Overview 

and Key Findings 

Across Grade Levels

With information on a half-million students worldwide, including

more than 33,000 U.S.students in more than 500 U.S. public and

private schools, the Third International Mathematics and Science

Study (TIMSS) is the largest, most comprehensive, and most rigorous international study of schools and students ever conducted. During the 1995 school

year,students from 41 nations, including our country's major trading partners,

were assessed at three different grade levels (fourth,eighth, and in the final year

of secondary school) to compare their mathematics and science achievement.

TIMSS researchers also looked at schools,curricula, instruction, lessons, textbooks, policy issues, and the lives of teachers and students to understand the

educational context in which mathematics and science learning take place. By

combining multiple methodologies and scientific sampling procedures that go

beyond simple student achievement score comparisons and questionnaires,

TIMSS created a fair and comprehensive portrait of how U.S.mathematics and

science education differs from that of other nations. The richness of TIMSS

includes a videotape study of eighth grade mathematics teaching,which

observed 231 classrooms in Japan, Germany, and the United States, and an analysis of over 1,100 textbooks and curriculum frameworks from about 50 countries.

At the fourth grade,U.S.students were above the international average in both

science and mathematics. In the eighth grade,U.S.students scored above the

international average in science and below the international average in mathematics. At the end of secondary schooling (twelfth grade in the U.S.),U.S. performance was among the lowest in both science and mathematics, including

among our most advanced students.

Because precise scores cannot be determined with perfect accuracy, it is not

appropriate to compare U.S.scores to other countries by rank alone. Therefore,

nations have been grouped into bands in the figures that follow, according to

whether their performance is significantly higher than, not significantly different

from, or significantly lower than the U.S.

Key findings from the Pursuing Excellence series of reports for each grade level,

as well as overall comparative findings, are detailed inside.

NCES 1999-081

NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS

HIGHLIGHTS FROM TIMSSTHE

THIRD INTERNATIONAL

M

ATHEMATICS AND

SCIENCE

STUDY

Pursuing Excellence

A STUDY OF U.S. FOURTH-GRADE

MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE ACHIEVEMENT

IN INTERNATIONAL CONTEXT

INITIAL FINDINGS FROM THE

THIRD INTERNATIONAL MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE STUDY

OFFICE OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH AND IMPROVEMENT NCES 97-225

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

N ATIONAL C ENTER FOR E DUCATION S TATISTICS

Pursuing Excellence

A STUDY OF U.S. EIGHTH-GRADE

MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE TEACHING,

LEARNING, CURRICULUM, AND ACHIEVEMENT

IN INTERNATIONAL CONTEXT

INITIAL FINDINGS FROM THE

THIRD INTERNATIONAL MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE STUDY

OFFICE OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH AND IMPROVEMENT NCES 97-198

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

N ATIONAL C ENTER FOR E DUCATION S TATISTICS

Pursuing Excellence

A STUDY OF U.S. TWELFTH-GRADE

MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE ACHIEVEMENT

IN INTERNATIONAL CONTEXT

INITIAL FINDINGS FROM THE

THIRD INTERNATIONAL MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE STUDY

OFFICE OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH AND IMPROVEMENT NCES 98-049

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

N ATIONAL C ENTER FOR E DUCATION S TATISTICS

OFFICE OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH AND IMPROVEMENT, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
11

ng Excellence: A Study of U.S. Fourth

ntext. Figure 1. Washington, D.C.: NCES.

entheses.

s were tested.

ages of the 26 nations.

587

577567559

S.

he U.S.

.

AGE = 529

552550548546

545

532531

to the other countries participatingin TIMSS.

■ U.S. students' international standing

was stronger at the fourth grade thanat the eighth grade in both mathematics and science relative to the 25other countries that participated inTIMSS at both grade levels.

■ U.S. students' international standing

was stronger at the eighth grade thanat the twelfth grade in both mathematics and science relative to theinternational averages for the 19other countries that participated inTIMSS at both levels.

