Compared with students internationally and across the United States, Utah students performed well above average in math, and were the least impacted by projected loss in lifetime income from pandemic-related learning losses, according to recent results from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). This worldwide study, conducted every three years by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), assesses the knowledge and skills of 15-year-old students in reading, mathematics, and science to evaluate how well students are prepared to meet the challenges of the future. 81 countries participated in 2022, and the United States has been participating since 2003.
PISA results in mathematics showed Utah above the median, and their findings reinforced reports published by the National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP). The only state that scored higher than Utah was Massachusetts. Utah also outperformed many traditionally high-performing OECD countries, including Finland.
One of the biggest obstacles to learning in recent years has been the COVID-19 pandemic. PISA assessed the projected loss in lifetime income as a result of the pandemic. According to that assessment, students from Utah, where the average learning loss was the lowest of all 50 states, can expect to see a loss of less than 2 percent of lifetime income as a result of the pandemic. For comparison, students from Delaware and Oklahoma, the two states with the highest projected loss in lifetime income as a result of learning losses, can expect a loss of approximately 9 percent in future income.
“I am incredibly proud of Utah students for demonstrating resilience despite challenges. Our agency is committed to supporting educators as they work to implement programs and strategies targeted and helping all students succeed,” said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Sydnee Dickson.
Due to the relatively small number of students included, the PISA data should not be used in isolation to report mathematics outcomes for the state of Utah. To get a full picture of Utah’s mathematics landscape please use PISA, the most recent NAEP results, and state level ACT results. To read the full PISA findings, please visit www.oecd.org/pisa.
