Press Releases - Mathematics Improve Overall for America's Students - News | Sylvan Learning

• Home
• About Sylvan
• Press Room
• Press Releases
• Math Skills Improve

• Print this page
• Share this page

Mathematics Improve Overall for America's Students: Yet the U.S. Is Still Behind Asia

Sylvan education expert says TIMSS study shows need for math support in critical middle school years

(Baltimore, MD, December 10, 2008) – Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences released “Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS),” showing that both American fourth and eighth graders have slightly improved their math proficiency since 2003. The study, however, shows that the U.S. lags behind other industrialized nations.

“We are pleased to see America’s students are improving their mathematical abilities, but substantial work still needs to be done,” says Judy Ann Brown, mathematics program manager for Sylvan Learning. “The TIMSS study shows that American students still lack one of the most critical skills for college and the workforce, mathematics, just when they need it the most.”

In 2007, the average mathematics scores of both U.S. fourth and eighth grade students were higher than the TIMSS scale averages internationally. The average mathematics achievement of U.S. fourth graders in 2007 was 11 score points higher than the average score in 1995 (529 versus 518). The average mathematics achievement of U.S. eighth graders in 2007 was 16 score points higher than the average score in 1995 (508 versus 492). Although U.S. scores are increasing, the U.S. fourth grade score is 529 as compared to Hong Kong at 607. The gap is even greater in eighth grade where the U.S. score is 504 compared to 605 for Singapore.

U.S. scores have shown improvement which indicates that the focus on the importance of mathematics education is having a positive effect and should be continued throughout the critical middle school years. The gap is broader in eighth grade because many students have not yet mastered the foundational concepts needed for introduction to algebra. Teaching for conceptual understanding is beginning to help and as U.S. educators continue to stress the importance of conceptual understanding alongside computational fluency, we will continue to see improvement.

According to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, by focusing on mathematics – especially algebra - across all grades, we will ensure that students develop the analytical thinking and reasoning skills needed for success in school and beyond. In essence, algebra for middle and high school students must be preceded by algebraic reasoning in the early years.

“Students who successfully complete higher level mathematics courses – beginning with algebra - are at an advantage,” says Brown. Traditionally, students cannot take advanced mathematics classes in secondary school until they have mastered the foundational math concepts learned in elementary school – decimals and fractions - and successfully completed Algebra 1. “Success in Algebra 1 is pivotal because it is the language spoken in mathematics.”

To help students acquire these critical math skills, Sylvan Learning created a Math Essentials program that is specifically designed to develop the foundational math skills, study habits and positive attitudes towards mathematics that lead to lifelong success. To further assist parents in helping their children with math, in January 2009, Sylvan Learning will debut “Forgotten Math for Parents” – an interactive parent workshop detailing how every math concept a child faces from fourth to ninth grade is an essential component of algebra.

About Sylvan Learning

Sylvan Learning is the leading provider of in-center and live, online tutoring at home to students of all ages, grades and skill levels. With approximately 30 years of experience and nearly 1,100 centers located throughout North America, Sylvan’s proven process and personalized methods have inspired more than 2 million students to discover the joy of learning. Sylvan’s trained and certified personal instructors provide individual instruction in reading, writing, mathematics, study skills and test-prep for college entrance and state exams. Sylvan helps transform unique kids into uniquely inspired learners with the skills to do better in school and the confidence to do better in everything else. Visit www.DrRickBlog.com to share your personal academic experiences and comment on academic trends. For more information, call 1-800-31-SUCCESS or visit http://www.SylvanLearning.com.

For more information, contact:
Jennifer Gaegler, Sylvan Learning Center
(410) 843-8928
jennifer.gaegler@sylvanlearning.com