U.S. 8th Graders Above International Average in Math, Science
From the US Department of Education
Compared with students in 37 other participating nations,
US 8th-grade students are above the international average in mathematics
and science performance, according to the Third International Mathematics
and Science Study-Repeat (TIMSS-R).
"Our students are successfully learning more math and
science every year they're in school," said US Secretary of Education
Richard W. Riley, "but we can do even better. For example, the Glenn Commission
gave us some very significant, bold steps we can take in the teaching
of math and science from elementary through high school, ranging from
improving the professional development of K-12 teachers, to widening the
pipeline of people going into math and science teaching, to retaining
those teachers once we get them in the pipeline."
The US Department of Education's National Center for
Education Statistics (NCES) released the results Tuesday (December 5,
2000) in a report titled "Pursuing Excellence: Comparisons of International
Eighth-Grade Mathematics and Science Achievement from a US Perspective,
1995 and 1999." There were no breakdowns by state.
The study, sponsored by NCES and the National Science
Foundation (NSF) in the United States and by the International Association
for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA), assessed 8th-graders'
knowledge of mathematics and science in 38 nations. It follows up on the
Third International Mathematics and Science Study conducted in 1995.
In 1999, for mathematics, US students performed better
than the international average in fractions and number sense; data representation,
analysis, and probability; and algebra. They performed at the international
average in measurement and geometry.
In science, the average score of US 8th graders was
higher than the international average in earth science; life science;
chemistry; environmental and resource issues; and scientific inquiry and
the nature of science. US 8th graders performed at the international average
in physics.
The performance of US 8th graders in mathematics and
science was about the same in 1999 as in 1995. Because its predecessor
study TIMSS reported on 4th graders, TIMSS-R offers a unique opportunity
to compare the performance of 4th graders in 1995 with the performance
of 8th-graders in 1999. The results indicate that the relative performance
for 8th-grade students in mathematics and science was lower in TIMSS-R
(1999) than it was for 4th-grade students four years earlier in TIMSS
(1995).
"This finding validates the results of the previous
1995 study that after the 4th grade, students in the United States fall
behind their international peers as they pass through the school system,"
notes Dr. Gary Phillips, acting commissioner of education statistics.
"The lack of improvement is consistent with findings from recent administrations
of the Long Term Trend assessment from the National Assessment of Educational
Progress. However, over a much longer time span there have been improvements
in the US in both math and science."
Riley added that four years may not be enough time to
register the effectiveness of education reforms.
In addition to measuring student performance in mathematics
and science, the TIMSS-R study also looked at students' study habits and
activities in the classroom and at teachers' instructional practices,
academic and professional preparation, and beliefs about their teaching
abilities.
Findings indicate that: US 8th-grade students were more
likely than students in other nations to be taught by teachers who majored
in education, as likely as others to be taught by teachers who majored
in mathematics education, and less likely than their international peers
to be taught mathematics by teachers who majored in mathematics.
US 8th-grade students were more likely to be taught
by a science teacher with a degree in education, as likely as their international
peers to be taught science by teachers with a college major or main area
of student in biology, chemistry or science education, and less likely
to be taught science by teachers with a degree in physics.
"It's apparent," Riley said, "that we need to make a
major investment in upgrading teacher skills in math, science and other
subjects. That's something we can do immediately. Our new education budget
- which we are hoping the Congress will pass later this week - includes
funding for smaller classes to start kids off right, recruitment and preparation
of teachers, upgrading the skills of the current teaching force, GEAR-UP
to prepare more students for college, and after-school programs to provide
students with increased course enrichment."
In both mathematics and science, US students reported
more often than students in other nations that they use class time to
begin homework. Seventy-four percent of US 8th-grade mathematics students
reported often beginning homework in class, compared to the international
average of 42%; 57% of science students reported often beginning homework
compared to the international average of 41%.
TIMSS-R is a collaborative effort by the National Center
for Education Statistics (NCES), the National Science Foundation (NSF)
and the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI).
Copies of the TIMSS-R results are available on the
NCES Web site at http://nces.ed.gov/timss.
Posted December 5, 2000