International Comparisons in Education

International comparisons of statistical data on national elementary, secondary and higher education school systems provide feedback on how education systems have improved over time, how equitable they are, and students compare to their peers around the world. AIR works extensively with several international studies of education, including the following:

  • Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS)
  • Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC)
  • Program for International Student Assessment (PISA)
  • Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS)
  • Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS)

Latest Work

24 Feb 2021 | 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Event

What Do TIMSS and NAEP Tell Us About Gaps Between High- and Low-Performing 4th and 8th Graders?

On Wednesday, February 24, 2021, AIR hosted a presentation and discussion on the differences in scores (or “score gaps”) between high-performing and low-performing students using Grade 4 and Grade 8 results from TIMSS 2019 and recent NAEP Data. These data provide insights regarding equity within the U.S. and other education systems and can help inform important education policy discussions that aim to address performance gaps.
Image of RISE logo
24 Feb 2021
Spotlight

RISE Webinar Series

The Research on International Studies in Education (RISE) Webinar Series, organized by AIR, showcases research using data from international studies and promotes sharing and discussion about how data-based evidence can be used for improving educational outcomes.
Image of PIAAC map
14 Jul 2020
Q & A

New Tool Maps Literacy and Numeracy Skills Across U.S. States and Counties

Literacy and numeracy are cornerstones of our modern society. Jaleh Soroui discusses the data behind the National Center for Education Statistics' PIAAC Skills Mapping tool, and how it can be used by state and county policymakers, administrators, educators, researchers, and others to draft policies, address gaps, set priorities, and allocate resources.
Image of man doing math on a whiteboard
9 Jul 2020
Q & A

In Conversation: How an International Survey Can Help Us Understand the Challenges the Coronavirus Poses for Educators

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, teachers, principals, and students have had to quickly adjust to distance learning or e-learning. Although data were gathered before the pandemic, the results of the spring 2020 release of Volume 2 of the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) offer insights about teachers and principals that may help us better understand the challenges they are experiencing now and about how to support them.
7 Jul 2020
Q & A

A Practitioner’s Insights on Student Misconceptions and Errors

The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and TIMSS Advanced assessments are a rich source of data on student performance in math and physics. A team of AIR researchers methodically analyzed these data across multiple assessment cycles and answered some of our questions about them.
Infographic: About 1 in 3 students in OECD countries pursuing a bachelor's degree does not finish in six years
15 Jun 2020
In the Field

Making Sense of Data on International College Completion Rates and Financial Aid

Among the benefits of going to college are higher employment rates, higher earnings, and healthier lifestyles. Yet many young people who enroll in college don’t make it to graduation day. In a RISE webinar, Rachel Dinkes and Audrey Peek highlighted key findings and implications from Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development data.
Image of dad and small children reading together
14 Apr 2020
Q & A

Troubling Trends in Reading Attitudes: A Q&A with Martin Hooper, Senior Researcher

Martin Hooper analyzes contexts for learning through large-scale assessment data. In this Q&A, he talks about his recent publications highlighting trends in literacy attitudes and practices, including the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study. He also discusses how attitudes toward reading have shifted since 2001, in the U.S. and abroad; the implications of these attitude shifts; and how adults can promote reading in children.
12 Mar 2020
Report

International Early Learning Study

The International Early Learning Study measures 5-year-olds in four key areas: emerging numeracy, emerging literacy, self-regulation, and social-emotional skills. The study provides educators, policymakers, and parents with important context to help them better prepare children for primary school.
28 Feb 2020
Report

A Comparative Profile of 15-Year-Old Students Who Expect to Work in Finance

With the increasing significance of the financial sector and the recognition of financial literacy as an essential life skill, it is important to compare—in a global context—students’ career expectations in finance and explore their association with students’ financial literacy. This study compares 15-year-old students who reported career expectations in finance in 13 education systems that participated in the financial literacy assessment of the 2015 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA).
29 Jan 2020 | 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Event

How Do College Completion Rates and Financial Aid Differ Around the World?

