In Partnership with 74

International exam shows gender achievement gaps

LA School Report | March 6, 2015



Your donation will help us produce journalism like this. Please give today.

Washington Post logo

The Washington Post | By Emma Brown

International math, science and reading exams show that across dozens of countries, 15-year-old boys are more likely to be low achievers than 15-year-old girls, especially in reading. But among the highest-performing students, girls trail boys, and girls have far less confidence in their ability to solve math problems.

The findings were published Thursday by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in a report based on the Programme for International Student Assessment, an exam administered every three years to OECD members and other countries.

The analysis provides a trove of data on everything from the amount of time boys and girls in various countries spend playing video games and reading for pleasure to their views on school, their belief in themselves and their career expectations. It found that even though average performance varied widely across countries, gender gaps were remarkably consistent.

Click here to read the full story.

Read Next