International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study Ontario Report

Transcription

1 International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study 2003 Ontario Report December 2004

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3 Introduction The Trends In Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), a project of the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement, was designed to compare the teaching and learning of mathematics and science in elementary and secondary schools around the world. The first round of TIMSS data collection occurred in 1995 in Grades 3 and 4, Grades 7 and 8 and the end of secondary school (Grade 12/OAC in Ontario). A repeat project (TIMSS-R) was conducted in 1999; a third round of data collection in Grades 4 and 8 occurred in There is a fourth round of data collection in these grades scheduled for Participants Forty-six countries and four benchmarking entities (jurisdictions that are not countries and have participated in all of the TIMSS studies) took part in the Grade 8 component of TIMSS-2003 and 25 countries and three benchmarking entities took part in the Grade 4 component. Twenty-six of these countries, indicated by an asterisk in the following list, also participated in the original TIMSS. Grade 8 Component Armenia Australia* Bahrain Belgium (Flemish)* Botswana Bulgaria* Chile Chinese Taipei Cyprus* Egypt England Estonia Ghana Hong Kong (SAR)* Hungary* Indonesia Iran, Islamic Rep. of* Israel* Italy* Japan* Jordan Korea, Rep. of* Latvia (LSS)* Lebanon Lithuania* Macedonia, Rep. of Malaysia Moldova, Rep. of Morocco Netherlands* New Zealand* Norway Palestinian Nat l Auth. Philippines Romania* Russian Federation* Saudi Arabia Scotland Serbia Singapore* Slovak Republic* Slovenia* South Africa* Sweden Tunisia United States* Benchmarking Participants Basque Country, Spain Indiana, USA Ontario, Can.* Quebec, Can.* Page 1

4 Grade 4 Component Armenia Australia* Belgium (Flemish) Chinese Taipei Cyprus* England* Hong Kong (SAR)* Hungary* Iran, Islamic Rep. of Italy Japan* Latvia (LSS)* Lithuania* Moldova, Rep. of Morocco Netherlands* New Zealand* Norway* Philippines Russian Federation Scotland* Singapore* Slovenia* Tunisia United States* Benchmarking Participants Indiana, USA Ontario, Can.* Quebec, Can.* In April 2003, a provincially representative sample of 7000 Grade 4 and Grade 8 students in 250 schools took part in TIMSS Because Ontario participated in TIMSS 1995, TIMSS-R 1999 and TIMSS 2003, it was possible to undertake a trend analysis of student performances from each of the administrations. Data Sources TIMSS involved student testing, as well as student, teacher and school questionnaires to collect contextual information about instruction and learning. All of the students wrote a 90-minute test in mathematics and science and completed a student questionnaire that gathered information about their attitudes toward mathematics and science, classroom activities, home background and out-of-school activities. The mathematics and science teachers of sampled students were asked about their teaching emphases, instructional practices, textbook usage, professional training and education, as well as their views on mathematics and science. School principals responded to questions about school staffing and resources, mathematics and science course offerings and teacher support. Reporting Scales In the Grade 8 reports (Canada and Ontario) for the original TIMSS study, results were reported in terms of percentage correct. In the case of TIMSS-R and TIMSS 2003, a three-parameter Item- Response Theory (IRT) model was used to calculate scale scores. In order to facilitate comparisons of change between the three studies, the 1995 results were recalculated using IRT methodology. Readers of the reports of these studies may therefore notice some differences between the numbers reported in the earlier report and the present one. Such differences do not, however, affect the overall results to any significant degree. In the international report of TIMSS-R and TIMSS 2003, issued by the International Study Center at Boston College, achievement results are reported on an IRT scale with a mean of 500 and a standard deviation of 100. This scale tends to magnify what may in fact be small differences and might lead one to conclude that differences are larger than they really are. The international mathematics and science averages were obtained by averaging the means of the participating countries. Test Structure Mathematics Assessment Framework The TIMSS Assessment Frameworks and Specifications 2003 for mathematics have two organizing dimensions: a content dimension and a cognitive dimension. The content dimension is divided into five domains, while the cognitive dimension has four domains. Table 1 presents the five content domains and the four cognitive domains along with the target percentages of testing time devoted to both domains for the Grades 4 and 8 assessments. Page 2

5 Table 1: Target Percentages of Testing Time for TIMSS 2003 Mathematics Assessment Devoted to Content and Cognitive Domains by Grade Level Grade 4 Grade 8 Content Domains Number 40% 30% Algebra 15% 25% Measurement 20% 15% Geometry 15% 15% Data 10% 15% Cognitive Domains Knowing Facts and Procedures 20% 15% Using Concepts 20% 20% Solving Routine Problems 40% 40% Reasoning 20% 25% At both grade levels, number is the content domain to which the most testing time was devoted. The time spent assessing the other domains ranged from 10% to 25%. As for the cognitive domains, solving routine problems was the domain to which most time was devoted for both the Grade 4 and Grade 8 students. In Grade 8, the mathematics component consisted of 194 items. Table 2 provides an overview of the total number of items for each of the five content domains along with the number of each item type. Table 2: Item Number and Item Type by Content Domain for TIMSS 2003 Mathematics Assessment Content Domain Total Number of Item Type Items Multiple-Choice Constructed- Response Number Algebra Measurement Geometry Data At the Grade 8 level, of the 194 items in the mathematics section of the assessment, 177 items or 91% were deemed appropriate and could be aligned to The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 1 8: Mathematics. In Grade 4, the mathematics component comprised 161 items. Table 3 provides an overview of the total number of items for each of the five content domains along with the number of each item type. Table 3: Item Number and Item Type by Content Domain for TIMSS 2003 Mathematics Assessment Content Domain Total Number of Item Type Items Multiple-Choice Constructed- Response Number Algebra Measurement Geometry Data Page 3

6 Of the 161 items in the mathematics section of the assessment at the Grade 4 level, 134 items or 83% were deemed appropriate and aligned with expectations in the The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 1 8: Mathematics. Science Assessment Framework The TIMSS Assessment Frameworks and Specifications 2003 for science have two organizing dimensions: a content dimension and a cognitive dimension. The content dimension for Grade 4 is based on three domains, while there are five content domains at the Grade 8 level. The cognitive dimension has three domains for each grade level. Table 4 presents the content and the cognitive domains along with the target percentages of testing time devoted to both domains for the Grade 4 and 8 assessments. Table 4: Target Percentages of Testing Time for TIMSS 2003 Science Assessment Devoted to Content and Cognitive Domains by Grade Level Grade 4 Grade 8 Content Domains Life Science 45% 30% Physical Science < Chemistry 35% * 15% < Physics * 25% Earth Science 20% 15% Environmental Science * 15% Cognitive Domains Factual Knowledge 40% 30% Conceptual Understanding 35% 35% Reasoning and Analysis 25% 35% At both grade levels, life science is the content domain to which the most testing time was devoted. In Grade 4, 35% of the time was devoted to physical science, while earth science was tested for 20% of the time. At the Grade 8 level, 25% of the time was spent assessing physics, while the three remaining domains shared 45% of the time equally. For the cognitive domains, at the Grade 4 level, 40% of the time was devoted to factual knowledge while 35% of the time was spent assessing conceptual understanding and 25% reasoning and analysis. As for the Grade 8 assessment, the time for testing was almost equally divided among the three cognitive domains. In Grade 8, the science component consisted of 194 items. Table 5 provides an overview of the number of items under each of the five content domains along with the corresponding item type. Table 5: Item Number and Item Type by Content Domain for TIMSS 2003 Science Assessment Content Domain Total Number of Item Type Items Multiple- Choice Constructed- Response Life Science Page 4

7 Chemistry Physics Earth Science Environmental Science Of the 194 items in the science section of the assessment, 174 of them, or 90%, were deemed appropriate and could be aligned to The Ontario Curriculum, Grade 1 8: Science and Technology. In Grade 4, the science component comprised 160 items. Table 6 provides an overview of the number of items under each of the three content domains along with the corresponding item type, multiplechoice or constructed-response. Table 6: Number of Items and Item Type by Content Domain for TIMSS 2003 Science Assessment Content Domain Total Number of Item Type Items Multiple-Choice Constructed- Response Life Science Physical Science Earth Science Of the 160 items of the science section of the TIMSS assessment at the Grade 4 level, 144 items, or 90%, were deemed appropriate and were aligned with expectations found in The Ontario Curriculum, Grade 1 8: Science and Technology. Approximately 50% of the original TIMSS items were not released to the public. Consequently, these items were also used in the 1999 study, along with new items that have been developed to replace the released 1995 items. The new items were written so as to be parallel in form and content to the released ones, and all new items were pilot tested and revised or replaced as warranted. Samples of the TIMSS-R test items, together with relevant statistics and comments on student performance, are found in Appendix B of this report. Achievement Results Grade 8 Mathematics In 2003, Ontario students scored significantly above the international average, with eight countries (Singapore, Rep. of Korea, Hong Kong [SAR], Chinese Taipei, Japan, Belgium [Flemish]), Netherlands and Estonia) outperforming Ontario. In 1999, nine countries outperformed Ontario. They were Singapore, Rep. of Korea, Hong Kong (SAR), Taiwan, Japan, Belgium (Flemish), Netherlands, Hungary and the Slovak Republic. In 2003, Quebec students achieved higher scores than Ontario students. In 1999, Ontario student achievement was the same as that of Canada overall. In 1999, among the five provinces that oversampled, only Quebec students achieved higher scores than Ontario students. In 1995, Ontario students scored lower than Canada as a whole. In 2003 and 1999, Ontario English- and French-language student achievement scores were significantly higher than the international average in all five content areas: fractions and number sense; measurement; data representation analysis and probability; geometry; and algebra. In all content areas except geometry, the Ontario English-language students significantly outperformed the Ontario French-language students. In 1995, Ontario students performed at about the international average Page 5

