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The results from the 2015 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) were released on 29 November and, in general, the results are largely the same as in prior years: namely that a group of East Asian countries (Taiwan, Korea, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Japan) were far ahead of the rest of the world, particularly in math, on both tests administered (4th and 8th grade).
One difference: for the first time this year, the TIMSS also tracked the progress of the same set of students by giving them a third test in their last year of school. The test, called TIMSS Advanced, was given in the nine countries that agreed to participate. These results found that the scores across the three tests from the students who were taking the most challenging math and science classes in their senior year progressively got worse over time. For instance, US students who scored 29 points above the midpoint on science as 4th graders scored 13 points above as 8th graders, and ended up 63 points below midpoint in their senior year. This trend was generally the same in the other countries except for an elite group of Russian students who take an extra class of math a day, and Slovenian students who bucked the trend in science but not math.
This article from sciencemag.org notes:
The advanced students also struggled to meet the international benchmark for the tests. In math, only 2% of the 32,000 students scored at an “advanced” level, and only 43% demonstrated even a “basic knowledge” of algebra, calculus, and geometry. The results were similar in physics: Only 5% of the 24,000 students were advanced, and a total of 46% showed a basic understanding of the subject. That means more than half the students tested weren’t really performing at an advanced level.
(Score: 2) by krishnoid on Thursday December 01 2016, @02:46AM
I'm talking about having SOME facility with basic arithmetic facts that can allow you to go through basic demonstrations of how higher-level math works.
Forget higher-level math -- I'd say that being unable to do 2- to 3-digit addition and subtraction in your head means that "You get paid next week, but you see a pair of shoes and some cool sunglasses you want to buy. Based on the tag prices, do you have enough in your checking account for your debit card to cover these, or will you have to wait until you get paid? You've got about 15 minutes to catch the bus, the line is kind of long, and your phone is dead." is going to be out of reach.
Note I didn't say 'credit card'. I suspect that the lack of on-tap arithmetic skills interacts with the bottomless pit of a credit card to cause at least some of the current consumer credit crisis.