The fourth PISA survey was carried out in 2009. As in PISA 2000, the reading literacy of fifteen-year-olds was again the focus of this survey. The results will allow initial inferences to be made about the extent to which changes made to the German education system and developmental programmes implemented as a result of PISA 2000 can be measured in educational results. With its analysis of the conditions of literacy achievement, PISA 2009 will also provide important findings on teaching and learning and will thereby highlight areas which need to be worked on in order to make the best possible use of learning opportunities and to make these learning opportunities available to all.

66 countries are participating in PISA 2009. That is more than in the previous surveys. In Germany, two samples will be tested:

• For the international comparison, 6210 fifteen-year-olds from 230 schools (27 students per school) were tested.
• In order to be able to carry out analyses at a grade level, two further complete ninth grade classes were tested in each of the 230 schools.

PISA 2009 was implemented in Germany by a consortium of academics, scientists and experts from different universities and research institutes, under the management of the German Institute for International Educational Research (DIPF). Detailed information about PISA 2009 can be found on the PISA 2009 homepage of the DIPF.

The results from PISA 2009 will be published on December 7th, 2010. The IPN is involved both in the data analysis and the report. In the national report, IPN staff will contribute to the chapters on the following topics:

• Mathematical literacy
• Scientific literacy
• Socio-economic background and competency acquisition