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Table 4. Trends in average science scores of fourth- and eighth-grade students, by country: 1995 to 2007
| Grade four | Grade eight | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country | Average score | Difference1 | Country | Average score | Difference1 | ||
| 1995 | 2007 | 2007-1995 | 1995 | 2007 | 2007-1995 | ||
| Singapore | 523 | 587 | 63* | Lithuania2 | 464 | 519 | 55* |
| Latvia2 | 486 | 542 | 56* | Colombia | 365 | 417 | 52* |
| Iran, Islamic Rep. of | 380 | 436 | 55* | Slovenia | 514 | 538 | 24* |
| Slovenia | 464 | 518 | 54* | Hong Kong SAR3, 4 | 510 | 530 | 20* |
| Hong Kong SAR3 | 508 | 554 | 46* | England | 533 | 542 | 8 |
| Hungary | 508 | 536 | 28* | United States4, 5 | 513 | 520 | 7 |
| England | 528 | 542 | 14* | Korea, Rep. of | 546 | 553 | 7* |
| Australia | 521 | 527 | 6 | Russian Federation | 523 | 530 | 7 |
| New Zealand | 505 | 504 | -1 | Hungary | 537 | 539 | 2 |
| United States4, 5 | 542 | 539 | -3 | Australia | 514 | 515 | 1 |
| Japan | 553 | 548 | -5* | Cyprus | 452 | 452 | # |
| Netherlands6 | 530 | 523 | -7 | Japan | 554 | 554 | -1 |
| Austria | 538 | 526 | -12* | Iran, Islamic Rep. of | 463 | 459 | -4 |
| Scotland | 514 | 500 | -14* | Scotland4 | 501 | 496 | -5 |
| Czech Republic | 532 | 515 | -17* | Romania | 471 | 462 | -9 |
| Norway | 504 | 477 | -27* | Singapore | 580 | 567 | -13 |
| Czech Republic | 555 | 539 | -16* | ||||
| Norway | 514 | 487 | -28* | ||||
| Sweden | 553 | 511 | -42* | ||||
Country difference in average scores between 1995 and 2007 is greater than analogous U.S. difference (p < .05)
Country difference in average scores between 1995 and 2007 is not measurably different from analogous U.S. difference (p < .05)
Country difference in average scores between 1995 and 2007 is less than analogous U.S. difference (p < .05) # Rounds to zero.
*p < .05. Within-country difference between 1995 and 2007 average scores is significant.
1 Difference calculated by subtracting 1995 from 2007 estimate using unrounded numbers.
2 In 2007, National Target Population did not include all of the International Target Population defined by the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS).
3 Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People's Republic of China.
4 In 2007, met guidelines for sample participation rates only after substitute schools were included.
5 In 2007, National Defined Population covered 90 percent to 95 percent of National Target Population.
6 In 2007, nearly satisfied guidelines for sample participation rates only after substitute schools were included.
NOTE: Bulgaria collected data in 1995 and 2007, but due to a structural change in its education system, comparable science data from 1995 are not available. Countries are ordered by the difference between 1995 and 2007 overall average scores. All countries met international sampling and other guidelines in 2007, except as noted. Data are not shown for some countries, because comparable data from previous cycles are not available. The tests for significance take into account the standard error for the reported difference. Thus, a small difference between the United States and one country may be significant while a large difference between the United States and another country may not be significant. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. The standard errors of the estimates are shown in tables E-20 and E-21 available at http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2009001.
SOURCE: International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA), Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), 1995 and 2007.
