Educational Outcomes at Age 19 Associated with Reading Ability at Age 15 - ARCHIVED

This paper examines educational outcome at age 19 associated with reading ability at age 15. Does ability in reading at age 15 have an impact on subsequent high school completion and postsecondary participation? Are different postsecondary opportunities realized by those with varying reading ability levels?

This paper investigates these questions using Canadian data from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and the Youth in Transition Survey (YITS). It is not the intent of this paper to explore the complex pathways and processes associated with dropping out of high school or pursuing postsecondary participation. Rather, by examining only the direct pathways between reading literacy at age 15 and education outcomes at 19, this paper provides a general overview and first glance at the nature of this relationship.