Table C.4.2
Estimated average scores and percentage distribution of 15-year-old students, combined reading scale, by proficiency level, Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), Canada, provinces and participating countries, 2009
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| Country, economy, and province1 | Combined reading scale Proficiency level |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| estimated average scores | standard error | Below Level 1b | Level 1b | Level 1a | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 | Level 5 | Level 6 | |||||||||
| percent | standard error | percent | standard error | percent | standard error | percent | standard error | percent | standard error | percent | standard error | percent | standard error | percent | standard error | |||
| Shanghai-China | 556 | (2.4) | 0.1 | (0.0) | 0.6 | (0.1) | 3.4 | (0.5) | 13.3 | (0.9) | 28.5 | (1.2) | 34.7 | (1.0) | 17.0 | (1.0) | 2.4 | (0.5) |
| Korea | 539 | (3.5) | 0.2 | (0.2) | 0.9 | (0.3) | 4.7 | (0.6) | 15.4 | (1.0) | 33.0 | (1.2) | 32.9 | (1.4) | 11.9 | (1.0) | 1.1 | (0.2) |
| Finland | 536 | (2.3) | 0.2 | (0.1) | 1.5 | (0.2) | 6.4 | (0.4) | 16.7 | (0.6) | 30.1 | (0.9) | 30.6 | (0.9) | 12.9 | (0.7) | 1.6 | (0.2) |
| Hong Kong-China | 533 | (2.1) | 0.2 | (0.1) | 1.5 | (0.3) | 6.6 | (0.6) | 16.1 | (0.8) | 31.4 | (0.9) | 31.8 | (0.9) | 11.2 | (0.7) | 1.2 | (0.3) |
| Alberta | 533 | (4.6) | 0.3 | (0.2) | 1.7 | (0.6) | 8.1 | (1.1) | 19.0 | (1.3) | 27.5 | (1.2) | 27.3 | (1.4) | 12.6 | (1.2) | 3.5 | (0.9) |
| Ontario | 531 | (3.0) | 0.3 | (0.2) | 1.6 | (0.3) | 6.6 | (0.6) | 19.6 | (1.1) | 30.1 | (1.3) | 27.7 | (1.2) | 12.3 | (0.9) | 1.9 | (0.4) |
| Singapore | 526 | (1.1) | 0.4 | (0.1) | 2.7 | (0.3) | 9.3 | (0.5) | 18.5 | (0.6) | 27.6 | (0.8) | 25.7 | (0.7) | 13.1 | (0.5) | 2.6 | (0.3) |
| British Columbia | 525 | (4.2) | 0.4 | (0.2) | 2.2 | (0.5) | 8.2 | (0.9) | 19.7 | (1.2) | 29.8 | (1.3) | 26.4 | (1.2) | 11.4 | (1.1) | 1.9 | (0.5) |
| Canada | 524 | (1.5) | 0.4 | (0.1) | 2.0 | (0.2) | 7.9 | (0.3) | 20.2 | (0.6) | 30.0 | (0.7) | 26.8 | (0.6) | 11.0 | (0.4) | 1.8 | (0.2) |
| Quebec | 522 | (3.1) | 0.4 | (0.1) | 1.9 | (0.4) | 8.1 | (0.8) | 19.8 | (1.1) | 31.2 | (1.3) | 27.9 | (1.1) | 9.6 | (0.8) | 1.2 | (0.3) |
