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Interpretation of International Test Score Comparisons
Iris C. Rotberg
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Supplementary Material
TABLE 1: TIMSS Scores on Assessments of Mathematics and Science General Knowledge, Advanced Mathematics, and Physics
| Nation | Average Mathematics Score | Average Science Score | Average Advanced Mathmatics Score | Average Physics Score |
|---|
| (Australia) | 522 | 527 | 525 | 518 |
| (Austria) | 518 | 520 | 436 | 435 |
| (Canada) | 519 | 532 | 509 | 485 |
| (Cyprus) | 446 | 448 | 518 | 494 |
| Czech Republic | 466 | 487 | 469 | 451 |
| (Denmark) | 547 | 509 | 522 | 534 |
| (France) | 523 | 487 | 557 | 466 |
| (Germany) | 495 | 497 | 465 | 522 |
| Greece | --- | --- | 513 | 486 |
| Hungary | 483 | 471 | --- | --- |
| (Iceland) | 534 | 549 | --- | --- |
| (Italy) | 476 | 475 | 474 | --- |
| (Latvia) | --- | --- | --- | 488 |
| (Lithuania) | 469 | 461 | 516 | --- |
| (Netherlands) | 560 | 558 | --- | --- |
| New Zealand | 522 | 529 | --- | --- |
| (Norway) | 528 | 544 | --- | 581 |
| (Russian Federation) | 471 | 481 | 542 | 545 |
| (Slovenia) | 512 | 517 | 475 | 523 |
| (South Africa) | 356 | 349 | --- | --- |
| Sweden | 552 | 559 | 512 | 573 |
| Switzerland | 540 | 523 | 533 | 488 |
| (United States) | 461 | 480 | 442 | 423 |
| International Average | 500 | 500 | 501 | 501 |
NOTE: Nations not meeting international sampling and other guidelines are shown in parentheses. Canada and France met the guidelines for the advanced mathematics assessment; France and Norway, for the physics assessment. A dash (---) indicates that the nation did not participate in that assessment.
SOURCE: Adapted from data presented in U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Pursuing Excellence: A Study of U.S. Twelfth-Grade Mathematics and Science Achievement in International Context, NCES 98-049 (U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 1998), Figures 1, 5, 9, and 16.
TABLE 2: TIMSS Sampling Data Participation and Exclusion Rates
| Nation | Mathematics and Science General Knowledge Assessment | Advanced Mathematics Assessment | Physics Assessment |
|---|
| Combined Paticipation Rates | Exclusion Rates | Combined Paticipation Rates | Exclusion Rates | Combined Paticipation Rates | Exclusion Rates |
|---|
| (Australia) | 52% | 6% | 55% | no data | 54% | no data |
| (Austria) | 73% | 18% | 81% | 18% | 81% | 18% |
| (Canada) | 68% | 9% | 77% | no data | 73% | no data |
| (Cyprus) | 98% | 22% | 96% | 22% | 96% | 22% |
| Czech Republic | 92% | no data | 92% | no data | 92% | no data |
| (Denmark) | 49% | 2% | 49% | no data | 47% | no data |
| (France) | 69% | 1% | 77% | no data | 77% | no data |
| (Germany) | 80% | 11% | 78% | 11% | 82% | 11% |
| Greece | --- | --- | 87% | no data | 87% | no data |
| Hungary | 98% | 0% | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| (Iceland) | 74% | 0% | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| (Italy) | 62% | 30% | 68% | 30% | --- | --- |
| (Latvia) | --- | --- | --- | --- | 77% | 50% |
| (Lithuania) | 85% | 16% | 92% | 16% | --- | --- |
| (Netherlands) | 49% | 22% | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| New Zealand | 81% | 0% | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| (Norway) | 71% | 4% | --- | --- | 83% | no data |
| (Russian Federation) | 90% | 43% | 96% | 43% | 95% | 43% |
| (Slovenia) | 42% | 6% | 42% | no data | 43% | no data |
| (South Africa) | 65% | 0% | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Sweden | 82% | 0% | 89% | no data | 89% | no data |
| Switzerland | 85% | 3% | 87% | no data | 87% | no data |
| (United States) | 64% | 4% | 67% | no data | 68% | no data |
NOTE: The sampling plan established the following protocol for selecting schools and students to participate in the testing: (1) the sample was to be representative of at least 90% of students in the total population eligible for the study (that is, "exclusion rates" should be no greater than 10%); (2) the school participation rate without the use of replacement schools should be at least 50%; and (3) the combined participation rate (computed by multiplying the school and student rates after replacements) should be at least 75% or school and student participation rates each should be 85%. Nations not meeting international sampling and other guidelines are shown in parentheses. Canada and France met the guidelines for the advanced mathematics assessment; France and Norway, for the physics assessment. A dash (---) indicates that the nation did not participate in that assessment. "No data" indicates that the nation participated, but the TIMSS report did not provide data on combined participation rates or exclusion rates.
