• The Mathematics and Science Achievement of Eighth-Graders in 1999
• The Mathematics and Science Achievement of Eighth-Graders Between 1995 and 1999
• The Mathematics and Science Achievement of the 1995 Fourth-Grade Cohort in 1999
• Teaching and Curriculum in 1999

The 1995 TIMSS assessed the mathematics and science performance of U.S. students in comparison to their peers in other nations at three different grade levels. The 1995 TIMSS assessments revealed that U.S. 4th-graders performed well in both mathematics and science in comparison to students in other nations, U.S. 8th-graders performed near the international average in both mathematics and science, and U.S. 12th-graders scored below the international average and among the lowest of the TIMSS nations in mathematics and science general knowledge, as well as in physics and advanced mathematics.

Thirty-eight nations chose to compare the mathematics and science performance of their students in 1999. TIMSS–R allows the United States to compare the achievement of its eighth-graders in the original TIMSS to the achievement of its eighth-graders 4 years later. It also provides an opportunity to compare the relative performance of U.S. fourth-graders in 1995 to the relative performance of U.S. eighth-graders 4 years later, in 1999. TIMSS–R includes a videotape study of eighth-grade mathematics and science teaching in seven nations, a voluntary benchmarking study for 27 U.S. states and districts, and a linking study between NAEP and TIMSS–R. Through these components, TIMSS–R has collected information on schools, curricula, instruction, lessons, and the lives of teachers and students to understand the educational context in which mathematics and science learning takes place.

Performance in the United States is presented relative to that of other nations that participated in each assessment. Comparisons are made between the 38 nations that participated in TIMSS–R in 1999; between the 23 nations that participated in both TIMSS and TIMSS–R at the eighth-grade level; and between the 17 nations that participated at the fourth-grade level in TIMSS and at the eighth-grade level in TIMSS–R. Following are highlights of the findings presented in the complete report.

Comparisons of mathematics and science achievement in 1999 are made between the 38 nations that participated in TIMSS–R.

• In 1999, U.S. Eighth-graders exceeded the international average of the 38 TIMSS–R nations in mathematics and science.
• In mathematics, U.S. eighth-grade students outperformed their peers in 17 nations, performed similarly to their peers in 6 nations, and performed lower than their peers in 14 nations in 1999 (figure 1).
• In science, U.S. Eighth-grade students outperformed their peers in 18 nations, performed similarly to their peers in 5 nations, and performed lower than their peers in 14 nations in 1999 (figure 1).
• Of the five mathematics content areas assessed in 1999, U.S. Eighth-graders performed higher than the international average in fractions and number sense; data representation, analysis, and probability; and algebra. They performed at the international average of the 38 TIMSS–R nations in measurement and geometry.
• Of the six science content areas assessed in 1999, U.S. Eighth-graders performed higher than the international average in earth science, chemistry, life science, environmental and resource issues, and scientific inquiry and the nature of science. They performed at the international average of the 38 TIMSS–R nations in physics.
• In 1999, the United States was one of 34 TIMSS–R nations in which eighth-grade boys and girls performed similarly in mathematics. In four nations, eighth-grade boys outperformed eighth-grade girls in mathematics.
• In 1999, the United States was one of 16 TIMSS–R nations in which eighth-grade boys outperformed eighth-grade girls in science. In 22 nations, no difference between the achievement of eighth-grade boys and girls was found.

Comparisons of mathematics and science achievement between 1995 and 1999 are made between the 23 nations that participated at the eighth-grade level in both TIMSS and TIMSS–R.

• Between 1995 and 1999, there was no change in eighth-grade mathematics or science achievement in the United States (figure 2 and figure 3). Among the 22 other nations, there was no change in mathematics achievement for 18 nations, and no change in science achievement for 17 nations.
• Across the five mathematics content areas in common¹ between TIMSS and TIMSS–R, there was no change in achievement for eighth-graders in the United States and most of the other 22 nations.
• Across the four science content areas in common² between TIMSS and TIMSS–R, there was no change in achievement for eighth-graders in the United States and most of the other 22 nations.
• U.S. Eighth-grade black students showed an increase in their achievement in mathematics over the 4 years. They showed no change in their achievement in science over the same period. U.S. Eighth-grade white and Hispanic students showed no change in their mathematics or science achievement between 1995 and 1999.
• There were no changes in mathematics and science achievement for U.S. Eighth-grade boys and girls between 1995 and 1999.

