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From the National Center of Education Statistics: "The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2011 is the fifth administration of this international comparative study since 1995 when first administered. TIMSS is used to compare over time the mathematics and science knowledge and skills of fourth- and eighth-graders. TIMSS is designed to align broadly with mathematics and science curricula in the participating countries. The results, therefore, suggest the degree to which students have learned mathematics and science concepts and skills likely to have been taught in school. In 2011, there were 54 countries and 20 other educational systems that participated in TIMSS, at the fourth- or eighth-grade level, or both. The focus of the report is on the performance of U.S. students relative to their peers in other countries in 2011, and on changes in mathematics and science achievement since 2007 and 1995. For a number of participating countries and education systems, changes in achievement can be documented over the last 16 years, from 1995 to 2011. This report also describes achievement within the United States by sex, race/ethnicity, and enrollment in public schools with different levels of poverty. In addition, it describes achievement in nine states that participated in TIMSS both as part of the U.S. national sample of public and private schools as well as individually with state-level samples of public schools."

Forthcoming July 2011, available for pre-order. a biography of the 13th century Italian mathematician Leonardo of Pisa, better known as Fibonacci, who introduced the Hindu-Arabic system of numbers to the west. "Fibonacci's book Liber Abbaci (The Book of Calculation) was the first to recognize the power of the 10 numerals, and to aim them at the world of commerce."

from the abstract: "we show that ANS precision measured at preschool, prior to formal instruction in mathematics, selectively predicts performance on school mathematics at 6 years of age."

Definition of the exponential form. A basic example to understand the system of expressing any number into exponential form on the basis of another number.

This site features a math category, math concepts explained informed by the principle that "math is no about equations than poetry is about spelling .. .[but exist] to convey an idea."

by John Yoo, Yuba Community College, a series of columns on math history, written for the CMC3 newsletter