| New Zealand | 521 | (2.4) | 0.9 | (0.2) | 3.2 | (0.4) | 10.2 | (0.6) | 19.3 | (0.8) | 25.8 | (0.8) | 24.8 | (0.8) | 12.9 | (0.8) | 2.9 | (0.4) |
| Japan | 520 | (3.5) | 1.3 | (0.4) | 3.4 | (0.5) | 8.9 | (0.7) | 18.0 | (0.8) | 28.0 | (0.9) | 27.0 | (1.0) | 11.5 | (0.7) | 1.9 | (0.4) |
| Nova Scotia | 516 | (2.7) | 0.6 | (0.3) | 2.2 | (0.5) | 8.3 | (1.0) | 22.3 | (1.4) | 31.9 | (1.5) | 24.5 | (1.5) | 8.7 | (0.8) | 1.5 | (0.4) |
| Australia | 515 | (2.3) | 1.0 | (0.1) | 3.3 | (0.3) | 10.0 | (0.4) | 20.4 | (0.6) | 28.5 | (0.7) | 24.1 | (0.7) | 10.7 | (0.5) | 2.1 | (0.3) |
| Netherlands | 508 | (5.1) | 0.1 | (0.1) | 1.8 | (0.3) | 12.5 | (1.4) | 24.7 | (1.5) | 27.6 | (1.2) | 23.5 | (1.7) | 9.1 | (1.0) | 0.8 | (0.2) |
| Belgium | 506 | (2.3) | 1.2 | (0.3) | 4.7 | (0.5) | 11.9 | (0.6) | 20.3 | (0.7) | 25.8 | (0.9) | 24.9 | (0.8) | 10.1 | (0.5) | 1.1 | (0.2) |
| Newfoundland and Labrador |
506 | (3.7) | 0.4 | (0.3) | 2.6 | (0.7) | 10.8 | (1.5) | 24.5 | (2.1) | 30.7 | (2.0) | 22.6 | (1.9) | 7.4 | (1.1) | 1.1 | (0.6) |
| Saskatchewan | 504 | (3.3) | 0.8 | (0.3) | 3.2 | (0.6) | 11.5 | (1.1) | 22.9 | (1.5) | 30.1 | (1.6) | 22.8 | (1.8) | 7.8 | (1.1) | 0.9 | (0.4) |
| Norway | 503 | (2.6) | 0.5 | (0.1) | 3.4 | (0.4) | 11.0 | (0.7) | 23.6 | (0.8) | 30.9 | (0.9) | 22.1 | (1.2) | 7.6 | (0.9) | 0.8 | (0.2) |
| Switzerland | 501 | (2.4) | 0.7 | (0.2) | 4.1 | (0.4) | 12.1 | (0.6) | 22.7 | (0.7) | 29.7 | (0.8) | 22.6 | (0.8) | 7.4 | (0.7) | 0.7 | (0.2) |
| Estonia | 501 | (2.6) | 0.3 | (0.1) | 2.4 | (0.4) | 10.6 | (0.9) | 25.6 | (1.3) | 33.8 | (1.0) | 21.2 | (0.8) | 5.4 | (0.5) | 0.7 | (0.2) |
| Iceland | 500 | (1.4) | 1.1 | (0.2) | 4.2 | (0.4) | 11.5 | (0.7) | 22.2 | (0.8) | 30.6 | (0.9) | 21.9 | (0.8) | 7.5 | (0.6) | 1.0 | (0.2) |
| Poland | 500 | (2.6) | 0.6 | (0.2) | 3.1 | (0.4) | 11.3 | (0.7) | 24.5 | (1.1) | 31.0 | (1.0) | 22.3 | (1.0) | 6.5 | (0.6) | 0.7 | (0.2) |
| United States | 500 | (3.7) | 0.6 | (0.1) | 4.0 | (0.5) | 13.1 | (0.8) | 24.4 | (0.9) | 27.6 | (0.8) | 20.6 | (0.9) | 8.4 | (0.8) | 1.5 | (0.4) |
| Liechtenstein | 499 | (2.8) | 0.0 | (0.0) | 2.8 | (1.2) | 12.8 | (1.8) | 24.0 | (2.9) | 31.1 | (2.8) | 24.6 | (2.3) | 4.2 | (1.4) | 0.0 | (0.0) |
