What works in education around the world?

This report from the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement and the TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center at Boston College presents data from fourth grade students in 34 countries that took both the TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study) and PIRLS (Progress in International Reading Literacy Study) assessments in 2011. Home environment information was also available because the PIRLS assessment includes a parent questionnaire. In total, over 180,000 students, 170,000 parents, 14,000 teachers, and 6,000 school principals participated in these two studies worldwide.

According to the authors, their analyses of the data suggest that, across countries, there are a number of school and home factors that can positively affect student achievement in reading, mathematics, and science at the fourth grade level. For example, they say that when parents engage children in early literacy activities, it can help children develop both literacy and numeracy skills. The early literacy activities they mention include reading books, telling stories, singing songs, playing with alphabet toys, talking about things you've done or have read, playing word games, writing letters or words, and reading aloud signs and labels. 

Johns Hopkins University 

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