Across countries, on average, slightly more than half of fourth-grade students (54%) attended schools where the principal reported a “high emphasis” on academic success. Only nine percent attended schools with a “very high emphasis” and 37 percent attended schools with a “medium emphasis.” In both subjects at fourth grade, there is a positive relationship between school emphasis on academic success and average achievement internationally, however, it should be kept in mind that many countries have relatively few students classified as attending schools with a “very high emphasis” on academic success. In fourth-grade mathematics, students in schools with “very high emphasis” on academic success had an average achievement of 526, students in schools with “high emphasis” had an average achievement of 510, and students in schools with “medium emphasis” had an average achievement of 487 (Exhibit 4.2.2). Exhibit 4.2.3 shows similar results for fourth-grade science with an average achievement of 517 for students in schools with “very high emphasis,” 501 for those in schools with “high emphasis,” and 478 for those in schools with “medium emphasis.”

At the eighth grade, roughly half of students (49%) attended schools where principals reported “high emphasis” on academic success, while 10 percent attended schools with “very high emphasis,” and 41 percent attended schools with “medium emphasis.” In mathematics (Exhibit 4.2.4), students attending schools with a “very high emphasis” on academic success had an average achievement of 515, compared to 483 for “high emphasis” and 454 for “medium emphasis”. The results are similar for science (Exhibit 4.2.5), where students had an average achievement of 511 (“very high emphasis”), 481 (“high emphasis”), and 453 (“medium emphasis”).