8 overall but scored lower than the international average in geometry, algebra and measurement. Ontario Students have shown a slight improvement (four points) over the 1999 results and a significant increase (20 points) in their achievement scores since This trend applies for both boys and girls. In 2003 and 1999, there was no significant difference in the achievement scores of Ontario Grade 8 English- and French-language boys and girls. Grade 8 Science In 2003, Ontario students scored significantly higher than the international average overall, with eight countries outperforming Ontario (Singapore, Rep. of Korea, Hong Kong [SAR], Chinese Taipei, Japan, England, Hungary and Estonia). In 1999, Ontario students scored significantly higher than the international average; the province was outperformed by Australia, Belgium (Flemish), Czech Republic, England, Finland, Hungary, Japan, Korea, Netherlands, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Taiwan and Slovenia. In 2003, Quebec students achievement scores were not significantly different from Ontario students scores. In 1999, Ontario student achievement was the same as Canada overall, and among the five provinces that oversampled, Alberta, British Columbia and Quebec students achieved higher scores than Ontario students. In 2003 and in 1999, Ontario English- and French-language student achievement scores were significantly higher than the international average in all five content areas: earth science, life science, physics, chemistry, and environmental and resource issues. In all content areas, the Ontario Englishlanguage students significantly outperformed the Ontario French-language students. In 1995, Ontario students performed at about the international average overall but scored lower than the international average in earth science and chemistry. Ontario students have shown a significant improvement (15 points) over the 1999 results and a significant increase (37 points) in their achievement scores since This trend applies for both boys and girls. In 2003 and 1999, there was a significant difference among the overall performances of Ontario English-language boys and girls in favour of boys. The Ontario English-language boys outperformed the girls in the following content areas: earth science, chemistry, physics, and environmental and resource issues. There was no significant difference between the overall performance of Ontario French-language boys and girls. The Ontario French-language boys outperformed their female classmates in one content area only, earth science. Grade 4 Mathematics In 2003, Ontario English-language students scored significantly above the international average, with eleven countries (Singapore, Hungary, Hong Kong [SAR], Chinese Taipei, Japan, Belgium (Flemish), Netherlands, Lithuania, Russian Federation, England and Latvia) outperforming Ontario. Ontario French-language students did not attain the international average. In 2003, there was no significant difference between the achievement scores of Quebec and Ontario students. In 2003, Ontario English-language student achievement scores were significantly higher than the international average in four of the five content areas: number; patterns and relationships; measurement; geometry; and data. The Ontario French-language students were below the international average in number, patterns and relationships; at the international average in measurement, and above the international average in geometry and data. In all content areas, the Ontario English-language students significantly outperformed the Ontario French-language students. Ontario students have shown a significant increase (23 points) in their achievement scores since Page 6

9 1995. This trend is observed for each of the genders. In 2003 and 1999, there was a significant difference in the overall achievement scores of both Ontario English- and French-language boys and girls, favouring boys. The Ontario English-language boys outperformed the girls in the content areas of algebra and measurement. The Ontario Frenchlanguage boys outperformed the girls in the content areas of algebra, number and measurement. Grade 4 Science In 2003, Ontario English-language students scored significantly higher than the international average overall with two countries outperforming Ontario (Singapore and Chinese Taipei). The Ontario French-language students were at the international average. In 2003, Quebec students achievement scores were significantly lower than Ontario students scores. In 2003, Ontario English-language student achievement scores were significantly higher than the international average in all three content areas: earth science, life science and physical science. The Ontario French-language students were below the international average in life science but at the international average in physical science and earth science. In all content areas, the Ontario Englishlanguage students significantly outperformed their French-language counterparts. Ontario students have shown a significant increase (24 points) in their achievement scores since This trend is observed for each of the genders. In 2003, there was no significant difference among the overall performances of Ontario Englishand French-language boys and girls. Both groups of Ontario boys outperformed the girls in one content area only, earth science. Curriculum Match The test-curriculum matching analysis for the mathematics component of the TIMSS 2003 indicates a high degree of concordance between the TIMSS 2003 mathematics assessment and The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 1 8: Mathematics. At the Grade 4 level, over 85% of the items were appropriate for Ontario students, while over 90% of the items were appropriate for the Grade 8 students. Table 7 indicates the number and percentage of items aligned with The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 1 8: Mathematics for each content domain assessed. Table 7: Number and Percentage of Items for TIMSS 2003 Mathematics Assessment Aligned with the Ontario Mathematics Curriculum Content Domain Items Aligned to the Ontario Mathematics Curriculum Number of Items Percentage Number 48 76% Algebra 17 71% Measurement 29 88% Geometry 23 96% Data % The percentage of corresponding items range from 76%, in the number domain, to 100%, in data. Of the 63 items that assess expectations in the number content domain, forty-three were found to correspond with expectations in the Ontario mathematics curriculum. This represents 76% of the items of the domain. Page 7

10 The test-curriculum matching analysis for the science component of the TIMSS 2003 indicates a high degree of concordance between the TIMSS 2003 science assessment and The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 1 8: Science and Technology. Over 90% of the items in the science assessment were aligned with the Ontario science and technology curriculum and were therefore appropriate for Ontario students. Table 8 provides the number and percentage of items aligned to the Ontario science and technology curriculum for Grade 8, for each content domain assessed. Table 8: Number and Percentage of Items for TIMSS 2003 Science Assessment Aligned with the Ontario Grade 8 Science and Technology Curriculum Content Domain Items Aligned to the Ontario Gr. 8 Curriculum Number of Items Percentage Life Science 52 91% Chemistry 23 74% Physics 42 91% Earth Science 30 94% Environmental Science 27 96% The percentage of corresponding items at the Grade 8 level range from 74%, in chemistry, to 96%, in environmental science. Table 9 indicates the number and percentage of items aligned with the Ontario science and technology curriculum for Grade 4, for each content domain assessed. Table 9: Number and Percentage of Items for TIMSS 2003 Science Assessment Aligned with the Ontario Grade 4 Science and Technology Curriculum Content Domain Items Aligned to the Ontario Gr. 4 Curriculum Number of items Percentage Life Science 64 93% Physical Science 49 91% Earth Science 31 84% The percentage of corresponding items range from 84%, in earth science, to 93%, in life science. Of the 37 items that assess expectations in the earth science content domain, thirty-one were found to corresponded with expectations in the Ontario science and technology curriculum. This represents 84% of the items of the domain. More information on test-curriculum correspondence can be found in Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2003 Test-Curriculum Matching Analysis, Mathematics Component and Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2003 Test- Curriculum Matching Analysis, Science Component, available from EQAO. Page 8

11 Achievement Charts The following charts present summaries of how the mathematics and science achievement of students in Ontario and Quebec compares to that in other countries. The jurisdictions are divided into three groups: those whose overall mean score was significantly higher than the Ontario mean, those whose overall mean score was essentially the same as the Ontario mean and those whose overall mean score was significantly lower than the Ontario mean. (The expressions significantly higher and significantly lower as used in this report mean that in 19 cases out of 20 [95% of the time], a difference of this size indicates a true difference and not one attributable to chance.) Countries are arranged alphabetically within each group to emphasize that differences among them may be too small to be considered important. Page 9

12 Grade 8 Mathematics Achievement of Countries Compared to Ontario s Higher Than Ontario Same As Ontario Lower Than Ontario Chinese Taipei Hungary Australia Estonia Ontario (E) Bahrain Hong Kong (SAR) Botswana Japan Bulgaria Korea, Rep. of Chile Netherlands Cyprus Quebec Egypt Singapore England Belgium (Flemish) Ghana Indonesia International Avg. Iran, Islamic Rep. of Israel Italy Jordan Latvia Lebanon Lithuania Macedonia, Rep. of Malaysia Moldova, Rep. of Morocco New Zealand Norway Ontario (F) Palestinian Nat'l Auth. Philippines Romania Russian Federation Saudi Arabia Scotland Serbia Slovak Republic Slovenia South Africa Sweden Tunisia United States Page 10

13 Grade 4 Mathematics Achievement of Countries Compared to Ontario s Higher Than Ontario Same As Ontario Lower Than Ontario Belgium (Flemish) Cyprus Armenia Chinese Taipei Italy Australia England Moldova, Rep. of International Avg. Hong Kong (SAR) Ontario (E) Iran, Islamic Rep. of Hungary Quebec Morocco Japan United States New Zealand Latvia Norway Lithuania Ontario (F) Netherlands Philippines Russian Federation Scotland Singapore Slovenia Tunisia Page 11

14 Achievement on Mathematics Content Areas The following charts provide a summary of provincial and international student achievement on the five mathematics content areas for Grade 8 and Grade 4. Grade 8 Mathematics Achievement by Content Area Compared to Ontario s Grade 8 Content Area: Number Higher Than Ontario Same As Ontario Lower Than Ontario Belgium (Flemish) Estonia Armenia Chinese Taipei Hungary Australia Hong Kong (SAR) Indiana, USA Bahrain Japan Israel Basque Country, Spain Korea, Rep. of Latvia Botswana Netherlands Malaysia Bulgaria Quebec Ontario (E) Chile Singapore Russian Federation Cyprus Slovak Republic United States Egypt England Ghana Indonesia International Avg. Iran, Islamic Rep. of Italy Jordan Lebanon Lithuania Macedonia, Rep. of Moldova, Rep. of Morocco New Zealand Norway Ontario (F) Palestinian Nat'l Auth. Philippines Romania Saudi Arabia Scotland Serbia Slovenia South Africa Sweden Tunisia Page 12

15 Grade 8 Content Area: Algebra Higher Than Ontario Same As Ontario Lower Than Ontario Belgium (Flemish) Indiana, USA Armenia Chinese Taipei Latvia Australia Estonia Netherlands Bahrain Hong Kong (SAR) Ontario (E) Basque Country, Spain Hungary Russian Federation Botswana Japan United States Bulgaria Korea, Rep. of Chile Quebec Cyprus Singapore Egypt England Ghana Indonesia International Avg. Iran, Islamic Rep. of Israel Italy Jordan Lebanon Lithuania Macedonia, Rep. of Malaysia Moldova, Rep. of Morocco New Zealand Norway Ontario (F) Palestinian Nat'l Auth. Philippines Romania Saudi Arabia Scotland Serbia Slovak Republic Slovenia South Africa Sweden Tunisia Page 13

16 Grade 8 Content Area: Measurement Higher Than Ontario Same As Ontario Lower Than Ontario Belgium (Flemish) Australia Armenia Chinese Taipei Hungary Bahrain Estonia Ontario (E) Basque Country, Spain Hong Kong (SAR) Botswana Japan Bulgaria Korea, Rep. of Chile Netherlands Cyprus Quebec Egypt Singapore England Ghana Indiana, USA Indonesia International Avg. Iran, Islamic Rep. of Israel Italy Jordan Latvia Lebanon Lithuania Macedonia, Rep. of Malaysia Moldova, Rep. of Morocco New Zealand Norway Ontario (F) Palestinian Nat'l Auth. Philippines Romania Russian Federation Saudi Arabia Scotland Serbia Slovak Republic Slovenia South Africa Sweden Tunisia United States Page 14

