By William H. Schmidt
University Distinguished Professor, Michigan State University
Director of the U.S. National Research Center for TIMSS

The Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), a comprehensive study involving over half a million students in nearly fifty countries, has shown us just how far behind other countries American students are in eighth grade. This is true in both science and mathematics but especially true in the case of mathematics.

Parents and teachers ask, "Why is this true?" and more importantly, "What can we do differently?" Getsmarter.org responds to the latter question, sounding out a call to action for educators and parents alike to improve upon curriculum in math and science in our nation's schools.

As extensive research under TIMSS has shown, U.S. schools tend to repeat the same topics year after year, rather than focus and dig deeper into particular topics. With a curriculum that's "a mile wide and an inch deep," our schools sacrifice depth for breadth and force our students to miss out on more challenging and interesting material. TIMSS indicates that at eighth grade the top achieving countries have a curriculum that focuses on fewer topics but covers them in greater depth. Included in science are topics fundamental to chemistry, physics, and advanced biology (e.g. cells). Eighth grade mathematics in the top achieving countries is about geometry, functions (algebra), and advanced number work (rational numbers, exponents, negative numbers and number theory). These are not topics typically covered in most U.S. schools for most students.

For U.S. students to be competitive in the world and, most importantly, to learn the kind of mathematics and science that enables them to be literate and to find good jobs in an increasingly technological economy, U.S. schools must provide coherent and vigorous instruction on these more demanding topics. That instruction must also go beyond the recalling of facts to encourage conceptual understanding and mathematical and scientific reasoning.

This web site is designed to provide students with the opportunity to test their knowledge on these more demanding topics. The items included on the web site only test the more advanced and demanding topics referred to above. We hope that by making students, parents, and teachers aware of the more demanding aspects of science and mathematics, we will encourage more instruction to be aimed in those directions. As a result, it is our sincere hope that US students will become more knowledgeable and more able to function and succeed in our ever changing but increasingly complex world.