International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS). This assessment measures international differences in students’ computer and information literacy and computational thinking. The ICILS assessment is administered once every 5 years and provides crucial information on U.S. students’ skills and experience using technology compared with that of our peer countries around the world. In addition to an assessment of students’ computer and information skills, ICILS provides information on factors such as teachers’ experiences and school resources in support of computer and information literacy education.
In 2018 U.S. 8th-graders scored above the international average for computer and information literacy, and on par with the international average in computational thinking. With the dramatic shift to virtual learning in 2020, the results of the 2023 ICILS are more important than ever in understanding the role of technology in education within the U.S. and globally.
Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). This assessment is the largest international education assessment in the world. PISA measures the reading, mathematics, science, and financial literacy of students nearing the end of compulsory education. It provides comparative information on the performance of U.S. students with their peers in more than 80 other countries. PISA fosters international engagement across education systems, allowing teachers, education professionals, and policy experts to compare shared experiences in the global learning community. The financial literacy component of PISA provides a range of contextual data that offer insight into students’ school and home environments, socioeconomic advantages and disadvantages, sense of well-being, and use of time outside of school.
Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). This assessment is designed to measure reading achievement at the fourth-grade level, as well as school and teacher practices related to instruction. Fourth-grade students complete a reading assessment and questionnaire that addresses students’ attitudes toward reading and their reading habits. In addition, questionnaires are given to students’ teachers and school principals to gather information about students’ school experiences in developing reading literacy. Since 2001, PIRLS has been administered every 5 years, with the United States participating in all past assessments. PIRLS is sponsored by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) and conducted in the United States by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).
Trends in International Math and Science Study (TIMSS). This assessment has provided reliable and timely trend data on the mathematics and science achievement of U.S. students compared to that of students in other countries. TIMSS data have been collected from students at grades 4 and 8 every four years since 1995, with the United States participating in every administration of TIMSS. TIMSS Advanced studies the achievement in advanced mathematics and physics of students in their final year of secondary school. It has been conducted in 1995, 2008, and 2015, with the United States participating in 1995 and 2015. TIMSS and TIMSS Advanced are sponsored by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) and conducted in the United States by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).TIMSS’ high quality, internationally comparative, trend data provide critical information to inform education policy discussions and monitor educational inequalities (e.g., socioeconomic, racial/ethnic, and gender) within and across countries.