HomeEducationU.S. Students Posted Dire...

U.S. Students Posted Dire Math Declines on an International Test

On the test, American fourth and eighth graders posted results similar to scores from 1995. It was a sign of notable stagnation, even as other countries saw improvements.

Happy diverse junior school children students gathered at teacher table looking at laptop computer using online software learning web education technology studying together at math class in classroom.

American students turned in grim results on the latest international test of math skills — adding to a large body of research showing significant academic declines since the Covid-19 pandemic began.

The exam, the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, known as TIMSS, was given last year to fourth and eighth graders from dozens of education systems across the globe. The results, released on Wednesday, found that since 2019, American fourth graders have declined 18 points in math, while eighth graders have declined 27 points.

In fourth grade, those declines were driven by the struggles of students at the bottom end of the achievement spectrum. While fourth graders in the 75th percentile and above did not decline since 2019, those in the 25th percentile and below declined significantly. In 16 other countries, fourth graders performed better in math in 2023 than in 2019.

Among American eighth graders, both high-performing and low-performing students lost ground in math.

Overall, American students’ performance in math was similar to their performance in 1995, when TIMSS was first given — a notable stagnation, given the energetic movement to improve American schools over the last three decades. That movement has pushed a flurry of bipartisan laws intended to enact tougher accountability standards for schools, more school choice for parents and more rigorous academic standards.

While some of those changes might have resulted in previous learning gains, much of the progress appears to have been erased, particularly for low-income students and others who struggle academically, said Peggy Carr, commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics, part of the federal Department of Education.

“This is alarming,” Dr. Carr said. “These are sharp, steep declines.”

Experts are debating potential causes. The students who took the TIMSS exam were in the first and fifth grades when the pandemic disrupted education all around the world. Many children in the United States experienced longer-than-average periods of online schooling compared with their international peers.

Still, the pandemic is not the only cause. In the United States, academic declines — and widening gaps between stronger and weaker students — were apparent before the pandemic.

The United States differs from many of the other nations that participate in TIMSS in that it lacks national curriculum standards and has not aligned math instruction to the expectations of the international test.

Despite the disappointing results, the United States performed slightly above average in math compared with all of its international peers.

Matthias von Davier, a professor at Boston College and executive director of the center that conducts the TIMSS exam, said he would consider the overall, long-term results for the United States a story of “glass half full, glass half empty.”

He pointed out that larger, wealthier nations like the United States typically see slower academic achievement growth over time, compared with smaller or developing nations that make big, fast education investments relative to their population size.

The top-performing education systems on TIMSS in math included Singapore; Taipei, Taiwan; South Korea; Hong Kong; and Japan. Several European countries also significantly outperformed the United States, including Britain, Poland and Ireland.

American fourth graders performed similarly to those in Hungary, Portugal and Quebec.

The exam also tested science. In that subject, American students performed similarly in 2023 to how they had in 2019, though fourth graders’ scores had declined since 1995.

American efforts to improve education have tended to focus on basic reading and math skills, downplaying subjects like science and social studies.

And in both the science and math portions of TIMSS, boys performed better than girls, reopening a gender gap that had previously closed.

- A word from our sponsors -

spot_img

Most Popular

More from Author

King and Queen to host Stanley Tucci ahead of Italy state visit

King Charles and Queen Camilla are to host actor Stanley Tucci...

Allen named NFL’s MVP for first time

Josh Allen has been named the NFL's Most Valuable Player for...

These apes can tell when humans don’t know something, study finds

Some great apes realize when a human partner doesn’t know something...

- A word from our sponsors -

spot_img

Read Now

‘It makes you very close to people very quickly’: The influential style guru behind the stars’ red-carpet looks

As the Oscars approach, Kate Young – the stylist who dresses Scarlett Johansson, Dakota Johnson, Margot Robbie and others – talks risk taking, intimacy, and why method dressing drives her "nuts". On any given Oscar Sunday, Kate Young is sipping black coffee while perched in a movie star's...

King and Queen to host Stanley Tucci ahead of Italy state visit

King Charles and Queen Camilla are to host actor Stanley Tucci at a formal dinner on Friday evening to mark the confirmation of a state visit to Italy later this year. The royal couple will travel to Italy in April and meet Pope Francis and Italian leaders, as...

Allen named NFL’s MVP for first time

Josh Allen has been named the NFL's Most Valuable Player for the 2024 season. It is the first time the Buffalo Bills quarterback has won the award, with the 27-year-old being selected ahead of last year's winner Lamar Jackson. Allen has been one of the best quarterbacks in the...

These apes can tell when humans don’t know something, study finds

Some great apes realize when a human partner doesn’t know something and are capable of communicating information to them to change their behavior, a new study shows. Researchers from Johns Hopkins University studying bonobos found that they would point to where treats were hidden if they could see their human partner didn’t...

Why ‘cardiac clearance’ could save your life

You have probably already heard that February is the month to focus on heart health, which means eating right, exercising and paying attention to the signs of heart attack, stroke and more. As a urologist, I see a different side of heart health every day: Many of my patients need “cardiac...

Biggest quake yet could be still to come on Greek tourist island, seismologist warns

The seismic activity rattling Santorini and other Greek islands is not over and the biggest quake yet could be still to come, a seismologist has warned. Rémy Bossu, Secretary-General of the European-Mediterranean Siesmological Centre, said “days, or perhaps, weeks” would be needed to evaluate the unusual tremors but...

They met on vacation and became best friends. Then they recreated their favorite photo 30 years later

Friends Scott Behringer, George Gilbert and Tim Korber always refer to the 1994 beach picture of the three of them in Cabo San Lucas as their “iconic photo.” In the shot, the trio are standing side-by-side, arms crossed and baseball hats facing backward, their colorful swim shorts and...

Solo but not alone. Connecting through travel on Valentine’s Day, beyond.

Shakeemah Smith isn't staying at home on Valentine’s Day just because she’s single. "I'm going to treat myself to a weekend in Dubai,” said the solo travel expert known as The Passport Abuser on social media. “I'm going to be living my best life.” In a survey of 2,000 Americans last year, travel search...

Scientists find that things really do seem better in the morning

UCL study into mental health and wellbeing finds that people generally feel worse at night and on Sundays Nightmare day at work? Date stand you up? Don’t worry, things really will seem better in the morning. In the most comprehensive study of its kind, scientists have found that generally,...

I got an ebike – and discovered a secret side of France

Free to explore my hilly corner of the countryside, I found hidden paths to sacred springs, prehistoric monoliths, empty swimming holes … When I moved from London to a hilly area of rural France in 2017, I brought my bike with me. A faithful secondhand racer, it had served me...

The one change that worked: I took up ballet – and learned to live in the moment

Working long days as a corporate lawyer, I needed an exercise regime to get me out of my head. Reviving a childhood passion helped me reconnect with my body My earliest memories of ballet will be familiar to many childhood dancers: ribbons, shoe fittings, hairspray (lots of it)....

A Complete Unknown: how charity shop and Etsy finds completed iconic Dylan look

Film’s costume designer explains how a scarf made from a blanket and some custom-made Levi’s formed key part of Timothée Chalamet’s wardrobe It’s as central to Bob Dylan as a harmonica – it is, of course, a scarf, Dylan’s preferred accessory, and one that has become a go-to...