On Wednesday, January 29, 2020, AIR hosted a presentation and discussion on how college completion rates and financial aid differ around the world.
13 Nov 2019 | 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Event

Student Misconceptions and Errors in Physics and Mathematics: Exploring Data from TIMSS and TIMSS Advanced

AIR hosted a presentation and discussion of a recent study about students’ misconceptions and errors in physics and mathematics conducted for the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement Research for Education Series. The study used 20 years of data from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and TIMSS Advanced assessments to examine patterns of student misconceptions and errors in one physics topic and one mathematics topic in five countries across three grade levels.
Infographic: How do U.S. teachers and principals compare with teachers and principals internationally?
7 Oct 2019
Q & A

In Conversation: Insights on U.S. Teachers and Principals from an International Survey

How does the U.S. education workforce compare to other countries in terms of demographics, attitudes, and beliefs? Do they spend more time on instruction and other tasks than international educators? AIR provides technical and substantive support for the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS), which provides a barometer of the profession every five years. AIR Principal Researchers Matthew Clifford, Ebru Erberber, and Lisa Lachlan discussed TALIS 2018 key findings and policy and practice implications from a U.S. perspective.
2 Jul 2019
Blog Post

How Can We Slow Down Prison’s Revolving Door?

Access to in-prison education and work experience are associated with a reduction in the likelihood of recidivism and provide inmates with a critical element on the path to reshape their personal identities. Could offering prisoners more education and work experience inside prison be a key solution to mass incarceration in the U.S.?
Infographic: Three-year olds enrolled in early childhood services
29 Mar 2019
Q & A

In Conversation: AIR Experts Discuss Early Childhood Systems Around the World

Research has firmly established that the first five years of a child’s life are critical for future success in school and in life, yet a September 2018 report shows that young children’s educational experiences are inconsistent across the U.S. and around the world. The Education at a Glance: OECD Indicators report includes findings on how early childhood education and care varies around the world in terms of approach, enrollment, quality, and teachers’ salaries. Three AIR experts discussed those variations, and excerpts of their conversation appear below.
27 Mar 2019 | 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Event

Socioeconomic Inequality and Educational Outcomes: Evidence from Twenty Years of TIMSS

On March 27th, 2019, AIR hosted a presentation and discussion on the examination of socioeconomic inequality and educational outcomes using evidence from twenty years of data from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). The webinar presented new insights into how educational inequality has changed in the education systems studied and how such change may relate to the more complex picture of macroeconomic changes in those societies.
14 Nov 2018 | 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Event

How Do Education Systems Differ Around the World? An Examination of OECD's Education at a Glance

On November 14, 2018, AIR hosted a presentation and discussion focusing on the latest international results from the OECD’s 2018 Education at a Glance. The webinar highlighted findings related to the following questions: How much time do students in the United States spend in the classroom compared to their international peers? How do early childhood education systems differ around the world? How do salaries for teachers and school heads vary by country? How can I find and work with these data?
2 May 2018 | 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Event

Financial Literacy Skills for the 21st Century: Evidence from PISA

Please join American Institutes for Research for a presentation and discussion focusing on the latest international results in financial literacy from the 2015 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). World-renowned researcher Dr. Annamaria Lusardi will present findings relevant to PISA and financial literacy more broadly.
Image of confused older man at computer
1 May 2018
Brief

A Description of U.S. Adults Who Are Not Digitally Literate

This brief highlights findings from the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) in an effort to obtain a clear understanding of the ability of adults to undertake digital problem solving. This brief uses data gathered from a sample of 5,000 adults across different socio-demographic groups in the United States and compares it to international averages from 19 other countries to answer three specific study questions.
26 Oct 2017 | 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Event

Do Teachers Teach Less in Classrooms with Students with Special Needs? Trends and Predictors from International Data

On October 26, 2017, AIR hosted a presentation and discussion on the inclusion of students with disabilities in general education classrooms, a cornerstone of special education policy in the United States and many countries. Using 2013 data from the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS), the presentation addressed some parents' concern that, due to the additional needs of students with disabilities, teachers may spend less time teaching in inclusive classrooms.
31 May 2017 | 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Event

20 Years of TIMSS: International Trends in Mathematics and Science Achievement, Curriculum, and Instruction

On May 31, 2017 AIR hosted a presentation and discussion on a recently released report using data from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) titled "20 Years of TIMSS." Since its first administration in 1995, TIMSS has become a prominent assessment of students’ knowledge, skills, and abilities in Mathematics and Science.
30 Nov 2016
Blog Post

TIMSS, PISA, and NAEP: What to Know Before Digging into the Results

In a rare occurrence, PISA, TIMSS, and NAEP assessments are releasing science and math results in the same year. Chances are the results from the various assessments won’t all tell the same story. So what do you need to know to make sense of this bumper crop of assessments? In this latest blog post, George Bohrnstedt and Fran Stancavage offer a quick run-down on how these assessments are similar and different.
9 Nov 2016 | 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Event

An Average Is Just an Average: What About Countries’ Low- and High-Performing Students?

