Take the Long View When Assessing TIMSS Scores

June 2, 2010 

A recent article by Carl Bialik in The Wall Street Journal discusses the difficulty of identifying short-term trends by examining the results of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study Test (TIMSS). 

"Bundling students into larger groups can add statistical power," Bialik wrote, "as can measuring trends over longer periods of time." He admits, though, "that some trends simply are too gradual to pinpoint in the short term." 

Read the full article here. 

The TIMSS test is an international comparison of mathematics and science achievement of fourth- and eighth-grade students around the world. The test has been carried out since 1995 by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA), an international organization of national research institutions and governmental research agencies. 

For more, see the Math in the News story "TIMSS 2007: U.S. Math Scores Rise" (December 11, 2008). 

Source: The Wall Street Journal (May 20, 2010)