About - International Studies

The following table lists the comparative international studies that the United States participates in currently (ordered by the target age groups). It identifies the domains surveyed by each study and the years they have been conducted.

Study	What's Surveyed?	Who's Surveyed?	When?
International Early Learning Study (IELS)	Emerging literacy skills Emerging numeracy skills Empathy & trust Self-regulation	5-year-olds	2018
Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS)	Informational and literary reading literacy Online reading literacy	4th-graders	2001, 2006, 2011, 2016, 2021
Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS)	Mathematics Science	4th-graders 8th-graders	1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019
	Advanced mathematics Physics	Advanced 12th-graders	1995, 20081, 2015
International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS)	Computer and information literacy	8th-graders	20131, 2018
Program for International Student Assessment (PISA)	Reading literacy Mathematics literacy Science literacy Problem solving Financial literacy	15-year-olds	2000, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2018
Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS)	Teachers' teaching practices, and learning environments	Teachers in grades 7, 8, and 9	20081, 2013, 2018
Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC)	Literacy skills Numeracy skills Problem solving in technology-rich environments	Adults ages 16-65 (16-74 in the U.S.)	2012, 20142, 20172, 2021
1 The United States did not participate in this cycle.
2 The United States conducted an additional round of data collection between international cycles.

The following table lists past comparative international studies that the United States has participated in (ordered by the target age groups). It identifies the domains surveyed by each study and the years they were conducted.

Study	What's Surveyed?	Who's Surveyed?	When?
Civic Education Study (CivEd)	Knowledge of democratic practices and institutions National identity and international relations Social cohesion and diversity	9th-graders	1999
International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS)	Prose literacy Document literacy Quantitative literacy	Adults ages 16-65	1994
Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) Video Study	8th-grade mathematics and science teaching practices	Teachers of 8th-grade mathematics and science	1995, 1999
Adult Literacy and Lifeskills Survey (ALL)	Prose and document literacy Numeracy Analytical Reasoning/problem solving	Adults ages 16-65	2003