PISA 2006

What is PISA?

PISA stands for Programme for International Student Assessment. It is an international study that measures the abilities of 15-year-olds from 57 different countries in reading, mathematics, and science. The first cycle of PISA took place in 2000 with reading as the major domain while the focus shifted to mathematics in the second cycle of PISA in 2003. Science will be the focus of the next PISA assessment in 2006.

What will students be asked to do?

In April and May 2006, about 25,000 students from 1000 schools across Canada will be participating in the 3^rd Cycle of PISA. This evaluation session will include a written test in science, mathematics and reading as well as a questionnaire.

• The test will determine how students perform in science, mathematics and reading.
• The questionnaire will ask about the students, their school, their interests, their experiences at school and work (such as extracurricular activities, volunteer work, and summer employment), and their family (such as parental occupation, and parental involvement in the education of their youth).

Do students need to prepare for the test session?

No. Students do NOT need to prepare for this study. During the test session, they will be asked to answer all the questions to the best of their ability. They will not have access to external resources or reference materials.

Will the results affect the student's school record?

No. Students' results will NOT affect their academic record as the results will be used for research purposes only. However, the results are critical in shaping the profile of Canadian 15-year-olds.

Who is interested by this information?

Parents, students, the Canadian public and those responsible for education want to know whether youth are acquiring the necessary skills and knowledge to meet the challenges of the future. Information obtained from provincial, national and international measures helps us understand the achievement of students.

How were the students chosen?

About 1000 schools were randomly selected to represent Canada. Within these schools, a sample of students aged 15 has been randomly selected to take part in the study.