On November 9, 2016, AIR hosted a presentation and discussion on the analysis of large-scale international assessment data. In this webinar, researchers presented results of analyses using mathematics data from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS).
photo of Umut Ozek
23 Jul 2016
Blog Post

Florida Study Shows Immigrant Performance Declines Across Generations

First-generation immigrants perform better in reading and math tests than their second-generation peers, who in turn outperform their third-generation classmates, according to a new study by Umut Özek and Northwestern University’s David Figlio. The pair followed the performance of Asian and Hispanic students in Florida, a population that mirrors national trends. Why do newer immigrants do better than their more established peers? Find out in this blog post.
9 May 2016
Service

Professional Development Seminar: Multilevel Modeling with International Datasets

Data from large-scale international studies reflects the nested structure of education systems and is, therefore, very well suited for hierarchical linear modeling (HLM). However, because this data comes from complex cluster samples, there are methodological aspects that a researcher needs to understand when doing HLM, e.g., the need for using sampling weights and multiple achievement values for parameter estimation. This course teaches participants how to do HLM with data from these studies, including PIRLS, TIMSS, and PISA.
NAEP PISA Report cover
6 May 2016
Report

A Comparison Study of the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2012 and the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 2013 Mathematics Assessments

This study compares the mathematics frameworks and item pools used in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) with the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) and vice versa. In addition to that, differences in item features between the two assessments are described.
5 May 2016 | 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Event

Different Modes of Curricular Differentiation at the School Level and Their Impact on Educational Inequality

AIR hosted a presentation and discussion focusing on two of the most common types of formal curricular differentiation in secondary schooling: course-by-course tracking and academic and vocational streaming. Both forms of curricular differentiation have been criticized for segregating students by socioeconomic status (SES) and directing low-SES students into lower-status educational trajectories. Using data from PISA, this presentation reviewed findings from this emerging literature.
1 May 2016
Report

A Comparison Between the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Frameworks in Science, Technology and Engineering Literacy, and Mathematics

New national standards documents have been developed over the past few years in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics and are leading to major changes in state curricula and assessments. This study provides information primarily on the extent of alignment between the Next Generation Science Standards and National Assessment of Educational Progress frameworks in STEM and identifies areas of similarity and difference between them.
Infographic: Reading
15 Mar 2016
Infographic

Is Reading Contagious? An International Snapshot

What are children’s attitudes and behaviors toward reading around the world? Do they mimic their parents’? Is there a difference between how much girls read and enjoy reading and how much boys do? These infographics answer those questions and more using the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) 2011 survey data of fourth-grade students from 50 education systems around the world.
24 Feb 2016 | 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Event

America’s Skills Challenge: Millennials and the Future

On February 24, 2016, AIR hosted a presentation and discussion on the growing inequality of opportunity in the United States and the impact this has on both skills acquisition and outcomes for current and future generations. The presentation explored the paradox for U.S. millennials (born after 1980, ages 16-34): while they may be on track to be our most educated generation ever, they consistently score below many of their international peers in literacy, numeracy, and problem solving in technology-rich environments.
5 Jan 2016
Brief

Is Reading Contagious? Examining Parents’ and Children’s Reading Attitudes and Behaviors

When children have positive reading attitudes and behaviors, they generally also demonstrate strong reading skills. Drawing on data from the 2011 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study, this brief and related webinar recording examine whether parents’ reading attitudes and behaviors are shared by their children.
3 Dec 2015 | 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Event

The Use of Computers in School and the Skills of the “Net Generation” – Shedding Light on Myths About Digital Natives

On December 3, 2015, the American Institutes for Research hosted a presentation that looked at computer and information literacy across countries. In 2013, the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS) assessed eighth-grade students’ learning and knowledge in computer and information literacy (CIL) skills. What can the United States learn from the 21 countries that participated in this study?
20 Nov 2015
Infographic

Students Speak Up: Who Likes School?