| New Brunswick | 499 | (2.5) | 0.4 | (0.2) | 3.5 | (0.5) | 12.3 | (0.9) | 25.5 | (1.3) | 29.8 | (1.6) | 20.8 | (1.3) | 6.6 | (0.8) | 1.1 | (0.5) |
| Germany | 497 | (2.7) | 0.8 | (0.2) | 4.4 | (0.5) | 13.3 | (0.8) | 22.2 | (0.9) | 28.8 | (1.1) | 22.8 | (0.9) | 7.0 | (0.6) | 0.6 | (0.2) |
| Sweden | 497 | (2.9) | 1.5 | (0.3) | 4.3 | (0.4) | 11.7 | (0.7) | 23.5 | (1.0) | 29.8 | (1.0) | 20.3 | (0.9) | 7.7 | (0.6) | 1.3 | (0.3) |
| Ireland | 496 | (3.0) | 1.5 | (0.4) | 3.9 | (0.5) | 11.8 | (0.7) | 23.3 | (1.0) | 30.6 | (0.9) | 21.9 | (0.9) | 6.3 | (0.5) | 0.7 | (0.2) |
| France | 496 | (3.4) | 2.3 | (0.5) | 5.6 | (0.5) | 11.8 | (0.8) | 21.1 | (1.0) | 27.2 | (1.0) | 22.4 | (1.1) | 8.5 | (0.8) | 1.1 | (0.3) |
| Denmark | 495 | (2.1) | 0.4 | (0.1) | 3.1 | (0.3) | 11.7 | (0.7) | 26.0 | (0.9) | 33.1 | (1.2) | 20.9 | (1.1) | 4.4 | (0.5) | 0.3 | (0.1) |
| Chinese Taipei | 495 | (2.6) | 0.7 | (0.2) | 3.5 | (0.4) | 11.4 | (0.6) | 24.6 | (0.8) | 33.5 | (1.1) | 21.0 | (1.0) | 4.8 | (0.8) | 0.4 | (0.2) |
| Manitoba | 495 | (3.6) | 0.9 | (0.3) | 4.1 | (0.8) | 12.6 | (1.2) | 25.7 | (1.6) | 27.4 | (1.8) | 21.2 | (1.4) | 7.1 | (0.8) | 1.0 | (0.3) |
| United Kingdom | 494 | (2.3) | 1.0 | (0.2) | 4.1 | (0.4) | 13.4 | (0.6) | 24.9 | (0.7) | 28.8 | (0.8) | 19.8 | (0.8) | 7.0 | (0.5) | 1.0 | (0.2) |
| Hungary | 494 | (3.2) | 0.6 | (0.2) | 4.7 | (0.8) | 12.3 | (1.0) | 23.8 | (1.2) | 31.0 | (1.3) | 21.6 | (1.1) | 5.8 | (0.7) | 0.3 | (0.1) |
| Portugal | 489 | (3.1) | 0.6 | (0.1) | 4.0 | (0.4) | 13.0 | (1.0) | 26.4 | (1.1) | 31.6 | (1.1) | 19.6 | (0.9) | 4.6 | (0.5) | 0.2 | (0.1) |
| Macao-China | 487 | (0.9) | 0.3 | (0.1) | 2.6 | (0.3) | 12.0 | (0.4) | 30.6 | (0.6) | 34.8 | (0.7) | 16.9 | (0.5) | 2.8 | (0.3) | 0.1 | (0.1) |
| Italy | 486 | (1.6) | 1.4 | (0.2) | 5.2 | (0.3) | 14.4 | (0.5) | 24.0 | (0.5) | 28.9 | (0.6) | 20.2 | (0.5) | 5.4 | (0.3) | 0.4 | (0.1) |
| Prince Edward Island | 486 | (2.4) | 1.2 | (0.4) | 5.6 | (0.8) | 14.4 | (1.1) | 25.3 | (1.4) | 27.9 | (1.4) | 18.7 | (1.2) | 6.0 | (0.6) | 0.9 | (0.4) |
| Latvia | 484 | (3.0) | 0.4 | (0.2) | 3.3 | (0.6) | 13.9 | (1.0) | 28.8 | (1.5) | 33.5 | (1.2) | 17.2 | (1.0) | 2.9 | (0.4) | 0.0 | (0.0) |
| Greece | 483 | (4.3) | 1.4 | (0.4) | 5.6 | (0.9) | 14.3 | (1.1) | 25.6 | (1.1) | 29.3 | (1.2) | 18.2 | (1.0) | 5.0 | (0.5) | 0.6 | (0.2) |
