How did U.S. fourth- and eigth-graders perform in science in 2003?
Fourth Grade:
- In 2003, fourth graders in the United States scored 536, on average, on the International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) science assessment, which was higher than the international average of 489. Of the 24 other participating countries, fourth graders in 16 countries demonstrated lower science scores, on average, that fourth graders in the United States, while students in 3 countries - Chinese Taipei, Japan, and Singapore - outperformed their peers in the United States.
- In comparison to the other 10 Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) member countries in science, U.S. fourth-grade students outperformed their peers in seven countries in 2003 (Australia, Belgium-Flemish, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, and Scotland). Japanese fourth-grade students were the only group to outperform U.S. fourth-grade students among the participating OECD-member countries.
| Country | Average Score |
|
International Average |
489 |
| Singapore | 565 |
| Chinese Taipei | 551 |
| Japan | 543 |
| Hong Kong (Special Administrative Region) | 542 |
| England | 540 |
| United States | 536 |
| Latvia | 532 |
| Hungary | 530 |
| Russian Federation | 526 |
| Netherlands | 525 |
| Australia | 521 |
| New Zealand | 520 |
| Belgium-Flemish | 518 |
| Italy | 516 |
| Lithuania | 512 |
| Scotland | 502 |
| Maldova, Republic of | 496 |
| Slovenia | 490 |
| Cyprus | 480 |
| Norway | 466 |
| Armenia | 437 |
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | 414 |
| Philippines | 332 |
| Tunisia | 314 |
| Morocco | 304 |
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Reprinted with the permission of the National Center for Education Statistics.
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