Data Files

The TIMSS data collected from each cycle are found in an international database and a U.S. national database. The international database contains all information collected through the international TIMSS instruments. The national database contains additional variables that are unique to the United States, such as student's race and ethnicity. Both the international and national databases come with documentation and example programs for reading in data and conducting analyses. These resources are listed below.

International Data Files and Data Resources
The international TIMSS database for each data collection cycle can be found under the "International Database" section for each data collection cycle of the international TIMSS website. Resources available include:

TIMSS international database
SAS control files
SPSS control files
International codebooks and data almanacs
Questionnaires
Data User's Guides
Online data analysis tools
Released items

In addition, the international TIMSS website lists publications that may be of use to data users, including

TIMSS Data Analysis manuals
TIMSS Technical reports
TIMSS international data reports
TIMSS assessment frameworks

The international TIMSS website is organized by data collection year (1995, 1999, 2003, and 2007).

U.S. Data Files and Data Resources
In each administration of TIMSS, the United States collects some information that is not part of the international survey, such as the race/ethnicity of students and students' participation in the federal free and reduced-price lunch program. These additional variables are available only through NCES. U.S. data files are produced that contain U.S. data for the international survey variables along with the U.S.-specific variables. Thus, the U.S. data files available from NCES contain information only for the United States.

The U.S. national TIMSS database for each data collection cycle can be found under the "Data Products" section of the NCES TIMSS website. The U.S. database includes all U.S. data, both international and U.S.-only variables. For some data collection cycles, a U.S. restricted-use database is also available. Restricted-use databases contain more detailed information than the public-use databases. Resources available include:

U.S. TIMSS database
SAS control files
SPSS control files
Codebooks
U.S. versions of the international questionnaires
Data User's Guide

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