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Connecticut's 2011 TIMSS Results in Grade 8 Science: A Summary


Summary

  • Public school students’ average score was 532 at grade 8.
  • Higher percentages of Connecticut 8th-graders performed at or above each of the four TIMSS international benchmarks than the international medians. For example, 14 percent of 8th-graders in Connecticut performed at or above the Advanced benchmark (625) compared to the international median of 4 percent at grade 8 (see figure 12, Highlights from TIMSS 2011).
  • Male and female students in Connecticut scored higher, on average, in science than the TIMSS scale average (table 2).
  • White, Asian, and multiracial students’ average scores were higher than the TIMSS scale average, while Black and Hispanic students scored lower, on average, than the TIMSS scale average (table 2).
  • Students in public schools with less than 25 percent of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch scored higher, on average, than the TIMSS scale average, while students in schools with 50 percent or more of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch scored lower, on average, than the TIMSS scale average.

Suggested Citation: Provasnik, S., Kastberg, D., Ferraro, D., Lemanski, N., Roey, S., and Jenkins, F. (2012). Highlights From TIMSS 2011: Mathematics and Science Achievement of U.S. Fourth- and Eighth-Grade Students in an International Context (NCES 2013-009). National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC.

Excel FileExcel Version
Table 1. Average science scores of 8th-grade students in Connecticut public schools compared with other participating education systems: 2011
 
Education systems higher than Connecticut
Singapore Minnesota-USA
Massachusetts-USA Finland
Chinese Taipei-CHN Alberta-CAN
Korea, Rep. of Slovenia
Japan
 
Education systems not measurably different from Connecticut
Russian Federation North Carolina-USA
Colorado-USA Florida-USA
Hong Kong-CHN United States
England-GBR Hungary
Indiana-USA Australia
 
Education systems lower than Connecticut
Ontario-CAN Abu Dhabi-UAE
Quebec-CAN Bahrain
Israel Thailand
Lithuania Jordan
New Zealand Tunisia
Sweden Armenia
Italy Saudi Arabia
Ukraine Malaysia
California-USA Syrian Arab Republic
Norway Palestinian Nat'l Auth.
Kazakhstan Georgia
Alabama-USA Oman
Dubai-UAE Qatar
Turkey Macedonia, Rep. of
Iran, Islamic Rep. of Lebanon
Romania Indonesia
United Arab Emirates Morocco
Chile Ghana
SOURCE: International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA), Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), 2011.
Table 2. Average science scores in grade 8 for selected student groups in public schools in Connecticut: 2011
 
Reporting groups Average score
TIMSS scale average 500
U.S. average 525 *
Connecticut average 532 *
Sex
Female 530 *
Male 533 *
Race/ethnicity
White 562 *
Black 459 *
Hispanic 474 *
Asian 565 *
Multiracial 543 *
Percentage of public school students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch
Less than 10 percent 581 *
10 to 24.9 percent 549 *
25 to 49.9 percent 509
50 to 74.9 percent 471
75 percent or more 420 *
*p<.05. Difference between score and TIMSS scale average is significant.
NOTE: Black includes African American and Hispanic includes Latino. Racial categories exclude Hispanic origin. Not all race/ethnicity categories are shown, but they are all included in the U.S. and state totals shown throughout the report. The standard errors of the estimates are shown in table E-13 available at http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfor.asp?pubid=2013009.
SOURCE: International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA), Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), 2011.