U.S. student scores were below the international average in science and math literacy, according to the 2006 findings of the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA).

U.S. students scored lower in science literacy than their peers in 22 jurisdictions (16 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development [OECD] jurisdictions and six non-OECD jurisdictions). Twenty-two jurisdictions (five OECD jurisdictions and 17 non-OECD jurisdictions) scored below the U.S.

On the mathematics literacy scale, 31 jurisdictions (23 OECD jurisdictions and 8 non-OECD jurisdictions) scored higher on average than the United States. Twenty jurisdictions (four OECD jurisdictions and 16 non-OECD jurisdictions) scored below the U.S.

In 2006, 57 jurisdictions participated in PISA, including 30 OECD jurisdictions and 27 non-OECD jurisdictions.

The National Center for Education Statistics offers an online report examining the PISA test performance of 15-year-old U.S. students and their international peers. The url is www.nces.ed.gov/surveys/PISA.

NCES, www.nces.ed.gov.