Liang-Cheng Zhang, ACER
This report compares the academic performance of International Baccalaureate (IB) students in the Primary Years Programme (PYP) and Middle Years Programme (MYP) with that of students in other accredited international schools, using data from the International Schools’ Assessment (ISA). The ISA, administered in grades 3–10, evaluates proficiency in five domains: Mathematical Literacy, Reading, Scientific Literacy, Narrative Writing, and Expository Writing. In addition, ISA scales for Mathematical Literacy, Reading, and Scientific Literacy are based on the globally recognized Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) frameworks, allowing for meaningful comparability. The analysis includes data from 71,267 students across 254 schools participating in the 2023–2024 ISA assessment cycles, comprising 123 IB World Schools and 131 non-IB schools that are accredited for international education. Consistent with prior research, findings show that, globally, PYP and MYP students performed significantly better than non-IB students across multiple ISA domains and grade levels. Notably, there were no instances in which non-IB students significantly outperformed IB students in any grade or subject area. Additionally, grade 9 and 10 MYP students performed well above the 2022 international PISA averages in all three domains.
