This article provides a synopsis and some comments about the PISA results. (See the full PISA report resource as well.)
"For the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) assessment known as PISA (Program for International Student Assessment), the membership organization of industrialized governments tested a total of 265,000 students in 28 of the industrialized nations that are members of the compact, as well as Brazil, Latvia, Liechtenstein, and Russia. The tests included sections on literacy, mathematics, and science. Unlike other international assessments, which focus on topics covered in classroom curricula, PISA examined students' ability to apply their knowledge in real-life situations...The United States scored near the international average in all three subjects on the tests, which were administered last year."
