Highlights From TIMSS and TIMSS Advanced 2015

Highlights From TIMSS and TIMSS Advanced 2015

Mathematics and Science Achievement of U.S. Students in Grades 4 and 8 and in Advanced Courses at the End of High School in an International Context

NCES 2017-002

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

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Highlights From TIMSS and TIMSS Advanced 2015

Mathematics and Science Achievement of U.S. Students in Grades 4 and 8 and in Advanced Courses at the End of High School in an International Context

NOVEMBER 2016

Stephen Provasnik Lydia Malley Project Officers National Center for Education Statistics Maria Stephens Katherine Landeros American Institutes for Research Robert Perkins Judy H. Tang Westat

NCES 2017-002

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

U.S. Department of Education John B. King, Jr. Secretary

Institute of Education Sciences Ruth Neild Deputy Director for Policy and Research Delegated Duties of Director

National Center for Education Statistics Peggy G. Carr Acting Commissioner

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the primary federal entity for collecting, analyzing, and reporting data related to education in the United States and other nations. It fulfills a congressional mandate to collect, collate, analyze, and report full and complete statistics on the condition of education in the United States; conduct and publish reports and specialized analyses of the meaning and significance of such statistics; assist state and local education agencies in improving their statistical systems; and review and report on education activities in foreign countries.

NCES activities are designed to address high-priority education data needs; provide consistent, reliable, complete, and accurate indicators of education status and trends; and report timely, useful, and high-quality data to the U.S. Department of Education, the Congress, the states, other education policymakers, practitioners, data users, and the general public. Unless specifically noted, all information contained herein is in the public domain.

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Suggested Citation Provasnik, S., Malley, L., Stephens, M., Landeros, K., Perkins, R., and Tang, J.H. (2016). Highlights From TIMSS and TIMSS Advanced 2015: Mathematics and Science Achievement of U.S. Students in Grades 4 and 8 and in Advanced Courses at the End of High School in an International Context (NCES 2017-002). U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Washington, DC. Retrieved [date] from .

Content Contacts Stephen Provasnik 202-245-6442 stephen.provasnik@

Lydia Malley 202-245-7266 lydia.malley@

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank the students, teachers, and school officials who participated in TIMSS and TIMSS Advanced 2015. Without their assistance and cooperation, these studies would not be possible. The authors also wish to thank all those who contributed to the TIMSS design, implementation, and data collection as well as the writing, production, and review of the report.

Highlights from TIMSS and TIMSS Advanced 2015

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Contents

Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................................................. iii List of Tables ...................................................................................................................................................... vi List of Figures ..................................................................................................................................................... vi List of Exhibits ................................................................................................................................................... vii

Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................ 1 What is TIMSS? ..................................................................................................................................... 1 What is TIMSS Advanced? ................................................................................................................... 1 What knowledge and skills are assessed? ......................................................................................... 2 TIMSS ........................................................................................................................................... 2 TIMSS Advanced .......................................................................................................................... 2 Which countries participated in TIMSS and TIMSS Advanced? ........................................................ 3 How are results reported in TIMSS and TIMSS Advanced? ............................................................... 4 Scale scores and percentiles ...................................................................................................... 4 International benchmarks ........................................................................................................... 4 Comparisons across time ........................................................................................................... 4

Results from TIMSS 2015 ................................................................................................................................ 5 How well do U.S. students perform in mathematics? ........................................................................ 5 Are U.S. students making progress in mathematics? ........................................................................ 7 What level of mathematics knowledge and skills have U.S. fourth- and eighth-grade students achieved? ......................................................................................................................... 9 How well do U.S. students perform in science?................................................................................ 14 Are U.S. students making progress in science?................................................................................ 16 What level of science knowledge and skills have U.S. fourth- and eighth-grade students achieved? ....................................................................................................................... 18

Results from TIMSS Advanced 2015 ........................................................................................................... 25 What are the characteristics of the students who participated in the advanced mathematics assessment at the end of high school? ................................................................ 25 How are advanced U.S. students performing in advanced mathematics at the end of high school? ....................................................................................................................... 26 What are the characteristics of the students who participated in the physics assessment at the end of high school? ............................................................................................................ 30 How are advanced U.S. students performing in physics at the end of high school? ..................... 31 Do males and females perform differently in advanced mathematics and physics? ................... 35

References ....................................................................................................................................................... 37 Appendix: Brief Technical Notes .................................................................................................................... 39

Highlights from TIMSS and TIMSS Advanced 2015

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List of Tables

Table 1a. Table 1b. Table 2. Table A1.

Table A2.

Content domains in TIMSS ..................................................................................................... 2 Content domains in TIMSS Advanced .................................................................................... 2 Participation in TIMSS and TIMSS Advanced, by education system: 2015 ........................ 3 Sampling or other issues, by assessment, grade/subject, and education system:

2015 ................................................................................................................................. 41 Sampling or other issues, by assessment, grade/subject, and education system:

1995, 2003, 2007, and 2011 ........................................................................................ 45

List of Figures

Figure 1a. Figure 1b. Figure 2a.

Figure 2b.

Figure 3a. Figure 3b. Figure 4.

Figure 5a. Figure 5b. Figure 6a. Figure 6b. Figure 7a. Figure 7b.

Average mathematics scores of 4th-grade students, by education system: 2015............. 5

Average mathematics scores of 8th-grade students, by education system: 2015............. 6

Trends in U.S. 4th-grade students' average mathematics scores and cut scores at the 10th, 25th, 75th, and 90th percentiles: 1995, 2003, 2007, 2011, and 2015............................................................................................................................ 7

Trends in U.S. 8th-grade students' average mathematics scores and cut scores at the 10th, 25th, 75th, and 90th percentiles: 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, and 2015............................................................................................................................ 8

Percentage of 4th-grade students reaching the TIMSS international benchmarks in mathematics, by education system: 2015................................................................. 11

Percentage of 8th-grade students reaching the TIMSS international benchmarks in mathematics, by education system: 2015................................................................. 12

Trends in percentage of U.S. 4th- and 8th-grade students reaching the TIMSS international benchmarks in mathematics: 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, and 2015.......................................................................................................................... 13

Average science scores of 4th-grade students, by education system: 2015.................... 14

Average science scores of 8th-grade students, by education system: 2015.................... 15

Trends in U.S. 4th-grade students' average science scores and cut scores at the 10th, 25th, 75th, and 90th percentiles: 1995, 2003, 2007, 2011, and 2015 ......... 16

Trends in U.S. 8th-grade students' average science scores and cut scores at the 10th, 25th, 75th, and 90th percentiles: 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, and 2015 ....... 17

Percentage of 4th-grade students reaching the TIMSS international benchmarks in science, by education system: 2015 .......................................................................... 21

Percentage of 8th-grade students reaching the TIMSS international benchmarks in science, by education system: 2015 .......................................................................... 22

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