American Students are Mastering Math

According to an article recently posted on InformationWeek, American fourth and eighth graders have moved up in the polls, ranking ninth and sixth internationally in math test scores. To a nation that seems to be dumped on quite a bit for their public education system and how smart their students are, it seems that the U.S. is starting to move up in the ranks.
A survey conducted by the International Study Center at Boston College shows that the comprehension of math students in fourth and eighth grade has increased since 2003, which leads to the boost in the rankings amongst other nations. The American students also scored above average when compared to students in other countries.
The math test used to compare countries was administered to fourth graders in 36 countries and eighth graders in 48 countries. Fourth graders, with an average of 529, ranked better globally with the global average only being 500. Eighth graders scored on average 508, which was 8 higher than the global average (like the fourth graders) of 500. Only five other countries (all in Asia!) ranked higher than the American students for the eighth graders.
Although the averages of the students was overall better than most countries, they still missed the mark when it came to scoring at or above the advanced levels. Ten percent of fourth graders and six percent of eighth graders in America scored at or above the advanced benchmark while Singapore had an outstanding 41 percent who met this benchmark.
So, let’s hope this trend continues. Hopefully the education system in the U.S. will continue to improve and people will begin to realize just how important teachers, school and a decent education really are.