below level 2 Level 4 or above
favouring females. As a result of this decrease, the gender gap in reading in New Brunswick went from being above the Canadian average in 2000 to being similar to the Canadian average in 2009.
Summary
This chapter presented results for reading, the major domain in PISA 2009. Strong reading skills are not only a foundation for achievement in other subject areas within the educational system, but are also a prerequisite for successful participation in most areas of adult life17. Results from PISA 2009 corroborate the findings from previous PISA cycles: Canada performed among top-level countries in reading. Among 65 countries, only four countries outperformed Canada while three countries had similar performance to Canada. At the provincial level, most 15-year-olds also performed well in reading.
Students in nine of the Canadian provinces performed
at or above the OECD average on the combined reading scale with only Prince Edward Island performing below the OECD mean. As with previous PISA results, females continue to outperform males in reading in Canada and across the provinces.
The PISA results show that Canada had both a high proportion of high achievers (Level 5 or above) and a low proportion of low achievers (below Level 2) compared to the OECD average. Yet one in ten Canadian students performed at a low reading level (Below Level 2) and lack some fundamental skills to prepare them to either enter the workforce or pursue post-secondary education.
In five of the seven provinces where performance was examined by school-language sector, students attending majority-language outperformed students attending minority-language schools by 38 score points or more with no statistical difference in Quebec and Manitoba. A similar pattern was also observed in the reading aspect sub-scales and the reading text format sub-scales.
Canada’s change in overall mean performance in reading over time was not significantly different but its relative performance decreased. Among the countries that participated in both the 2000 and 2009 assessments, only one country outperformed Canada in reading in 2000 while three countries outperformed Canada in 2009. This suggests that in order to maintain its’ competitive edge in the future, Canada will need to improve at the rate of the top performing countries, rather than simply maintain its competencies in reading.
Across the provinces, reading performance decreased significantly in five of the ten provinces, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. Although reading performance decreased in Quebec, Saskatchewan and Alberta, reading performance in these provinces remained above the OECD average in PISA 2009. In contrast, as a result of its decrease in performance, Manitoba went from performing above the OECD average in 2000 to performing at the OECD average in 2009, while Prince Edward Island went from performing above the OECD average in 2000 to performing below the OECD average in 2009.
Notes
7. OECD (2009). PISA 2009 Assessment Framework: Key competencies in reading, mathematics and science. Paris.
8 The scores for reading and the reading sub-scales are expressed on a scale with an average or mean among OECD countries of 500 points and a standard deviation of 100 set in PISA 2000 when reading was first the major domain. Approximately two-thirds of the students scored between 400 and 600 (i.e. within one standard deviation of the average) for the OECD countries.
Due to a change in performance over time, the OECD mean score in subsequent cycles may not necessarily be 500.
9. In this Canadian report, the term “countries” will also include
“economies” which are economic or geographic entities participating in PISA. Also, although the OECD mean score will be used as a benchmark in this Canadian report, references will be made to non-OECD countries in the analyses.
10. It should be noted that continuous texts accounted for approximately 60% of the PISA 2009 reading tasks.
11. As will be discussed in the forthcoming second release of the Pan-Canadian results Alberta has higher variation in performance in reading compared to other provinces, this variation has an impact on increasing the standard error for this province.
12. OECD (2010) Volume 5: Learning Curves, From PISA 2000 to PISA 2009. Paris.
13. OECD (2010) Volume 5: Learning Curves, From PISA 2000 to PISA 2009. Paris.
14. In interpreting the results it should be noted that the proportion of French-speaking and English-speaking students attending French or English schools vary considerably across provinces.
15. Three OECD countries (The Netherlands, the Slovak Republic and Turkey) were not included in the PISA 2000 assessment.
16. Although Shanghai-China outperformed Canada in PISA 2009, it is not included in this comparison since it did not participate in PISA 2000.
17. OECD (2009). PISA 2009 Assessment Framework: Key competencies in reading, mathematics and science. Paris. p. 21.
This chapter presents results of the PISA 2009 assessment in the minor domains of mathematics and science in terms of scores and variation in performance.
First, the performance of 15-year-old students across Canada and in the 10 provinces is compared to the performance of 15-year-olds from the other countries and economies that participated in PISA 2009. Next, results are presented for males and females. This is followed by results on the performance of students enrolled in English-language and French-language schools for those provinces in which the two groups were sampled separately. Lastly, change in performance over time is discussed.