The Nation - News from Jan. 27, 1985

U.S. students gained in science and math achievement, reports on 1982 and 1983 test results showed. The tests, sponsored by the International Assn. for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement, were given to students from more than a dozen other nations. The reports, published in the journal Phi Delta Kappan, said that math achievement of high school seniors has shown a modest increase since 1964, but that of eighth-graders dipped slightly. In science, between 1970 and 1983, fifth-graders and ninth-graders improved across the board, with fifth-graders scoring 3.5% higher in 1983, and ninth-graders scoring 2.8% higher.