Mathematics and Science Assessment in the United States

In this article, we have information about the mathematics and science assessment in the United States, as well as lesson plans, study skills, and other things needed. One thing we found interesting that we feel the need to mention here is that when the tests were first done to determine how sufficient the mathematics and science assessment in the United States was that they, at first, found that it was mediocre at best. But later, when they did it a better way, they found that there are some students which are fine and also some students which are really not. This, by the way, is going to all be according to a Research and Development Report created by the National Center of Educational Statistics.

In the year 1994 and the year 1998, The National Center of Education Statistics had planned a new study (new for back then) of mathematics and science achievement that will be used by the United States in the monitoring of progress toward acquiring the fourth National Education goal. The National Center of Education, in cooperation with the National Science Foundation, had been determined in those years to reinforce the international assessments' superiority and as well as to make even worse (than it already is) their inability to generalize.

The bigger worldwide perspective inside of which one must view American education is highlighted by the evolving world economic order, which was at that time forewarning innovative loads on the labor force and workplace. In the Year 1990, President Bush, along with the other individuals who were at the time bearing the title of Governors of the United States, declared their goal to be that they shall, by 2000, make American students the first in the world in mathematics and science achievement. For the measure of extremely important and pressuring development towards this goal, there actually is doubly escalating concern in the periodic international assessments of student performance in mathematics and science.

As part of the mathematics and science assessment in the United States, there have been three surveys in the area of mathematics. A survey which involved 13 year old students from ten countries, as well as those of the same age from 10 countries who were in the secondary school level, was one which was done in the 1960s, and was the First International Mathematics Study conducted by the National Science Foundation and the National Center of Education Statistics. The Second International Mathematics Study as part of the mathematics and science assessment in the United States was conducted in the early 1980s was done to test 13 year olds from their last-remaining year of study in secondary school level, from thirteen countries. Next was the First International Assessment of Educational Progress was done to test 13 year olds from six countries, and was conducted in 1988.

They also conducted three science studies which the report talks to the readers about, but we will not discuss it here. As put forward by the aforementioned surveys, by and large, Americans have done poorly than students from other countries. The results must not be trusted to be one which can help one generalize between the countries, however, as it is dependent on the separate subject-matters and other such things in determining the skill level of students.

So in conclusion, there is a survey report which has information from up to the year 2000 about certain studies that were done to put students in the US against students from other countries to test the former's performance and progress.

More Information On Mathematics and Science Assessment

  1. TERC
  2. Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS)