Performance Gap or Manufactured Crisis? Implications from International Assessment

20-Minute Presentation

Chong Ho Yu, Ph.D., Psychology

Anthony Yung, Undergraduate, Psychology

Lorena Garcia, Undergraduate, Sociology

Mark Reyes, Undergraduate, Psychology

Angela Bernal, Undergraduate, Psychology

International assessments, including Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), and the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), consistently indicate that the United States’ performance in math and science is around or even below average. Some researchers argue that today the U.S. continues to dominate in science and technology, and therefore this so-called performance gap is nothing more than a manufactured crisis. According to the National Foundation for American Policy, however, international students play a crucial role in helping the U.S. thrive in science. Specifically, many U.S. graduate programs have around 40-71 percent international students. Putting it bluntly, American schools and U.S. culture as a whole fail to inspire students to pursue advanced math and science. In this presentation, possible remedies for this situation are discussed.