A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Using TIMSS to Build Public Support for School Improvement

A major element of school improvement is to build support for change among policymakers, parents, and the public. This support must be solid and sustained over the long term. Much as Sputnik rallied the American public to support education reforms in the 1950s, the TIMSS data can help galvanize public support for school reform. In Kentucky, for example, the commitment of the state legislature kept that state's massive educational reforms going through a change in governors. Sustaining commitment is becoming more difficult, however, with the adoption of term limits in many states.

Most people in the policy world, including state legislators, are not yet widely aware of TIMSS or its messages. Furthermore, many parents and citizens, including some well-educated people, are not sold on the need for higher standards in math and science. Informed educators, researchers, and policymakers must be prepared to explain to friends and colleagues why we should care about the performance of students in other countries. In a society that still regards children who do not speak English as their first language as a liability, the rationale for international comparisons may not be readily apparent. People in the research community should also be able to provide clear answers to such fundamental questions such as why every student should study algebra and geometry.

Researchers, federal agencies and other organizations involved in publicizing TIMSS could package the TIMSS findings in customized ways to reach different audiences, such as legislators, administrators, or school boards. Busy policymakers, for example, might appreciate a 10-minute excerpt of representative teaching practices from the TIMSS videotapes, accompanied by leading questions about policies that impede or promote various practices.

Since people sometimes base policy decisions on beliefs and emotions rather than rational arguments, TIMSS data should be presented in a way that adds emotional impact to the data. For example, presentations about TIMSS could feature several sample items from the TIMSS tests, along with the percentages of students from the United States and other countries who answered correctly (Steve Leinwand, Connecticut Department of Education, TIMSS Policy Forum). These items should be carefully selected and presented, so that people understand the math and science content behind them and the kinds of instructional practices they imply. Items could be grouped in mini-test booklets that people can take themselves or give in their districts. Emphasizing the relationship between high math and science achievement and economic development is another powerful way to persuade parents, policymakers, and especially business people of the importance of school improvement.

[TIMSS and Standards-Based Reforms]

[TIMSS as a Model for Future Policy Research]