International Study Shows Select Improvements in U.S. Math and Science Performance ? Gains Also Seen Among Some Minority Students

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Date: Tue, 14 Dec 2004 10:28:07 -0500

National Science Foundation
4201 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22230
"Where Discoveries Begin"

For Immediate Release:
December 14, 2004

Media contact:  Bill Noxon, NSF, (703) 292-7750, wnoxon@xxxxxxx

INTERNATIONAL STUDY SHOWS SELECT IMPROVEMENTS IN U.S. MATH AND SCIENCE
PERFORMANCE =96 GAINS ALSO SEEN AMONG SOME MINORITY STUDENTS
U.S. blacks, Latinos show modest but significant gains at fourth and eighth
grades


Eduardo Hernandez picks a Manduca sexta caterpillar from a tobacco plant.
Young students in Arizona schools study this caterpillar because biologists
find it a versatile insect to investigate questions ranging from basic
ecology and growth, to neurobiology and muscle physiology, among other
problems. Students study the Manduca sexta in the classroom, designing
experiments, writing daily entries in their journals, and even composing
poetry and songs.
Credit: The Manduca Project, University of Arizona
See additional images

ARLINGTON, Va.=97 The United States made some headway against international
counterparts in the 2003 Trends in International Mathematics and Science
Study (TIMSS), which compares mathematics and science performance of fourth-
and eighth-grade students.

The study results, released today in Boston and Washington, D.C., showed
that the United States continues to score above the international average
among TIMSS participants, but remains primarily in the middle of rankings
among those nations that are most advanced or nations that have taken part
in TIMSS consistently since the study=92s first assessment in 1995.=
 Forty-six
nations participated in the 2003 study.

The 2003 study, conducted by the International Association for the
Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) located at Boston College, and
funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Department of
Education=92s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), compared
fourth-grade students internationally for the first time since 1995.
Eighth-grade students also participated in 1995 and 1999 studies.

Among U.S. eighth-grade students, 2003 scores in mathematics and science
continued to improve, although math scores rose less. The U.S. math and
science improvements, combined with decreases in average scores for some
other nations placed U.S. students in a higher relative standing among its
peers than in previous studies.

Fourth-grade, U.S. mathematics and science scores were virtually unchanged
between 1995 and 2003. And, improvements made by other nations during that
period actually lowered the relative ranking of U.S. students among TIMSS=92
previous participants.

However, U.S. eighth-grade students made significant gains in mathematics
scores, with noticeably better performance in algebra. Black and Latino
students in math and science at both fourth and eighth grades made even more
progress.

"We're pleased to note the improvements by minority students," said Arden L.
Bement, Jr., NSF director. "Having access to quality teaching and
challenging material in math and science can only help these students later
use their acquired skills to fill opportunities in the workplace where they
are most needed for the benefit of the nation.

"Previous TIMSS studies showing declining mathematics performance in middle
schools seems to have engendered a response by U.S. school systems, because
we now rank among the top three countries in the amount of time devoted to
teaching algebra in eighth grade," Bement said. "It indicates that when
concentrated attention is brought to bear on a national education problem,
our school systems have the capacity to take action and get positive=
 results."

TIMSS is considered a good tool for assessing achievement over time because
it looks closely at the curricula of the participating nations, and all
countries are required to draw random samples representing students and
schools to participate in the study, say NSF program officials.

Some of the key findings of the 2003 TIMSS report for U.S. students in
mathematics were:
The United States maintained the same math score level among fourth-grade
students as in 1995, which was above the international average but still in
the middle of the group of nations that also participated in the 1995 TIMSS.
The increased score in mathematics by U.S. eighth-grade students was greater
from 1995 to 1999 than it was from 1999 to 2003, although during the 2003
TIMSS, eighth-graders showed significant improvement in performing
algebra-related items.
Eighth-grade black and Latino students continued to improve their scores in
mathematics between 1995 and 2003, with blacks having the most significant
increase between 1995 and 1999. Latinos continued a steadier climb
throughout the eight-year period.

Some of the key findings for TIMSS 2003 in science included:
U.S. fourth-grade students were still scoring much higher than the
international average in science, and remained fifth among 15 countries that
participated in both 1995 and 2003. Among U.S. students, blacks showed the
most improvement.
Eighth-grade U.S. science students not only continued to raise their overall
science scores, but raised their standing among the 21 countries that
participated in TIMSS in both 1995 and 2003. U.S. scoring gains from 1999 to
2003 were especially strong.
Both eighth-grade black and Latino students increased their science scores
significantly in 2003, continuing steady improvement that was also noted
from 1995 to 1999. Boys and girls overall also showed modest gains between
1999 and 2003.
U.S. students continue to score higher in life, earth and environmental
sciences than in physics and chemistry.

"We should be concerned about U.S. performance in chemistry and physics,
which are critical parts of basic science," said Don Thompson, NSF=92s=
 deputy
assistant director for education and human resources. "But overall, TIMSS
bodes well for our education system. It shows we can achieve great things
when we place emphasis on and dedication to specific areas of learning. When
we cast the net wider to include underrepresented minority students and
others with less opportunity, we find their capacity and motivation to
learn, achieve and contribute to society is strong."

###

NSF-PR 04-157

Program contact:  Larry Suter, NSF, (703) 292-5144, lsuter@xxxxxxx


For more information, see: http://nces.ed.gov/timss

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency that
supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and
engineering, with an annual budget of nearly $5.58 billion. NSF funds reach
all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 universities and institutions.
Each year, NSF receives about 40,000 competitive requests for funding, and
makes about 11,000 new funding awards. The NSF also awards over $200 million
in professional and service contracts yearly.


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