America’s Math Scores Are Getting Worse
New international test results show that American scores have either stagnated or slipped.
When it comes to literacy in math, science and reading, American teens are far from top performers, according to new results from an international exam released Tuesday.
American teens posted uninspiring results on the 2015 Program for International Student Assessment, a test taken by a sample of 15-year-olds in 70 education systems around the world. Students’ scores in reading and science remained largely stagnant since the last time the test was administered in 2012, but scores in math dropped to lows not seen since 2006. The PISA exam is administered every three years.
The United States posted average scores in reading and science compared to other countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, an intergovernmental group of 35 mostly industrialized nations. On math, the United States scored below average, with scores of both top- and low-performing students declining.
When disaggregated by location, the scores of students in Massachusetts, North Carolina and Puerto Rico show sharp divides. Average scores from students in Massachusetts are well above the United States average, while North Carolina scores are consistent with the nation’s overall scores. Puerto Rico’s scores were lower than the U.S. average in all three areas.
Singapore ― while not a member of the OECD ― participated in the exam, and posted top scores in all three subjects. On the other end of the spectrum, the Dominican Republic ― also not an OECD member country ― posted the lowest scores out of any country in science and math.
The United States had an average number of top-performing students in science and reading, but a lower than average number in math. Nine percent of American 15-America's Math Scores Are Getting Worse | The Huffington Post: