Has the gap in average standardized test scores between students from high- and low-income families widened, narrowed, or remained stable over the last 3 decades? The question is important both because the achievement gap is measure of how (un)equally educational opportunities are distributed in the US, and because the disparity in educational…

A goal in many countries is to institute state-wide exams to base student assessment more firmly on norms for all classes. This raises the question as to the extent to which greater standardization of grading practice can be reached by implementing state-wide exit exams. Since there is a lack of longitudinal studies, we analyzed the effect of the…

Pundits and bureaucrats use the results from international tests, particularly the PISA, to make claims about the quality of the public education system in the United States and make policy recommendations. In this article I argue, with evidence, that the scores and rankings from PISA are not important and that they cannot give policy makers or…

Independent schools are, for the most part, exempt from mandatory participation in standardized tests designed for state and federal comparisons, nor are they required to take part in comparative international assessments. The anxiety in the broader culture, however, is driving a growing interest among independent school parents (and prospective…

Traditionally, women and minorities have not been fully represented in science and engineering. Numerous studies have attributed these differences to gaps in science achievement as measured by various standardized tests. Rather than describe mean group differences in science achievement across multiple cultures, this study focused on an in-depth…

Understanding how well English education performs compared with other countries is a valuable exercise, particularly because the information can help England and other countries learn from successful systems. The most recent international league tables of pupil performance differ considerably. England languishes well down the list in PISA 2009,…

This Annual Measurable Objective (AMO) is designed to keep Florida moving forward toward national and international competitiveness. Florida will compare its National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scores to those of the top five states and its Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), Progress in International…

The results of the Romanian pupils on international tests PISA and TIMSS in Mathematics are below the average. These poor results have many explications. In this article we compare the Mathematics problems given on these international tests with those given on national tests in Romania.

Used data from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) to look at student, classroom, and school factors influencing mathematics achievement in Australia and the United States. Found that classroom differences account for about one-third of the variation in student achievement in the United States and over one-quarter in…

Examines student performance from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), explaining that the test score component of the TIMSS has some technical problems that should be considered when interpreting results and that TIMSS country rankings should not be accepted at face value. Other technical issues hinge on instrument…

Since 1969, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has been the common yardstick for measuring the progress of students' education over time across the country. Teachers, principals, parents, policymakers, and researchers all use NAEP results to assess progress and develop ways to improve education in America. To make the…

Analyzes students' achievement in earth science on the Third International Mathematics and Science Study-Repeat (TIMSS-R) which was given in 1999 with 38 nations participating. Compares Korean 8th grade students' achievement in earth science with those of other countries and other content areas in science. Presents the results of item analysis and…

The 1995-1996 Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) is the largest and most comprehensive international study ever conducted. Students from 41 nations were tested in 30 languages at three educational levels to compare their achievement in mathematics and science. Over 33,000 students and 500 schools were included in this study…

This report examines the top Third International Mathematics and Science Study-Repeat (TIMSS-R) performers and compares Delaware classroom environments with those of the top performing students. Data analyses show that Delaware's average class size is larger than any of the top performers, and student attendance, skipping, and tardiness problems…

Reports from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) provide a starting point from which to examine U.S. student achievement in mathematics and science in an international context. This publication illustrates how the different types of information found in the international reports can provide a springboard for in-depth…