In 2011, fourth- and eighth-grade students around the world were asked how much they agreed with the statement “I like being in school.” In this infographic, the first in a series, we explore students’ opinions about school—both domestically and internationally.
1 Oct 2015 | 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Event

Conditions and Practices Associated with Teacher Professional Development and Its Impact on Instruction in TALIS 2013

On October 1, 2015, AIR hosted a presentation that examined teacher professional development and its relationship to schooling outcomes. Using OECD’s Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2013 data, the presentation covered findings that explore the school conditions and practices of teachers who are associated with their participation in professional development and the reported impacts on their instruction. The presentation focused on the general patterns observed across OECD countries and looked at differences between countries. Implications for policy and practice were also discussed.
Infographic thumbnail: Academic resilience
11 Jul 2015
Infographic

Beating the Odds: What Factors Play a Role in Academic Resilience?

Both student and school-level factors can predict academic resilience. Which factors matter most? This infographic explores the results of the brief, Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Students Who Are Academically Successful, which uses 2011 eighth-grade data from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) to examine academic resiliency cross-nationally.
Infographic thumbnail: Academic resilience
11 Jul 2015
Infographic

Beating the Odds: Academic Resilience Around the World

Disadvantaged students need to be academically resilient to succeed—but how common is this resilience? This infographic explores the results of the brief, Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Students Who Are Academically Successful, which uses 2011 eighth-grade data from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) to examine academic resiliency cross-nationally.
A significant number of U.S. adults lack basic math skills
18 Jun 2015
Infographic

A Significant Number of U.S. Adults Lack Basic Math Skills

Results from an international assessment of basic skills found that 58 million American adults have low skills in working with and using mathematical information (numeracy). This infographic demonstrates where the U.S. falls among the 23 countries included in the assessment.
26 May 2015
Infographic

Infographic: The Who and How of Instructional Feedback

The third in a series of three infographics explores the results of the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS). Our first infographic in the series, Do U.S. Teachers Learn from One Another?, explores differences across the world in teacher-to-teacher supports and opportunities for collaboration. The second infographic in the series, Teachers' Professional Development Barriers, looks at the various factors that prevent teachers from participating in their professional development.
26 May 2015
Infographic

TALIS Infographic Series: Teaching and Learning Around the World

Teachers’ access to professional learning supports varies widely across the world. According to the 2013 Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS), access to opportunities for collaboration, barriers to professional development, and sources of feedback look different in the United States when compared with other countries. In a three-part series, we explore these differences.
Alicia Garcia
26 May 2015
Blog Post

It’s Time for States to Stop Overstating Student Proficiency

New research is again highlighting the wide variation in states’ student performance standards and overly optimistic reports of student proficiency. Alicia Garcia argues that, going forward, states must adopt evidence-based methods of standard setting that prepare students to compete in the global marketplace.
7 May 2015 | 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Event

The Role of Schooling in Perpetuating Educational Inequality: An International Perspective

Please join the American Institutes for Research for a presentation and discussion on research by Bill Schmidt and others using data on mathematics achievement from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2012. The webinar will include a presentation by Dr. Schmidt with a follow-up discussion by Dr. Robert Rothman. Registrants will be given the opportunity to submit questions to be answered by the panelists during the webinar.
Project

Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS)

The Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) is an international comparative study of teachers, their working conditions, and the learning environment in schools. TALIS is organized by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, and aims to provide internationally comparable data on teaching and learning environments around the world, with the goal of informing education policy. AIR provides technical and analytical support for U.S. participation in TALIS.
26 Apr 2015
Infographic

Infographic: Teachers' Professional Development Barriers

The second in a series of three infographics explores the results of the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS). Our first infographic in the series, Do U.S. Teachers Learn from One Another?, explores differences across the world in teacher-to-teacher supports and opportunities for collaboration.
15 Mar 2015
Brief

Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Students Who Are Academically Successful

Academically resilient students are those students who are academically successful, despite coming from the socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds that have typically predicted poorer educational outcomes.

