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<title>New PIRLS 2011 Highlights Report Compares U.S. Students with Their Peers Around the World</title>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif""><img width="547" height="66" id="_x0000_i1025" src="cid:newsflash_banner.gif1" alt="Institute of Education Sciences - Newsflash"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"">New PIRLS 2011 Highlights Report Compares U.S. Students with Their Peers Around the World<o:p></o:p></span></h4>
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</v:shapetype><v:shape id="_x0000_s1026" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="2013010" style='position:absolute;margin-left:68.8pt;margin-top:0;width:120pt;height:155.25pt;z-index:251658240;mso-wrap-distance-left:0;mso-wrap-distance-top:0;mso-wrap-distance-right:0;mso-wrap-distance-bottom:0;mso-position-horizontal:right;mso-position-horizontal-relative:text;mso-position-vertical-relative:line' o:allowoverlap="f">
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</v:shape><![endif]--><![if !vml]><img width="160" height="207" src="cid:2013010.gif2" align="right" alt="2013010" v:shapes="_x0000_s1026"><![endif]><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"">This
report from the National Center for Education Statistics summarizes the performance of U.S. fourth-grade students on the 2011 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), comparing their scores with their peers internationally as well as documenting
changes in reading achievement since 2001. The report also describes additional details about the achievement of students within the United States, by sex, racial/ethnic background, and the poverty level of the schools they attend. It also includes state-level
results for public school students in Florida. <br>
<br>
PIRLS is sponsored by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA), an international organization of national research institutions and governmental research agencies. PIRLS has been administered three times: 2001, 2006,
and 2011. The United States participated in all three administrations. In 2011, 40 countries and 13 other education systems (including the 1 U.S. state) participated at grade 4.
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Results show that the 2011 average reading scores of U.S. fourth-grade students were higher than the PIRLS scale average. The average U.S. reading score was among the top 13 education systems (5 education systems had higher averages and 7 were not measurably
different). The United States average was higher than 40 education systems. The 5 education systems with average scores above the U.S. average were Hong Kong-CHN, Florida-USA, the Russian Federation, Finland, and Singapore. Compared with 2001, the U.S. average
score was 14 points higher in 2011. Also, compared with 2006, the U.S. average score was 16 points higher in 2011.
<br>
<br>
The PIRLS 2011 Highlights Report is a product of the National Center for Education Statistics at the Institute of Education Sciences, part of the U.S. Department of Education.
<br>
<br>
To view the full report please visit<br>
<a href="http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2013010">http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2013010</a>
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...connecting research, policy and practice<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Ann Reed, Federal Programs Coordinator<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Oregon State Library<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Library Development Services<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Salem, OR 97301<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">ann.reed@state.or.us<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">phone 503-378-5027<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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