■ There was no significant gender gap

in fourth-grade or eighth-grademathematics achievement or eighthgrade science achievement in theU.S. The U.S. was one of ten countries, out of 26, with a gender gapfavoring males in fourth-grade science achievement.

■ There was no significant gender gap

among U.S. twelfth-grade studentson the mathematics general knowledge assessment. There was a gendergap favoring males among U.S.twelfth graders in science generalknowledge, physics, and advancedmathematics.

countries, U.S. eighth graders spendabout as must time outside of schoolstudying as students in Japan andGermany, all U.S. twelfth graders spendless time on homework, and U.S.advanced twelfth graders were assignedhomework more often.

■ The amount of instructional time does

not appear to be related to U.S. performance compared to other TIMSSnations. U.S. fourth graders spendmore class time on mathematics andscience than do their average international counterparts. U.S. eighth gradersspend more time in mathematics classes per year than students in Germanyand Japan.

■ The amount of television watching also

does not appear to be strongly relatedto U.S. performance compared to othernations. Heavy television watching is ascommon among U.S. eighth graders asit is among their Japanese counterparts, and U.S. twelfth graders spend,on average, the same amount of timewatching television or videos as theinternational average.

■ Although U.S. twelfth-grade students

are more likely to have jobs outside ofschool than their international counterparts and work longer hours, this doesnot appear to be related to the relativelypoor U.S. performance on the final yearof secondary school general knowledgeassessments in comparison to theirinternational counterparts.

525520

513

502

502

499

492

490475474

LIC 429

400
3

SOURCE: National Center for Education Statistics. (1997). Pursuing Excellence: A Study of U.S. FourthGrade Mathematics and Science Achievement in International Context. Figure 2. Washington, D.C.: NCES.

NOTES: 1. Nations not meeting international guidelines are shown in parentheses.2. Latvia is designated LSS because only Latvian-speaking schools were tested.3. The international average is the average of the national averages of the 26 nations.

ENGLAND 551CANADA 549SINGAPORE 547(SLOVENIA) 546IRELAND 539SCOTLAND 536HONG KONG 533(HUNGARY) 532NEW ZEALAND 531NORWAY 530(LATVIA (LSS)) 512(ISRAEL) 505ICELAND 505GREECE 497PORTUGAL 480CYPRUS 475(THAILAND) 473IRAN, ISLAMIC REPUBLIC 416(KUWAIT) 401

INTERNATIONAL AVERAGE = 524

JAPAN 574UNITED STATES 565(AUSTRIA) 565(AUSTRALIA) 562(NETHERLANDS) 557CZECH REPUBLIC 557

national average in fourth-gradescience.

ing Excellence: A Study of U.S. Twelfth

ntext. Figure 16. Washington, D.C.: NCES.

rentheses.

rages of the 16 nations.

534523522518494

488

488

486

485466451

RAGE = 501

435

423

Nations with average scores significantly higher than the U.S.Nations with average scores not significantly different from the U.S.Nations with average scores significantly lower than the U.S.

.S.

 the U.S.

S.
9

nce: A Study of U.S. Eighth-Grade Mathematics

nal Context. Figure 1. Washington, D.C.: NCES.

sted.

e 41 nations.

ver, statistically, its placement is correct.

564547545541541540539

538537

535530

527527

526

519

AGE = 513

SOURCE: National Center for Education Statistics. (1998). Pursuing Excellence: A Study of U.S. TwelfthGrade Mathematics and Science Achievement in International Context. Figure 9. Washington, D.C.: NCES.

NOTES: 1. Nations not meeting international guidelines are shown in parentheses.2. The international average is the average of the national averages of the 16 nations.