26 Feb 2015
Infographic

Infographic: Do U.S. Teachers Learn from One Another?

The first in a series of three infographics explores the results of the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS).
Dan Sherman
13 Nov 2014
Blog Post

New Analysis Spotlights Employees' Basic Skills Gap

According to new AIR analysis of an international survey, a surprisingly large number of adults in the United States cannot apply reading or math skills to solve simple real life problems. In this blog post, Dan Sherman discusses the PIACC results he says educators, researchers, and policymakers need to explore to help improve adults' chances in a demanding job market.
Infographic comparing education performance standards by state and internationally
19 Sep 2014
Infographic

Comparing Proficiency Rates by State Performance Standards and TIMSS Internationally Common Standards

This infographic shows the states that report the highest math proficiency rates based on state standards, as compared to the states with the highest math proficiency rates based on TIMSS, an international comparative study of the mathematics and science achievement of fourth- and eighth-graders.
International benchmarking: State and National Education Performance Standards
18 Sep 2014
Infographic

How States Perform Using State Performance Standards vs. TIMSS Internationally Benchmarked Common Standards

State performance standards represent how much the state expects the student to learn in order to be considered proficient in reading, mathematics, and science. This AIR infographic shows that there is considerable variance in state performance standards, exposing a large gap in expectations between the states with the highest standards and the states with the lowest standards.
Boy doing math at chalkboard
18 Sep 2014
Report

International Benchmarking: State and National Education Performance Standards

What students are expected to learn in some states can vary greatly with what students are expected to learn in other states. This AIR study uses international benchmarking as a common metric to examine the variance in state performance standards, exposing a large gap in expectations between the states with the highest standards and the states with the lowest standards.
18 Aug 2014
Blog Post

Money Matters: Financial Literacy of U.S. Teenagers

The Program for International Student Assessment, an international assessment of math, recently began assessing financial literacy. Having experience helps, according to this blog post by Teresa Kroeger and Lydia Malley: Among U.S. 15-year-olds, regardless of socioeconomic status, teenagers who had a bank account and a pre-paid debit card had higher financial literacy scores than those who had neither.
Mark Schneider
18 Aug 2014
Blog Post

Why Financial Literacy is Important to College-Bound Teens

The Program for International Student Assessment, an international assessment of math, is now including a financial literacy component. As Mark Schneider explains in this blog post, the first series of results are not good: In the United States, 18 percent of 15-year-old students scored below the baseline of proficiency.
7 Feb 2014
Report

Linking the 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in Reading to the 2011 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS)

This linking study shows that NAEP Grade 4 reading achievement levels are higher than the PIRLS international benchmarks, providing one piece of validity evidence that NAEP results are internationally competitive.
21 Nov 2011
Brochure

International Activities Program

The National Center for Education Statistics is responsible for the collection and distribution of U.S. data for international education comparison efforts conducted by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. AIR supports these efforts through technical assistance and expert measurement advice, including input on study design, analysis, reporting, and dissemination, and reviewing of reports for several international assessments.

21 Nov 2011
Report

Highlights from PISA 2006: Performance of U.S. 15-Year-Old Students in Science and Mathematics Literacy in an International Context

This report uses data from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), and summarizes the performance of U.S. students in the year 2006. It also compares the scores of U.S. 15-year-old students in science and mathematics literacy to the scores of their peers internationally.

Project

Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS)

The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) is an international comparative study of the mathematics and science achievement of fourth- and eighth-graders in the United States and students in the equivalent of fourth and eighth grade in other participating countries.

Project

Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC)

The Program for International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIACC) is a cyclical, large-scale, direct household assessment that compares the basic skills and competencies of adults around the world. It measures relationships between individuals’ backgrounds and cognitive skills in the areas of literacy, numeracy and problem-solving. AIR provides technical, analytical, and management support to PIAAC.
Project

Program for International Student Assessment (PISA)

The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) is a system of international assessments that focuses on 15-year-olds' capabilities in reading literacy, mathematics literacy and science literacy.