17 Grade 8 Content Area: Geometry Higher Than Ontario Same As Ontario Lower Than Ontario Belgium (Flemish) Hungary Armenia Chinese Taipei Latvia Australia Estonia Lithuania Bahrain Hong Kong (SAR) Netherlands Basque Country, Spain Japan Ontario (E) Botswana Korea, Rep. of Ontario (F) Bulgaria Quebec Russian Federation Chile Singapore Cyprus Egypt England Ghana Indiana, USA Indonesia International Avg. Iran, Islamic Rep. of Israel Italy Jordan Lebanon Macedonia, Rep. of Malaysia Moldova, Rep. of Morocco New Zealand Norway Palestinian Nat'l Auth. Philippines Romania Saudi Arabia Scotland Serbia Slovak Republic Slovenia South Africa Sweden Tunisia United States Page 15

18 Grade 8 Content Area: Data Higher Than Ontario Same As Ontario Lower Than Ontario Belgium (Flemish) Australia Armenia Chinese Taipei England Bahrain Hong Kong (SAR) Estonia Basque Country, Spain Japan Indiana, USA Botswana Korea, Rep. of Ontario (E) Bulgaria Netherlands Quebec Chile Singapore Scotland Cyprus Sweden Egypt Ghana Hungary Indonesia International Avg. Iran, Islamic Rep. of Israel Italy Jordan Latvia Lebanon Lithuania Macedonia, Rep. of Malaysia Moldova, Rep. of Morocco New Zealand Norway Ontario (F) Palestinian Nat'l Auth. Philippines Romania Russian Federation Saudi Arabia Serbia Slovak Republic Slovenia South Africa Tunisia United States Page 16

19 Grade 4 Mathematics Achievement by Content Area Compared to Ontario s Grade 4 Content Area: Number Higher Than Ontario Same As Ontario Lower Than Ontario Belgium (Flemish) International Avg. Australia Chinese Taipei Italy Armenia Cyprus Moldova, Rep. of Iran, Islamic Rep. of England Ontario (E) Morocco Hong Kong (SAR) New Zealand Hungary Norway Indiana, USA Ontario (F) Japan Philippines Latvia Scotland Lithuania Slovenia Netherlands Tunisia Quebec Russian Federation Singapore United States Grade 4 Content Area: Patterns and Relationships Higher Than Ontario Same As Ontario Lower Than Ontario Belgium (Flemish) Cyprus Armenia Chinese Taipei Moldova, Rep. of Australia England Ontario (E) International Avg. Hong Kong (SAR) Iran, Islamic Rep. of Hungary Italy Indiana, USA Morocco Japan New Zealand Latvia Norway Lithuania Ontario (F) Netherlands Philippines Russian Federation Quebec Singapore Scotland United States Slovenia Tunisia Page 17

20 Grade 4 Content Area: Measurement Higher Than Ontario Same As Ontario Lower Than Ontario Belgium (Flemish) Australia Slovenia Chinese Taipei Cyprus Armenia England Indiana, USA International Avg. Hong Kong (SAR) Italy Iran, Islamic Rep. of Hungary Moldova, Rep. of Morocco Japan New Zealand Norway Latvia Quebec Ontario (F) Lithuania Ontario (E) Philippines Netherlands Scotland Tunisia Russian Federation United States Singapore Grade 4 Content Area: Geometry Higher Than Ontario Same As Ontario Lower Than Ontario Chinese Taipei England Australia Hong Kong (SAR) Indiana, USA Armenia Japan Netherlands Belgium (Flemish) Singapore Ontario (E) Cyprus United States Hungary International Avg. Italy Iran, Islamic Rep. of Latvia Lithuania Moldova, Rep. of Morocco New Zealand Norway Ontario (F) Philippines Quebec Russian Federation Scotland Slovenia Tunisia Page 18

21 Grade 4 Content Area: Data Higher Than Ontario Same As Ontario Lower Than Ontario Chinese Taipei Belgium (Flemish) Armenia Hong Kong (SAR) England Australia Indiana, USA Ontario (E) Cyprus Japan United States Hungary Netherlands International Avg. Singapore Iran, Islamic Rep. of Italy Latvia Lithuania Moldova, Rep. of Morocco New Zealand Norway Ontario (F) Philippines Quebec Russian Federation Scotland Slovenia Tunisia Page 19

22 Grade 8 Science Achievement of Countries Compared to Ontario s Significantly Than Ontario Same As Ontario Lower Than Ontario Chinese Taipei Australia Armenia England Indiana, USA Bahrain Estonia Netherlands Belgium (Flemish) Hong Kong (SAR) Ontario (E) Botswana Hungary Quebec Bulgaria Japan United States Chile Korea, Rep. of Cyprus Singapore Egypt Ghana Indonesia International Avg. Iran, Islamic Rep. of Israel Italy Jordan Latvia Lebanon Lithuania Macedonia, Rep. of Malaysia Moldova, Rep. of Morocco New Zealand Norway Ontario (F) Palestinian Nat'l Auth. Philippines Romania Russian Federation Saudi Arabia Scotland Serbia Slovak Republic Slovenia South Africa Sweden Tunisia Page 20

23 Grade 4 Science Achievement of Countries Compared to Ontario Higher Than Ontario Same As Ontario Lower Than Ontario Chinese Taipei England Armenia Indiana, USA Hong Kong (SAR) Australia Singapore Japan Belgium (Flemish) Latvia Cyprus Ontario (E) Hungary United States International Avg. Iran, Islamic Rep. of Italy Lithuania Moldova, Rep. of Morocco Netherlands New Zealand Norway Ontario (F) Philippines Quebec Russian Federation Scotland Slovenia Tunisia Page 21

24 Achievement on Science Content Areas The following chart provides a summary of provincial and international student achievement on the five science content areas for Grade 8 and the three science content areas for Grade 4. Grade 8 Science Achievement by Content Area Grade 8 Content Area: Life Science Higher Than Ontario Same As Ontario Lower Than Ontario Chinese Taipei Australia Armenia Estonia England Bahrain Hong Kong (SAR) Hungary Basque Country, Spain Japan Indiana, USA Belgium (Flemish) Korea, Rep. of Netherlands Botswana Singapore Ontario (E) Bulgaria United States Chile Cyprus Egypt Ghana Indonesia International Avg. Iran, Islamic Rep. of Israel Italy Jordan Latvia Lebanon Lithuania Macedonia, Rep. of Malaysia Moldova, Rep. of Morocco New Zealand Norway Ontario (F) Palestinian Nat'l Auth. Philippines Quebec Romania Russian Federation Saudi Arabia Scotland Serbia Slovak Republic Slovenia South Africa Sweden Tunisia Page 22

25 Grade 8 Content Area: Chemistry Higher Than Ontario Same As Ontario Lower Than Ontario Chinese Taipei Australia Armenia England Belgium (Flemish) Bahrain Estonia Indiana, USA Basque Country, Spain Hong Kong (SAR) Israel Botswana Hungary Latvia Bulgaria Japan Malaysia Chile Korea, Rep. of Netherlands Cyprus Lithuania New Zealand Egypt Quebec Ontario (E) Ghana Russian Federation Scotland Indonesia Singapore United States International Avg. Slovak Republic Iran, Islamic Rep. of Slovenia Italy Sweden Jordan Lebanon Macedonia, Rep. of Moldova, Rep. of Morocco Norway Ontario (F) Palestinian Nat'l Auth. Philippines Romania Saudi Arabia Serbia South Africa Tunisia Page 23

26 Grade 8 Content Area: Physics Higher Than Ontario Same As Ontario Lower Than Ontario Chinese Taipei Australia Armenia England Hungary Bahrain Estonia Netherlands Basque Country, Spain Hong Kong (SAR) Ontario (E) Belgium (Flemish) Japan Quebec Botswana Korea, Rep. of Sweden Bulgaria Singapore Chile Cyprus Egypt Ghana Indiana, USA Indonesia International Avg. Iran, Islamic Rep. of Israel Italy Jordan Latvia Lebanon Lithuania Macedonia, Rep. of Malaysia Moldova, Rep. of Morocco New Zealand Norway Ontario (F) Palestinian Nat'l Auth. Philippines Romania Russian Federation Saudi Arabia Scotland Serbia Slovak Republic Slovenia South Africa Tunisia United States Page 24

27 Grade 8 Content Area: Earth Science Higher Than Ontario Same As Ontario Lower Than Ontario Chinese Taipei Australia Armenia England Hungary Bahrain Estonia Indiana, USA Basque Country, Spain Hong Kong (SAR) Japan Belgium (Flemish) Quebec Korea, Rep. of Botswana Singapore Netherlands Bulgaria New Zealand Chile Ontario (E) Cyprus Sweden Egypt United States Ghana Indonesia International Avg. Iran, Islamic Rep. of Israel Italy Jordan Latvia Lebanon Lithuania Macedonia, Rep. of Malaysia Moldova, Rep. of Morocco Norway Ontario (F) Palestinian Nat'l Auth. Philippines Romania Russian Federation Saudi Arabia Scotland Serbia Slovak Republic Slovenia South Africa Tunisia Page 25

28 Grade 8 Content Area: Environmental Science Higher Than Ontario Same As Ontario Lower Than Ontario Chinese Taipei Australia Armenia Hong Kong (SAR) England Bahrain Singapore Estonia Basque Country, Spain Indiana, USA Belgium (Flemish) Japan Botswana Korea, Rep. of Bulgaria Netherlands Chile Ontario (E) Cyprus Egypt Ghana Hungary Indonesia International Avg. Iran, Islamic Rep. of Israel Italy Jordan Latvia Lebanon Lithuania Macedonia, Rep. of Malaysia Moldova, Rep. of Morocco New Zealand Norway Ontario (F) Palestinian Nat'l Auth. Philippines Quebec Romania Russian Federation Saudi Arabia Scotland Serbia Slovak Republic Slovenia South Africa Sweden Tunisia United States Page 26

29 Grade 4 Science Achievement by Content Area Grade 4 Content Area: Life Science Higher Than Ontario Same As Ontario Lower Than Ontario Indiana, USA Chinese Taipei Armenia Singapore England Australia Hong Kong (SAR) Belgium (Flemish) Hungary Cyprus Netherlands International Avg. Ontario (E) Iran, Islamic Rep. of United States Italy Japan Latvia Lithuania Moldova, Rep. of Morocco New Zealand Norway Ontario (F) Philippines Quebec Russian Federation Scotland Slovenia Tunisia Grade 4 Content Area: Physical Science Higher Than Ontario Same As Ontario Lower Than Ontario Chinese Taipei Indiana, USA Armenia England Latvia Australia Hong Kong (SAR) Ontario (E) Belgium (Flemish) Japan Russian Federation Cyprus Singapore United States Hungary International Avg. Iran, Islamic Rep. of Italy Lithuania Moldova, Rep. of Morocco Netherlands New Zealand Norway Ontario (F) Philippines Quebec Scotland Slovenia Tunisia Page 27

