U.S. fourth graders saw their math scores drop steeply between 2019 and 2023 on a key international test even as more than a dozen other countries saw their scores improve. Scores dropped even more steeply for American eighth graders, a grade where only three countries saw increases.
The declines in fourth grade mathematics in the U.S. were among the largest in the participating countries, though American students are still in the middle of the pack internationally. The extent of the decline seems to be driven by the lowest performing students losing more ground, a worrying trend that predates the pandemic.
The results released Wednesday from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, or TIMSS, assessment come from more than 650,000 fourth and eighth graders in 64 countries who took the tests in 2023. The test has been administered every four years since 1995. The results are used to monitor how many students have foundational math and science skills.
Singapore, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Japan topped the rankings in most grades and subjects.
Among participating countries, the large majority of students met at least the low benchmark, which means students have basic math skills and know basic science facts. Roughly a third of students met the high benchmark, which means students can apply concepts in a variety of situations.
The 2023 tests saw a growing gender gap in favor of boys across many countries, especially in fourth grade math. Gender gaps that were prominent when TIMSS was first administered in 1995 had narrowed over time, but seem to have returned.
“The gender gap is a matter of concern,” said Dirk Hastedt, executive director of IEA, the agency that administers TIMSS. “It’s clearly something that needs to be considered and monitored very, very carefully.”
These are the first TIMSS results since the COVID response disrupted education around the world. TIMSS is the first international test to show improvements in some countries since the pandemic, with countries in Eastern Europe and the Middle East in particular showing gains.
School closures looked very different in different countries, with some emphasizing in-person learning for younger students and others giving preference to older students and a wide range of hybrid schooling practices. Test administrators said they didn’t collect enough information to tie those practices to test results, and more research is needed.
