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Les inégalités provinciales aux tests internationaux-nationaux de littéracie : Québec, Ontario et autres provinces canadiennes 1993-2018
[Provincial achievement gaps from literacy surveys conducted from years 1993 to 2018]

Author

Listed:
  • Pierre Lefebvre

    (Department of Economics, University of Quebec in Montreal)

  • Philip Merrigan

    (Department of Economics, University of Quebec in Montreal)

Abstract

(in French) Cet article présente les résultats à des tests standardisés en littéracie, de 19 enquêtes internationales ou provinciales conduites en éducation de 1993 à 2018 auprès d'étudiants du Québec et de provinces canadiennes. L'analyse s'appuie sur les scores à trois stages d'études, 4e année au primaire, 8e année au secondaire et aux étudiants de 13, 15 ou 16 ans (en secondaire II à V). Les domaines de littéracie sont lecture, math et science. Plusieurs types de statistiques sont calculées (nombre de répondants, moyenne, écart-type, scores à divers points de la distribution centile des scores) ainsi que les écarts entre les scores (C90-C10 et C75-25), ainsi que des différences centiles entre le Québec et les entités participantes. L'analyse présente aussi la distribution des étudiants dans les échelles de compétences. Les liens entre scores et les caractéristiques du statut social des élèves, mesurées par l'éducation et les professions parentales, sont documentés pour chaque enquête. Les résultats sont comparés avec ceux partiels du Conseil supérieur de l'éducation. Il apparaît que les élèves québécois, le plus souvent, performent mieux ou aussi bien que ceux des autres provinces aux plans des scores, des écarts centiles et des différences selon le statut social. La discussion finale porte sur quelques options de politique publique en éducation susceptibles de réduire les écarts de littéracie selon le statut social des élèves. Abstract (in English, working paper is in French) This paper presents standardised test scores results in literacy from 19 provincial and international surveys in education conducted over years 1993 to 2018. The analysis draws on students in Canadian provinces, mainly in Québec and Ontario, at three stages of education, grade 4 in primary school, grade 8 in secondary school, and -13, -15 and -16-year-olds in grades 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12. The tree domains of literacy are reading, math, and science. A diversity of summary statistics are computed (number of respondents, mean, standard deviation, percentile scores), as well as gaps (P90-P10 and P75-P25) between scores and differences between Québec and other participant group entities. The investigation also displays the distribution of proficiency scale scores. The socio-economic gradients in scores as measured by parental educational and occupational categories are also displayed and discussed in the paper. The results contradict the conclusion of an independent Council in Education, and imply that Québec's students in particular the less skilled perform as well or better than students in the other provinces system, most of the time with less inequality in literacy domains. The assessment reviews briefly why students in independent schools are more successful and identifies some policy options in education policy addressing social inequities in the skills and knowledge of students.

Suggested Citation

  • Pierre Lefebvre & Philip Merrigan, 2020. "Les inégalités provinciales aux tests internationaux-nationaux de littéracie : Québec, Ontario et autres provinces canadiennes 1993-2018 [Provincial achievement gaps from literacy surveys condu," Working Papers 20-02, Research Group on Human Capital, University of Quebec in Montreal's School of Management, revised Oct 2020.
    • Handle: RePEc:grc:wpaper:20-02
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    scores lecture; math; science; distributions centiles; niveaux des compétences; provinces et Canada; PIRS 1993-2004; PPCE 2007-2016; TIMSS08 2003-2015; PISA 2000-2018; PIRLS04 2006-2016; TIMSS04 2003-2015;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I29 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Other

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