(RUSSIAN FEDERATION) 542SWITZERLAND 533(AUSTRALIA) 525(DENMARK) 522(CYPRUS) 518(LITHUANIA) 516GREECE 513SWEDEN 512CANADA 509(SLOVENIA) 475

NONE

INTERNATIONAL AVERAGE = 501

(ITALY) 474CZECH REPUBLIC 469(GERMANY) 465(UNITED STATES) 442(AUSTRIA) 436

tions of TIMSS. In the advancedmathematics assessment, U.S. students who had taken or were takingpre-calculus, calculus, or AP calculuswere compared to advanced mathematics students in other countries. Inthe physics assessment, U.S. studentswho had taken or were taking physicsor AP physics were compared toadvanced science students in othercountries.

■ The average scores of U.S. physics and

advanced mathematics students werebelow the international average andamong the lowest of the 16 countriesthat administered the physics and theadvanced mathematics assessments(Figures 8 and 9). The U.S. outperformed no other country on eitherassessment.

■ When one compares just U.S. twelfth

graders with Advanced Placementcalculus instruction to all advancedmathematics students in othernations, their performance was at the international average and significantly higher than 5 other countries.

477474

454

428

392

385

354522522509

508506503

502

500

498493

487487484

482

Nations with average scores significantly higher than the U.S.Nations with average scores not significantly different from the U.S.Nations with average scores significantly lower than the U.S.
5

curriculum more closely reflects international practices.

■ Compared to Germany and Japan, the

U.S. eighth-grade mathematics curriculum appears less advanced based on thetopics covered and the time devoted toeach topic. The content being taught inU.S. eighth-grade mathematics classrooms is at about a seventh-grade levelin comparison to other countries.However, the TIMSS study did not assessthe level of advancement in the U.S.eighth-grade science curriculum.

■ In the TIMSS videotapes of instructional

practices, 40 percent of U.S. eighth-grademathematics lessons included arithmetic topics such as whole number operations, fractions, and decimals, whereasthese topics were much less common inGermany and Japan. In contrast,German and Japanese eighth-gradelessons were more likely to cover algebraand geometry.

Teaching

■ Eighth-grade U.S. mathematics teachers'

typical goal is to teach students how todo something, while Japanese teachers'goal is to help students learn how to dosomething and also understand mathematical concepts so that they can solvefuture problems.

SOURCE: National Center for Education Statistics. (1996). Pursuing Excellence: A Study of U.S. Eighth-Grade Mathematics 

and Science Teaching, Learning, Curriculum, and Achievement in International Context. Figure 2. Washington, D.C.: NCES.

NOTES: 1. Nations not meeting international guidelines are shown in parentheses.2. Latvia is designated LSS because only Latvian-speaking schools were tested.3. The international average is the average of the national averages of the 41 nations.4. The country average for Scotland (or Spain) may appear to be out of place; however, statistically, its placement is correct.

(NETHERLANDS) 560(SLOVENIA) 560(AUSTRIA) 558HUNGARY 554SPAIN 517FRANCE 498(GREECE) 497ICELAND 494(ROMANIA) 486LATVIA (LSS) 485PORTUGAL 480(DENMARK) 478LITHUANIA 476(BELGIUM-FRENCH) 471IRAN, ISLAMIC REPUBLIC 470CYPRUS 463(KUWAIT) 430(COLOMBIA) 411(SOUTH AFRICA) 326

INTERNATIONAL AVERAGE = 516

ENGLAND 552BELGIUM-FLEMISH 550(AUSTRALIA) 545SLOVAK REPUBLIC 544RUSSIAN FEDERATION 538IRELAND 538SWEDEN 535UNITED STATES 534(GERMANY) 531CANADA 531NORWAY 527NEW ZEALAND 525(THAILAND) 525(ISRAEL) 524HONG KONG 522SWITZERLAND 522(SCOTLAND) 517

ng Excellence: A Study of U.S. Twelfth

ntext. Figure 5. Washington, D.C.: NCES.

entheses.

ages of the 21 nations.

544

532529527523520517509

448349

AGE = 500

497487487

N) 481

480

475471

461

Nations with average scores significantly higher than the U.S.Nations with average scores not significantly different from the U.S.Nations with average scores significantly lower than the U.S.

