THIRD INTERNATIONAL MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE STUDY 

What is TIMSS?

Editor's Note: It has been a while since our first newsletter and our mailing list has greatly increased. We thought it was time for another article on just what TIMSS is for our new readers. 

The Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) is the most important international study of educational outcomes in the 1990s. The study is sponsored by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) and is taking place in approximately 50 countries from all parts of the world. Nine-year-olds, thirteen-year-olds, and students in their last year of secondary school are the target populations.

The strengths of the study come from integrating a survey of achievement with comprehensive analysis of curricula and a focus on instructional practices, to examine their influences on student learning. TIMSS seeks to identify variables associated with high levels of achievement in mathematics and science and will endeavor to explain systemic characteristics that influence educational performance.

The TIMSS Mathematics and Science Frameworks provided the basis for a comprehensive analysis of curriculum guides and textbooks from over 50 countries. The TIMSS tests and reporting categories are also based on the curriculum frameworks along with an investigation of curricular practices in classrooms. Thus the frameworks provide a common language for examining curricular effects throughout the system.

The study will produce results of interest to parents, academics, educators, policy-makers, researchers and politicians. U.S. participation in TIMSS is sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). The U.S.
 

National Research Center is located at Michigan State University.

Parts of the Study:

ïA curriculum analysis component conducted with help from hundreds of researchers from around the world coded content from over 1600 mathematics and science textbooks and official curriculum guides. The curriculum analysis component is a study of the intended curriculum reflected in textbooks and curriculum guides. It is designed to uncover international differences in intentions for mathematics and science education. It is also designed to be linked to data on instructional practices and student achievement. Results are being prepared for release in 1996.

ïStudent assessments contain multiple choice, short answer, and extended response items. International scoring guidelines for short answer and extended response items define a number of correct and incorrect response categories. These allow varying degrees of correct responses to be evaluated. Additionally, there is a categorization of response types permitting the identification of alternative solutions and different types of misconceptions.

ïA subset of countries are participating in performance assessment tasks. A subset of students in the national TIMSS sample participate in solving performance tasks in mathematics and science.

ïQuestionnaires: Teachers completed questionnaires about their background, education, instructional practices and their views on mathematics and science both as disciplines and from the point of view of pedagogy. Teachers also reported on their content goals from the school year by indicating topics from the TIMSS curriculum frameworks that they have taught or intend to teach. School administrators completed a questionnaire collecting information on curriculum, staffing levels, availability of instructional resources including science laboratories.

ïStates within the United States that desired to compare the achievement of their students to all of the nations participating in TIMSS had an opportunity to participate in the TIMSS data collection with state-wide samples making such comparisons possible. Minnesota, Illinois and Colorado participated in this way.

ïYear-long case studies were conducted in ministries, schools and homes in three countries (Germany, Japan and the U.S.). The information on education policy issues thus collected supplements the data from the main study data base by providing additional comparative information about four topics relating to students' opportunity to learn: teacher working conditions, the implementation of standards, how ability differences are dealt with in the classroom, and the role of schooling in adolescents' lives. The Case Study project is directed by Professor Harold Stevenson.

ïVideotapes of classroom instruction in Germany, Japan and the U.S. observed mathematics instruction in 100 eighth grade classrooms. The selected classrooms were a subset of those participating in the Main TIMSS assessments. Teacher Questionnaires concerning the specific class sessions filmed were also collected. The tapes have been transferred to CD-ROM for transcription, coding, and analysis, and the teacher questionnaires have been transcribed and linked to the video database. The Videotape Study will provide contextual background that supplements the statistical indicators produced from the main TIMSS database. The video study is directed by Professor Jim Stigler at UCLA.

The U.S. National Research Center

The International Study Committee has three groups: 1. an International Study Center (located at Boston College under the direction of Dr. Albert Beaton), 2. an internationally composed Steering Committee, and 3. National Research Centers located in each of the participating countries. The National Science Foundation in conjunction with the National Center for Education Statistics awarded a grant to establish the United States National Research Center for the Third International Mathematics and Science Study at Michigan State University under the direction of William H. Schmidt. The U.S. Center, however, includes not only Michigan State University, but also the National Center for Education Statistics and the National Science Foundation.

