What the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) Means for Systemic School Improvement. Perspectives on Education Policy Research. Policy Brief.

Overview & Synopsis

To explore the policy implications of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), the National Institute on Educational Governance, Finance, Policymaking, and Management of the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI) in the U.S. Department of Education, and the Consortium for Policy Research in Education held a TIMSS Policy Forum in Washington, D.C. in October, 1997. This forum brought together a diverse group of TIMSS researchers, state and local policymakers, teachers, school administrators, mathematics and science specialists, business representatives, university educators, and federal officials. Participants discussed what TIMSS means for systemic education reform and identified several future directions for policy decisions and policy research. This policy brief synthesizes the presentations and discussions that occurred during the TIMSS Policy Forum and draws from the TIMSS reports of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and from papers prepared by researchers involved in TIMSS. (ASK)