American student performance in math and science at the eighth grade level improved significantly over an eight year period, according to the latest Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS 2003). TIMSS is a compilation of data on math and science achievement from countries all over the world. It reveals performance trends over a four-year cycle. The first study was conducted in 1995 and the second in 1999. Forty-eight countries participated in the eighth-grade level tests and 26 in the fourth-grade tests. The tests consist of multiple choice and open-ended problems.

Between 1995 and 2003, the average math score for U.S. eighth-graders rose 12 points, to 504 out of a possible 1000, and their average science score rose 15 points, to 527. As a result, the United States ranked 14th in math achievement and eighth in science among the 35 countries that reported results.

However, the boost in U.S. student achievement didn't apply to students at all levels. The average math score for fourth graders stayed flat (518) and the science score dropped six points, to 536, between 1995 and 2003. Surprisingly, fourth graders actually outperformed their fellow eighth graders in 1995.

Bernard Khoury, AAPT Executive Officer, says the lesson physics educators should take from TIMSS 2003 is not to allow science education to drop off the nation’s radar screen. Projects such as Physics for All—which aims to introduce physics to a wider audience by refuting the presumption that many students lack interest in or the ability to learn physics—play a vital role in keeping physics education relevant. "We must attend to math and science education at all levels," Khoury says.

Though the upward trend in eighth grade performance "confirms that a greater emphasis on higher standards in the classroom leads to improved performance and a smaller achievement gap," then-Secretary of Education Rod Paige said in a Dec. 14, 2004, U.S. Department of Education press release, the lack of improvement at the elementary level "shows that we have further to go, particularly in the earlier grades, toward establishing a culture of excellence and achievement at all grade levels."

Top performing countries at the eighth-grade level:

Top performing countries at the fourth-grade level:

Other key findings from TIMSS 2003 were:

For some education professionals and policymakers the performance of the Asian countries is not at all surprising. Familiar explanations include: teachers in other countries benefit from more professional development and preparation; students in other countries are more likely to be taught by teachers who majored in the subject they're teaching; and the top performing nations teach subjects like algebra, chemistry, and physics before high school.

Even so, some of the concern over international comparisons, Khoury says, is misplaced—historically, most major U.S. scientific breakthroughs have come from immigrants and children of immigrants. "The scientific community is not of separate worlds." He adds: "Science is international. You can't conduct science without cooperation or collaboration. It hurts science and students to think or act otherwise."

Researchers could point to other trends, not at the school level, but at the government level, which also explain the declining scores of fourth-graders. An example is the "No Child Left Behind" Act, which originally focused on literacy. The effect was fewer classrooms emphasized science.

For Khoury, TIMSS is a valuable tool for establishing performance benchmarks, focusing the public’s attention on education issues, and elevating the national discussion, but he would caution anyone against drawing far-reaching conclusions based on the findings of a single study. "Each organization will interpret the data to fit its agenda."

For further information on TIMSS or to download the report, visit http://timss.bc.edu