30 Grade 4 Content Area: Earth Science Higher Than Ontario Same As Ontario Lower Than Ontario Chinese Taipei England Armenia Indiana, USA Hong Kong (SAR) Australia Japan Belgium (Flemish) Latvia Cyprus Ontario (E) Hungary Russian Federation International Avg. Singapore Iran, Islamic Rep. of United States Italy Lithuania Moldova, Rep. of Morocco Netherlands New Zealand Norway Ontario (F) Philippines Quebec Scotland Slovenia Tunisia Appendix A provides total scores in mathematics and science for Ontario and Quebec, the international overall scores, as well as the content area/subscale scores in mathematics and science. Page 28

31 Appendix A Grade 8: Average Mathematics Scale Score and Standard Errors for all Participating Countries Country Average Scale Score Standard Error Singapore 605 (3.6) Korea, Rep. of 589 (2.2) Hong Kong (SAR) 586 (3.3) Chinese Taipei 585 (4.6) Japan 570 (2.1) Belgium (Flemish) 537 (2.8) Netherlands 536 (3.8) Estonia 531 (3.0) Hungary 529 (3.2) Malaysia 508 (4.1) Latvia 508 (3.2) Russian Federation 508 (3.7) Slovak Republic 508 (3.3) Australia 505 (4.6) United States 504 (3.3) Lithuania 502 (2.5) Sweden 499 (2.6) Scotland 498 (3.7) Israel 496 (3.4) New Zealand 494 (5.3) Slovenia 493 (2.2) Italy 484 (3.2) Armenia 478 (3.0) Serbia 477 (2.6) Bulgaria 476 (4.3) Romania 475 (4.8) International Avg. 467 (0.5) Norway 461 (2.5) Moldova, Rep. of 460 (4.0) Cyprus 459 (1.7) Macedonia, Rep. of 435 (3.5) Lebanon 433 (3.1) Jordan 424 (4.1) Iran, Islamic Rep. of 411 (2.4) Indonesia 411 (4.8) Tunisia 410 (2.2) Egypt 406 (3.5) Bahrain 401 (1.7) Palestinian Nat'l Auth. 390 (3.1) Chile 387 (3.3) Morocco 387 (2.5) Philippines 378 (5.2) Botswana 366 (2.6) Saudi Arabia 332 (4.6) Ghana 276 (4.7) South Africa 264 (5.5) England 498 (4.7) Benchmarking Participants Page 29

32 Basque Country, Spain 487 (2.7) Indiana, USA 508 (5.2) Ontario 521 (3.1) Ontario (E) 521 (1.3) Ontario (F) 501 (1.6) Quebec 543 (3.0) Grade 8: Average Mathematics Scale Scores and Standard Error for Participating Countries by Content Area Country Average Scale Scores for Mathematics Content Areas Number Algebra Measurement Geometry Data Armenia 473 (3.1) 489 (2.6) 488 (3.3) 481 (3.1) 419 (2.7) Australia 498 (4.6) 499 (4.4) 511 (4.3) 491 (4.8) 531 (3.8) Bahrain 380 (1.9) 411 (2.5) 388 (2.1) 438 (2.1) 414 (2.1) Belgium (Flemish) 539 (2.7) 523 (2.8) 535 (2.5) 527 (3.1) 546 (2.9) Botswana 382 (2.2) 377 (2.7) 377 (2.0) 335 (3.9) 375 (2.7) Bulgaria 477 (4.1) 481 (4.0) 473 (4.6) 484 (4.5) 458 (3.9) Chile 390 (3.1) 384 (3.1) 404 (2.9) 378 (3.3) 412 (3.4) Chinese Taipei 585 (4.6) 585 (4.9) 574 (4.4) 588 (5.1) 568 (3.4) Cyprus 464 (1.5) 455 (1.7) 459 (2.2) 457 (2.4) 458 (1.7) Egypt 421 (3.0) 408 (3.9) 401 (3.3) 408 (3.6) 393 (3.2) Estonia 523 (3.1) 528 (2.6) 528 (3.0) 540 (2.6) 535 (2.8) Ghana 289 (5.1) 288 (4.8) 262 (3.7) 278 (4.3) 293 (4.1) Hong Kong (SAR) 586 (3.2) 580 (3.2) 584 (3.3) 588 (3.6) 566 (3.0) Hungary 529 (3.6) 534 (3.1) 525 (3.1) 515 (3.1) 526 (2.9) Indonesia 421 (4.6) 418 (4.5) 394 (4.9) 413 (4.6) 418 (4.0) Iran, Islamic Rep. 416 (2.3) 412 (3.1) 399 (2.6) 437 (3.1) 404 (2.6) Israel 504 (3.3) 498 (3.2) 480 (3.4) 488 (3.7) 492 (3.3) Italy 480 (3.2) 477 (3.4) 500 (3.2) 469 (3.5) 490 (3.0) Japan 557 (2.3) 568 (2.0) 559 (2.0) 587 (2.1) 573 (1.9) Jordan 413 (4.4) 434 (4.4) 418 (4.4) 446 (4.0) 430 (3.5) Korea, Rep. of 586 (2.1) 597 (2.2) 577 (2.0) 598 (2.6) 569 (2.0) Latvia 507 (3.2) 508 (3.2) 500 (3.0) 515 (3.3) 506 (3.8) Lebanon 430 (3.3) 448 (3.1) 430 (3.7) 459 (3.0) 394 (4.0) Lithuania 500 (2.7) 501 (2.4) 492 (3.0) 506 (2.5) 502 (2.5) Macedonia, Rep. 438 (3.5) 442 (3.6) 434 (3.6) 442 (3.7) 419 (3.6) Malaysia 524 (4.0) 495 (3.9) 504 (4.5) 495 (4.8) 505 (3.2) Moldova, Rep. 463 (3.8) 464 (4.2) 468 (4.0) 463 (4.7) 428 (3.4) Morocco 384 (2.7) 400 (2.8) 376 (3.4) 415 (2.3) 374 (2.5) Netherlands 539 (3.6) 514 (4.0) 549 (3.7) 513 (4.1) 560 (3.1) New Zealand 481 (6.0) 490 (5.2) 500 (4.8) 488 (4.6) 526 (5.1) Norway 456 (2.3) 428 (2.7) 481 (2.9) 461 (2.8) 498 (2.5) Palestinian Nat'l A. 385 (3.6) 392 (3.5) 386 (2.8) 423 (3.1) 390 (2.8) Philippines 393 (5.1) 400 (5.2) 372 (4.8) 344 (5.3) 390 (4.5) Romania 474 (4.9) 480 (4.7) 485 (4.7) 476 (4.9) 445 (4.6) Russian Federation 505 (4.0) 516 (3.2) 507 (3.9) 515 (4.2) 484 (3.2) Saudi Arabia 307 (5.3) 331 (4.7) 338 (3.4) 382 (4.3) 339 (3.8) Scotland 484 (4.2) 488 (3.9) 508 (3.6) 491 (3.3) 531 (3.7) Serbia 477 (2.8) 488 (2.5) 475 (2.5) 471 (3.0) 456 (2.6) Singapore 618 (3.5) 590 (3.5) 611 (3.6) 580 (3.7) 579 (3.2) Slovak Republic 514 (3.3) 505 (3.3) 508 (3.7) 501 (3.6) 495 (2.9) Slovenia 498 (2.0) 487 (2.3) 496 (2.3) 483 (2.5) 494 (2.3) South Africa 274 (5.4) 275 (5.1) 298 (4.7) 247 (5.4) 296 (5.3) Sweden 496 (2.6) 480 (3.0) 512 (2.6) 467 (3.4) 539 (2.9) Tunisia 419 (2.3) 405 (2.4) 407 (2.2) 427 (2.0) 387 (2.2) United States 508 (3.4) 510 (3.1) 495 (3.2) 472 (3.1) 527 (3.2) Page 30

33 England 485 (5.0) 492 (4.5) 505 (4.3) 492 (4.5) 535 (4.1) International Avg. 467 (0.5) 467 (0.5) 467 (0.5) 467 (0.5) 467 (0.5) Benchmarking Participants Basque Cntry, Spain 490 (2.6) 490 (2.7) 488 (2.4) 456 (3.2) 499 (2.7) Indiana, USA 516 (5.8) 510 (5.3) 503 (5.5) 468 (5.1) 528 (4.9) Ontario 516 (3.4) 515 (2.6) 520 (2.8) 513 (3.2) 538 (2.7) Ontario (E) 516 (1.4) 515 (1.3) 520 (1.4) 513 (1.2) 538 (1.3) Ontario (F) 493 (1.8) 500 (1.6) 508 (1.7) 513 (1.6) 507 (1.7) Quebec 546 (3.4) 529 (3.2) 541 (3.6) 542 (3.3) 544 (2.6) Grade 4: Average Mathematics Scale Score and Standard Errors for all Participating Countries Country Average Scale Score Standard Error Singapore 594 (5.6) Hong Kong (SAR) 575 (3.2) Japan 565 (1.6) Chinese Taipei 564 (1.8) Belgium (Flemish) 551 (1.8) Netherlands 540 (2.1) Latvia 536 (2.8) Lithuania 534 (2.8) Russian Federation 532 (4.7) England 531 (3.7) Hungary 529 (3.1) United States 518 (2.4) Cyprus 510 (2.4) Moldova, Rep. of 504 (4.9) Italy 503 (3.7) Australia 499 (3.9) International Avg. 495 (0.8) New Zealand 493 (2.2) Scotland 490 (3.3) Slovenia 479 (2.6) Armenia 456 (3.5) Norway 451 (2.3) Iran, Islamic Rep. of 389 (4.2) Philippines 358 (7.9) Morocco 347 (5.1) Tunisia 339 (4.7) Benchmark Participants Indiana, USA 533 (2.8) Ontario 511 (3.8) Ontario (E) 511 (1.4) Ontario (F) 484 (1.7) Quebec 506 (2.4) Page 31

