OECD (2000)

F1
Mathematics Achievement of Students in the 4th and 8th Grades
POLICY CONTEXT
This indicator shows
the average mathematics
achievement of students
in the 4th and
8th grades.
International comparisons of student achievement have become an
essential tool in assessing the performance of education systems. They can
serve as measures of accountability that inform key stakeholders in education
– such as taxpayers, employers, educators, parents and students – on the
effects of their investment in education.
In a world increasingly dominated by technology, mathematical knowledge
and skills are central to the ability to compete in the global marketplace.
Early success in mathematics is important, both because a firm foundation in
basic principles is necessary before more complex materials can be mastered,
and because early success can keep young people interested in this and
related fields of study. It is equally important to ensure that students continue
to make progress as they advance from primary to secondary education. Indicator
F1 shows the relative standing of countries in mathematics achievement
at both the 4th and the 8th grades.
It also reflects the
relative progress that
students make between
the two grades in
different countries.
The indicator also compares the progress that students in different countries
make between the 4th and the 8th grades, highlighting cases where
countries with poorer performance at the 4th grade are making up for some
of the difference, as well as those where the achievement gap is widening
between the two grade levels.
It is useful to compare Indicator F1 with Indicator F2 from the 1998 edition
of Education at a Glance. This indicator provided a comparison of the distribution
of student achievement at the 4th and 8th grades and shed light on the extent
to which education systems and societies mitigate or reinforce early educational
disparities between the two grades.
EVIDENCE AND EXPLANATIONS
Chart F1.1 and Table F1.1 compare the mean mathematics performance of
countries for both 4th and 8th grades with the international average. Chart F1.1
indicates those countries with performances significantly above the OECD average
and those with performances significantly below the OECD average (further
details on the relative standings of countries are shown in the 1997 edition of
Education at a Glance). The percentage difference in means between the two
grades in Table F1.1 estimates the growth in achievement between the 4th and
the 8th grade. It is calculated as the difference in average performance between
the two grades relative to performance at the 4th grade.
Mean performance of countries at the 4th grade
Variation in mathematics
achievement between
countries is substantial.
In mathematics, Japanese and Korean 4th-grade students score significantly
higher than those in all other participating countries (457 and 471 score points
respectively). In fact, the average mathematics achievement of 4th-grade students
in Japan and Korea is higher than the average achievement of 8th-grade
students in Portugal (Table F1.1).
Fourth-grade students in the remaining countries can be classified into
five groups: the Czech Republic and the Netherlands, with means of 428 and
438; Australia, Austria, Hungary, Ireland and the United States, with scores
somewhat above the OECD average; Canada and Scotland, with scores a little
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