Figure 3.—Comparisons of eighth-grade science achievement, by nation: 1995 to 1999

Because both TIMSS and TIMSS–R used nationally representative samples of students in a particular grade, the 1995 TIMSS fourth-graders and the 1999 TIMSS–R eighth-graders represent the same group (or “cohort”) of students at two different points in time. These students’ performance in 1995 can be compared to their performance in 1999. However, direct comparisons between the 1995 fourth-grade TIMSS assessment and the 1999 eighth-grade TIMSS–R assessment are complicated by several factors, including differences in the content areas assessed and the questions that can be asked between the two grade levels. Therefore, comparisons between TIMSS fourth-graders and TIMSS–R eighth-graders are based on their performance relative to the international average of the 17 nations that participated in fourth-grade TIMSS and eighth-grade TIMSS–R.

• The mathematics and science performance of the United States relative to this group of nations was lower for eighth-graders in 1999 than it was for fourth-graders 4 years earlier, in 1995.
• Among the 16 other nations, the mathematics performance of Canada relative to this group of nations was higher for eighth-graders in 1999 than it was for fourth-graders 4 years earlier, in 1995; the mathematics performance of the Czech Republic, Italy, and the Netherlands relative to this group of nations was lower; and the mathematics performance of the 12 other nations was unchanged.
• Among the 16 other nations, the science performance of Hungary and Singapore relative to this group of nations was higher for eighth-graders in 1999 than it was for fourth-graders 4 years earlier, in 1995; the science performance of Italy and New Zealand relative to this group of nations was lower; and the science performance of the 12 other nations was unchanged.

It is too early in the process of data analysis to provide strong evidence to suggest factors that may be related to patterns of achievement on TIMSS–R. However, differences in teaching and curriculum between the United States and other TIMSS–R nations were noted.

• According to their teachers, in 1999 U.S. eighth-grade students were less likely than their international peers to be taught mathematics by teachers with a major or main area of study in mathematics, but as likely as their international peers to be taught by teachers who majored in mathematics education (figure 4).
• According to their teachers, U.S. Eighth-grade students were less likely than their international peers to be taught science by teachers with a degree in physics, but as likely as their international peers to be taught science by teachers with a major or main area of study in biology, chemistry, or science education in 1999 (figure 5).
• Ninety-four percent of U.S. eighth-graders said that their mathematics teachers showed them how to do mathematics problems almost always or pretty often in 1999, which was higher than the international average of 86 percent.
• Eighty-six percent of U.S. Eighth-grade students reported that they worked from worksheets or textbooks on their own almost always or pretty often during mathematics lessons in 1999, which was higher than the international average of 59 percent.
• According to their teachers, 80 percent of U.S. Eighth-grade students were asked to explain the reasoning behind an idea in most or every science lesson in 1999, a higher percentage than the international average of 67 percent.
• When students were asked how often they conducted an experiment or practical investigation in their science lessons, 65 percent of U.S. Eighth-graders reported that this occurred almost always or pretty often during their science lessons in 1999. This was higher than the international average of 57 percent.
• A higher percentage of U.S. Eighth-graders reported using computers almost always or pretty often in mathematics classes (12 percent) and science classes (21 percent) than their international peers in 1999 (5 and 8 percent, respectively).
• According to their schools, U.S. Eighth-grade students in 1999 were more than twice as likely as their international peers to attend schools with networked computer access to the Internet (91 percent compared to 41 percent).
• A higher percentage of U.S. Eighth-grade students reported that they could almost always or pretty often begin their mathematics or science homework during class (74 percent and 57 percent, respectively) than their international peers (42 percent and 41 percent, respectively).

Figure 4. — Eighth-grade mathematics teachers’ reports on their main area of study: 1999

Figure 5.—Eighth-grade science teachers’ reports on their main area of study: 1999