S.

he U.S.
education experts,

ns evaluated in the

y was considered to

sequence of mathe

ed to 39 percent of

8 percent of German

. receive less on-the

oring than do new

Germany.

knowledge assessments were a test ofthe mathematics and science neededto function effectively in society asadults.

■ The content of the mathematics general knowledge assessment represented about a seventh-grade level of curriculum for most TIMSS nations, but

was most equivalent to the ninthgrade curriculum in the United States.The science general knowledge content was most equivalent to ninthgrade curriculum internationally, andto eleventh-grade curriculum in theUnited States.

■ U.S. twelfth graders scored below the

international average and among thelowest of the 21 participating nationsin both mathematics and science general knowledge (Figures 6 and 7). TheU.S. outperformed only South Africaand Cyprus on both assessments.

■ The U.S. international standing on the

general knowledge assessments ofTIMSS was stronger in science than inmathematics.

■ TIMSS is a fair and accurate comparison of mathematics and science

achievement at the end of secondaryschooling in the participating nations.The enrollment rate for secondaryeducation in the U.S. is typical ofother TIMSS countries, so our generalpopulation is not being compared tomore select groups in other countries.

7

hth-Grade

SOURCE: National Center for Education Statistics. (1998). Pursuing Excellence: A Study of U.S. TwelfthGrade Mathematics and Science Achievement in International Context. Figure 1. Washington, D.C.: NCES.

NOTES: 1. Nations not meeting international guidelines are shown in parentheses.2. The international average is the average of the national averages of the 21 nations.

SWITZERLAND 540(ICELAND) 534(NORWAY) 528(FRANCE) 523NEW ZEALAND 522(AUSTRALIA) 522(CANADA) 519(AUSTRIA) 518(SLOVENIA) 512(GERMANY) 495HUNGARY 483

(CYPRUS) 446(SOUTH AFRICA) 356

INTERNATIONAL AVERAGE = 500

(ITALY) 476(RUSSIAN FEDERATION) 471(LITHUANIA) 469CZECH REPUBLIC 466(UNITED STATES) 461

Nations with average scores significantly higher than the U.S.Nations with average scores not significantly different from the U.S.Nations with average scores significantly lower than the U.S.

ow

edium

igh
education experts,

ns evaluated in the

y was considered to

sequence of mathe

ed to 39 percent of

8 percent of German

. receive less on-the

oring than do new

Germany.

knowledge assessments were a test ofthe mathematics and science neededto function effectively in society asadults.

■ The content of the mathematics general knowledge assessment represented about a seventh-grade level of curriculum for most TIMSS nations, but

was most equivalent to the ninthgrade curriculum in the United States.The science general knowledge content was most equivalent to ninthgrade curriculum internationally, andto eleventh-grade curriculum in theUnited States.

■ U.S. twelfth graders scored below the

international average and among thelowest of the 21 participating nationsin both mathematics and science general knowledge (Figures 6 and 7). TheU.S. outperformed only South Africaand Cyprus on both assessments.

■ The U.S. international standing on the

general knowledge assessments ofTIMSS was stronger in science than inmathematics.

■ TIMSS is a fair and accurate comparison of mathematics and science

achievement at the end of secondaryschooling in the participating nations.The enrollment rate for secondaryeducation in the U.S. is typical ofother TIMSS countries, so our generalpopulation is not being compared tomore select groups in other countries.

7

hth-Grade

SOURCE: National Center for Education Statistics. (1998). Pursuing Excellence: A Study of U.S. TwelfthGrade Mathematics and Science Achievement in International Context. Figure 1. Washington, D.C.: NCES.

NOTES: 1. Nations not meeting international guidelines are shown in parentheses.2. The international average is the average of the national averages of the 21 nations.

