• Italy performs below the OECD average in science (481 score points) and reading (485 score points) and around the OECD average in mathematics (490 score points) (Figures I.2.13, I.4.1 and I.5.1). • The average performance of 15-year-old students in science did not change significantly since 2006; similarly, reading performance remained stable since 2009 (when reading was the main domain). In contrast, mathematics performance improved, on average, by 7 score points every three years between 2003 and 2015. • As in many other countries, socio-economically disadvantaged students in Italy are less likely to succeed at school than their more advantaged peers; but the relationship between socio-economic status and performance is weaker in Italy than on average across OECD countries (Table I.6.4a and Figure I.6.7). • Gender differences in favour of boys in science and mathematics are particularly marked in Italy. In reading, where boys score below girls, the gap narrowed significantly between 2009 and 2015, because boys’ performance improved, while girls’ performance deteriorated. • Students from an immigrant background (first or second generation) in Italy do not perform as well in science as non-immigrant students. But while the share of immigrant students doubled between 2006 and 2015 (from 4% to 8%), the performance gap of immigrant students, after accounting for differences in socio-economic status and language spoken at home between immigrant and non-immigrant students, narrowed significantly (Figure I.7.4).
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