Literacy proficiency of youth: evidence of converging socioeconomic gradients

In all countries that participated in the IALS, there is a strong relationship between the literacy skills of youth and family socioeconomic status. This relationship is referred to a socioeconomic gradient. One of the key findings of studies that examined socioeconomic gradients within countries is that gradients tend to converge at higher levels of socioeconomic status; that is, youth from advantaged backgrounds tend to do well in any jurisdiction, while those from less advantaged backgrounds vary considerably in their proficiency among jurisdictions. This paper summarizes the evidence for converging socioeconomic gradients stemming from research based on the IALS, and discusses its policy implications.