| Slovenia | 483 | (1.0) | 0.8 | (0.1) | 5.2 | (0.3) | 15.2 | (0.5) | 25.6 | (0.7) | 29.2 | (0.9) | 19.3 | (0.8) | 4.3 | (0.5) | 0.3 | (0.1) |
| Spain | 481 | (2.0) | 1.2 | (0.2) | 4.7 | (0.4) | 13.6 | (0.6) | 26.8 | (0.8) | 32.6 | (1.0) | 17.7 | (0.7) | 3.2 | (0.3) | 0.2 | (0.1) |
| Czech Republic | 478 | (2.9) | 0.8 | (0.3) | 5.5 | (0.6) | 16.8 | (1.1) | 27.4 | (1.0) | 27.0 | (1.0) | 17.4 | (1.0) | 4.7 | (0.5) | 0.4 | (0.1) |
| Slovak Republic | 477 | (2.5) | 0.8 | (0.3) | 5.6 | (0.6) | 15.9 | (0.8) | 28.1 | (1.0) | 28.5 | (1.1) | 16.7 | (0.8) | 4.2 | (0.5) | 0.3 | (0.1) |
| Croatia | 476 | (2.9) | 1.0 | (0.2) | 5.0 | (0.5) | 16.5 | (1.0) | 27.4 | (1.0) | 30.6 | (1.2) | 16.4 | (1.0) | 3.1 | (0.4) | 0.1 | (0.1) |
| Israel | 474 | (3.6) | 3.9 | (0.7) | 8.0 | (0.7) | 14.7 | (0.6) | 22.5 | (1.0) | 25.5 | (1.0) | 18.1 | (0.7) | 6.4 | (0.5) | 1.0 | (0.2) |
| Luxembourg | 472 | (1.3) | 3.1 | (0.3) | 7.3 | (0.5) | 15.7 | (0.6) | 24.0 | (0.7) | 27.0 | (0.7) | 17.3 | (0.6) | 5.2 | (0.4) | 0.5 | (0.2) |
| Austria | 470 | (2.9) | 1.9 | (0.4) | 8.1 | (0.8) | 17.5 | (1.0) | 24.1 | (1.0) | 26.0 | (0.9) | 17.4 | (0.9) | 4.5 | (0.5) | 0.4 | (0.1) |
| Lithuania | 468 | (2.4) | 0.9 | (0.3) | 5.5 | (0.6) | 17.9 | (0.9) | 30.0 | (1.0) | 28.6 | (0.9) | 14.1 | (0.8) | 2.8 | (0.4) | 0.2 | (0.1) |
| Turkey | 464 | (3.5) | 0.8 | (0.2) | 5.6 | (0.6) | 18.1 | (1.0) | 32.2 | (1.2) | 29.1 | (1.1) | 12.4 | (1.1) | 1.8 | (0.4) | 0.0 | (0.0) |
| Russian Federation | 459 | (3.3) | 1.6 | (0.4) | 6.8 | (0.6) | 19.0 | (0.8) | 31.6 | (1.0) | 26.8 | (0.9) | 11.1 | (0.7) | 2.8 | (0.4) | 0.3 | (0.1) |
| Dubai (UAE) | 459 | (1.1) | 3.7 | (0.2) | 9.4 | (0.5) | 17.9 | (0.5) | 25.4 | (0.7) | 23.5 | (0.8) | 14.8 | (0.7) | 4.8 | (0.5) | 0.5 | (0.2) |
| Chile | 449 | (3.1) | 1.3 | (0.2) | 7.3 | (0.8) | 22.0 | (1.0) | 33.2 | (1.1) | 25.6 | (1.2) | 9.3 | (0.7) | 1.3 | (0.3) | 0.0 | (0.0) |
| Serbia | 442 | (2.4) | 2.0 | (0.4) | 8.7 | (0.7) | 22.1 | (0.9) | 33.2 | (1.0) | 25.3 | (1.0) | 7.9 | (0.6) | 0.8 | (0.2) | 0.0 | (0.0) |
| Bulgaria | 429 | (6.7) | 8.1 | (1.1) | 12.8 | (1.4) | 20.1 | (1.4) | 23.4 | (1.2) | 21.8 | (1.4) | 11.0 | (1.1) | 2.6 | (0.5) | 0.2 | (0.1) |
