American students turned in grim results on the latest international test of math skills — adding to a large body of research showing significant academic declines since the Covid-19 pandemic began.
The exam, the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, known as TIMSS, was given last year to fourth and eighth graders from dozens of education systems across the globe. The results, released on Wednesday, found that since 2019, American fourth graders have declined 18 points in math, while eighth graders have declined 27 points.
In fourth grade, those declines were driven by the struggles of students at the bottom end of the achievement spectrum. While fourth graders in the 75th percentile and above did not decline since 2019, those in the 25th percentile and below declined significantly. In 16 other countries, fourth graders performed better in mathematics in 2023 than in 2019.
Among American eighth graders, both high-performing and low-performing students lost ground in math.
Overall, American students’ performance in math was similar to their performance in 1995, when TIMSS was first given — a notable stagnation, given the energetic movement to improve American schools over the last three decades. That movement has pushed a flurry of bipartisan laws intended to enact tougher accountability standards for schools, more school choice for parents and more rigorous academic standards.
While some of those changes might have resulted in previous learning gains, much of the progress appears to have been erased, particularly for low-income students and others who struggle academically, said Peggy Carr, commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics, part of the federal Department of Education.
“This is alarming,” Dr. Carr said. “These are sharp, steep declines.”
About half of Americans say public K-12 education is going in the wrong direction
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