In Portugal, almost one in four students (24.9%) were below proficiency Level 2 in mathematics in PISA 2012, and the proportion of top performers (Level 5 or above) remains below average (OECD, 2013a). They have remained stable in mathematics since 2003 and have slightly decreased in science since 2006. However, a substantial widening of the gender gap has been witnessed in students’ mean reading performance: a 25 score point difference between boys and girls in 2000 grew to 39 score points in 2012, as girls pulled even further ahead of boys (OECD, 2013a).