| Uruguay | 426 | (2.6) | 5.5 | (0.6) | 12.5 | (0.7) | 23.9 | (0.7) | 28.0 | (0.7) | 20.3 | (0.7) | 8.1 | (0.5) | 1.7 | (0.3) | 0.1 | (0.1) |
| Mexico | 425 | (2.0) | 3.2 | (0.3) | 11.4 | (0.5) | 25.5 | (0.6) | 33.0 | (0.6) | 21.2 | (0.6) | 5.3 | (0.4) | 0.4 | (0.1) | 0.0 | (0.0) |
| Romania | 424 | (4.1) | 4.1 | (0.7) | 12.7 | (1.1) | 23.6 | (1.3) | 31.6 | (1.3) | 21.2 | (1.3) | 6.1 | (0.7) | 0.7 | (0.2) | 0.0 | (0.0) |
| Thailand | 421 | (2.6) | 1.2 | (0.3) | 9.9 | (0.8) | 31.7 | (1.1) | 36.8 | (1.2) | 16.7 | (0.8) | 3.3 | (0.5) | 0.3 | (0.2) | 0.0 | (0.0) |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 416 | (1.2) | 9.6 | (0.5) | 14.2 | (0.6) | 21.0 | (0.8) | 25.0 | (0.9) | 19.0 | (0.9) | 8.9 | (0.5) | 2.1 | (0.3) | 0.2 | (0.1) |
| Colombia | 413 | (3.7) | 4.2 | (0.7) | 13.9 | (1.0) | 29.0 | (1.2) | 30.6 | (1.1) | 17.1 | (1.0) | 4.6 | (0.5) | 0.5 | (0.2) | 0.0 | (0.0) |
| Brazil | 412 | (2.7) | 5.0 | (0.4) | 16.0 | (0.7) | 28.6 | (0.8) | 27.1 | (0.8) | 15.9 | (0.9) | 6.1 | (0.5) | 1.2 | (0.2) | 0.1 | (0.1) |
| Montenegro | 408 | (1.7) | 5.9 | (0.5) | 15.8 | (0.8) | 27.8 | (0.8) | 28.0 | (0.9) | 16.8 | (0.9) | 5.0 | (0.5) | 0.6 | (0.2) | 0.0 | (0.0) |
| Jordan | 405 | (3.3) | 6.9 | (0.6) | 13.5 | (0.8) | 27.6 | (1.0) | 31.8 | (1.0) | 16.5 | (1.0) | 3.5 | (0.4) | 0.2 | (0.1) | 0.0 | (0.0) |
| Tunisia | 404 | (2.9) | 5.5 | (0.5) | 15.0 | (0.8) | 29.6 | (1.1) | 31.5 | (1.2) | 15.1 | (1.0) | 3.1 | (0.5) | 0.2 | (0.1) | 0.0 | (0.0) |
| Indonesia | 402 | (3.7) | 1.7 | (0.4) | 14.1 | (1.3) | 37.6 | (1.6) | 34.3 | (1.4) | 11.2 | (1.4) | 1.0 | (0.3) | 0.0 | (0.0) | 0.0 | (0.0) |
| Argentina | 398 | (4.6) | 10.7 | (1.1) | 15.8 | (1.3) | 25.1 | (1.3) | 25.4 | (1.2) | 16.0 | (1.0) | 6.0 | (0.8) | 0.9 | (0.2) | 0.1 | (0.1) |
| Kazakhstan | 390 | (3.1) | 7.5 | (0.7) | 20.4 | (1.0) | 30.8 | (0.9) | 24.1 | (0.9) | 13.1 | (0.9) | 3.7 | (0.5) | 0.4 | (0.1) | 0.0 | (0.0) |
| Albania | 385 | (4.0) | 11.3 | (0.9) | 18.7 | (1.3) | 26.7 | (1.2) | 25.6 | (1.3) | 14.4 | (1.2) | 3.1 | (0.5) | 0.2 | (0.1) | 0.0 | (0.0) |
| Qatar | 372 | (0.8) | 17.8 | (0.3) | 22.4 | (0.5) | 23.2 | (0.6) | 18.3 | (0.4) | 11.1 | (0.5) | 5.4 | (0.3) | 1.5 | (0.2) | 0.2 | (0.1) |
| Panama | 371 | (6.5) | 13.2 | (1.8) | 23.1 | (1.8) | 28.9 | (1.8) | 20.7 | (1.4) | 10.1 | (1.4) | 3.4 | (0.7) | 0.5 | (0.2) | 0.0 | (0.0) |
