Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by
U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley
Press Conference on 12th-Grade
TIMSS Results
February 23, 1998

Let me outline five basic steps we need to take. First, we need to build a firm foundation for our students during the middle school years; second, state assessments and standards must be raised; third, we must expect more high school students to take four years of math and science, including physics, chemistry, trigonometry, and calculus; fourth, more teachers must be prepared to teach these subjects; and fifth, as a nation we must make sure that all students --not just the elite or the brightest --understand the importance of math and science in their lives.

I am confident that Americans -- and American students -- have the ability to be competitive with the best students in the world. Consider, for example, the most recent TIMSS measurement of U.S. 4th graders. It showed that our students are well above the international average in mathematics and very near the top in achievement in science. This and other assessments show that we are making progress. Unfortunately, we are not gaining fast enough -- and the rest of the world is not standing still.

We give our children a good foundation in the basics. Unfortunately, math and science education gets "stuck in a rut" in the middle grades. We run in place and then allow the majority of our students to "check out" of rigorous math and science courses in high school.

The U.S. was the only country in TIMSS whose students dropped in ranking from above average performance in mathematics at the fourth grade to slightly below average performance at the eighth grade.

By the 12th grade, our students' standing has fallen even further. We must recognize why the drop-off occurred and act aggressively to fix it.

The first reason, and the real core of the problem, is the low expectations and low standards we have for what our students can and should learn in math and science from 4th to 12th grade. At the 8th grade, for example, many state standards and tests are far less rigorous than national and international standards of excellence.

That is why President Clinton, Vice President Gore, and I have encouraged the development of a voluntary national test in eighth grade mathematics. It would be highly inconsistent to condemn the performance of a sample of U.S. students on this test and then turn around and deny parents and teachers the chance to see how their children would perform individually on a rigorous voluntary national test in math that is linked to TIMSS and NAEP, the National Assessment of Education Progress.

Second, taking the tough courses, including challenging mathematics and science, makes a powerful difference. All students must master the traditional basics of arithmetic early on --and then move on to more challenging courses.

Unfortunately, too many students -- particularly during the middle school and high school years --are not taking the rigorous or advanced courses in mathematics and science. By the 8th grade, less than one quarter of American students have taken algebra, while almost all students in the rest of the developed world by that time have studied the fundamentals of algebra and some geometry. Among our high school students only 25% take physics and 10% take calculus.

What classes students take is so vitally important because it affects all students -- those in public and private schools; across all economic levels; from the highest achieving down to the lowest. A large scale study by the Department confirms that it is the courses students take -- not whether they are taken in public or private schools that make a difference.

The third major reason our success in the early years hasn't continued is that too many math and science teachers are teaching out of field. In 1993-94, 28% of public high school math teachers in the U.S. were teaching without a major or a minor and 55% in physics. It's time we overhaul the recruitment, preparation and ongoing professional development of our science and math teachers.

Fourth, we must purge the view that it is ok to be illiterate in math or science -- that these are subjects only for the elite among us. Across our society, demands for specialized skills requiring mathematics, science and technology are growing. Almost 90 percent of new jobs require more than a high school level of literacy and math skills. We have all heard about the tremendous shortage of Information Technology workers in America.

The major burden in addressing these issues and overcoming the challenge is on local schools, communities, and states. I've seen communities -- a group of 20 school districts near Chicago called the First in the World Consortium, for instance -- that have taken comprehensive and successful steps toward achieving significantly better results.

Their students recently took the TIMSS test and their students placed among the best in the world in 12th grade in both math and science. They did it by involving parents, teachers, students, and entire communities in developing a rigorous curriculum and high quality teaching and testing. Over 70% of their high school seniors have taken advanced math and physics courses. Half took algebra by the eighth grade.

We want to support local communities in these kinds of efforts. That is why President Clinton has developed a number of proposals to raise standards and achievement in math and science. His most recent budget proposal includes a $60 million request to Congress to fund an Action Strategy -- coordinated by my Department and the National Science Foundation -- to strengthen the teaching of mathematics in middle schools.

The President also has proposed $350 million over five years to help local communities get qualified teachers into every classroom, with a special emphasis on math and reading. And his $22 billion school modernization proposal will help upgrade math and science classrooms and laboratories in many overcrowded and outdated schools.

I would add one final thought. Let's put an end to the shortsighted, politicized, and harmful bickering over the teaching and learning of mathematics going on in California and elsewhere across this country. We need less ideology and more geometry; less dogmatism and more trigonometry and physics. Failing to focus on what really helps kids learn is an enormous waste of time and a misdirection of our energies. I am confident that if all students and schools were immersed in rigorous teaching and learning environments we would be in the top tier at all levels.

I challenge local schools, school boards, and communities to take a close, hard look at what your students are learning. I urge you to meet and discuss these results. Take a look at the TIMSS questions and answers, which are readily available for your review on the Internet and elsewhere. They are challenging questions.

I hope local communities will compare their tests against national and international standards. Determine what is needed in their districts and schools. And then institute more challenging classes and more rigorous teaching.

This is indeed a great challenge -- but one that befits a great nation. Thank you so much.

-###-

[ Return to 12th-Grade Results page ]