PISA 2000

Thirty-two countries have participated in the 2000 PISA survey. PISA 2000 consists of the following:

• Two hours of direct students' skill assessment through reading, mathematics, and science tests. Reading was the major domain and the reading test was based on a new framework that also incorporates items from the International Adult Literacy Survey.
• A 20-minute self-completed contextual questionnaire administered to students to collect background information to help understand the factors contributing to student achievement.
• A 3-minute section on Information Technology administered to students.
• A 30-minute self-completed school questionnaire administered to school principals to collect information about characteristics of schools.

Between 4,000 and 10,000 students were assessed in each participating country. In Canada, approximately 30,000 15-year-old students from more than 1,000 schools participated in PISA in order to collect information at the provincial level and to allow for estimates for both official language groups.

The assessment was administered in school, during regular school hours, in April and May, 2000. Canadian students also completed the Youth in Transition Survey (YITS) at the same time.