When compared internationally to th

When compared internationally to their peers, United States’ students do not come close
to the level of achievement reached by their peers (National Mathematics Advisory Panel
(NMAP), 2008). The 2007 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS)
found for fourth grade, United States students ranked eleventh for mathematics achievement when
compared with students from other countries. The top performing countries for fourth grade were
in rank order: Hong Kong, Singapore, China, Japan, and Kazakhstan. For eighth grade, United
States students ranked ninth for mathematics achievement with China, Korea, Singapore, Hong
Kong, and Japan performing the best.