Persons working with U.S. TIMSS include:

Michigan State University

William H. Schmidt, Professor and Executive Director of the U.S. National Research Center (National Project Coordinator). Schmidt also serves on the International Steering Committee for TIMSS and the Technical Advisory Committee for TIMSS.

Gilbert A. Valverde is Assistant Director of The U.S. Center in East Lansing and Senior Research Associate.

Richard Houang is responsible for data analysis on the international curriculum analysis and other phases of the study for the U.S.

Leonard Bianchi is a Senior Research Associate. Bianchi was head data analyst for the Second International Mathematics Study (SIMS) and currently works as an analyst with the curriculum analysis data.

Leland Cogan, Research Associate works with SMSO data analysis and U.S. analyses related to the questionnaires.

Jacqueline Babcock, Executive Administrative Assistant, is responsible for office management, communications (including editing of this newsletter) and Bill Schmidt's schedule.

Lorene Tomlin, U. S. National Center Secretary is responsible for keeping the U.S. National Center office operating efficiently.

Doctoral level research assistants working on various phases of TIMSS in the U.S. Center include: Peter Achuonjei, Jimin Cho, Haiming Hou, Pamela Jakwerth, Yu Qi, and Wen Ling Yang.

Students working with us are: Emilie Curtis, Jason Durr, Michael Reed and Sudip Suvedi.Westat

Nancy Caldwell has primary responsibility for data collection activities, including the field tests in 1994 and the main survey which was completed in spring of 1995. She is Westat Vice President and Associate Director of the Survey Operations Group and is a co-director with Trevor Williams of the U.S. TIMSS contract.

Trevor Williams is a Senior Study Director at Westat, the contractor involved in the collection, analysis and reporting of the U.S. component of TIMSS. He is responsible for analysis and reporting and serves as co-director with Nancy Caldwell.

NCES

Eugene Owen is Director of NCES International Activities Program, of which TIMSS is a part. He works with IEA to set overall policy for TIMSS.

Lois Peak is an NCES Statistician and expert in comparative education. She is the project officer on both the international and U.S. TIMSS projects.

NSF

Larry Suter is Deputy Division Director of the Division of Research, Evaluation and Communication in the Education and Human Resources Directorate of NSF. He is editor of the new NSF report on Indicators of Mathematics and Science Education that provides a summary of major changes of interest to policy makers about changes underway in U.S. science and mathematics education.

Other Locations

Curtis McKnight is the mathematics subject matter specialist. He is Professor of Mathematics at the University of Oklahoma and served as the U.S. National Research Coordinator for the Second International Mathematics Study.

Senta Raizen is the science subject matter specialist on the project. She is Director of The National Center for Improving Science Education located in Washington, D.C.

Harold Stevenson heads up the case studies portion of U.S. TIMSS. He is professor of psychology at the University of Michigan and a fellow in the Center for Human Growth and Development.

James Stigler is responsible for the video component of U.S. TIMSS. He is professor of psychology at U.C.L.A.

Edward Britton assists the project in science. He is Associate Director of the National Center for the Improving Science Education in Washington.

Grant Awarded

The National Science Foundation, in conjunction with National Center for Education Statistics, has awarded a grant to Michigan State University for support of the Center. This project is effective October 1, 1995 and expires September 30, 1996. It is a continuing grant which has been approved on scientific/technical merit for approximately 3 years. Funds provided by this award include support from the U. S. Department of Education/NCES. The cognizant NSF program official for this grant is Larry E. Suter.

Update on U.S. TIMSS Data Collection

Data collection for the Main TIMSS study was performed by Westat during spring 1995 in the United States. Training was held March 11-14, 1995 for field staff who conducted the assessments. About 600 schools agreed to participate in TIMSS, and these schools provided a total sample of approximately 40,000 students for the three populations combined. At the conclusion of the data collection period in late May 1995, data had been collected from 189 elementary schools, 185 junior high schools, and 211 high schools -- with about 11,100 students responding in each of the three levels.

The data collection materials for U.S. TIMSS included: the paper-and-pencil assessment booklets for each population provided by the TIMSS International Coordinating Center and the U.S. versions of the student, teacher, and school background questionnaire provided by the U.S. National Research Center at Michigan State University. Also, for a half sample of the elementary and junior high schools, small samples of students were assessed using hands-on mathematics and/or science task kits. The kits were assembled by Westat according to specifications from the ICC/IEA, and accompanied by performance assessment booklets written by ICC/IEA.

