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Science for Grades 4 and 8: Trends Over 5-6 Time Points

International Benchmarks

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Table 38. Trends in percentage of U.S. 8th-grade students reaching the TIMSS international benchmarks in science: 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, and 2015
1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015
Percentage s.e. Percentage s.e. Percentage s.e. Percentage s.e. Percentage s.e. Percentage s.e.

higher icon Percentage is larger than the 2015 percentage at the .05 level of statistical significance.

lower icon Percentage is smaller than the 2015 percentage at the .05 level of statistical significance.

NOTE: U.S. trend tables show data for all available years. Standard error is abbreviated as s.e. The United States met guidelines for sample participation only after replacement schools were included in 1995 and 2011. The United States nearly satisfied guidelines for sample participation rates after replacement schools were included in 2007. The United States' National Defined Population covered 90 to 95 percent of the National Target Population in 2011 and 2015.

SOURCE: International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA), Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, and 2015.

Advanced (625) 11 1.1 12 1.1 11 0.9 10 0.7 10 0.7 12 0.9
High (550) 38 lower 2.0 37 lower 1.8 41 1.6 38 lower 1.4 40 1.3 43 1.4
Intermediate (475) 68 lower 2.3 67 lower 1.9 75 1.4 71 lower 1.3 73 1.1 75 1.2
Low (400) 87 lower 1.6 87 lower 1.2 93 0.8 92 0.7 93 0.6 93 0.7