International Comparisons: Reading Literacy at Grade 4

Chapter: 4/International Comparisons Section: Assessments International Comparisons: Reading Literacy at Grade 4

In 2016, the United States, along with 15 other education systems, participated in the new ePIRLS assessment of students’ comprehension of online information. The average online informational reading score for fourth-grade students in the United States (557) was higher than the ePIRLS scale centerpoint (500). Only three education systems (Singapore, Norway, and Ireland) scored higher than the United States.

The Progress in International Reading Literacy Study systems that had PIRLS reading literacy data at grade 4.2 (PIRLS) is an international comparative assessment that These 58 education systems included both countries and evaluates reading literacy at grade 4. The assessment is other benchmarking education systems (portions of a coordinated by the TIMSS1 and PIRLS International country, nation, kingdom, emirate, or other non-national Study Center at Boston College with the support of the entity).3 Sixteen of these education systems, including the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational United States, also administered ePIRLS, a new computer- Achievement (IEA). PIRLS has been administered every based extension of PIRLS designed to assess students’ 5 years since 2001. In 2016, there were 58 education comprehension of online information.

The Condition of Education 2020 | 1 International Comparisons: Reading Literacy at Grade 4 Chapter: 4/International Comparisons Section: Assessments

Figure 1. Average reading scale scores of fourth-grade students on PIRLS, by education system: 2016

Education system Moscow City (Russian Federation) 612 Russian Federation 581 Singapore1 576 Hong Kong (China)2,3 569 Ireland 567 Finland 566 Poland 565 Northern Ireland (United Kingdom) 565 Norway 559 Chinese Taipei (China) 559 England (United Kingdom) 559 Latvia2 558 Sweden 555 Hungary 554 Bulgaria 552 United States3 549 Madrid (Spain)2 549 Lithuania 548 Italy 548 Denmark2 547 Quebec (Canada)4 547 Macao (China) 546 Netherlands3 545 Australia 544 Average score is higher Ontario (Canada) 544 than U.S. average score Czech Republic 543 Average score is not measurably Canada2,5 543 different from U.S. average score Slovenia 542 2 Austria 541 Average score is lower Germany 537 than U.S. average score Kazakhstan 536 Slovak Republic 535 Israel1 530 Portugal2 528 Spain 528 Belgium (Flemish) 525 Andalucia (Spain) 525 New Zealand 523 Dubai (United Arab Emirates) 515 France 511 PIRLS scale centerpoint 500 Belgium (French)2 497 Chile 494 Georgia5 488 Buenos Aires (Argentina) 480 Trinidad And Tobago 479 Azerbaijan 472 Malta2 452 United Arab Emirates 450 Bahrain 446 Qatar 442 Saudi Arabia 430 Iran, Islamic Republic of 428 Oman 418 Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates) 414 Kuwait 393 Morocco 358 Egypt 330 South Africa 320

0 300 350 400 450 500 550 600 650 1,000 Average score

1 National Defined Population covers less than 90 percent of the National Target Population (but at least 77 percent). 2 National Defined Population covers 90 to 95 percent of the National Target Population. 3 Met guidelines for sample participation rates only after replacement schools were included. 4 Did not satisfy guidelines for sample participation rates. 5 National Target Population does not include all of the International Target Population. NOTE: Education systems are ordered by PIRLS average scale score. Italics indicate participants identified as a non-national entity that represents a portion of a country. The PIRLS scores are reported on a scale from 0 to 1,000, with the scale centerpoint set at 500 and the standard deviation set at 100. Education systems that did not administer PIRLS at the target grade are not shown. For more information about individual countries and assessment methodology, please see Methods and Procedures in PIRLS 2016 (https://timssandpirls.bc.edu/publications/pirls/2016-methods.html). SOURCE: International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA), Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), 2016. See Digest of Education Statistics 2017, table 602.10.

In 2016, the average reading literacy score for fourth- 15 education systems. The United States scored lower than grade students in the United States (549) was higher than 12 education systems: Moscow City (Russian Federation), the PIRLS scale centerpoint (500).4 The U.S. average the Russian Federation, Singapore, Hong Kong (China), score was higher than the average scores of 30 education Ireland, Finland, Poland, Northern Ireland (United systems (over half of the participating education systems) Kingdom), Norway, Chinese Taipei (China), England and not measurably different from the average scores of (United Kingdom), and Latvia.