Article contributed by Lucy Gray, Westat, Inc.

Main Survey Data Processing Update

As of October 11, 1995, the IEA Data Processing Center (DPC) in Hamburg had received main survey data files from Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Greece, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Korea, Kuwait, Latvia, Lithuania, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States.

From: TIMSS International Study Center, Boston College

New TIMSS Advisory Groups Appointed

The U. S. TIMSS National Project Coordination Committee appointed an advisory group of mathematics and science educators, educational administrators, and educational policy makers to assist in the formulation of U. S. TIMSS reports. One group of advisors will work with each of the three study teams, main study, case studies, video component, and a fourth group will advise on development of a general audience report that integrates findings from the three U. S . studies.

The advisory groups met for a full-day orientation in Washington D. C. on March 22, 1995 to learn more about the various parts of the TIMSS and to receive their charge from the U. S. Coordination Committee. Advisors will meet several times during the next 18 months to continue to help frame the U. S. TIMSS reports. The new advisors are as follows:

Main Survey Technical Report: Glen Cutlip, National Center for Innovation, National Education Association; John Dossey, Illinois State University; Wayne Martin, Colorado Department of Education; Elizabeth Stage, New Standards Project, University of California. 

Case Studies Technical Report: Joan Baratz-Snowden, National Board for Professional Teaching Standards; Rolf Blank, Council of Chief State School Officers; Audrey Champagne, State University of New York at Albany; Alba Thompson, Center for Research in Mathematics and Science Education, San Diego State University. 

Videotape Observational Studies Technical Report: Alice Gill, American Federation of Teachers; Nicholas Hobar, President, Workforce 2000; Kenneth Travers, University of Illinois. 

Public Audience Report: Ross Brewer, St. Mary's College, Vermont; Eugenia Kemble, American Federation of Teachers; Henry Heikkinen, University of Northern Colorado; Joe Crosswhite, past officer NCTM. 

Publications

Two important publications have recently been released.

TIMSS Monograph 3, Mathematics Textbooks: A Comparative Study of Grade 8 Texts by Geoffrey Howson, Edited by David F. Robitaille has been published by Pacific Educational Press, Vancouver, Canada. The work represented in this publication was supported by SMSO.

Just off the press is an article by William H. Schmidt and Curtis C. McKnight published in Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, Fall 1995 entitled "Surveying Educational Opportunity in Mathematics and Science: An International Perspective."

Coming Publications

Winter 1996

ïVolume on the TIMSS Mathematics Curriculum Analysis, Many Visions, Many Aims, (International Report)

ïVolume on the TIMSS Science Curriculum Analysis, Many Visions, Many Aims (International Report)

ïDistinctive Stories About Mathematics and Science: An Investigation of Curriculum and Pedagogy in Six Countries (working title) from the SMSO project on instructional practices

Summer 1996

ïSecond volume on Mathematics and Science Curriculum Analysis focusing on textbooks (international report)

ïU.S. Report on curriculum analysis focusing on national policy issues

October 1996

ïFirst international TIMSS reports for mathematics and science focusing on international comparisons for 8th grade

ïU.S. Public Audience Report on TIMSS achievement results in mathematics and science for 8th grade

ïU.S. TIMSS Survey Technical Report - 8th grade

ïGerman Case Study Technical Report

ïJapanese Case Study Technical Report

ïU.S. Case Study Technical Report

ïVideotape Study Technical Report - 8th grade Mathematics
 

National Research Coordinators (NRCs) Meet in Vancouver, B.C.

The 8th meeting of the TIMSS National Research Coordinators was held August 21 - 25, 1995 in Vancouver, B.C., Canada. Representatives from 37 countries attended. During this week-long meeting, NRCs had the opportunity to review the Study Center's Proposed Research and Reporting Plans, as well as the prototype outlines for the first international report together with table shells. NRCs met both in plenary and in small groups to review the materials and to provide comments and suggestions to the Study Center.

The above article was excerpted from the September 22 issue of UPDATE which is published by the TIMSS Study Center located at Boston College.