| Peru | 370 | (4.0) | 14.1 | (0.9) | 22.0 | (1.0) | 28.7 | (1.1) | 22.1 | (0.9) | 10.1 | (0.9) | 2.6 | (0.5) | 0.5 | (0.2) | 0.0 | (0.0) |
| Azerbaijan | 362 | (3.3) | 9.7 | (1.1) | 26.1 | (1.1) | 37.0 | (1.2) | 21.5 | (1.2) | 5.3 | (0.8) | 0.5 | (0.2) | 0.0 | (0.0) | 0.0 | (0.0) |
| Kyrgyzstan | 314 | (3.2) | 29.8 | (1.3) | 29.7 | (0.9) | 23.8 | (0.9) | 11.5 | (0.8) | 4.2 | (0.6) | 1.0 | (0.3) | 0.1 | (0.1) | 0.0 | (0.0) |
| OECD average | 493 | (0.5) | 1.1 | (0.0) | 4.6 | (0.1) | 13.1 | (0.1) | 24.0 | (0.2) | 28.9 | (0.2) | 20.7 | (0.2) | 6.8 | (0.1) | 0.8 | (0.0) |
|
1. Countries, economies and provinces are ordered by estimated average scores. Notes: The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) reports on reading, mathematics and science every three years, providing a more detailed look at each domain in the years when it is a major focus: reading in 2000 and 2009, mathematics in 2003, and science in 2006. According to the OECD, Level 2 can be considered a baseline level of proficiency, at which students begin to demonstrate the reading literacy competencies that will enable them to participate effectively and productively in life. Students performing below Level 2 can still accomplish some reading tasks successfully, but they lack some fundamental skills that may prepare them to either enter the workforce or pursue postsecondary education. Percentage distributions may not add up to 100% due to rounding. For a brief description of this indicator, including the methodology, please see the Handbook for the Pan-Canadian Education Indicators Program. Sources: Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, Statistics Canada, and Council of Ministers of Education, Canada, 2010, Measuring Up: Canadian Results of the OECD PISA Study: The Performance of Canda's Youth in Reading, Mathematics and Science. 2009 First Results for Canadians Aged 15, Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 81-590-XIE; Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2010, PISA 2009 Results: What Students Know and Can Do – Student Performance in Reading, Mathematics and Science (Volume I). Updated April 29, 2011. |
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