The results also confirmed widespread inequalities in education in the United States. Black and Hispanic students, on average, perform much lower than Asian and white students. People from low-income backgrounds performed worse than their wealthier peers.
Andreas Schleicher, director of education and skills at the OECD, pointed out that inequality in the United States is often misinterpreted as a problem of weak schools in poor neighborhoods. His analysis indicates that low math achievement is common in all American schools. Some students perform much worse than others within the same school, and the gap between weak and advanced students within U.S. schools is much larger than the gap in scores between schools.
This new PISA test is the first major indicator of international education since the COVID-19 pandemic closed schools and disrupted education. Test scores have declined around the world, but the OECD found there was only a weak relationship between how long schools have been closed and the performance of their students in the PISA test. School closures explain only 11% of the variation in countries’ test scores; almost 90% are attributable to other unclear reasons. However, the OECD looked at the absolute level of test scores, not the extent of their decline or increase. Further analysis is needed to see if there is a stronger link between school closures and changes in test scores.
Math scores have been deteriorating around the world for two decades, but the United States is lagging behind other advanced countries. Source: OECD PISA 2022.
Even if school closures eventually prove to be a bigger factor, the pandemic isn’t the only reason students are struggling. Global scores have generally been declining for two decades. One hypothesis is that technology distracts adolescents. Students were asked about technological distraction for the first time in PISA 2022. Forty-five percent of students reported feeling anxious if their phone is not near them. Sixty-five percent report being distracted by digital devices during math class. Up to one hour per day of free computer time was associated with higher performance. But heavy users, those who spent five to seven hours on a computer for fun, had lower academic achievement, even after adjusting for family and school socioeconomic profiles.
Another factor could be increased migration across the world. Declining test scores may reflect the challenge of educating new immigrants. However, the OECD did not find a statistically significant correlation between immigration and academic performance on average. In the United States, immigrants performed better in mathematics than students of native-born parents, after adjusting for socioeconomic status. There were no differences between immigrants and non-immigrants in reading.
Japan was one of the few countries to defy the trends. Its math and reading scores increased significantly between 2018 and 2022. Akihiko Takahashi, professor emeritus of mathematics and mathematics education at DePaul University in Chicago, said schools were closed for a shorter period in Japan and that helped, but he also credits the collective. spirit among Japanese teachers. During his conversations with Japanese teachers, Takahashi learned how teachers looked out for each other during school closures to ensure that no student at their school fell behind. Some went from house to house to correct students’ homework.
It’s tempting to look at the terrible PISA math scores and say that they prove that the United States needs to change the way it teaches math. But the PISA results do not offer clear recommendations on the most effective mathematical approaches. Even Japan, one of the most successful countries, has a mixed approach. Takahashi says students learn in a more incremental approach in elementary school, often asking them to solve problems on their own, without step-by-step instructions, and to develop their own mathematical reasoning. But in high school, when that PISA exam is taken, direct and explicit instruction becomes more of the norm.
The new results also highlighted the continued decline of a former star. For years, Finland has been a model for excellent academic achievement. Education leaders came from around the world to learn more about his progressive approaches. But the country lost 60 points in recent testing cycles, the equivalent of losing three full school years. I suspect we will hear no more calls for Finnish-style teaching. “You have to be careful because today’s leaders may be tomorrow’s laggards,” said Tom Loveless, an independent education researcher who studies international assessments.
There was a positive point for American students. 15-year-old students performed relatively well on the PISA reading test, with their scores falling by only one point, while other countries saw much steeper declines. But this good news is also tempered by the most recent results from the National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP) test, often called the National’s Report Card. Fourth and eighth grade reading scores has deteriorated over the last two testing cycles in 2019 and 2022.
Overall, the PISA results once again confirm that American students are struggling, particularly in math, and that we cannot place all the blame on the pandemic.