AERA Think Tank Meeting

The U.S. National Research Center in East Lansing was host to an AERA Think Tank meeting related to the TIMSS international curriculum analysis March 16-19, 1995. The group looked at data and made recommendations regarding analysis plans, publications and dissemination related to this important and exciting phase of TIMSS. Attendees included: Paul Black, King's College, London, England; Christine Keitel-Kreidt, Berlin, Germany; Marcia Linn, University of California-Berkeley; Kenneth Travers, University of Illinois, Champaign; and Richard White, Dean, Faculty of Education, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. The meeting was chaired by John Dossey, Illinois State University, Normal. Center participants included: Leonard Bianchi, Richard Houang, Curtis McKnight, Senta Raizen, William Schmidt and Gilbert Valverde. A report by John Dossey was delivered to NSF and was accepted.

Advisory Committee on Curriculum Analysis (ACCA)

The U.S. National Research Center in East Lansing was host to a meeting of the International TIMSS Advisory Committee on Curriculum Analysis (ACCA) which was appointed by Al Beaton, Study Director. The meeting took place July 13-15, 1995 on the Michigan State University campus. Participants were able to review the curriculum analysis data and data analysis plans with a goal of considering existing analysis, interpretation and reporting plans and made recommendations to the TIMSS National Research Coordinators at their meeting held in Vancouver in August 1995.

Attendees included: Albert Beaton, International Study Director for TIMSS, Boston College; Fernando Cordova Calderon, Director of Evaluation of Educational Systems and Policies for Mexico; Galina S. Kovalyova, The Russian Academy of Education; Frederick Leung, University of Hong Kong; and Anne Servant, Ministere de L'Education National, France. The meeting was chaired by Bill Schmidt, Executive Director of the U.S. National Research Center.
 
 
 

SMSO Instructional Practices/Classroom Observation Study

Over the past four years, the Survey of Mathematics and Science Opportunity has conducted over 125 classroom observations in six countries to identify important themes and issues to address in designing the survey instruments that would be used in the Third International Mathematics and Science Study main survey. That phase was completed and the TIMSS questionnaires were utilized in the recent data collections in the U.S. and elsewhere. Observations in the six SMSO countries (France, Japan, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, and the U.S.) were conducted in both science and mathematics classrooms at two of the TIMSS' student populations, nine year olds and thirteen year olds. SMSO met in Madrid February 22 - 25, 1995 to revise and refine the conclusions stemming from these data which will serve as the focus of a forthcoming SMSO publication. The forthcoming book presents preliminary insights and implications concerning the conduct of cross-national comparative research, the role of curriculum and pedagogy, and the importance of curriculum and pedagogy within the context of the educational systems of specific countries.

One implication stemming from SMSO activity is a new way of thinking about and conducting small scale qualitative work in support of large-scale comparative research. An emergent interdisciplinary, multi-cultural approach to the investigation of curriculum and classroom practices contributed to the development of an integrated conceptual model of studentsí learning experiences. Both the model and the emergent approach that facilitated the modelís development represent some of the contributions of the study.

One of the early products of SMSO activity were the Mathematics and Science Frameworks. These provided a common language system for examining the intended, implemented, and attained curriculum at the student, teacher, and system level. An examination of the curriculum guides and textbooks from the SMSO countries reveals that the mathematics and science students study differs in fundamental ways from country to country. Not only are there substantive differences in the specific topics studied, there are also significant differences in what students are expected to do as they study these topics.

Classroom observations of mathematics and science lessons from each of the six SMSO countries yielded further insights about the differences in what students are expected to do while studying presumably the same topics. Characteristic country differences were noted in the manner in which classroom instruction was conducted. The implications these differences have for studentsí learning could not be explored within the scope of the SMSOís mandate. The point of SMSO activity, however, was to incorporate into the TIMSS instrumentation items that could begin to explore some of the interesting differences uncovered through these developmental activities. Some of the insights and conjectures presented in the SMSO book can be more fully explored with data from the TIMSS.

Together with the model of studentsí educational experiences, case studies of mathematics and science instruction in each of the six SMSO countries present a strong argument for understanding curriculum and pedagogy within the context of specific national education systems. The manner in which homework functions within lessons, for example, is not primarily dependent upon the frequency or amount of homework assigned. It is essential, rather, to examine such pedagogical practices within the context of larger cultural and systemic expectations concerning students, teaching, and curriculum. Altogether, the insights and conjectures presented in the SMSOís forthcoming book will hopefully provoke discussion and interest in further pursuing these issues ñ especially through an examination of data from the TIMSS.

