The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study

I wish that we actually studied the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). According to Wikipeadia, this study is paid for by the participating countries. The minimum number of students tested are between 4500 and 5000 students. The study also consists of personnel questionnaires. The test is given every four years, so that there is a period of four years between each test to study how the students did.

The test is given in fourth grade and in eighth grade.

If we are to compare our nation's math literacy, I want to know about where people are getting their data. 

I question how you can compare countries that have such disparate populations. The United States has 320.09 million people in 2015 as reported by www.pbs.org. Singapore has 5.47 million people in 2015.

Finland has a population of 5.5 million. Norway has 5.142 million.

According to TIMSS information, each country is treated equally. They start with 500 points being the "mean over all achievement distribution."

I know that our 320 million people did not take this exam, but our population is so much larger than the other countries. The differences are just so large. 

In 1995, there were 41 educational systems participating. In 2011, there were 63 educational systems.

It just seems that the populations in the smaller countries are a little more cohesive.