34 Grade 4: Average Mathematics Scale Scores and Standard Error for Participating Countries by Content Area Country Number Average Scale Scores for Mathematics Content Areas Patterns and Relationships Measurement Geometry Data Armenia 473 (3.0) 461 (4.1) 465 (3.1) 431 (3.8) 417 (3.6) Australia 479 (4.3) 495 (3.7) 514 (3.7) 524 (3.7) 525 (3.6) Belgium (Flemish) 549 (1.9) 542 (1.9) 550 (1.4) 533 (1.8) 548 (2.2) Chinese Taipei 568 (1.8) 555 (2.4) 557 (1.6) 553 (2.5) 564 (2.3) Cyprus 514 (2.7) 519 (2.4) 506 (2.3) 505 (2.3) 509 (2.3) England 519 (4.1) 523 (3.9) 535 (3.3) 542 (3.7) 552 (3.4) Hong Kong (SAR) 574 (3.3) 568 (3.5) 563 (2.7) 557 (2.9) 562 (2.3) Hungary 524 (2.9) 545 (3.7) 532 (2.7) 514 (3.3) 513 (3.2) Iran, Islamic Rep. 410 (3.7) 394 (3.9) 398 (3.2) 416 (3.9) 356 (4.4) Italy 502 (3.6) 496 (4.3) 504 (3.4) 522 (3.5) 497 (3.0) Japan 556 (2.0) 554 (1.4) 568 (1.6) 559 (1.9) 593 (1.6) Latvia 531 (2.6) 532 (3.4) 545 (2.6) 523 (2.2) 526 (2.7) Lithuania 535 (2.9) 531 (3.0) 540 (2.7) 524 (2.2) 517 (2.5) Moldova, Rep. 507 (4.7) 521 (5.1) 505 (4.0) 501 (4.9) 477 (4.3) Morocco 359 (4.7) 360 (4.7) 345 (5.5) 362 (4.9) 355 (5.0) Netherlands 536 (2.2) 527 (2.4) 545 (2.2) 521 (3.2) 553 (2.4) New Zealand 475 (2.3) 495 (2.9) 503 (2.0) 517 (1.8) 522 (2.0) Norway 440 (2.2) 439 (2.7) 475 (2.2) 478 (2.2) 479 (2.3) Philippines 380 (7.4) 382 (7.0) 330 (7.8) 335 (8.8) 384 (7.5) Russian Fed. 532 (4.6) 531 (5.0) 538 (3.8) 528 (4.8) 505 (4.1) Scotland 475 (3.3) 495 (2.9) 499 (3.1) 511 (2.5) 516 (2.7) Singapore 612 (6.0) 579 (5.4) 566 (4.6) 570 (5.5) 575 (3.9) Slovenia 461 (2.7) 490 (2.7) 497 (2.8) 498 (2.2) 486 (2.7) Tunisia 360 (4.1) 330 (4.7) 308 (5.5) 346 (5.1) 308 (4.7) United States 516 (2.6) 524 (2.7) 500 (2.1) 518 (2.2) 549 (2.0) International Avg. 495 (0.7) 495 (0.7) 495 (0.7) 495 (0.7) 495 (0.6) Benchmarking Participants Indiana, USA 531 (3.4) 535 (3.4) 515 (3.0) 525 (3.5) 557 (2.9) Ontario 494 (5.0) 513 (3.4) 512 (3.8) 535 (3.8) 544 (3.5) Ontario (E) 494 (1.7) 513 (1.2) 512 (1.3) 535 (1.4) 545 (1.3) Ontario (F) 471 (2.0) 486 (1.5) 493 (1.5) 513 (1.6) 509 (1.6) Quebec 508 (2.5) 499 (2.6) 504 (2.1) 522 (2.3) 506 (2.3) Page 32

35 Grade 8: Average Science Scale Score and Standard Errors for all Participating Countries Country Average Scale Score Standard Error Singapore 578 (4.3) Chinese Taipei 571 (3.5) Korea, Rep. of 558 (1.6) Hong Kong (SAR) 556 (3.0) Estonia 552 (2.5) Japan 552 (1.7) Hungary 543 (2.8) Netherlands 536 (3.1) United States 527 (3.1) Australia 527 (3.8) Sweden 524 (2.7) Slovenia 520 (1.8) New Zealand 520 (5.0) Lithuania 519 (2.1) Slovak Republic 517 (3.2) Belgium (Flemish) 516 (2.5) Russian Federation 514 (3.7) Latvia 512 (2.6) Scotland 512 (3.4) Malaysia 510 (3.7) Norway 494 (2.2) Italy 491 (3.1) Israel 488 (3.1) Bulgaria 479 (5.2) Jordan 475 (3.8) International Avg. 474 (0.6) Moldova, Rep. of 472 (3.4) Romania 470 (4.9) Serbia 468 (2.5) Armenia 461 (3.5) Iran, Islamic Rep. of 453 (2.3) Macedonia, Rep. of 449 (3.6) Cyprus 441 (2.0) Bahrain 438 (1.8) Palestinian Nat'l Auth. 435 (3.2) Egypt 421 (3.9) Indonesia 420 (4.1) Chile 413 (2.9) Tunisia 404 (2.1) Saudi Arabia 398 (4.0) Morocco 396 (2.5) Lebanon 393 (4.3) Philippines 377 (5.8) Botswana 365 (2.8) Ghana 255 (5.9) South Africa 244 (6.7) England 544 (4.1) Benchmarking Participants Basque Country, Spain 489 (2.7) Page 33

36 Indiana, USA 531 (4.8) Ontario 533 (2.7) Ontario (E) 533 (1.3) Ontario (F) 502 (1.6) Quebec 531 (3.0) Grade 8: Average Science Scale Scores and Standard Error for Participating Countries by Content Area Average Scale Scores for Science Content Areas Country Life Science Chemistry Physics Earth Science Environmental Science Armenia 453 (3.3) 466 (4.2) 479 (3.2) 460 (3.7) 417 (4.4) Australia 532 (3.8) 506 (3.8) 521 (3.7) 531 (4.2) 536 (3.4) Bahrain 445 (1.9) 441 (2.6) 443 (2.0) 440 (2.4) 439 (3.1) Belgium (Flemish) 526 (2.4) 503 (2.0) 514 (2.5) 508 (2.5) 523 (2.7) Botswana 370 (2.7) 348 (3.1) 371 (3.2) 361 (3.1) 381 (3.3) Bulgaria 474 (5.2) 482 (5.7) 485 (5.0) 491 (4.9) 464 (5.0) Chile 427 (2.7) 405 (3.3) 401 (3.1) 435 (3.1) 436 (2.9) Chinese Taipei 563 (3.1) 584 (4.0) 569 (3.3) 548 (3.1) 560 (3.1) Cyprus 437 (2.2) 443 (2.6) 450 (1.7) 447 (2.1) 441 (2.3) Egypt 425 (3.7) 442 (3.8) 414 (4.1) 403 (4.4) 430 (4.0) Estonia 547 (2.4) 552 (2.1) 544 (2.4) 558 (2.9) 540 (2.2) Ghana 256 (5.6) 276 (6.6) 239 (5.4) 254 (5.6) 267 (6.2) Hong Kong (SAR) 551 (2.9) 542 (2.6) 555 (2.8) 549 (2.9) 555 (2.6) Hungary 536 (2.7) 560 (3.1) 536 (2.7) 537 (3.1) 528 (2.9) Indonesia 424 (3.9) 391 (3.8) 430 (4.0) 431 (3.8) 454 (3.4) Iran, Islamic Rep. of 447 (2.6) 445 (2.7) 445 (3.0) 468 (2.9) 487 (2.1) Israel 491 (3.0) 499 (3.4) 484 (2.9) 485 (3.0) 486 (2.9) Italy 498 (3.2) 487 (3.3) 470 (3.2) 513 (3.2) 497 (3.0) Japan 549 (2.0) 552 (2.1) 564 (1.9) 530 (2.1) 537 (2.0) Jordan 475 (4.0) 478 (4.4) 465 (3.8) 472 (4.0) 492 (3.2) Korea, Rep. of 558 (1.6) 529 (2.5) 579 (1.6) 540 (1.9) 544 (1.4) Latvia 511 (2.5) 514 (3.2) 512 (2.4) 514 (2.8) 508 (3.3) Lebanon 360 (5.0) 433 (4.9) 419 (4.0) 395 (4.0) 374 (5.1) Lithuania 517 (2.4) 534 (2.3) 519 (2.7) 512 (2.7) 507 (2.0) Macedonia, Rep. of 448 (3.8) 467 (3.9) 458 (3.1) 440 (4.3) 442 (3.7) Malaysia 504 (3.7) 514 (3.8) 519 (3.6) 502 (3.8) 513 (3.2) Moldova, Rep. of 466 (3.7) 479 (3.9) 479 (3.7) 475 (4.0) 454 (3.8) Morocco 390 (2.6) 402 (2.7) 410 (2.7) 397 (3.4) 396 (3.3) Netherlands 536 (3.3) 514 (2.6) 538 (3.4) 534 (3.2) 539 (2.8) New Zealand 523 (5.1) 501 (5.6) 515 (4.7) 525 (4.8) 525 (3.9) Norway 496 (2.5) 485 (3.0) 488 (2.6) 517 (2.7) 496 (2.2) Palestinian Nat'l Auth. 435 (3.6) 444 (3.9) 432 (3.6) 439 (3.0) 444 (3.7) Philippines 387 (5.8) 342 (6.1) 380 (4.7) 377 (5.7) 403 (5.4) Romania 471 (4.8) 474 (4.9) 473 (4.1) 469 (5.2) 472 (4.7) Russian Federation 514 (3.3) 527 (4.0) 511 (3.4) 518 (3.3) 491 (3.2) Saudi Arabia 412 (3.9) 382 (4.8) 394 (3.9) 394 (4.0) 410 (3.8) Scotland 512 (3.3) 499 (3.2) 515 (3.0) 515 (3.8) 511 (3.5) Serbia 468 (2.6) 474 (3.2) 471 (2.6) 471 (3.0) 457 (2.4) Singapore 569 (4.0) 582 (4.2) 579 (3.4) 549 (3.9) 568 (3.8) Slovak Republic 514 (2.9) 519 (3.6) 519 (2.9) 523 (3.3) 509 (2.8) Slovenia 521 (2.2) 532 (2.6) 509 (1.8) 523 (2.2) 515 (2.2) South Africa 250 (6.0) 285 (5.9) 244 (6.2) 247 (6.3) 261 (6.6) Sweden 528 (2.7) 526 (2.6) 525 (2.9) 532 (3.3) 499 (2.6) Tunisia 417 (2.0) 413 (2.5) 386 (2.5) 408 (2.0) 436 (2.2) Page 34

