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Progress in International Reading Literacy Study, 2006
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The Progress in International Reading Literacy Study, 2006 (PIRLS 2006) is a study that is part of the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) program; program data are available since 2001 at https://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/getpubcats.asp?sid=099. PIRLS 2006 (https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pirls/) is a cross-sectional study that provides international comparative information of the reading literacy of fourth-grade students and examines factors that may be associated with the acquisition of reading literacy in young students. The study was conducted using questionnaires and direct assessments of fourth-grade students. In the United States a total of 183 schools were sampled and 5,190 fourth-grade students were tested. The final weighted student response rate was 95 percent and the final weighted school response rate was 99 percent. The overall weighted response rate was 82 percent. Key statistics produced from PIRLS 2006 are how well fourth-grade students read, how students in one country compare with students in another country, how much fourth-grade students value and enjoy reading, and internationally, how the reading habits and attitudes of students vary.
Detailed Methodology
The target population of interest was all students enrolled in the grade corresponding to the fourth year of schooling, beginning with ISCED Level 1. For most jurisdictions, this was the fourth grade or its national equivalent. The basic sample design called for a two-stage stratified cluster design, with schools selected at the first stage and classrooms at the second stage. PIRLS guidelines call for a minimum of 150 school and 4,000 students assessed. In the U.S, a sample of 183 schools was drawn. The sampling frame was constructed using data from the 2002–03 Common Core of Data (CCD) and preliminary 2003–04 data from the Private School Universe Survey (PSS).