SOURCE: Adapted from data presented in U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Pursuing Excellence: A Study of U.S. Twelfth-Grade Mathematics and Science Achievement in International Context, NCES 98-049 (U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 1998), Tables A1.1, A1.2, and A1.3.
TABLE 3: TIMSS Data on School Completion Rates, % of Age Cohort Taking Advanced Subjects, Age and Grade of Participating Students, and Differentiation in Programs
| Nation | % 25-35-year-olds Completing Secondary Education | % Taking Advanced Assessments as Proportion of Age Cohort | Average Age of Participating
students | Grades of Prticipating Students | Extensive Differentiation in Programs for Students with Differing Abilities of Interests |
|---|
| | Advanced Mathematics | Physics | | | |
|---|
| (Australia) | 57% | 16% | 13% | 17.7 | 12 | no |
| (Austria) | 81% | 33% | 33% | 19.1 | 10-14 | yes |
| (Canada) | 84% | 16% | 14% | 18.6 | 12-14 | no |
| (Cyprus) | no data | 9% | 9% | 17.7 | 12 | yes |
| Czech Republic | 91% | 11% | 11% | 17.8 | 10-13 | yes |
| (Denmark) | 69% | 21% | 3% | 19.1 | 12 | yes |
| (France) | 86% | 20% | 20% | 18.8 | 11-13 | yes |
| (Germany) | 89% | 26% | 8% | 19.5 | 12-13 | yes |
| Greece | no data | 10% | 10% | --- | --- | no data |
| Hungary | no data | --- | --- | 17.5 | 10, 12 | yes |
| (Iceland) | no data | --- | --- | 21.2 | 12-14 | yes |
| (Italy) | 49% | 14% | --- | 18.7 | 11-13 | yes |
| (Latvia) | no data | --- | 3% | --- | --- | no data |
| (Lithuania) | no data | 3% | --- | 18.1 | 12 | yes |
| (Netherlands) | 70% | --- | --- | 18.5 | 11-12 | yes |
| New Zealand | 64% | --- | --- | 17.6 | 11-12 | no |
| (Norway) | 88% | --- | 8% | 19.5 | 12 | yes |
| (Russian Federation) | no data | 2% | 2% | 16.9 | 11 | yes |
| (Slovenia) | no data | 75% | 39% | 18.8 | 11-12 | yes |
| (South Africa) | no data | --- | --- | 20.1 | 12 | no |
| Sweden | 88% | 16% | 16% | 18.9 | 11-12 | yes |
| Switzerland | 88% | 14% | 14% | 19.8 | 11-13 | yes |
| (United States) | 87% | 14% | 14% | 18.1 | 12 | no |
| | | | | | |
| International Average | 78% | 19% | 14% | 18.7 | --- | |
NOTE: Nations not meeting international sampling and other guidelines are shown in parentheses. Canada and France met the guidelines for the advanced mathematics assessment; France and Norway, for the physics assessment. A dash (---) indicates that the nation did not participate in that assessment. "No data" indicates that the nation participated, but the TIMSS report did not provide data on school completion rates or program differentiation.
SOURCE: Adapted from data presented in U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Pursuing Excellence: A Study of U.S. Twelfth-Grade Mathematics and Science Achievement in International Context, NCES 98-049 (U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 1998), Tables A5.7, A5.12, A5.13, and A5.14.