37 United States 537 (3.0) 513 (3.2) 515 (2.9) 532 (2.9) 533 (2.9) England 543 (3.9) 527 (4.2) 545 (3.5) 544 (4.1) 540 (4.2) International Avg. 474 (0.5) 474 (0.5) 474 (0.5) 474 (0.5) 474 (0.5) Benchmarking Participants Basque Country, Spain 492 (2.6) 472 (3.1) 483 (3.4) 506 (2.9) 494 (2.7) Indiana, USA 540 (4.5) 516 (5.4) 516 (4.4) 536 (5.2) 538 (4.0) Ontario 537 (2.9) 507 (3.0) 530 (3.1) 533 (3.2) 542 (2.4) Ontario (E) 537 (1.3) 507 (1.2) 530 (1.2) 533 (1.3) 542 (1.3) Ontario (F) 506 (1.7) 491 (1.5) 505 (1.6) 505 (1.7) 498 (1.7) Quebec 525 (3.2) 517 (2.8) 524 (2.6) 550 (2.8) 531 (2.9) Grade 4: Average Science Scale Scores and Standard Error for Participating Countries Country Average Scale Score Standard Error Singapore 565 (5.5) Chinese Taipei 551 (1.7) Japan 543 (1.5) Hong Kong (SAR) 542 (3.1) England 540 (3.6) United States 536 (2.5) Latvia 532 (2.5) Hungary 530 (3.0) Russian Federation 526 (5.2) Netherlands 525 (2.0) Australia 521 (4.2) New Zealand 520 (2.5) Belgium (Flemish) 518 (1.8) Italy 516 (3.8) Lithuania 512 (2.6) Scotland 502 (2.9) Moldova, Rep. of 496 (4.6) Slovenia 490 (2.5) International Avg. 489 (0.9) Cyprus 480 (2.4) Norway 466 (2.6) Armenia 437 (4.3) Iran, Islamic Rep. of 414 (4.1) Philippines 332 (9.4) Tunisia 314 (5.7) Morocco 304 (6.7) Benchmarking Participants Indiana, USA 553 (3.7) Ontario 540 (3.7) Ontario (E) 542 (1.5) Ontario (F) 484 (1.8) Quebec 500 (2.5) Page 35

38 Grade 4: Average Science Scale Scores and Standard Error for Participating Countries by Content Area Average Scale Scores for Science Content Areas Country Physical Life Science Earth Science Science Armenia 435 (4.4) 429 (4.3) 450 (3.6) Australia 523 (3.8) 518 (3.9) 518 (4.1) Belgium (Flemish) 524 (1.7) 507 (2.3) 522 (1.7) Chinese Taipei 540 (1.6) 554 (2.0) 559 (2.6) Cyprus 482 (2.1) 479 (2.3) 487 (2.5) England 532 (3.1) 546 (3.2) 535 (3.5) Hong Kong (SAR) 535 (2.6) 548 (2.7) 536 (2.7) Hungary 536 (2.5) 526 (2.7) 526 (3.7) Iran, Islamic Rep. of 424 (4.6) 419 (4.5) 428 (3.0) Italy 521 (3.5) 512 (3.5) 519 (3.7) Japan 530 (1.3) 557 (1.7) 535 (1.9) Latvia 531 (2.3) 532 (2.6) 534 (2.9) Lithuania 516 (2.0) 512 (2.5) 503 (3.2) Moldova, Rep. of 504 (3.9) 489 (3.9) 505 (4.9) Morocco 300 (6.1) 308 (7.0) 311 (6.1) Netherlands 547 (1.8) 505 (1.9) 503 (2.3) New Zealand 520 (2.3) 516 (2.3) 522 (2.3) Norway 480 (2.2) 456 (2.3) 473 (2.8) Philippines 330 (9.0) 343 (9.6) 324 (9.2) Russian Federation 526 (4.7) 527 (5.2) 527 (6.0) Scotland 506 (3.1) 503 (2.6) 498 (2.6) Singapore 558 (5.0) 577 (5.9) 538 (5.2) Slovenia 489 (2.9) 497 (2.3) 490 (2.7) Tunisia 290 (5.9) 324 (5.3) 336 (4.8) United States 537 (2.2) 531 (2.3) 535 (2.5) International Avg. 489 (0.7) 489 (0.8) 489 (0.8) Benchmarking Participants Indiana, USA 554 (2.9) 546 (3.5) 552 (3.6) Ontario 541 (3.6) 537 (3.5) 539 (3.8) Ontario (E) 543 (1.4) 538 (1.4) 541 (1.6) Ontario (F) 482 (1.7) 487 (1.7) 492 (1.9) Quebec 503 (2.2) 497 (2.4) 507 (2.7) Page 36

39 Appendix B Sample Test Items Looking at sample items and examining the item statistics is perhaps the best way to get a good sense of what sort of challenge Canadian students faced on the TIMSS 2003 test. In the following two sections, some of the released sample items for each of the grade levels are presented along with summary statistics. Symbols Used in the Examples * The item was answered fully and correctly by a majority of students reaching this benchmark. Met guidelines for sample participation rates only after replacement schools were included. Satisfied guidelines for sample participation rates, but only after replacement schools were included. Did not satisfy guidelines for sample participation rates. 1 National desired population does not cover all of international desired population. 2 National defined population covers less than 90% of national desired population. Korea tested the same cohort of students as other countries, but did so later in 2003, at the beginning of the next school year. ( ) Standard errors appear in parentheses. Because results are rounded to the nearest whole number, some totals may appear inconsistent. Country average significantly higher than international average. Country average significantly lower than international average. Data Source: IEA Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2003 Page 37

40 Grade 8 TIMSS 2003: Grade 8 Example Item 1 An Item That Students Reaching the High International Benchmark Are Likely to Have Answered Correctly* Content Area: Number Description: Solves a one-step word problem involving division of a whole number by a unit fraction. Percentage Country Receiving Full Credit Singapore 79 (1.9) Hong Kong (SAR) 76 (1.8) Chinese Taipei 75 (1.9) Netherlands 74 (2.1) Korea, Rep. of 68 (1.5) Japan 62 (1.8) Belgium (Flemish) 62 (2.2) Sweden 60 (1.9) Australia 53 (2.6) United States 52 (1.7) Scotland 51 (2.7) Estonia 51 (2.0) Latvia 51 (2.7) Hungary 51 (2.1) Russian Federation 49 (2.7) Israel 48 (2.3) Malaysia 47 (2.2) New Zealand 46 (3.2) Slovenia 46 (2.1) Armenia 45 (2.2) Lithuania 43 (2.3) Slovak Republic 43 (2.0) Norway 39 (2.1) Romania 39 (2.8) International Avg. 38 (0.3) Serbia 38 (2.0) Bulgaria 38 (3.0) Cyprus 37 (1.8) Moldova, Rep. of 37 (2.7) Italy 34 (2.1) Indonesia 26 (1.5) Macedonia, Rep. of 22 (2.0) Iran, Islamic Rep. of 20 (1.9) Tunisia 18 (1.4) Egypt 17 (1.4) Jordan 16 (1.5) Lebanon 15 (1.4) Chile 13 (1.1) Philippines 13 (1.3) Bahrain 11 (1.3) Botswana 11 (1.1) Palestinian Nat'l Auth. 10 (1.2) Morocco 8 (1.5) South Africa 7 (1.3) Saudi Arabia 7 (1.9) Ghana 6 (1.0) England 50 (3.1) Benchmarking Participants Basque Country, Spain 42 (2.5) Indiana, USA 56 (4.0) Ontario 53 (2.2) The answer shown illustrates the type of student response that was given full credit. Quebec 61 (2.9) Page 38

41 TIMSS 2003: Grade 8 Example Item 2 An Item That Students Reaching the Intermediate International Benchmark Are Likely to Have Answered Correctly* Content Area: Algebra Description: Solves equation for missing number in a proportion. Percentage Country Receiving Full Credit Singapore 93 (0.7) Korea, Rep. of 89 (0.9) Hong Kong (SAR) 88 (1.2) Belgium (Flemish) 86 (1.4) Netherlands 85 (1.8) Malaysia 83 (1.5) Chinese Taipei 83 (1.5) United States 80 (1.1) Japan 79 (1.6) Hungary 79 (1.7) Scotland 79 (1.9) Australia 76 (1.9) Slovak Republic 74 (2.0) Slovenia 72 (2.3) Israel 72 (2.0) Lebanon 71 (2.6) Russian Federation 71 (1.9) Estonia 71 (2.2) Latvia 70 (2.1) New Zealand 68 (2.3) Sweden 66 (2.1) Iran, Islamic Rep. of 66 (1.7) Italy 65 (2.1) Cyprus 65 (1.8) International Avg. 65 (0.3) Tunisia 64 (1.7) Lithuania 64 (2.1) Serbia 63 (2.1) Moldova, Rep. of 61 (2.5) Romania 61 (2.2) Bulgaria 59 (2.0) Norway 59 (2.1) Indonesia 58 (1.9) Egypt 58 (2.2) Armenia 54 (2.6) Morocco 54 (3.0) Jordan 53 (1.9) Palestinian Nat'l Auth. 52 (1.6) Philippines 52 (2.1) Macedonia, Rep. of 50 (2.3) Bahrain 44 (2.2) Chile 44 (2.0) Botswana 41 (1.7) Saudi Arabia 30 (2.2) Ghana 28 (1.6) South Africa 26 (1.5) England 74 (2.6) Benchmarking Participants Basque Country, Spain 77 (2.3) Indiana, USA 83 (1.7) Ontario 86 (1.8) h The answer shown illustrates the type of student response that was given full credit. Quebec 88 (1.4) Page 39

42 TIMSS 2003: Grade 8 Example Item 3 An Item That Students Reaching the High International Benchmark Are Likely to Have Answered Correctly* Content Area: Geometry Description: Uses properties of congruent triangles to find the measure of an angle. Percentage Country Receiving Full Credit Korea, Rep. of 84 (1.4) Hong Kong (SAR) 81 (1.6) Japan 80 (1.4) Singapore 79 (1.6) Chinese Taipei 73 (1.9) Estonia 67 (2.0) Belgium (Flemish) 66 (1.7) Latvia 63 (2.2) Bulgaria 60 (2.6) Israel 57 (2.7) Russian Federation 55 (2.7) Lebanon 55 (2.2) Scotland 54 (2.7) Slovak Republic 54 (2.5) Lithuania 51 (2.3) Hungary 50 (2.4) Australia 47 (2.1) Egypt 47 (1.7) Malaysia 47 (2.4) International Avg. 46 (0.3) Armenia 45 (2.4) Moldova, Rep. of 45 (3.0) Cyprus 44 (2.2) Netherlands 44 (2.5) Serbia 43 (1.9) New Zealand 42 (3.6) Jordan 42 (1.8) Italy 42 (2.3) Tunisia 41 (1.6) Bahrain 41 (2.4) Sweden 40 (2.1) Palestinian Nat'l Auth. 39 (1.7) Iran, Islamic Rep. of 37 (2.1) Slovenia 37 (2.5) United States 36 (1.7) Macedonia, Rep. of 33 (2.4) Norway 32 (2.1) Indonesia 31 (1.7) Morocco 31 (2.2) Chile 30 (1.8) Saudi Arabia 26 (2.5) South Africa 21 (1.5) Ghana 20 (1.6) Botswana 20 (1.5) Romania 18 (1.7) Philippines 15 (1.3) England 47 (2.8) Benchmarking Participants Basque Country, Spain 32 (2.5) Indiana, USA 30 (2.6) Ontario 50 (2.6) The answer shown illustrates the type of student response that was given full credit. Quebec 69 (1.8) Page 40

