M-DCPS TO USE TIMSS-R STUDY RESULTS, RELEASED APRIL 4 April 4, 2001 Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) announced it will use the results of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study-Repeat (TIMSS-R) released today to launch an ambitious effort to focus on world class standards as the district's goal for student achievement. The results clearly illustrate the challenges M-DCPS faces: eighth graders performed significantly below the international averages on the 1999 TIMSS-R. Students from three other U. S. urban districts had the same results. M-DCPS was the only school district in Florida that participated in the study. Education leaders in the district are examining thousands of related data to formulate and implement a comprehensive action plan that includes the following key elements: Curriculum mapping to reduce and refine the number of topics taught at each grade level. Redesign curriculum to give greater focus to the mathematics and science that is taught. Provide enhanced "opportunity to learn" to black and Hispanic students, particularly those whose first language is not English. Connect instruction on the international standards with the benchmarks tested on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT). Implement professional development for teachers that is aligned with world class standards. Identify and use effective alternative textbooks and technology tools for teachers. The eighth graders' performance on the TIMSS-R highlighted a distinguishing feature: the percent of second language learners and the intense impact that language and culture have on learning mathematics and science. The data confirmed that, given the language challenges that the Miami-Dade students face, their overall performance on the TIMSS-R were about as expected. Reaching for world-class standards for Miami-Dade's complex linguistic and cultural mix will require purposeful and targeted strategies to overcome the challenges of language acquisition while accelerating the learning of the content. On a positive note, an examination of the performance of those students (approximately 10 percent) who sited that they had "high levels of educational resources at home" showed that they performed above the overall international averages in both mathematics and science. With regards to the teaching practices of the M-DCPS mathematics teacher, the TIMSS-R findings indicate that they were near the top among the TIMSS-R participants in introducing mathematics reasoning and problem-solving skills. This has been a major goal of the professional development activities funded by the National Science Foundation and will continue to be a major goal of M-DCPS. or more information contact Dr. Joseph Burke, Administrative Director, Division of Mathematics and Science Education, at 305-995-2341. ### 01-AMC0151/HD Back to Press Releases