The Condition of Education 2020 | 2 International Comparisons: Reading Literacy at Grade 4 Chapter: 4/International Comparisons Section: Assessments

Figure 2. Percentage of fourth-grade students performing at selected PIRLS international benchmarks in reading, by education system: 2016

Education system Education system 2* Moscow City 43* Czech Republic 15 10* (Russian Federation) Singapore1 11* 29* Macao (China) 14* 10* Russian Federation 6* 26* Madrid (Spain)2 11* 9* Northern Ireland 13* 22* Austria2 16 8* (United Kingdom) Ireland 11* 21* Netherlands3 12* 8* Poland 11* 20* Kazakhstan 16 7* England (United Kingdom) 14 20* Portugal2 21* 7* Bulgaria 17 19 Spain 20* 6* 5* Hong Kong (China)2,3 7* 18 Andalucia (Spain) 22* 5* Finland 9* 18 United Arab Emirates 57* 4* Hungary 15 17 Trinidad and Tobago 45* 4* United States3 17 16 Belgium (Flemish) 20 4* Australia 19 16 France 28* 3* Norway 10* 15 Chile 39* 3* Chinese Taipei (China) 10* 14 Qatar 58* 3* Sweden 12* 14 Buenos Aires (Argentina) 45* 3* Latvia2 10* 14 Belgium (French)2 35* 2* Ontario (Canada) 18 14 Georgia4 40* 2* Israel1 25* 13* Bahrain 59* Abu Dhabi 2* Canada2,4 17 13* 69* (United Arab Emirates) 2* Lithuania 14 12* Oman 68* 2* Slovenia 17 11* Azerbaijan 46* 1* Quebec (Canada)5 13 11* Iran, Islamic Republic of 63* 1* Denmark2 14 11* Saudi Arabia 65*

Dubai (United Arab Emirates) 31* 11* Malta2 55* ‡ New Zealand 27* 11* Kuwait 78* ‡ Germany 19 11* Egypt 89* ‡ Italy 13* 11* Morocco 86* ‡ Slovak Republic 19 10* South Africa 92* ‡

020406080 100 020406080100 Percent Percent

Low or below Advanced * p < .05. Significantly different from the U.S. percentage. ‡ Reporting standards not met (too few cases for a reliable estimate). 1 National Defined Population covers less than 90 percent of the National Target Population (but at least 77 percent). 2 National Defined Population covers 90 to 95 percent of the National Target Population. 3 Met guidelines for sample participation rates only after replacement schools were included. 4 National Target Population does not include all of the International Target Population. 5 Did not satisfy guidelines for sample participation rates. NOTE: Education systems are ordered by the percentage of students reaching the Advanced international benchmark. Although rounded numbers are displayed, the figures are based on unrounded data. The PIRLS scores are reported on a scale from 0 to 1,000. PIRLS describes achievement at four international benchmarks along the reading achievement scale: Low (400), Intermediate (475), High (550), and Advanced (625). The score cut-points were selected to be as close as possible to the 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentiles. Each successive point, or benchmark, is associated with the knowledge and skills that students successfully demonstrate at each level. Italics indicate participants identified as a non-national entity that represents a portion of a country. Education systems that did not administer PIRLS at the target grade are not shown. For more information about individual countries and assessment methodology, please see Methods and Procedures in PIRLS 2016 (https://timssandpirls.bc.edu/publications/pirls/2016-methods.html). SOURCE: International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA), Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), 2016. See Digest of Education Statistics 2017, table 602.10.

PIRLS describes achievement at four international 43 percent in Moscow City (Russian Federation). Seven benchmarks along the reading achievement scale: Low education systems (Moscow City [Russian Federation], (400), Intermediate (475), High (550), and Advanced Singapore, the Russian Federation, Northern Ireland (625). In 2016, about 16 percent of U.S. fourth-graders [United Kingdom], Ireland, Poland, and England reached the Advanced benchmark. The percentages of [United Kingdom]) had a higher percentage of fourth- students reaching this benchmark ranged from 1 percent graders who reached the Advanced benchmark than the in Saudi Arabia and in the Islamic Republic of Iran to United States did. The Condition of Education 2020 | 3 International Comparisons: Reading Literacy at Grade 4 Chapter: 4/International Comparisons Section: Assessments

Figure 3. Average online informational reading scale scores of fourth-grade students on ePIRLS, by education system: 2016

Education system

Singapore1 588 Norway 568

Ireland 567

Sweden 559

Denmark2 558

United States3 557 Chinese Taipei (China) 546 Average score is higher than U.S. average score Canada4,5 543 Average score is not measurably Israel1 536 different from U.S. average score Italy 532 Average score is lower Dubai (United Arab Emirates) 528 than U.S. average score Slovenia 525

Portugal5 522 ePIRLS scale centerpoint 500

Georgia4 477 United Arab Emirates 468

Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates) 431

0 300 350 400 450 500 550 600 650 1,000 Average score

1 National Defined Population covers less than 90 percent of the National Target Population (but at least 77 percent). 2 Did not satisfy guidelines for sample participation rates. 3 Met guidelines for sample participation rates only after replacement schools were included. 4 National Target Population does not include all of the International Target Population. 5 National Defined Population covers 90 to 95 percent of the National Target Population. NOTE: Education systems are ordered by ePIRLS average scale score. Italics indicate participants identified as a non-national entity that represents a portion of a country. The ePIRLS scores are reported on a scale from 0 to 1,000, with the scale centerpoint set at 500 and the standard deviation set at 100. For more information about individual countries and assessment methodology, please see Methods and Procedures in PIRLS 2016 (https://timssandpirls.bc.edu/ publications/pirls/2016-methods.html). SOURCE: International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA), Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), 2016. See Digest of Education Statistics 2017, table 602.15.

