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Tuesday, December 11, 2012

International Tests Show East Asian Students Outperform World As U.S. Holds Steady

International Tests Show East Asian Students Outperform World As U.S. Holds Steady:


International Tests Show East Asian Students Outperform World As U.S. Holds Steady

The U.S. performed above average on international standardized tests in elementary and middle school math, science and reading, according to reports released Tuesday. But experts said the rankings, along with similar exams that test students at later ages, show a fundamental problem in America's education system: students tend to perform worse as they age.

"When we start looking at our older students, we see less improvement over time," said Jack Buckley, who leads the U.S. Education Department's National Center for Education Statistics. That trend holds true across several exams.

The International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement's PIRLS and TIMSS 2011 exams,