Average mathematics scores of 4th-grade students in 1995 and 2003 and of 8th-grade students in 1995, 1999, and 2003 and change in score since 1995 in grade 4 and since 1995 and 1999 in grade 8, by country

International Comparison of 4th- and 8th-Grade Performance in Mathematics

Table 11-2. Average mathematics scores of 4th-grade students in 1995 and 2003 and of 8th-grade students in 1995, 1999, and 2003 and change in score since 1995 in grade 4 and since 1995 and 1999 in grade 8, by country

	Grade 4			Grade 8
Country	1995	2003	1995–2003 difference¹	1995	1999	2003	1995–2003 difference¹	1999–2003 difference¹

Australia^2,3,4	495*	499*	4	509*	—	505	-4	†
Belgium-Flemish	—	—	†	550*	558*	537*	-13**	-21**
Bulgaria²	—	—	†	527*	511	476*	-51**	-34**
Chile	—	—	†	—	392*	387*	†	-6
Chinese Taipei	—	—	†	—	585*	585*	†	#
Cyprus	475*	510*	35**	468*	476*	459*	-8**	-17**
England³	484*	531*	47**	—	—	—	†	†
Hong Kong SAR^3,5	557*	575*	18**	569*	582*	586*	17**	4
Hungary²	521	529*	7	527*	532*	529*	3	-2
Indonesia⁶	—	—	†	—	403*	411*	†	8
Iran, Islamic Republic of	387*	389*	2	418*	422*	411*	-7	-11**
Israel⁷	—	—	†	—	466*	496	†	29**
Italy⁷	—	—	†	—	479*	484*	†	4
Japan	567*	565*	-3	581*	579*	570*	-11**	-9**
Jordan	—	—	†	—	428*	424*	†	-3
Korea, Republic of	—	—	†	581*	587*	589*	8**	2
Latvia-LSS^2,8	499*	533*	34**	488	505	505	17**	#
Lithuania⁶	—	—	†	472*	482*	502	30**	20**
Macedonia, Republic of²	—	—	†	—	447*	435*	†	-12**
Malaysia	—	—	†	—	519*	508	†	-11
Moldova, Republic of	—	—	†	—	469*	460*	†	-9
Netherlands^2,3	549*	540*	-9**	529*	540*	536*	7	-4
New Zealand⁹	469*	496*	26**	501	491	494	-7	3
Norway	476*	451*	-25**	498	—	461*	-37**	†
Philippines	—	—	†	—	345*	378*	†	33**
Romania²	—	—	†	474*	472*	475*	2	3
Russian Federation	—	—	†	524*	526*	508	-16**	-18**
Scotland^2,3	493*	490*	-3	493	—	498	4	†
Singapore	590*	594*	4	609*	604*	605*	-3	1
Slovak Republic	—	—	†	534*	534*	508	-26**	-26**
Slovenia^2,4	462*	479*	17**	494	—	493*	-2	†
South Africa¹⁰	—	—	†	—	275*	264*	†	-11
Sweden	—	—	†	540*	—	499	-41**	†
Tunisia	—	—	†	—	448*	410*	†	-38**
United States^2,3	518	518	#	492	502	504	12**	3

— Not available.
† Not applicable.
# Rounds to zero.
* Significantly different from the United States (p<.05).
** Average in 2003 is significantly different from the average in 1995 or 1999, respectively (p<.05).
¹ Difference is calculated by subtracting 1995 or 1999 estimate from 2003 estimate using unrounded numbers.
² Country did not meet international sampling or other guidelines in 1995, 1999, or 2003.
³ Met international guidelines for participation rates in 2003 only after replacement schools were included. England at grade 8 did not meet international guidelines for participation rates even after replacement schools were included.
⁴ Because of national-level changes in the starting age/date for school, 1999 data for Australia and Slovenia cannot be compared with 2003 data.
⁵ Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People’s Republic of China.
⁶ National desired population does not cover all of the international desired population.
⁷ Because of changes in the population tested, 1995 data for Israel and Italy are not shown.
⁸ Designated LSS (Latvian-speaking schools) because only Latvian-speaking schools were included in 1995. For this analysis, only Latvian-speaking schools are included in the 2003 average.
⁹ In 1995, Maori-speaking students did not participate. Estimates in this table are computed for students taught in English only, which represents between 98 and 99 percent of the student population in both years.
¹⁰ Because within classroom sampling was not accounted for, 1995 data are not shown for South Africa.
NOTE: Countries were required to sample students in the upper of the two grades that contained the larger number of 9- and 13-year-olds. In the United States and most countries, this corresponds to grades 4 and 8. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. See supplemental note 5 for more information on this study.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2004). Highlights From the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2003 (NCES 2005–005), tables 4, 5, C3, and C4. Data from the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA), TIMSS 1995, 1999, and 2003 assessments.

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