U.S. students falling behind in math, science, says international exam

U.S. students are falling behind in key STEM subjects, an international exam revealed.

The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), which began in 1995, measures math and science proficiency among 4th and 8th graders in over 50 countries.  

The 2023 results showed a steep drop-off for American students since 2019.  

The test is measured on a scale of 0 to 1000, ranking countries as low (400), intermediate (475), high (550) or advanced (625). The U.S. is currently in the intermediate category in all areas.  

Fourth and eighth grade math has dropped 18 points and 27 points respectively since before the pandemic, while science scores dropped 7 and 9 points.  

Nat Malkus, an education policy expert at the American Enterprise Institute, called the results “devastating.”  

And Marguerite Roza, a research professor at Georgetown University, noted the U.S. had larger drops than other countries, particularly in 8th grade math.  

Education leadership tried to sugarcoat the results by pointing out that other nations also had disappointing results.  

“Globally, we are seeing declines in achievement, even in traditionally high-performing systems,” said Peggy Carr, commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). “In the U.S., we’re seeing these declines especially among our lowest-performing students, which mirrors what we saw on our nation’s report card.”  

NCES is a branch of the U.S. Department of Education.  

Another international exam released in 2023 had the U.S. ranked just 34th in math, 16th in science and 9th in reading – even though it has the sixth-largest education budget.  

Despite Carr’s insistence that “education systems around the world are struggling in mathematics and science,” parent advocates are tired of hearing excuses from the government. 

“While over a dozen countries have made gains, our students are falling behind – by alarming margins,” Keri Rodrigues, president of National Parents Union, told education media. “It’s time for our leaders to step up, prioritize meaningful reforms, and demand real accountability in our schools. 

“The lack of urgency is appalling, and we will not rest until every student, regardless of background, has the opportunity to succeed.”