In 2016, the United States, along with 15 other education was higher than the average scores of 10 education systems systems, participated in the new ePIRLS assessment of and not measurably different from the average scores students’ comprehension of online information. The of 2 education systems. Only three education systems average online informational reading score for fourth-grade (Singapore, Norway, and Ireland) scored higher than the students in the United States (557) was higher than the United States. ePIRLS scale centerpoint (500). The U.S. average score

The Condition of Education 2020 | 4 International Comparisons: Reading Literacy at Grade 4 Chapter: 4/International Comparisons Section: Assessments

Figure 4. Percentage of fourth-grade students performing at selected ePIRLS international benchmarks in online informational reading, by education system: 2016

Education system

Singapore1 8* 34*

Ireland 10* 20

Norway 8* 18

United States2 14 18

Denmark3 11* 15

Sweden 11* 14*

Israel1 22* 13*

Dubai (United Arab Emirates) 25* 12*

Canada4,5 18* 12*

Chinese Taipei (China) 14 10*

Italy 18* 6*

Slovenia 22* 5*

United Arab Emirates 50* 5*

Portugal5 23* 5*

Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates) 64* 3*

Georgia4 46* ‡

020406080 100 Percent

Low or below Advanced * p < .05. Significantly different from the U.S. percentage. ‡ Reporting standards not met (too few cases for a reliable estimate). 1 National Defined Population covers less than 90 percent of the National Target Population (but at least 77 percent). 2 Met guidelines for sample participation rates only after replacement schools were included. 3 Did not satisfy guidelines for sample participation rates. 4 National Target Population does not include all of the International Target Population. 5 National Defined Population covers 90 to 95 percent of the National Target Population. NOTE: Education systems are ordered by the percentage of students reaching the Advanced international benchmark. Although rounded numbers are displayed, the figures are based on unrounded data. The ePIRLS scores are reported on a scale from 0 to 1,000. ePIRLS describes achievement at four international benchmarks along the reading achievement scale: Low (400), Intermediate (475), High (550), and Advanced (625). The score cut-points were selected to be as close as possible to the 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentiles. Each successive point, or benchmark, is associated with the knowledge and skills that students successfully demonstrate at each level. Italics indicate participants identified as a non-national entity that represents a portion of a country. For more information about individual countries and assessment methodology, please see Methods and Procedures in PIRLS 2016 (https:// timssandpirls.bc.edu/publications/pirls/2016-methods.html). SOURCE: International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA), Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), 2016. See Digest of Education Statistics 2017, table 602.15.

Similar to PIRLS, ePIRLS also describes achievement 34 percent in Singapore. Singapore was the only education at four international benchmarks along the reading system with a higher percentage of fourth-graders who achievement scale: Low (400), Intermediate (475), High reached the Advanced benchmark than in the United (550), and Advanced (625). In 2016, about 18 percent of States. Ireland, Norway, and Denmark had percentages of U.S. fourth-graders reached the Advanced benchmark. The fourth-graders who reached the Advanced benchmark that percentages of students reaching this benchmark ranged were not measurably different from the percentage in the from 3 percent in Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates) to United States.

The Condition of Education 2020 | 5 International Comparisons: Reading Literacy at Grade 4 Chapter: 4/International Comparisons Section: Assessments

Endnotes: 1 The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study of Belgium). Non-national entities that are not IEA member (TIMSS) assesses mathematics and science knowledge and skills countries (e.g., Abu Dhabi [United Arab Emirates], Ontario at grades 4 and 8. For more information on TIMSS, see indicator [Canada]) are designated as “benchmarking participants.” These International Comparisons: U.S. 4th-, 8th-, and 12th-Graders’ benchmarking systems are able to participate in PIRLS even Mathematics and Science Achievement. though they may not be members of the IEA. For convenience, 2 PIRLS was administered in 61 education systems. However, the generic term “education systems” is used when summarizing three education systems did not administer PIRLS at the target across results. grade and are not included in this indicator. 4 PIRLS and ePIRLS scores are reported on a scale from 0 to 3 The IEA differentiates between IEA members, referred to 1,000, with the scale centerpoint set at 500 and the standard always as “countries,” and “benchmarking participants.” IEA deviation set at 100. The scale centerpoint represents the mean of member countries include both “countries,” which are complete, the overall PIRLS achievement distribution in 2001. The PIRLS independent political entities, and “other education systems,” scale is the same in each administration; thus a value of 500 in or non-national entities (e.g., England, the Flemish community 2016 equals 500 in 2001.

Reference tables: Digest of Education Statistics 2017, tables Glossary: N/A 602.10 and 602.15 Related indicators and resources: International Comparisons: Science, Reading, and Mathematics Literacy of 15-Year-Old Students; International Comparisons: U.S. 4th-, 8th-, and 12th-Graders’ Mathematics and Science Achievement; Reading Performance

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