This study, by using multi-level analyses, analyzed the effects of the input and process
variables of the student- and school-levels on reading achievement in PISA 2009. By statistically
controlling the effects of input variables of individual schools, such as the human and physical
resources relevant to school effects, this study indicates that the school effects indices were
unaffected by the unequal factors between schools. This study was based on the data of 3,619
students from 121 high schools in South Korea. It was extracted from the PISA 2009 data which
was conducted by the OECD.
The results were as follows. First, in PISA 2009, gender, ESCS, reading enjoyment, the
duration of daily reading participation; and, among reading strategies, summarization and
controlling strategies were the variables that statistically affected reading achievement. In
addition, the type of establishment, the average ESCS of the school, the student-teacher ratio,
student behavior, and reading enjoyment of the school were significant variables at the school
level. Second, this study estimated the school effects after statistically controlling the contextual
input variables of each school. This indicated that effective schools showed two distinctive
factors: the student behavior and reading enjoyment of the school. Last, this study presents
discussion and conclusions with respect to school effects.