Project

Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS)

The Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) is a comparative study of the reading literacy of young students. AIR experts provide technical and analytical support for U.S. participation in PIRLS, including consultation and management support, technical review of statistical reports and data, expert analysis, and technical support and training.
Project

UNICEF: Child-to-Child Pilot Evaluation

Although increasing numbers of children are enrolling in primary school in low- and middle-income countries, many enter late, fail to progress, and drop out. A child-to-child approach to enhancing learning in developing countries is designed to provide preschool-aged children with early learning opportunities in their homes and their communities at very low cost. AIR evaluated this approach in Bangladesh, China, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Tajikistan, and Yemen.
1 Oct 2009
Report

Teacher Strategies to Help Fourth-Graders Having Difficulty in Reading: An International Perspective

This report uses data from the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) on fourth-grade teachers’ reading instruction practices and strategies.

18 Aug 2009
Report

U.S. Performance Across International Assessments of Student Achievement: Special Supplement to The Condition of Education 2009

This special analysis examines the performance of U.S. students in reading, mathematics, and science compared with the performance of their peers in other countries that participated in PIRLS, PISA, and TIMSS in terms of students’ average scores and the percentage of students reaching internationally benchmarked performance levels.

23 Jul 2009
Report

The Second Derivative: International Benchmarks in Mathematics For U.S. States and School Districts

A new international grading index that provides states, school districts and policymakers with a way to determine where their students rank in comparison with their peers around the world.
Project

National Assessment of Adult Literacy

This study examines the literacy skills of adults and compares the literacy skills of workers with different types of training by conducting a data analysis of the 2003 assessment data.

1 Mar 2009
Report

Comparative Indicators of Education in the United States and Other G-8 Countries: 2009

This report describes how the education system in the United States compares with education systems in the other G-8 countries--Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Russian Federation, and the United Kingdom.

1 Mar 2009
Report

Comparative Indicators of Education in the United States and Other G-8 Countries: 2009

This report describes how the education system in the United States compares with education systems in the other G-8 countries--Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Russian Federation, and the United Kingdom.

4 Sep 2008
Report

EQUIP1: Secondary Education Activity, Final Report

This five-year project aimed to improve the quality and relevance of secondary education for Macedonian youths, to equip them with the skills and knowledge to succeed in a changing social and economic environment, and to provide the Macedonian economy with a more flexible, better-prepared workforce.

1 Nov 2007
Report

The Reading Literacy of U.S. Fourth-Grade Students in an International Context Results From the 2001 and 2006 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS)

This report uses data from the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) assessment and summarizes the performance of U.S. students.

1 May 2006
Report

Comparing Mathematics Content in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), and Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2003 Assessments

This report compares three mathematics assessments conducted in 2003, and aims to provide information useful for interpreting and comparing results from the three assessments, based on an in-depth look at the content of the frameworks and items.

1 Mar 2006
Report

Comparing Science Content in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 2000 and Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2003 Assessments

This report compares the content of two science assessments for grades 4 and 8, and provides information useful for interpreting and comparing results from the two assessments, based on an in-depth look at the content of the respective frameworks and assessment items.

15 Apr 2005
Report

The Mexican Translation of TIMSS-1995: Lessons on Test Translation from a Post-Mortem Study

This paper is a contribution to test translation review. It provides a conceptual framework for the coding of translation errors, and provides some empirical evidence on the effect of translation errors on student performance.

15 Apr 2005
Report

The Mexican Translation of TIMSS-1995: Lessons on Test Translation from a Post-Mortem Study

This paper is a contribution to test translation review. It provides a conceptual framework for the coding of translation errors, and provides some empirical evidence on the effect of translation errors on student performance.

28 Jan 2005
Report

What the United States Can Learn From Singapore’s World-Class Mathematics System: An Exploratory Study

Singaporean students ranked first in the world in mathematics on the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS)-2003; U.S. students ranked 16th out of 46 participating nations at grade 8. This exploratory study compares key features of the Singapore and U.S. mathematics systems in the primary grades, when students need to build a strong mathematics foundation.

28 Jan 2005
Report

What the United States Can Learn From Singapore’s World-Class Mathematics System: An Exploratory Study

Singaporean students ranked first in the world in mathematics on the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS)-2003; U.S. students ranked 16th out of 46 participating nations at grade 8. This exploratory study compares key features of the Singapore and U.S. mathematics systems in the primary grades, when students need to build a strong mathematics foundation.