Reading score changes, scale scores by social class group for U.S. and similar post-industrial countries, PISA 2000–2009

France Germany U.K. U.S.
2000 2009 Change 2000 2009 Change 2000 2009 Change 2000 2009 Change
Group 1 (Lowest) 430 403 -27 361 413 52 440 424 -17 418 442 23
Group 2 464 458 -7 404 455 52 470 455 -16 455 471 15
Group 3 503 498 -5 465 496 31 508 490 -19 499 504 5
Group 4 526 533 8 502 523 21 539 522 -17 528 529 1
Group 5 553 559 6 536 555 19 565 555 -10 556 563 7
Group 6 (Highest) 548 573 26 549 551 1 577 562 -15 560 563 3
National average reading score 505 496 -9 484 497 13 523 494 -29 504 500 -5

Source: Authors' analysis of OECD Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2000 database, with authors' interpolations of average test scores; Tables 1 and 4 for 2009 data

View the underlying data on epi.org.