International and National Performance Data

American students participate in regular assessments of communication, problem-solving and reasoning skills, as well as subject-matter knowledge in core curriculum subjects. Unfortunately, the United States trails most industrialized-and even many developing-nations on these achievement tests. And progress is stagnant or declining. Read these reports to get updated on the status of American education in the international context.

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)
NAEP, the "Nation's Report Card," is the only nationally representative and continuing assessment of what America's students know and can do in various subject areas. NAEP data are available going back thirty years. Currently, it is administered annually to students in the 4th-, 8th-, and 12th-grades.

Program for International Student Assessment (PISA)
PISA is an assessment given to a representative sample of 15-year olds in 39 countries every three years, focusing on problem solving and subject literacy, rather than specific course content, to allow for cross-country comparisons.

Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS)
TIMSS is an assessment given to fourth and eighth graders in over 40 countries to measure their mastery of curriculum-based mathematics and science knowledge and skills. TIMSS data were collected in 1995, 1999, 2003 and 2007, when both Minnesota and Massachusetts participated, the first states to do so.

Comparing NAEP, TIMSS, and PISA in Mathematics and Science
The National Center for Education Statistics, the research arm of the U.S. Department of Education, has published a primer on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), and Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), providing background information on the three assessments to facilitate comparisons among the results. It provides a history and an overview of each test, the population of students being assessed and how American students have fared in the past. This document is useful in that it also explains why the results of each test are not always directly comparable to the results of the other tests.