43 TIMSS 2003: Grade 8 Example Item 4 An Item That Students Reaching the Advanced International Benchmark Are Likely to Have Answered Correctly* Content Area: Data Description: Interpret data from a table, draws and justifies conclusions. Country Percentage Receiving Full Credit Japan 49 (2.2) Australia 44 (2.2) Estonia 44 (2.1) Korea, Rep. of 40 (1.7) Singapore 40 (1.7) Hungary 39 (2.2) Belgium (Flemish) 38 (1.9) Lithuania 37 (1.7) United States 37 (1.7) Scotland 36 (2.7) Israel 33 (2.1) New Zealand 30 (2.4) Netherlands 28 (2.5) Hong Kong (SAR) 28 (2.0) Slovenia 27 (2.2) Sweden 27 (1.9) Malaysia 27 (1.7) Chinese Taipei 27 (1.8) Slovak Republic 26 (2.0) Italy 23 (1.8) Latvia 22 (1.8) International Avg. 21 (0.3) Jordan 20 (1.8) Bahrain 18 (1.4) Norway 18 (1.4) Romania 16 (1.8) Russian Federation 15 (2.0) Egypt 14 (1.2) Cyprus 13 (1.4) Indonesia 12 (1.4) Serbia 12 (1.3) Chile 12 (1.1) Bulgaria 12 (1.7) Lebanon 11 (1.4) Philippines 11 (1.2) Macedonia, Rep. of 10 (1.5) Saudi Arabia 8 (1.8) Morocco 7 (1.2) South Africa 6 (1.2) Palestinian Nat'l Auth. 5 (0.7) Iran, Islamic Rep. of 4 (0.7) Tunisia 4 (0.6) Ghana 3 (1.0) Botswana 2 (0.8) Armenia 2 (0.6) Moldova, Rep. of 1 (0.5) England 45 (2.5) Benchmarking Participants Basque Country, Spain 19 (2.1) Indiana, USA 34 (3.3) Ontario 36 (2.4) The answer shown illustrates the type of student response that was given full credit. Quebec 24 (2.1) Page 41

44 Grade 4 TIMSS 2003: Grade 4 Example Item 1 An Item That Students Reaching the Intermediate International Benchmark Are Likely to Have Answered Correctly* Content Area: Number Description: Recognizes a familiar fraction represented by a figure with shaded parts (region model). Country Percentage Receiving Full Credit Singapore 93 (1.0) Hong Kong (SAR) 86 (1.7) United States 82 (1.1) Chinese Taipei 81 (1.5) Belgium (Flemish) 79 (1.8) Japan 76 (1.5) Cyprus 75 (1.8) Netherlands 73 (2.1) England 67 (2.2) Australia 62 (2.2) Latvia 60 (2.8) New Zealand 59 (2.2) International Avg. 57 (0.4) Hungary 56 (2.7) Lithuania 56 (2.2) Italy 55 (2.4) Scotland 52 (2.2) Philippines 50 (2.3) Russian Federation 49 (2.8) Iran, Islamic Rep. of 47 (2.7) Moldova, Rep. of 43 (2.7) Slovenia 34 (2.5) Armenia 29 (2.2) Norway 29 (2.0) Morocco 13 (1.7) Tunisia 12 (1.6) Benchmarking Participants Indiana, USA 89 (2.2) Ontario 69 (2.8) The answer shown illustrates the type of student response that was given full credit. Quebec 67 (2.6) Page 42

45 TIMSS 2003: Grade 4 Example Item 2 An Item That Students Reaching the High International Benchmark Are Likely to Have Answered Correctly* Content Area: Patterns and Relationships Description: Selects the expression that represents a situation involving multiplication. The answer shown illustrates the type of student response that was given full credit. Country Percentage Receiving Full Credit Singapore 86 (1.4) Chinese Taipei 81 (1.5) Hong Kong (SAR) 76 (1.9) United States 72 (1.2) Netherlands 72 (2.7) Belgium (Flemish) 67 (1.6) Japan 67 (2.0) Russian Federation 66 (2.6) Latvia 66 (2.3) England 66 (2.5) Cyprus 65 (2.0) Moldova, Rep. of 64 (2.4) Lithuania 62 (2.3) Hungary 61 (2.2) Slovenia 60 (2.2) Scotland 60 (2.2) International Avg. 58 (0.4) Australia 56 (2.3) New Zealand 54 (1.7) Italy 50 (2.3) Armenia 46 (2.4) Philippines 38 (2.3) Norway 37 (2.1) Iran, Islamic Rep. of 34 (2.3) Morocco 29 (2.2) Tunisia 20 (2.0) Benchmarking Participants Indiana, USA 74 (2.0) Ontario 61 (2.5) Quebec 60 (2.4) Page 43

46 TIMSS 2003: Grade 4 Example Item 3 An Item That Students Reaching the Advanced International Benchmark Are Likely to Have Answered Correctly* Content Area: Measurement Description: Completes an irregular figure on a grid so that it has a given area. The answer shown illustrates the type of student response that was given full credit. Percentage Country Receiving Full Credit Japan 68 (2.1) Chinese Taipei 66 (1.8) Hong Kong (SAR) 52 (2.8) Singapore 43 (2.2) Latvia 43 (2.9) Lithuania 40 (2.5) Netherlands 37 (2.6) Moldova, Rep. of 35 (2.3) Cyprus 34 (2.3) Russian Federation 30 (2.4) International Avg. 29 (0.4) Scotland 29 (2.4) England 29 (2.3) Australia 29 (2.2) Belgium (Flemish) 28 (2.2) Hungary 26 (2.0) Armenia 25 (2.3) United States 24 (1.7) Italy 22 (2.0) New Zealand 15 (1.6) Iran, Islamic Rep. of 11 (1.6) Slovenia 11 (1.7) Norway 10 (1.6) Morocco 9 (1.9) Tunisia 9 (1.2) Philippines 5 (1.5) Benchmarking Participants Indiana, USA 17 (2.2) Ontario 38 (2.6) Quebec 35 (2.6) Page 44

47 TIMSS 2003: Grade 4 Example Item 4 An Item That Students Reaching the High International Benchmark Are Likely to Have Answered Correctly* Content Area: Geometry Description: Part B Makes and draws one square from four triangle tiles (square tiles divided diagonally into Country one white and one black triangle). Percentage Receiving Full Credit Japan 71 (2.0) Netherlands 60 (3.2) Russian Federation 57 (2.3) Lithuania 57 (2.3) Belgium (Flemish) 55 (2.0) Chinese Taipei 54 (1.5) England 54 (2.4) Australia 52 (3.0) New Zealand 52 (2.3) Italy 51 (2.9) Scotland 48 (2.9) Norway 47 (3.1) Cyprus 47 (2.3) Hong Kong (SAR) 46 (2.0) Singapore 45 (2.3) Hungary 45 (2.1) Slovenia 44 (2.6) United States 42 (1.7) International Avg. 42 (0.5) Moldova, Rep. of 37 (2.9) Latvia 33 (2.2) Tunisia 15 (1.5) Iran, Islamic Rep. of 13 (2.0) Armenia 10 (1.3) Philippines 7 (1.0) Morocco 5 (1.7) Benchmarking Participants Indiana, USA 42 (3.4) Ontario 49 (2.4) Quebec 49 (2.9) The answer shown illustrates the type of student response that was given full credit. Page 45

48 TIMSS 2003: Grade 4 Example Item 5 An Item That Students Reaching the Intermediate International Benchmark Are Likely to Have Answered Correctly* Content Area: Data Description: Completes a bar graph based on the solution of a word problem. The answer shown illustrates the type of student response that was given full credit. Percentage Country Receiving Full Credit Belgium (Flemish) 93 (1.1) Netherlands 93 (1.1) Hong Kong (SAR) 92 (1.0) Chinese Taipei 92 (1.1) Singapore 90 (1.2) Japan 90 (1.3) Latvia 88 (1.4) Lithuania 87 (1.8) England 86 (1.7) Hungary 84 (1.7) Scotland 83 (1.8) Russian Federation 82 (2.4) United States 82 (1.3) Cyprus 80 (1.3) New Zealand 80 (1.7) Slovenia 79 (2.3) Australia 76 (2.1) Norway 75 (1.9) International Avg. 73 (0.4) Italy 71 (1.8) Moldova, Rep. of 67 (2.2) Armenia 50 (2.2) Philippines 29 (2.5) Iran, Islamic Rep. of 28 (2.3) Morocco 24 (3.1) Tunisia 21 (2.1) Benchmarking Participants Indiana, USA 84 (1.7) Ontario 85 (2.0) Quebec 83 (1.8) Page 46

49 Sample Science Items TIMSS 2003: Grade 8 Example Item 1 An Item That Students Reaching the High International Benchmark Are Likely to Have Answered Correctly* Content Area: Life Science Description: Given that a community consists of mice, snakes, and wheat plants, explains what will happen to the mice and wheat plants if the snakes are killed. Country Percentage Receiving Full Credit Singapore 78 (1.8) Malaysia 68 (2.1) Chinese Taipei 55 (2.0) Estonia 52 (2.3) Australia 50 (2.3) Sweden 48 (2.1) Hungary 48 (1.9) Belgium (Flemish) 46 (1.9) Netherlands 45 (2.6) United States 44 (1.7) Scotland 42 (2.5) Slovak Republic 41 (2.4) Lithuania 41 (2.2) Iran, Islamic Rep. of 40 (2.1) Jordan 39 (2.4) Russian Federation 38 (1.6) Korea, Rep. of 38 (1.9) Hong Kong (SAR) 37 (2.0) Romania 37 (2.7) New Zealand 35 (3.2) Egypt 34 (1.9) Armenia 34 (2.1) International Avg. 33 (0.3) Slovenia 33 (2.0) Latvia 32 (2.3) Serbia 32 (2.1) Macedonia, Rep. of 32 (2.5) Japan 31 (1.6) Norway 31 (2.4) Indonesia 30 (1.7) Israel 30 (2.0) Italy 27 (2.1) Moldova, Rep. of 26 (2.2) Tunisia 26 (1.8) Saudi Arabia 24 (2.1) Bulgaria 22 (2.2) Cyprus 18 (1.5) Chile 16 (1.8) Bahrain 16 (1.3) Palestinian Nat'l Auth. 16 (1.3) Morocco 16 (1.8) Philippines 16 (1.5) Lebanon 9 (1.6) Botswana 6 (1.1) South Africa 6 (1.1) Ghana 3 (0.6) England 57 (2.4) Benchmarking Participants Basque Country, Spain 28 (2.4) Indiana, USA 40 (3.7) Ontario 55 (2.6) The answer shown illustrates the type of student response that was given full credit. Quebec 41 (2.4) Page 47

