International studies show that the United States continues to lag behind other countries in students' knowledge of science and math. On virtually every measure available – from initial tests to national tests such as the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) – students in the United States have ranked poorly. The poor rankings for U.S. students in these major tests provide alarming evidence that most of our students are not being prepared for a world that is shaped by science and technology. Many people in the United States understand that in order for our society to remain competitive in an advanced technological era, a good science education is critical. Unfortunately, the United States continues to lag far behind other countries in students' knowledge of science and math, as results from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), The Programme for International Student Assessment, and NAEP (PISA survey) have shown.

Interested in more? Check out these additional resources!

• The Nation's Report Card
  http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard
  Do you want to know how students in America or just in your own state are performing in school? The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the only nationally representative, continuing assessment of what America's students know and can do in school. The NAEP site includes "The Nation's Report Card" and other detailed information on student performance on tests.
• Current statistics on U.S. students' performance in science
  http://www.tryscience.org/parents/pdf/Statistcs.pdf
  These statistics compiled from various surveys and research studies highlight current facts about science education and student achievement and what they means for students in the United States.
• Parents' guide to national student achievement test results
  http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/parents/
  This National Center for Education Statistics offers "The Nation's Report Card: Parents' Guide to NAEP" to help you make sense of the National Assessment of Educational Progress, a leading indicator of how well U.S. students are doing on national tests.
• Science education surveys from 1995 to now
  http://www.bayerus.com/msms/news/pages/factsofscience/main.html
  Since 1995, the Bayer company has conducted the Bayer Facts of Science Education surveys; this site lists all findings on various topics such as science education reform, from the perspective of the general public, teachers, and business executives, among others.