American Federation of Teachers Executive Vice President Antonia Cortese
on TIMSS International Math and Science Scores

The 2003 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study shows U.S. eighth-grade students improving in science and math compared with their peers in 44 other countries, and fourth-graders slipping compared with their peers in 24 other countries.

The intense emphasis on raising math and science achievement appears to be paying off in the middle-school years. It is especially gratifying to see a narrowing of the achievement gap between black and white students in both subjects in fourth and eighth grades and between Hispanic and white students in eighth-grade science.

There is still much work to be done. The stagnant scores for fourth-graders call for early and aggressive identification of struggling youngsters and immediate intervention so their problems can be addressed.

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