AFC reacts to lackluster PISA international assessment results

Today the 2015 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) results were released, showing how students in the United States continue to fall behind their international peers. The assessment, taken by 15-year-old students in 60 countries, measures performance in math, science and reading. The United States ranked 35^th in math, 18^th in science and 15^th in reading – these results show a drop in math scores and stagnant scores in science and reading.
“These results prove that the status quo of our education system is not providing American students the world class education they deserve,” said Kevin P. Chavous, board member of the American Federation for Children. “We have to shake up the system through school choice and allow students to customize their education to meet their needs through choice. I hope this assessment serves as a wakeup call that we need to be doing more to compete internationally and give American students the opportunity to succeed.”
Overall, American students’ science and reading scores there “were not measurably different than any earlier comparable time point” and average math scores were lower. One in five students were not proficient in both science and reading. In the rankings, U.S. students dropped 7 spots in math, and compared with international averages, American students had a higher percentage of “below proficient” scores on the math exam.