Bush's Education Policy Bears Fruit

By Michael P. Tremoglie, The Bulletin
Published: Sunday, December 14, 2008

The 2007 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) found that U.S. fourth-graders jumped 11 points in math between 2003 and 2007.

The latest TIMSS report, the ongoing evaluation of education in 36 to 48 countries revealed that in 2007 the U.S. consistently rated at least in the top one-third and in some cases the top one-fourth of participating nations. The average U.S. fourth-grade math score was higher than those of students in 23 of 35 other countries and among eighth-graders was higher than students in 37 of 47 other countries.

“Today’s TIMSS results reconfirm what we have long known — if we set high expectations, our children will rise to the challenge,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings. “I am encouraged that U.S. students are improving, and particularly that many children who were once left behind are now making some of the greatest gains in math.”

Ms. Spellings credited the Bush administration’s “No Child Left Behind Act” as the reason for the improvement.

“[It] has focused our national conversation on objective results, and thanks to this law, we now have data to show how all of our students are performing,” she said. “In addition, we know from the National Assessment of Educational Progress that nearly one million more students have learned basic math skills since the law was passed.”

Since 1995, the TIMSS test has been conducted every four years among students in grades four and eight to evaluate their math and science skills. The project is coordinated by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement and the International Study Center at Boston College. A total of 36 countries participated in grade four and 48 countries at grade eight.

The findings of the TIMSS 2007 generally track those of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as “The Nation’s Report Card.”

In the U.S., the TIMSS was conducted in the Spring of 2007 among a representative sample of 10,350 fourth-graders in 257 public and private schools and 9,723 eighth-graders attending 239 public and private schools.

Michael P. Tremoglie can be contacted at mtremoglie@thebulletin.us