Article contributed by Leland Cogan, Michigan State University

Bill Schmidt is project director of the SMSO project, a research and development grant from the National Science Foundation in conjunction with the National Center for Education Statistics related to the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). The SMSO project developed and piloted questionnaires for TIMSS related to teacher beliefs and background, student opportunities to learn and classroom practices, school and student questionnaires, curriculum frameworks, curriculum analyses procedures, and TIMSS test blueprints based on curriculum data.
 

U. S. Steering Committee Proceedings

The U. S. Steering Committee met in Baltimore, Maryland, December 15-16, 1994. Participants received an update on various aspects of the study from Bill Schmidt, Chair of the committee. Discussion focused on a presentation of the international curriculum analysis and publications and dissemination of the U.S. curriculum analysis results. The committee discussed issues related to getting the word out to professional mathematics and science organizations and dissemination to persons involved in education, business leaders, government and policy makers, and the general public.

The Steering Committee met in Washington, D.C. July 10-11, 1995 at One Washington Circle. Members of the committee were given a complete review of the international and U.S. study. Discussion took place on reports for the U.S. and how to disseminate information about TIMSS to various constituencies and interested parties throughout the U.S. Dissemination will be a focus of efforts for the U.S. National Research Center during the next year.

Presentations by the U.S. National Research Center for TIMSS

Two presentations on TIMSS were presented by the U.S. National Research Center at the American Educational Research Association meeting held in San Francisco, April 18-21, 1995. Individuals from TIMSS included Bill Schmidt, Leonard Bianchi, Edward Britton, Richard Houang, Curtis McKnight, Senta Raizen, Bill Schmidt, Gilbert Valverde, and Richard Wolfe. John Dossey served as discussant for one of the sessions. Charles Rop and Edward Britton presented a paper at the National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST) meeting in San Francisco, April 24, 1995.

Leland Cogan presented a poster session based on a pilot of the TIMSS Student Background questionnaire at the biannual meeting of the Society for Research and Child Development (SRCD) in Indianapolis March 30-April 1. Gilbert Valverde presented two papers at the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES) meeting in Boston, March 30-31.

Bill Schmidt has made presentations throughout the year at several conferences and has been an invited speaker on TIMSS for many professional organizations. These include: a presentation of the international curriculum analysis at a meeting of the OECD Project in Volterra, Italy, March 29, 1995; a presentation on the TIMSS curriculum analysis at a meeting of the Executive Board of Mathematical Sciences Education Board (MSEB) on May 19 in Washington, D.C.; a paper on TIMSS curriculum analysis at the large-scale assessment meeting of Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) in Phoenix, June 19, 1995; an invited participant in the White House Forum on Science and Mathematics Education held in Washington, D.C. on July 17; Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) Summer Institute, "Assuring Opportunity to Achieve The Goals"; and the National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST) Conference, "Asssessment at the Crossroads," September 12, 1995 at UCLA.

In the News!

Bill Schmidt, Curtis McKnight, and Gilbert Valverde from the U.S. National Research Center and John Dossey of the U.S. National Steering Committee are quoted in an interview conducted by Debra Viadero of Education Week after a presentation on the TIMSS International Curriculum Analysis at AERA in San Francisco. The article begins by stating "preliminary findings suggest that there are wide differences between nations in the ways students are taught science and mathematics." Bill Schmidt is quoted: "What all of this variation says to me is that the only way you can make sense of cross-national comparisons of student achievement is in the context of understanding these differences." The article emphasizes TIMSS "effort is aimed at finding out what works in high-achieving countries, rather than concentrating, as international studies have done in the past, on whose students are 'best'."

Examples of variations quoted in the presentation are: "the space that textbooks devote to algebra ranges from 2-3 percent in one country to more than 40 percent in another country." "In science, the percentage of textbook pages devoted to the study of rocks and soil at one level of schooling ranged from none to 10-15 percent. Other topics, such as reproduction of organisms, were almost universally included."

The article also states that differences are found in more than just content. "Researchers also found that the instructional approaches varied. Textbook analyses suggest that algebra instruction in many countries consists of teaching students appropriate vocabulary and procedures, but in one country, instruction was almost entirely focused on problem-solving and reasoning."