SWITZERLAND 540(ICELAND) 534(NORWAY) 528(FRANCE) 523NEW ZEALAND 522(AUSTRALIA) 522(CANADA) 519(AUSTRIA) 518(SLOVENIA) 512(GERMANY) 495HUNGARY 483

(CYPRUS) 446(SOUTH AFRICA) 356

INTERNATIONAL AVERAGE = 500

(ITALY) 476(RUSSIAN FEDERATION) 471(LITHUANIA) 469CZECH REPUBLIC 466(UNITED STATES) 461

Nations with average scores significantly higher than the U.S.Nations with average scores not significantly different from the U.S.Nations with average scores significantly lower than the U.S.

ow

edium

igh
5

curriculum more closely reflects international practices.

■ Compared to Germany and Japan, the

U.S. eighth-grade mathematics curriculum appears less advanced based on thetopics covered and the time devoted toeach topic. The content being taught inU.S. eighth-grade mathematics classrooms is at about a seventh-grade levelin comparison to other countries.However, the TIMSS study did not assessthe level of advancement in the U.S.eighth-grade science curriculum.

■ In the TIMSS videotapes of instructional

practices, 40 percent of U.S. eighth-grademathematics lessons included arithmetic topics such as whole number operations, fractions, and decimals, whereasthese topics were much less common inGermany and Japan. In contrast,German and Japanese eighth-gradelessons were more likely to cover algebraand geometry.

Teaching

■ Eighth-grade U.S. mathematics teachers'

typical goal is to teach students how todo something, while Japanese teachers'goal is to help students learn how to dosomething and also understand mathematical concepts so that they can solvefuture problems.

SOURCE: National Center for Education Statistics. (1996). Pursuing Excellence: A Study of U.S. Eighth-Grade Mathematics 

and Science Teaching, Learning, Curriculum, and Achievement in International Context. Figure 2. Washington, D.C.: NCES.

NOTES: 1. Nations not meeting international guidelines are shown in parentheses.2. Latvia is designated LSS because only Latvian-speaking schools were tested.3. The international average is the average of the national averages of the 41 nations.4. The country average for Scotland (or Spain) may appear to be out of place; however, statistically, its placement is correct.

(NETHERLANDS) 560(SLOVENIA) 560(AUSTRIA) 558HUNGARY 554SPAIN 517FRANCE 498(GREECE) 497ICELAND 494(ROMANIA) 486LATVIA (LSS) 485PORTUGAL 480(DENMARK) 478LITHUANIA 476(BELGIUM-FRENCH) 471IRAN, ISLAMIC REPUBLIC 470CYPRUS 463(KUWAIT) 430(COLOMBIA) 411(SOUTH AFRICA) 326

INTERNATIONAL AVERAGE = 516

ENGLAND 552BELGIUM-FLEMISH 550(AUSTRALIA) 545SLOVAK REPUBLIC 544RUSSIAN FEDERATION 538IRELAND 538SWEDEN 535UNITED STATES 534(GERMANY) 531CANADA 531NORWAY 527NEW ZEALAND 525(THAILAND) 525(ISRAEL) 524HONG KONG 522SWITZERLAND 522(SCOTLAND) 517

ng Excellence: A Study of U.S. Twelfth

ntext. Figure 5. Washington, D.C.: NCES.

entheses.

ages of the 21 nations.

544

532529527523520517509

448349

AGE = 500

497487487

N) 481

480

475471

461

Nations with average scores significantly higher than the U.S.Nations with average scores not significantly different from the U.S.Nations with average scores significantly lower than the U.S.

S.

he U.S.
9

nce: A Study of U.S. Eighth-Grade Mathematics

nal Context. Figure 1. Washington, D.C.: NCES.

sted.

e 41 nations.

ver, statistically, its placement is correct.

547545541541540539

538537

535530

527527

526

519

AGE = 513

SOURCE: National Center for Education Statistics. (1998). Pursuing Excellence: A Study of U.S. TwelfthGrade Mathematics and Science Achievement in International Context. Figure 9. Washington, D.C.: NCES.

