Infographic - Mathematics Scores by Country

In 2015, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) conducted the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), a world-wide study designed to evaluate scholastic performance in mathematics, science and reading. Fifteen-year-old students from 70 countries participated in the study.

Students from the United States performed below the international average and in the bottom-half of participating countries. These results were similar to those of the previous test administered in 2012.

The PISA test has been met with some of the same criticisms levelled against other standardized tests: it may not measure what it aims to measure and pressures educators to focus preparations solely on content featured in the test, neglecting any and all academic content omitted from the test along with the personal, social, moral and physical development of participant students.

In 2018, the OECD again conducted the PISA, this time with participants from 80 countries. Results from this assessment will be released on December 3rd of 2019.

Eric Bennett is the author of Elementary Math for Computer Science with Python, a textbook for elementary-aged students. He has taught mathematics in the Austin area since 2005.