PISA results and school dropout trends in Spain

The OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) evaluates the skills of 15-year-old students in reading, mathematics, and science every three years. In the 2022 results, Spain scored 473 points in mathematics, 474 in reading, and 485 in science, meeting or exceeding the OECD average in mathematics and science, though falling slightly below the average in reading.

A study by Funcas uses PISA data to predict future school dropout rates based on student performance at age 15. The research indicates that the Community of Madrid's dropout levels align with statistical forecasts based on its PISA scores.

In contrast, certain Spanish autonomous communities, such as the Basque Country, Cantabria, and Navarra, have managed to keep more students in the education system than their PISA scores would suggest. This ability to maintain higher-than-expected graduation rates may be linked to more flexible promotion policies and lower grade repetition rates.