NOTES: 1. Nations not meeting international guidelines are shown in parentheses.2. The international average is the average of the national averages of the 16 nations.

(

) 

SWITZERLAND 533(AUSTRALIA) 525(DENMARK) 522(CYPRUS) 518(LITHUANIA) 516GREECE 513SWEDEN 512CANADA 509(SLOVENIA) 475

NONE

INTERNATIONAL AVERAGE = 501

(ITALY) 474CZECH REPUBLIC 469(GERMANY) 465(UNITED STATES) 442(AUSTRIA) 436

tions of TIMSS. In the advancedmathematics assessment, U.S. students who had taken or were takingpre-calculus, calculus, or AP calculuswere compared to advanced mathematics students in other countries. Inthe physics assessment, U.S. studentswho had taken or were taking physicsor AP physics were compared toadvanced science students in othercountries.

■ The average scores of U.S. physics and

advanced mathematics students werebelow the international average andamong the lowest of the 16 countriesthat administered the physics and theadvanced mathematics assessments(Figures 8 and 9). The U.S. outperformed no other country on eitherassessment.

■ When one compares just U.S. twelfth

graders with Advanced Placementcalculus instruction to all advancedmathematics students in othernations, their performance was at the international average and significantly higher than 5 other countries.

477474

454

428

392

385

354522522509

508506503

502

500

498493

487487484

482

Nations with average scores significantly higher than the U.S.Nations with average scores not significantly different from the U.S.Nations with average scores significantly lower than the U.S.
3

SOURCE: National Center for Education Statistics. (1997). Pursuing Excellence: A Study of U.S. FourthGrade Mathematics and Science Achievement in International Context. Figure 2. Washington, D.C.: NCES.

NOTES: 1. Nations not meeting international guidelines are shown in parentheses.2. Latvia is designated LSS because only Latvian-speaking schools were tested.3. The international average is the average of the national averages of the 26 nations.

ENGLAND 551CANADA 549SINGAPORE 547(SLOVENIA) 546IRELAND 539SCOTLAND 536HONG KONG 533(HUNGARY) 532NEW ZEALAND 531NORWAY 530(LATVIA (LSS)) 512(ISRAEL) 505ICELAND 505GREECE 497PORTUGAL 480CYPRUS 475(THAILAND) 473IRAN, ISLAMIC REPUBLIC 416(KUWAIT) 401

INTERNATIONAL AVERAGE = 524

JAPAN 574UNITED STATES 565(AUSTRIA) 565(AUSTRALIA) 562(NETHERLANDS) 557CZECH REPUBLIC 557

national average in fourth-gradescience.

ing Excellence: A Study of U.S. Twelfth

ntext. Figure 16. Washington, D.C.: NCES.

rentheses.

rages of the 16 nations.

534523522518494

488

488

486

485466451

RAGE = 501

435

423

Nations with average scores significantly higher than the U.S.Nations with average scores not significantly different from the U.S.Nations with average scores significantly lower than the U.S.

.S.

 the U.S.

S.
11

(1997). Pursuing Excellence: A Study of U.S. Fourth

nternational Context. Figure 1. Washington, D.C.: NCES.

are shown in parentheses.

-speaking schools were tested.

he national averages of the 26 nations.

597

KONG 587

RLANDS) 577

REPUBLIC 567

IA) 559

gher than the U.S.

y different from the U.S.

wer than the U.S.

ATIONAL AVERAGE = 529

NIA) 552

D 550

ARY) 548

ALIA) 546

D STATES 545

A 532

L) 531

grade, and in the twelfth

grade gen

eral knowledge assessment relativeto the other countries participatingin TIMSS.

■ U.S. students' international standing

was stronger at the fourth grade thanat the eighth grade in both mathematics and science relative to the 25other countries that participated inTIMSS at both grade levels.

