I’m getting results, but they’re not great.
International data on mathematics and science released earlier this month gave the world the first opportunity to compare progress since the pandemic.
In the United States, the COVID-19 pandemic appears to have reversed more than two decades of progress in math achievement. Trends in international mathematics and science research. Peggy Carr, Director of the National Center for Education Statistics, said: That’s all I said During a meeting with reporters.
The average math scores for 4th and 8th graders in 2023 were statistically the same as in 1995. At that time, some of the parents of today’s students were in elementary school themselves.
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The average 4th grade math score in 2023 was 517 points, just one point lower than the 1995 average. The national average reached its highest score of 541 points in 2011.
In 2023, the United States ranked 28th out of 63 education systems, tied with Portugal and Cyprus. Singapore, Chinese Taipei (Taiwan), Hong Kong (China), and South Korea (South Korea) ranked high.
When it comes to the highest performing students, those who achieve what is considered advanced in mathematics, 13 percent of U.S. students earned this honor in 2023. In comparison, the international median is 7 percent.
Despite having almost twice the median number of senior fourth-year students, the United States ended up finishing 17th on that list, just behind Romania, Poland, and Bulgaria.
Intermediate junior high school mathematics
When it comes to 8th grade math, the United States ranks 24th out of 45 education systems, placing it between the United Arab Emirates and Israel. Singapore, Chinese Taipei and South Korea occupied the top three spots in the ranking.
The U.S. ranked 21st in the advanced benchmark rankings, with a student share of 8%, one point above the international median.
Similar to younger students, the average score for 8th graders in 2023 was 488, about the same as the average score in 1995. Their highest average score was 518 in 2015.
racial gap
The average U.S. fourth-grade math score was 517, but the racial disparity is significant.
Asians, whites, and children of two or more races each scored between 54 and 25 points above average.
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander black and Hispanic children scored 60 to 26 points lower than average.
This divide continued into eighth-grade grades, with Asian and white students scoring 92 and 28 points above average. Black and Hispanic students’ average scores were 45 points and 32 points lower than the overall average.
Pamela Birdman, executive director of the education equity nonprofit Just Equations, said the math score gap is a deep-seated problem because it reflects resources. This includes the resources available to schools (such as the ability to attract math teachers and make do with substitute teachers) and student resources.
“Some students have easier access to parents who can help them with their math homework than others,” says Birdman. “Some students may have parents who are stay-at-home moms, while others may have parents who are often away from home with multiple jobs. There are many factors inside and outside of school.”
Birdman explains that poor math scores can be a barrier to academic opportunities through college and even into a career. That’s because as students progress through middle school and high school, it’s typically students who are considered high achievers who are offered more advanced math classes, and colleges include those advanced math courses on students’ transcripts when making admissions decisions. This is because they want to check the class.
Birdman said the best way to solve the problem of low math achievement is to do so at all levels of government — local, state and federal — in the same way officials approached third-grade reading scores several years ago. I think it’s about tackling the problem.
“This could be supported by state and federal investments as well as private foundations,” Birdman said. “But it definitely requires a focused effort.”
boy vs girl
Globally, boys outperform girls in mathematics. South Africa was the only country where fourth grade girls scored higher than boys.
In the United States, the gap between the average math scores of fourth-grade girls and boys has widened, from 3 points in 1995 to 18 points in 2023.
In 24 countries, eighth-grade boys outperformed girls in math, and in 18 countries, boys and girls had the same average score. Average scores for eighth grade girls were higher in Oman, South Africa, Bahrain and the Palestinian Authority, but the report cautioned that the data for the latter three should be interpreted “with caution” due to large margins of error.
In 1995, average scores in the United States were the same for both genders. By 2023, women were 14 points behind men.
EdSurge has previously written about the disparity in math performance between boys and girls, and one survey of more than 17,500 girls found that building self-confidence increases their interest in and enjoyment of math class. This suggests that it may help maintain.
Shane Woods, executive director of nonprofit mentoring group GirlStart, said girls need to feel supported and safe even in the face of pressure to look perfect.
Girls need to know that “it’s safe in that space to take risks, to learn from each other, to stand up for each other, to fail in front of each other, and to see it as a lesson or a success.” Woods said there is. “This is really important for girls to change the way they see themselves and what they can do in their careers. we need to emphasize.”
