With this report (392 pages) OECD and the UNESCO Institute for Statistics extend the picture that PISA provides to additional countries that have recently joined the programme: Albania; Argentina; Bulgaria; Chile; Hong Kong-China; Indonesia; Israel; FYR Macedonia; Peru; Romania and Thailand. In addition to a wider geographic coverage, the report also provides new insights into the individual characteristics and family backgrounds that students bring to the learning process and how these interact with the resources and practices that characterise the schools they attend. The report shows considerable variation in levels of knowledge and skills between students, schools and countries. Not all of these differences are due to the social and economic conditions in which students live and schools or countries operate. Some countries have managed to mitigate the influence of social background and some have achieved this while reaching a high overall level of performance. These are noteworthy achievements. Also available as paperback and e-book. Download 3690 KB