■ U.S. students' international standing

was stronger at the eighth grade thanat the twelfth grade in both mathematics and science relative to theinternational averages for the 19other countries that participated inTIMSS at both levels.

■ There was no significant gender gap

in fourth-grade or eighth-grademathematics achievement or eighthgrade science achievement in theU.S. The U.S. was one of ten countries, out of 26, with a gender gapfavoring males in fourth-grade science achievement.

■ There was no significant gender gap

among U.S. twelfth-grade studentson the mathematics general knowledge assessment. There was a gendergap favoring males among U.S.twelfth graders in science generalknowledge, physics, and advancedmathematics.

fourth graders are assigned about asmuch homework as students in othercountries, U.S. eighth graders spendabout as much time outside of schoolstudying as students in Japan andGermany, all U.S. twelfth graders spendless time on homework, and U.S.advanced twelfth graders were assignedhomework more often.

■ The amount of instructional time does

not appear to be related to U.S. performance compared to other TIMSSnations. U.S. fourth graders spendmore class time on mathematics andscience than do their average international counterparts. U.S. eighth gradersspend more time in mathematics classes per year than students in Germanyand Japan.

■ The amount of television watching also

does not appear to be strongly relatedto U.S. performance compared to othernations. Heavy television watching is ascommon among U.S. eighth graders asit is among their Japanese counterparts, and U.S. twelfth graders spend,on average, the same amount of timewatching television or videos as theinternational average.

■ Although U.S. twelfth-grade students

are more likely to have jobs outside ofschool than their international counterparts and work longer hours, this doesnot appear to be related to the relativelypoor U.S. performance on the final yearof secondary school general knowledgeassessments in comparison to theirinternational counterparts.

 (LSS)) 525

ND 520

ND 513

S 502

AY 502

EALAND 499

492

AND) 490

GAL 475

D 474

SLAMIC REPUBLIC 429

T) 400
more than 33,000 U.S. students in more than 500 U.S. public and

private schools, the Third International Mathematics and Science

Study (TIMSS) is the largest, most comprehensive, and most rigorous international study of schools and students ever conducted. During the 1995 schoolyear, students from 41 nations, including our country's major trading partners,were assessed at three different grade levels (fourth, eighth, and in the final yearof secondary school) to compare their mathematics and science achievement.TIMSS researchers also looked at schools, curricula, instruction, lessons, textbooks, policy issues, and the lives of teachers and students to understand theeducational context in which mathematics and science learning take place. Bycombining multiple methodologies and scientific sampling procedures that gobeyond simple student achievement score comparisons and questionnaires,TIMSS created a fair and comprehensive portrait of how U.S. mathematics andscience education differs from that of other nations. The richness of TIMSSincludes a videotape study of eighth grade mathematics teaching, whichobserved 231 classrooms in Japan, Germany, and the United States, and an analysis of over 1,100 textbooks and curriculum frameworks from about 50 countries.At the fourth grade, U.S. students were above the international average in bothscience and mathematics. In the eighth grade, U.S. students scored above theinternational average in science and below the international average in mathematics. At the end of secondary schooling (twelfth grade in the U.S.), U.S. performance was among the lowest in both science and mathematics, includingamong our most advanced students.Because precise scores cannot be determined with perfect accuracy, it is notappropriate to compare U.S. scores to other countries by rank alone. Therefore,nations have been grouped into bands in the figures that follow, according towhether their performance is significantly higher than, not significantly differentfrom, or significantly lower than the U.S.Key findings from the Pursuing Excellence series of reports for each grade level,as well as overall comparative findings, are detailed inside.

NCES 99-081

HIGHLIGHTS FROM TIMSS THE THIRD INTERNATIONAL MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE STUDY

NCES 97-225

ES 97-198

NCES 98-049

____

Below

Below

atics and Science Achievement in International

atics and Science Teaching, Learning,

atics and Science Achievement in International

OFFICE OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH AND IMPROVEMENT, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

on the World Wide Web:

S customer service number:

ss