PISA is the foremost study of international education systems. Used to inform and support education policy decision making across the world, PISA 2018 tested the skills and knowledge of 15-year-old students from 79 countries and economies. The assessment measured how these students apply their knowledge to solve problems in mathematics, reading and science. The 2018 results show U.S. students’ average scores in reading and mathematics have remained relatively flat since the first assessments were administered in the early 2000s, while average scores in science have increased.

During the webinar, Schleicher and Mackay provided key insights and takeaways from the report and discussed what the findings and trends mean for state policy makers, district leaders and educators as they work to prepare students for an increasingly globalized world. Carr, the Associate Commissioner of the Assessments Division at the Department’s National Center for Education Statistics provided further context and analysis of the U.S. data.