How did U.S. fourth- and eighth-graders perform in mathematics in 2003?
Fourth Grade:
- In 2003, U.S. fourth-grade students scored 518, on average, in mathematics, exceeding the international average of 495. U.S. fourth-graders outperformed their peers in 13 of the other 24 participating countries, and performed lower than their peers in 11 countries.
- In comparison to students in the other 10 Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) member countries participating in the fourth-grade TIMSS assessment, U.S. fourth-graders outperformed their peers in mathematics in 5 countries (Australia, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, and Scotland) and were outperformed by their peers in the other 5 countries (Belgium-Flemish, England, Hungary, Japan, and the Netherlands).
| Country | Average Score |
| International Average | 495 |
| Singapore | 594 |
| Hong Kong (Special Administrative Region) | 575 |
| Japan | 565 |
| Chinese Taipei | 564 |
| Belgium-Flemish | 551 |
| Netherlands | 540 |
| Latvia | 536 |
| Lithuania | 534 |
| Russian Federation | 532 |
| England | 531 |
| Hungary | 529 |
| United States | 518 |
| Cyprus | 510 |
| Moldova, Republic of | 504 |
| Italy | 503 |
| Australia | 499 |
| New Zealand | 493 |
| Scotland | 490 |
| Slovenia | 479 |
| Armenia | 456 |
| Norway | 451 |
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | 389 |
| Philippines | 358 |
| Morocco | 347 |
| Tunisia | 339 |
-
1
- 2
View Full Article
Reprinted with the permission of the National Center for Education Statistics.
Add your own comment
Ask a Question
Have questions about this article or topic? Ask150 Characters allowed
Today on Education.com
Celebrate Memorial Day! Worksheets and Activities About American History 
5 Outdoor Games to Play in Under 5 Minutes 
Spring Fever! 6 Ways to Settle Kids Down Popular Articles
Wondering what others found interesting? Check out our most popular articles.
- Kindergarten Sight Words List
- The Five Warning Signs of Asperger's Syndrome
- What Makes a School Effective?
- Child Development Theories
- Why is Play Important? Social and Emotional Development, Physical Development, Creative Development
- 10 Fun Activities for Children with Autism
- Test Problems: Seven Reasons Why Standardized Tests Are Not Working
- Bullying in Schools
- A Teacher's Guide to Differentiating Instruction
- Steps in the IEP Process
