Appendix A.5. International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement

The International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement, known as the IEA, is composed of governmental research centers and national research institutions around the world whose aim is to investigate education problems common among countries. Since its inception in 1958, the IEA has conducted more than 23 research studies of cross-national achievement. The regular cycle of studies encompasses learning in basic school subjects. Examples are the Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). IEA projects also include studies of particular interest to IEA members, such as the TIMSS-Repeat Video Study of Classroom Practices, the Civic Education Study (see below), and studies on information technology in education and preprimary education.

Civic Education Study

In 1994, the IEA General Assembly, composed of the research institutes participating in IEA projects, decided to undertake a two-phase study of civic knowledge called the Civic Education Study (CivEd). Phase I of CivEd, begun in 1996, was designed to collect extensive documentary evidence and expert opinion describing the circumstances, content, and process of civic education in 24 countries. Phase II, the assessment phase of the study, conducted in 1999, was designed to assess the civic knowledge of 14-year-old students across 28 countries. The assessment items in CivEd were designed to measure knowledge and understanding of key principles that are universal across democracies. Another key component of the Phase II study focuses on measuring the attitudes of students toward civic issues. Although the study was designed as an international comparison, the data collected allow individual countries to conduct in-depth, national-level comparisons and analyses.

Further information on the IEA Civic Education Study may be obtained from

Daniel McGrath
Early Childhood, International, and Crosscutting Studies Division
International Activities Program
National Center for Education Statistics
1990 K Street NW
Washington, DC 20006
Daniel.McGrath@ed.gov
http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/cived

Top

Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study

The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS, formerly known as the Third International Mathematics and Science Study) provides reliable and timely data on the mathematics and science achievement of U.S. students compared to that of students in other countries. TIMSS data has been collected in 1995, 1999, and 2003. TIMSS collects information through mathematics and science achievement tests and questionnaires. The questionnaires request information to help provide a context for the performance scores, focusing on such topics as students' attitudes and beliefs about learning, students' habits and homework, and their lives both in and outside of school; teachers' attitudes and beliefs about teaching and learning, teaching assignments, class size and organization, instructional practices, and participation in professional development activities; and principals' viewpoints on policy and budget responsibilities, curriculum and instruction issues, and student behavior, as well as descriptions of the organization of schools and courses. The assessments and questionnaires are designed to specifications in a guiding framework. The TIMSS framework describes the mathematics and science content to be assessed by providing grade-specific objectives, an overview of the assessment design, and guidelines for item development.

Each participating country, like the United States, is required to draw random samples of schools. In the United States, a national probability sample drawn for each study has resulted in over 500 schools and approximately 33,000 students participating in 1995, 221 schools and 9,000 students participating in 1999, and 480 schools and almost 19,000 students participating in 2003. This sample design ensures the appropriate number of schools and students are participating to provide a representative sample of the students in a specific grade in the United States as a whole.

The 2003 U.S. fourth-grade sample achieved an initial school response rate of 70 percent (weighted), with a school response rate of 82 percent after replacement schools were added. From the schools that agreed to participate, students were sampled in intact classes. A total of 10,795 fourth-grade students were sampled for the assessment, and 9,829 participated, for a 95 percent student response rate. The resulting fourth-grade overall response rate, with replacements included, was 78 percent. The U.S. eighth-grade sample achieved an initial school response rate of 71 percent, with a school response rate of 78 percent after replacement schools were added. A total of 9,891 students were sampled for the eighth-grade assessment, and 8,912 completed the assessment, for a 94 percent student response rate. The resulting eighth-grade overall response rate, with replacements included, was 73 percent.

Further information on the study may be obtained from

Patrick Gonzales
Early Childhood, International, and Crosscutting Studies Division
International Activities Program
National Center for Education Statistics
1990 K Street NW
Washington, DC 20006
Patrick.Gonzales@ed.gov
http://nces.ed.gov/timss/index.asp