Integrating Immigrant Children into Schools in Europe

Integrating Immigrant Children into Schools in EuropePISA DataPISA (Programme for International Student Assessment): an international survey conducted under theauspices of the OECD in 32 countries worldwide, including 26 countries involved in the SOCRATESProgramme. The aim of the survey is to measure the performance level of pupils aged 15 in readingliteracy, mathematical literacy and scientific literacy. Data collection has been programmed in threestages, namely PISA 2000 (used to prepare the present publication), PISA 2003 and PISA 2006.Among the countries covered by the Socrates Programme, Belgium (the German-speaking Community),the United Kingdom (Wales), Estonia, Cyprus, Lithuania, Malta, Slovenia and Slovakia did not take part inthe collection of data for PISA 2000.Besides measurements of outcome (tests in reading, mathematics and science), the survey includesquestionnaires for pupils and school heads, which are intended to identify variables linked to family andschool circumstances that may help explain the findings. It is these questionnaires that have been used toprepare the indicators in the present publication.The survey is based on representative samples of 15-year-old pupils in secondary education, who wereselected by their school. Education at each school may last a greater or lesser number of yearscorresponding to curricula at ISCED levels 2 and/or 3, or in some cases even ISCED level 1. This explainswhy the titles to Figures in the present publication refer to schools attended by pupils aged 15 and notsecondary education in general.Further observations on PISAThe indicators derived from the OECD/PISA database have to be interpreted in context. For example, thepercentage of pupils aged 15 who said that, at home, they spoke a language other than the language ofinstruction cannot be interpreted as the percentage of the population speaking a foreign language athome.Where the number of replies to the surveys in general, or to one particular question, is insufficient toensure that the data are truly representative, the latter are not shown in the Figures. In the case of theNetherlands, in which the proportion of those who did not reply to the PISA 2000 survey is relatively high,the data are not given in the Figures, but in an additional note under them. It should be noted that astudy carried out in this country after publication of the PISA findings showed that, despite its low rate ofresponse, the sample remained representative.74