Brochure

What will students be asked to do?
Students will be asked to take part in a
3-hour session during which they will take the
assessment and complete a questionnaire about
their backgrounds and attitudes toward reading.
Students will receive a $20 stipend for participating.
Participation is voluntary but important because
each student represents many other students across
the United States. A student’s responses will be kept
completely confidential, and individual responses
will not be presented in any report or publication.

What countries are participating in PISA
2009?
Europe
United Kingdom
Ireland
Iceland
Portugal
Spain
France
Belgium
The Netherlands
Luxembourg
Germany
Denmark
Norway
Sweden
Finland
Switzerland
Liechtenstein
Austria
Italy
Slovenia
Poland
Czech Republic
Slovak Republic
Hungary

Croatia
Republic of
Montenegro
Republic of Serbia
Greece
Albania
Bulgaria
Romania
Estonia
Latvia
Lithuania
Azerbaijan
Russian Federation
North and South
America
Canada
United States
Mexico
Dominican Republic
Trinidad and Tobago
Panama
Colombia
Brazil
Uruguay

Peru
Argentina
Chile
Asia-Pacific and
Africa
Tunisia
Turkey
Israel
Jordan
Qatar
Kyrgyz Republic
Kazakhstan
Shanghai (China)
Hong Kong-China
Macao-China
Singapore
Chinese Taipei
Thailand
Korea
Japan
Indonesia
Australia
New Zealand

How do I get more information?
Visit the PISA website
http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pisa
For questions about the PISA 2009 Field Test,
Call the PISA Information Hotline at: 1-888-2706227
Or send an e-mail to: [email protected]

Program for
International
Student
Assessment
PISA 2009

D
L

TEST

FI
E

Program for
International
Student Assessment

PISA 2009

What is PISA?
The Program for International Student
Assessment (PISA) is an international assessment
for 15-year-olds. In 2009, students from more
than 60 countries, including the United States,
will participate. PISA measures how well students
apply their knowledge and skills in reading,
mathematics, and science literacy to problems
within a real-life context.
PISA is sponsored by the
Organization for Economic
Cooperation and Development
(OECD) and managed in the
United States by the National
Center for Education Statistics
(NCES), part of the U.S.
Department of Education.
PISA, which began in 2000,
is conducted every three years.
PISA 2009 will include an
in-depth assessment of reading,
as well as shorter assessments
of mathematics and science. In
addition, PISA 2009 will collect
information on students’ backgrounds,
attitudes towards reading, and learning
strategies. School principals also will be
asked to provide information on school
demographic characteristics and the learning
environment in the school.

Why is PISA important?
In light of concerns about our international
economic competitiveness and changing workforce,
knowing how our students compare with peers
around the world is valuable information. PISA can
show us where we have been successful and where
we face challenges in educating our youth.
PISA also compares U.S. student performance
over time and across different segments of U.S.
students to document progress. PISA examines

the relationships
between performance
and instruction
by gathering data
from students
about classroom
experiences. With
these outcomes,
PISA can suggest
ways to improve
the quality of
education for U.S.
students.
What is the
purpose of the
field test?
In each PISA administration, new assessment
items need to be developed and tested to ensure
that those items accurately measure the knowledge
and skills of students. In the Spring of 2008,
new reading items will be field-tested by 1,200
students in approximately 35 schools around
the United States. This field test will allow test
developers to modify or delete items that are
not working. The field test will also provide
valuable information about ways to reduce
the time and effort required of schools and
students to participate in PISA.
What is the nature of the
assessment items?
PISA 2009 will focus on reading, and
all of the new items being tested in the field
test assess the reading knowledge and skills of
students. Students will be asked to read various
types of materials (for example, a script for a play,
a newspaper editorial) and then answer questions
about what they have read. The questions consist
of a mix of multiple choice, short answer, and short
essay questions.