Research Finding
Average scores on mathematics assessments for U.S. students in grades four were higher in 2003 than in all previous assessments for fourth graders. The average score in grade four increased from 226 in 2000 to 235 in 2003.
The Good News:
A national average of fourth graders' mathematics performance in the U.S. is improving.
Research Finding
Assessment of 4th-graders’ mathematics performance in 15 countries in 1995 and 2003 found the United States’ standing declined relative to the 14 other countries. In 1995, students in four of these countries outperformed U.S. students on average, compared with students in seven countries outperforming U.S. students in 2003.
The Bad News:
U.S. fourth graders' mathematics performance is declining relative to its status in comparison to 14 other countries that participated in the international mathematics assessment in 1995 and 2003.
Source:
The Condition of Education 2005
U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics
http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/list/i2.asp
