The effect of social class compositional changes on test score changes, U.S. and comparison countries, PISA 2000–2009

Canada Finland Korea France Germany U.K. U.S.
Reading
a 2000 PISA average reading score 534 546 525 505 484 523 504
b 2000 social class weighted average reading score (average of 2000 social class group reading scores, weighted by 2000 social class relative size) 532 544 522 505 478 522 504
c Difference (a-b), see note 2 2 2 0 6 1 1
d 2009 PISA average reading score 524 536 539 496 497 494 500
e 2009 average reading score, weighted by 2000 social class distribution (average of 2009 social class group reading scores, weighted by 2000 social class relative size) 532 533 535 504 505 506 512
f Change attributable to social class composition change:
Difference, d-e, 2009 average reading score vs. 2009 average reading score with 2000 social class weights -7 3 4 -8 -8 -12 -12
g Change attributable to educational improvement (or deterioration) or to other factors:
Change in average reading scores, 2000-2009, standardized for 2000 social class composition (e-b) -1 -11 13 -1 28 -16 8
h Reported change (sum of social class and educational improvement/other factors):
Change in reported average reading scores, (adjusted reported) 2000- (reported) 2009 (d-b) -8 -8 17 -9 20 -28 -4
Math
k 2000 PISA average math score 533 536 547 517 490 529 493
l 2000 social class weighted average math score (average of 2000 social class group math scores, weighted by 2000 social class relative size) 532 535 544 518 483 529 493
m Difference (k-l), see note 1 1 3 -1 6 1 0
n 2009 PISA average math score 527 541 546 497 513 492 487
o 2009 average math score, weighted by 2000 social class distribution (average of 2009 social class group math scores, weighted by 2000 social class relative size) 533 538 541 504 521 503 498
p Change attributable to social class composition change:
Difference, n-o, 2009 average math score vs. 2009 average math score with 2000 social class weights -7 3 6 -7 -8 -10 -11
q Change attributable to educational improvement (or deterioration) or to other factors:
Change in average math scores, 2000-2009, standardized for 2000 social class composition (o-l) 2 2 -3 -14 37 -26 5
r Reported change (sum of social class and educational improvement/other factors):
Change in reported average math scores, (adjusted reported) 2000- (reported) 2009 (n-l) -5 5 2 -21 29 -36 -6

Note: The differences in rows (c) and (i) could be the result of some test takers not answering the books-in-the-home (BH) question, or of imprecision in our estimation of relative BH weights for 2000.

Source: Data for rows a and d come from tables 9A and 10A; for rows k and n from tables 11A and 12A; and for rows b, e, l, and o from authors' analysis of OECD Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2000 and 2009 databases, weighting test scores in each social class category by 2000 percentage in each social class category.

View the underlying data on epi.org.