A third major difference is that "students are taught different topics at varying points in their school careers." "In one country, students had finished with instruction on proportionality by the time they had reached grade 7 or 8. In another, students in the same age group were in the midst of learning it and in a third country, proportionality appeared in the textbooks, but did not appear in the curriculum guide for those grade levels."

Further analyses of data continue at Michigan State University where over 242 science curriculum guides, 323 science textbooks, 219 mathematics curriculum guides and 267 mathematics textbooks are on file after having been coded by researchers in the 50 participating countries. Also being looked at is "how much the content that is outlined in the textbooks and curriculum guides reflects what is being taught in the classrooms."

John Dossey is quoted: "This may be a chance to talk about whether there is a world-class standard at all. Or do we have four or five models that are equally good at reaching the goals that you want to reach?"

The article "Wide Variations in Math, Science Teaching Found in 50-Nation Study" appears in the April 26, 1995 issue of Education Week on Page 8.
 
 

National Research Coordinating Committee 

Dr. Jeanne Griffith, Acting Commissioner for Education Statistics, National Center for Education Statistics; Dr. Eugene Owen, National Center for Education Statistics; Dr. Lois Peak, National Center for Education Statistics; Dr. Larry Suter, Office of Studies and Program Assessment, National Science Foundation. The committee is chaired by Dr. William Schmidt, Michigan State University. 

If you or someone you know did not receive this newsletter directly, but would like to be on our mailing list, please send your name and address along with your request to Jacqueline Babcock, 464 Erickson Hall, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824-1034, telephone 517-353-7755, fax 517-432-1727, or E-Mail: jbabcock@msu.edu.

This newsletter is published by the TIMSS U.S. National Research Center located at Michigan State University. The newsletter is edited by Jacqueline E. Babcock. 

U.S. National Steering Committee Members: 

Dr. Gordon Ambach, Executive Director, Council of Chief State School Officers; Dr. Deborah Ball, Associate Professor, Michigan State University; Dr. Audrey Champagne, University at Albany-SUNY; Dr. Jewel Plummer Cobb, California State, Los Angeles; Dr. David Cohen, Professor, The University of Michigan; Dr. John Dossey, Distinguished Professor of Mathematics, Illinois State University; Dr. Emerson Elliott, National Center Education Statistics; Dr. Sheldon Glashow, Higgings Professor of Physics and Mellon Professor of the Sciences, Harvard University; Dr. Larry Hedges, Professor, Department of Education, University of Chicago; Professor Henry Heikkinen, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Northern Colorado; Dr. Jeremy Kilpatrick, Regents Professor of Mathematics Education, University of Georgia; Dr. Mary Lindquist, Fuller E. Callaway Professor of Mathematics Education, Columbus College, and President of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics; Dr. Marcia C. Linn, Professor and Director, Instructional Technology Program, University of California-Berkeley; Dr. Robert L. Linn, Professor and Co-director of the Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing, University of Colorado; Dr. Paul Sally, Professor of Mathematics, University of Chicago; Dr. Richard Shavelson, Professor, School of Education, Stanford University; Dr. Bruce Spencer, Professor, Department of Statistics and School of Education and Social Policy, Northwestern University; Dr. Elizabeth Stage, New Standards Project, Co-Director for Science, University of California, Office of the President; Dr. James Taylor, Hill and Knowlton, NYC; Dr. Kenneth Travers, University of Illinois, and Dr. Paul H. Williams, Professor, Department of Plant Pathology, University of Wisconsin. The committee is chaired by Dr. William Schmidt, Professor, National Project Coordinator for U.S. TIMSS and Executive Director of the U.S. National Research Center for TIMSS located at Michigan State University. 

We want to hear from our readers, so if you have questions, want additional information about a topic addressed in the newsletter or the study in general, please feel free to contact us. You can write or call Gilbert Valverde, Assistant Director - TIMSS, 457 Erickson Hall, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824-1034, telephone 517-353-7755, fax 517-432-1727, or E-Mail, valverde@msu.edu.

We also are available to make presentations to professional groups or associations who might be interested in being introduced to TIMSS or receiving updates on the project. If your organization is interested in hearing more about TIMSS and would like a representative from our office to present to your group, please contact the National Research Center at Michigan State University.