Performance on International Assessments and Learning Time: A Snapshot of How the U.S. Compares to Other Education Systems on an International Scale

Abstract

Drawing from two international measures, Trends in International Mathematics and Science Studies (TIMSS) and Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), a new CEEP policy brief provides a snapshot comparison of the United States to other education systems. Specifically, this brief addresses how the U.S. compares to other countries in overall performance on international assessments and highlights the discrepancies between the U.S. and other education systems in the use of learning time. Key findings indicate that: (1) education systems that performed well on TIMSS 2011 assessments were also likely to perform well on the PISA 2012 math and science assessments, and (2) the link between learning time and academic performance remains unclear at the education system-level. In order to better address the relationship between learning time and academic performance, the authors recommend further research at the state, school, and student levels.