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Alberta Math Students and International Testing
In light of the many media articles about the 2012 Programme for International Student Assessment
(PISA) results in mathematics and local concerns about the Alberta mathematics curriculum, we have
compiled some information about how Canadian and specifically Alberta students have performed on
various international testing in mathematics including PISA, PanCanadian Testing Program, TIMSS
Program (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study) and International Baccalaureate (IB)
Diploma Program and Advanced Placement (AP) Program
1) PISA
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PISA is administered every three years by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and
Development (OECD). The tests assess the achievement of 15-year-old students in reading,
mathematical and scientific literacy. In Alberta approximately 2,900 students from public,
separate, francophone, charter, and private schools, participated in the test in the spring of 2012
65 countries or economies in the world participated in the 2012 testing.
2012 is the fifth time Alberta students have taken part in the program
The graph above shows Alberta 15 year-old students scoring well above the global average and
the Canadian average, with students in Quebec and B.C. scoring slightly higher than Alberta.
Canadian students:
o ranked 13th in the world in this study
o achieved a mean score of 518, which is 24 points above the OECD average
o were outscored by only Korea, Japan, and Switzerland among OECD countries
o Among all 65 participating countries or economies, 9 performed better than Canada.
2012
2009
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The countries or regions outscoring Canada in 2009 and in 2012 remain constant
China only reports for three economic regions: Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Macao. (See PISA
Background report for more explanation)
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3 European countries score higher than Canada: Lichtenstein, Finland, and Switzerland. We
score higher than Germany, France, UK, Sweden, and Norway.
Canada’s raw score on PISA dropped from 532 to 518, a decrease of 2.6%.
The performance of Canadian 15-year-olds has declined by 14 points in the past nine years, a
decline that is statistically significant.
2012
2009
East to West listing of Canadian provinces’ results: 2003-2012
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This timeline reveals that the decline is similar for most provinces and the country as a whole.
Therefore, the suggestion that the decline is a function of the most recent curriculum change in
western Canada should be questioned.
The questions on the PISA exam are very much inquiry-based, investigative, and require critical
thinking and problem solving skills. This is completely in line with the goals of the new
mathematics curriculum in western Canada. Teachers in Alberta have the same goals in their
assessment strategies, and we see this on the provincial assessments (PAT and Diploma exams)
as well. See sample questions below.
Canadian results in mathematics are characterized by relatively high levels of achievement and
equity.
Equity:
a) The difference between the average
score of students at the 90th percentile
and those at the 10th percentile is often
used as a measure of equity in educational
outcomes.
b) For Canada overall, those in the highest
decile scored 231 points higher than those
in the lowest. This compares to 239 across
OECD countries.
c) Australia, Canada, Estonia, Finland,
Hong Kong-China, Japan, Korea,
Liechtenstein and Macao‑China combine
high levels of performance with equity
in education opportunities as assessed
by PISA 2012.
Sample PISA Questions/Responses
2) PanCanadian Testing Program
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The Pan-Canadian Assessment Program Test 2010 Results: Alberta’s grade 8 students achieved
the highest marks in the country in science, second highest in reading and third highest in
mathematics.
 Approximately 4,000 Alberta students from nearly 170 schools participated in the Pan-Canadian
Assessment Program (PCAP) test, conducted by the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada
(CMEC) in 2010.
 Mathematics was the focus for 2010. Alberta students, with an average score of 495, performed
at the national average level and ranked behind Quebec and Ontario.
Example PanCanadian math question:
3) TIMSS Program (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study)
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The TIMSS 2011 International Results in Mathematics summarizes fourth and eighth grade
student achievement in each of the 63 countries and 14 benchmarking entities which participated
in TIMSS 2011.
 Singapore, Korea, and Hong Kong SAR were the top-performing countries in TIMSS 2011 at
the fourth grade.
 Korea, Singapore, and Chinese Taipei were the top-performing countries in TIMSS 2011 at the
eighth grade.
 TIMSS results for grade 8 math students in 2011 has Alberta in 10th position in the world.
4) International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program and Advanced Placement (AP) Program
Our high-achieving students compare very well with high-achieving students from other countries as
measured on other international assessments. Alberta’s IB and AP math students score near the top on
world-wide International Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement exams every year.
a) International Baccalaureate
Results for the 2013 IB Mathematics SL course in the Diploma Program:
World Average: 4.46 out of 7
Alberta Average: 4.58 out of 7
b) Advanced Placement
2013 results for Calculus AP Exam:
World Average: 2.94 out of 5
Canada Average: 3.40 out of 5
Report prepared by: Len Bonifacio, Secondary Mathematics Consultant
References:
1) http://timssandpirls.bc.edu/timss2011/downloads/T11_IR_M_Chapter1.pdf
2) http://education.alberta.ca/admin/testing/nationaltesting.aspx
3) Measuring up: Canadian Results of the OECD PISA Study 2012
4) Measuring up: Canadian Results of the OECD PISA Study 2013
5) Brookings Institute article: Jenny Perlman Robinson, Jenny Alexander | December 11, 2013
6) CBC News Dec. 4, 2013
7) Globe and Mail article: Caroline Alphonso, Dec. 3, 2013
8) Time World article: David Stout, Dec. 4, 2013
9) Edmonton Journal article: Dec. 5, 2013
10) CNN Opinion article: Jiang Xueqin, Dec. 15, 2013
11) Pan-Canadian Assessment Program 2010 Test Results – Alberta, November 28, 2011