Correlation between Pre-primary Education and Achievements in PISA 2009 Joel Rapp, PhD Amihai Rigbi, PhD

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Correlation between Pre-primary Education and
Achievements in PISA 2009Joel Rapp, PhDAmihai
Rigbi, PhD
Accession Seminar for Israel OECD/Ministry of
Education 22-23 November 2011 Caesarea, Israel
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PISA in Israel

• Israel has participated in PISA studies since
  2002 (PISA), including in 2006 and in 2009, and
  it will also participate in 2012.
• 5761 students participated in the 2009 study.
• These students constituted a representative
  sample of 15-year-old students in Israel (with
  the exception of ultra-orthodox boys).

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The Pre-primary Education (PPE) System in Israel

• Israels Ministry of Education and local
  authorities finance PPE starting at the age of
  five (in some cases, at the age of three).
• PPE is divided into the following two stages
• Pre-kindergarten (ages 3-5).
• Kindergarten/pre-elementary school (ages 5-6).
  According to Israeli law, parents must ensure
  that their children go through the latter PPE
  stage. Pre-kindergarten, on the other hand, is
  not compulsory.

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Information about PPE from PISA 2009

• The Student Questionnaire of the 2009 survey
  included a question regarding PPE

Response rate 96

• In the context of the Israeli educational system,
  those who checked the RED encircled statement
  were assumed to have attended pre-elementary
  school only (age 5), while those who checked the
  BROWN encircled statement were assumed to have
  attended pre-kindergarten as well (ages 3-4).

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Analysis of PPE Status and PISA Achievements

• A substantial part of the PISA 2009 report is
  dedicated to explaining the relationship found
  between the PISA achievements and background
  data.
• In the context of PPE, it was found that

OECD (2010), PISA 2009 results overcoming social
background-equity in learning opportunities and
outcomes (Volume II). http//dx.doi.org/10.1787/97
89264091504-en (pp. 95-99).
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Correlation between PPE and Reading Achievement
Israel manifested the largest difference in
reading achievements between students who had
attended PPE and those who had not.
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Correlation between PPE and Math and Science
Achievements

• Differences of a similar magnitude, as a function
  of PPE attendance, were also found in math and
  science achievements.

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Present Study Aims and Methods

• The present study sought to understand and
  explain the pronounced differences in PISA 2009
  achievements found in Israel between students who
  had attended PPE and those who had not.
• This aim was achieved by re-analyzing Israels
  data, taking into consideration the students
  ethnic background (Hebrew- vs. Arabic-speaking
  students).
• In Israel, there is a pronounced difference in
  educational outcomes between Hebrew-speaking and
  Arabic-speaking students.

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PISA Achievements and Ethnic Background in Israel

• On average, the Arabic-speaking students scored
  about 100 points less than the Hebrew-speaking
  students. These results are consistent throughout
  the PISA studies and apply to the three fields of
  literacy measured in PISA.

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Distribution of PPE Attendance in Israel (1)
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Distribution of PPE Attendance in Israel (2)

• In Israel, the attendance rate of PPE for more
  than one year is very similar to the equivalent
  rate in OECD countries (74 and 72,
  respectively).
• However, PPE attendance for more than one year is
  much more prevalent among Hebrew-speaking
  students than among Arabic-speaking students (86
  and 35, respectively).
• Not attending PPE is rare in the Hebrew-speaking
  sector (2), while in the Arabic-speaking sector
  it is more common and reaches 16.

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Distribution of PPE Attendance in Israel (3)

• Once again, it can be seen that most of the
  students who did not attend PPE at all belong to
  the Arabic-speaking sector, while most of the
  students who attended PPE for more than one year
  belong to the Hebrew-speaking sector.

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Characteristics of Students Who Did Not Attend PPE

• In both sectors lower ESCS, greater proportion
  of ninth-graders.
• In the Hebrew-speaking sector about half are
  immigrants (mainly from Ethiopia), greater
  proportion of boys and greater proportion of
  students from religious schools.
• In the Arabic-speaking sector greater
  proportion of Bedouin students.

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PISA Reading Achievements as a Function of ESCS
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PISA Reading Achievements as a Function of ESCS
(2)

• The results show a consistent difference of about
  40 points (for Arabic-speaking students), and 45
  points (for Hebrew-speaking students), in reading
  achievements between students who attended PPE
  and those who did not.
• These differences are stable along the entire
  ESCS range.
• Similar results were found in science literacy.
• Somewhat smaller differences were found in math
  literacy 25 points (Arabic) 30 points (Hebrew).

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PISA Reading Achievements as a Function of ESCS
(3)

• In the Hebrew-speaking sector there was also a
  slight difference (of about 5 score points),
  between the two levels of PPE attendance, while
  in the Arabic-speaking sector the difference was
  between the levels of none and some PPE
  attendance.
• Thus, it appears that attending the PPE stage of
  pre-elementary school (5 years old) is the
  critical variable in the context of PISA
  achievements.

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Summary and Conclusions (1)

• PISA 2009 reported that significant differences
  in educational achievements exist between
  students who had attended PPE ten years earlier
  and those who had not (even after accounting for
  ESCS background).
• Although a casual conclusion cannot be drawn from
  these results, they are still of high importance
  to educators, policy makers and researchers.
• PPE plays an important role in the educational
  continuum. Several studies have indicated a link
  between the quality of such education and
  educational and financial success at a later age
  (e.g. Chetty et al., 2010).

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Summary and Conclusions (2)

• Of all participating countries, this difference
  was the most prominent in Israel.
• However, a cautious analysis revealed that this
  difference is mainly explained by the sector
  variable since there are large differences in
  PISA scores between Hebrew-speaking and
  Arabic-speaking students.
• Within each language sector, the difference in
  PISA achievements between students who had and
  had not attended PPE is about 45 points, and it
  is stable along the entire ESCS range.
• This difference ranks at about the tenth place
  among the PISA 2009 participating countries.

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Summary and Conclusions (3)

• In the wake of the results presented, Israel's
  Ministry of Education decided to take steps to
  reduce the number of children who do not attend
  PPE at all, mainly in the Arab sector.
• The results presented also shed light upon a
  possible vulnerable population, i.e. students who
  did not attend PPE. Teachers and educators should
  be aware of such students when they enter school.

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The EndThank You!Questions?