He added that many science teachers say they get mixed signals about what to teach and lack the time and resources to achieve more in class. A report on the test, which was supervised by the Education Department and similar government agencies around the world, does not give conclusive reasons for why American students had such a dismal performance. But it offers possible clues. First, researchers said that school curricula seem stronger in other nations than in the United States. The percentage of high school seniors taking math and science courses also is lower here than in most other nations.
American students spend fewer hours on homework than most of their international peers.
And many more American high school seniors work. More than half of them who took the test said they spend three hours a day at a paid job. Only about one-fifth of high school students from other nations had to balance a daily job with their class work. American students reported watching roughly the same amount of television weekly as students abroad. Many states and school districts have begun the difficult task of revamping what they teach in those vital subjects, and there are signs that strides are being made.