50 TIMSS 2003: Grade 8 Example Item 2 An Item That Students Reaching the High International Benchmark Are Likely to Have Answered Correctly* Content Area: Chemistry Description: Using a four-step decision diagram showing the steps used to separate iron filings, cork, sand, Country and salt from a mixture, identifies which component is separated by magnetism, floating/sinking, filtering, and Percentage Receiving evaporation. Full Credit Singapore 68 (2.2) Chinese Taipei 67 (2.5) Japan 58 (2.5) Hong Kong (SAR) 58 (2.3) Estonia 56 (2.8) Korea, Rep. of 54 (2.5) Hungary 51 (3.2) Slovak Republic 51 (3.0) Latvia 49 (3.4) Scotland 48 (2.9) Netherlands 47 (3.3) Sweden 47 (2.3) Lithuania 47 (2.8) New Zealand 46 (4.1) Malaysia 46 (3.0) Russian Federation 45 (2.8) Australia 44 (3.5) Belgium (Flemish) 44 (2.4) Armenia 42 (3.5) Slovenia 41 (4.1) Italy 39 (3.0) United States 35 (2.0) Jordan 35 (3.1) Romania 35 (3.0) International Avg. 34 (0.4) Moldova, Rep. of 34 (3.7) Israel 33 (2.6) Norway 26 (2.8) Lebanon 26 (2.5) Chile 26 (2.2) Iran, Islamic Rep. of 25 (2.1) Bahrain 23 (2.6) Egypt 22 (2.2) Bulgaria 21 (3.1) Palestinian Nat'l Auth. 20 (1.9) Serbia 20 (2.6) Cyprus 19 (2.3) Tunisia 15 (1.8) Saudi Arabia 14 (2.5) Macedonia, Rep. of 14 (2.3) Indonesia 12 (1.6) Philippines 11 (1.5) South Africa 8 (1.3) Botswana 7 (1.6) Morocco 6 (1.9) Ghana 6 (1.2) England 48 (3.8) Benchmarking Participants Basque Country, Spain 44 (3.8) Indiana, USA 42 (3.8) Ontario 37 (3.5) The answer shown illustrates the type of student response that was given full credit. Quebec 50 (3.5) Page 48

51 TIMSS 2003: Grade 8 Example Item 3 An Item That Students Reaching the Intermediate International Benchmark Are Likely to Have Answered Correctly* Content Area: Physics Description: Applies knowledge of circular motion to identify the diagram that shows that an object will move in a straight line when released from a circular path. Country Percentage Receiving Full Credit Korea, Rep. of 87 (1.2) Netherlands 82 (1.8) Estonia 80 (1.6) Singapore 79 (1.3) Australia 77 (1.9) Japan 77 (1.5) Hungary 77 (1.8) Scotland 77 (1.4) New Zealand 77 (2.4) Belgium (Flemish) 76 (1.5) United States 76 (1.4) Lithuania 75 (1.6) Malaysia 75 (1.8) Sweden 74 (1.8) Russian Federation 74 (1.7) Slovak Republic 72 (2.2) Norway 72 (1.8) Latvia 71 (2.1) Slovenia 70 (2.0) Hong Kong (SAR) 69 (1.6) Chinese Taipei 68 (1.5) Italy 61 (2.1) Bulgaria 60 (2.6) Serbia 60 (2.2) International Avg. 60 (0.3) Cyprus 59 (1.8) Israel 58 (2.0) Romania 58 (2.8) Chile 58 (1.6) Armenia 58 (2.5) Macedonia, Rep. of 54 (2.4) Moldova, Rep. of 52 (3.0) Iran, Islamic Rep. of 48 (1.9) Jordan 47 (2.2) Indonesia 47 (1.9) Bahrain 44 (2.0) Philippines 42 (1.9) Saudi Arabia 38 (2.5) Palestinian Nat'l Auth. 36 (1.9) Morocco 33 (2.2) Tunisia 31 (1.9) Egypt 30 (1.9) Lebanon 30 (2.1) Botswana 30 (1.7) South Africa 22 (1.8) Ghana 22 (1.6) England 74 (2.0) Benchmarking Participants Basque Country, Spain 72 (2.3) Indiana, USA 77 (2.7) Ontario 78 (1.8) The answer shown illustrates the type of student response that was given full credit. Quebec 79 (1.5) Page 49

52 TIMSS 2003: Grade 8 Example Item 4 An Item That Students Reaching the Intermediate International Benchmark Are Likely to Have Answered Correctly* Content Area: Earth Science Description: Uses knowledge of gravity to recognize that objects fall towards the center of Earth. Percentage Country Receiving Full Credit Japan 92 (1.2) Estonia 91 (1.7) Korea, Rep. of 90 (1.5) Hungary 88 (2.1) Sweden 87 (1.8) Netherlands 87 (2.2) Malaysia 86 (1.5) Chinese Taipei 86 (1.7) Norway 84 (2.0) Slovenia 83 (2.4) Russian Federation 82 (1.8) Lithuania 81 (2.2) New Zealand 81 (2.9) Hong Kong, SAR 81 (2.2) Latvia 80 (2.5) Singapore 80 (1.7) Slovak Republic 80 (2.2) Australia 79 (2.5) Serbia 78 (2.6) Belgium (Flemish) 77 (2.2) United States 75 (1.8) Scotland 73 (2.9) Armenia 72 (2.4) Lebanon 72 (2.5) Italy 71 (2.6) International Avg. 70 (0.4) Romania 70 (3.3) Iran, Islamic Rep. of 67 (2.7) Bahrain 67 (2.3) Jordan 66 (2.6) Moldova, Rep. of 66 (3.7) Israel 65 (3.2) Philippines 65 (2.4) Indonesia 62 (2.2) Bulgaria 61 (4.0) Botswana 61 (2.7) Saudi Arabia 61 (3.1) Palestinian Nat'l Auth. 58 (2.3) Chile 58 (2.4) Cyprus 58 (3.3) Macedonia, Rep. of 54 (3.4) Egypt 51 (2.3) Tunisia 47 (2.5) Ghana 43 (2.9) South Africa 40 (2.1) Morocco 6 (1.3) England 78 (3.0) Benchmarking Participants Basque Country, Spain 67 (3.4) Indiana, USA 80 (3.3) Ontario 80 (2.5) The answer shown illustrates the type of student response that was given full credit. Quebec 86 (1.8) Page 50

53 TIMSS 2003: Grade 4 Example Item 1 An Item That Students Reaching the Intermediate International Benchmark Are Likely to Have Answered Correctly* Content Area: Life Science Description: Given a diagram of six organisms, classifies them into those that give birth and those that lay eggs. Percentage Receiving Country Full Credit Singapore 84 (1.3) United States 76 (1.1) New Zealand 74 (1.9) Netherlands 73 (2.5) Australia 72 (2.6) England 67 (2.0) Japan 67 (1.8) Italy 64 (2.5) Belgium (Flemish) 63 (2.2) Russian Federation 63 (2.7) Latvia 62 (2.1) Hungary 62 (2.0) Lithuania 60 (1.9) Scotland 59 (2.1) Norway 58 (1.7) Hong Kong (SAR) 58 (2.3) Benchmarking Participants International Avg. 58 (0.4) Cyprus 54 (2.1) Chinese Taipei 53 (1.9) Slovenia 52 (2.4) Moldova, Rep. of 51 (2.3) Armenia 46 (2.8) Philippines 41 (2.4) Iran, Islamic Rep. of 35 (2.5) Morocco 23 (2.3) Tunisia 19 (1.5) Indiana, USA 80 (1.7) Ontario 70 (2.6) Quebec 67 (2.2) The answer shown illustrates the type of student response that was given full credit. Page 51

54 TIMSS 2003: Grade 4 Example Item 2 An Item that Students Reaching the High International Benchmark are Likely to Answer Correctly* Content Area: Physical Science Description: Describes one difference between solids and liquids. Country Percentage Receiving Full Credit England 74 (2.2) Singapore 73 (2.0) United States 67 (1.6) Chinese Taipei 66 (1.8) Australia 64 (2.1) Hungary 64 (2.0) New Zealand 62 (2.2) Japan 59 (1.8) Scotland 57 (2.1) Hong Kong (SAR) 56 (2.3) Italy 55 (2.1) Slovenia 51 (2.6) Russian Federation 49 (2.5) International Avg. 44 (0.4) Latvia 44 (2.5) Cyprus 41 (2.1) Moldova, Rep. of 37 (2.2) Belgium (Flemish) 32 (1.8) Lithuania 30 (1.6) Iran, Islamic Rep. of 29 (2.5) Philippines 22 (3.2) Netherlands 21 (2.2) Benchmarking Participants Armenia 21 (1.7) Norway 16 (2.0) Tunisia 11 (1.5) Morocco 8 (1.4) Indiana, USA 71 (2.7) Ontario 70 (1.9) The answer shown illustrates the type of student response that was given full credit. Quebec 51 (1.9) Page 52

55 TIMSS 2003: Grade 4 Example Item 3 An Item that Students Reaching the High International Benchmark are Likely to Answer Correctly* Content Area: Earth Science Description: From a diagram showing a variety of landscape features, recognizes the best location for growing crops. Percentage Country Receiving Full Credit Japan 75 (1.6) Latvia 70 (1.9) United States 70 (1.1) Hong Kong (SAR) 70 (2.0) Lithuania 69 (1.8) Netherlands 69 (2.2) Hungary 69 (2.2) England 69 (2.0) Scotland 68 (2.0) Italy 68 (2.0) Chinese Taipei 67 (1.9) Australia 66 (2.5) Norway 63 (2.3) New Zealand 63 (2.3) Russian Federation 63 (2.5) Singapore 62 (2.0) Cyprus 59 (2.2) International Avg. 57 (0.4) Slovenia 56 (2.5) Moldova, Rep. of 54 (3.0) Belgium (Flemish) 44 (2.2) Armenia 34 (2.3) Iran, Islamic Rep. of 32 (2.4) Morocco 27 (2.0) Philippines 24 (2.2) Tunisia 22 (1.6) Benchmarking Participants Indiana, USA 75 (2.3) Ontario 71 (2.4) The answer shown illustrates the type of student response that was given full credit. Quebec 66 (2.4) Page 53