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From the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
TIMSS and PIRLS are both sponsored by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA), an international organization of national research institutions and governmental research agencies.
- TIMSS has been administered five times (1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, and 2011); the United States participated in all five administrations. In 2011, 54 countries and 20 other education systems (including nine U.S. states) participated at fourth- or eighth-grade or both.
- PIRLS has been administered three times (2001, 2006, and 2011); the United States participated in all three administrations. In 2011, 40 countries and 13 other education systems (including the U.S. state of Florida) fielded the study to their fourth-grade students.
NCES Releases Results of U.S. Student Participation in International Mathematics, Science, and Reading Assessments
Two reports recently released by the National Center for Education Statistics summarize the performance of U.S. fourth- and eighth-grade students in mathematics, science, and reading compared to their peers in a large number of countries and other education systems. NCES Commissioner Jack Buckley talked about the releases on C-SPAN's Washington Journal on January 18.
Highlights from TIMSS 2011: Mathematics and Science Achievement of U.S. Fourth- and Eighth-Grade Students in an International Context describes details about the achievement of students in the United States by sex, racial/ethnic background, and the poverty level of the schools they attend. State-level results for public school students in Alabama, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and North Carolina are included.
Among other findings, information summarized in the TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study) report indicates that in 2011 average mathematics scores of both U.S. fourth- and eighth-grade students were higher than the TIMSS scale average. At grade eight, the average U.S. mathematics score was higher than those in 32 of the 56 countries and other education systems that participated at grade eight, lower than those in 11 education systems, and not measurably different from those in 12 education systems.
In science, the average science scores of both U.S. fourth- and eighth-graders in 2011 were higher than the TIMSS scale average. At grade four, the average U.S. science score was higher than those in 47 of the 57 countries and other education systems that participated at grade four, lower than those in 6 education systems, and not measurably different from those in 3 education systems. At eighth grade, the average U.S. science score was higher than the average scores in 33 of the 56 countries and other education systems that participated at grade eight, lower than those in 12 education systems, and not measurably different from those in 10 education systems.
Highlights From PIRLS 2011: Reading Achievement of U.S. Fourth-Grade Students in an International Context, structured in a similar fashion to the TIMSS report, compares U.S. results to those from a wide range of other countries and education systems. Details specific to the U.S. results are provided about the achievement of students by sex, racial/ethnic background, and the poverty level of the schools they attend. State-level results for public school students in Florida by these characteristics are also provided.
Among other findings, the report found that in reading, in 2011, the average reading scores of U.S. fourth-grade students were higher than the PIRLS (Progress in International Reading Literacy Study) scale average. The average U.S. reading score was among the top 13 education systems (5 education systems had higher averages and 7 were not measurably different). The United States average was higher than that of 40 education systems.
For more information on TIMSS and the U.S. TIMSS 2011 results, please visit the TIMSS website at http://nces.ed.gov/timss.
For more information on PIRLS and the U.S. PIRLS 2011 results, please visit the PIRLS website at http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pirls.
To read the NCES statement, and view the NCES Commissioner's slides at a briefing on releasing the TIMSS and PIRLS results, go to http://nces.ed.gov/whatsnew/commissioner/remarks2012/12_11_2012.asp.