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Student well-being has emerged as a topic of considerable interest to researchers and educators. Recent work has sought to examine relationships between measures of student well-being and other constructs such as academic achievement, physical health, relationships with peers, and engagement in learning. Reading assessment and context questionnaire data available through PIRLS 2021 can be used to add to these conversations. This report begins with a brief discussion of relevant research literature--including how student well-being is defined, as well as the relationships between well-being and other factors of interest. PIRLS 2021 was not designed to measure student well-being explicitly and does not provide a comprehensive well-being measure. However, the PIRLS 2021 Student Questionnaire collected data for several measures that can serve as indicators for this complex construct. This report presents these indicators and their relationships to students' reading achievement. The results are discussed in light of existing research on student well-being, as well as factors unique to PIRLS 2021. These discussions form the basis for a more complex analysis that integrates the individual indicators to describe multidimensional profiles related to students' well-being. The report concludes with key findings and directions for further exploration of student well-being in future cycles of PIRLS.

The Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) has been monitoring international trends in reading achievement among fourth-grade students for 25 years. As a critical point in a student's education, the fourth year of schooling establishes the foundations of literacy, with reading becoming increasingly central to learning across all subjects. PIRLS 2026 represents a significant milestone in the assessment's history by completing the transition to a fully digital reading assessment. This move reflects PIRLS' commitment to leading the field and staying relevant in an era where digital literacy is essential for every child's education. By embracing the digital reading assessment format, PIRLS 2026 aims to create an engaging, authentic assessment experience that aligns with young learners' daily digital reading practices. Additionally, technology enhances assessment practices, including more efficient data collection, innovative test design, and automated scoring. The PIRLS 2026 Assessment Frameworks consist of three chapters covering major assessment components: (1) Reading Assessment Framework (Chapter 1): Describes the aspects of reading literacy assessed in PIRLS; (2) Contextual Framework (Chapter 2): Addresses topics covered in the PIRLS 2026 context questionnaires and Encyclopedia; and (3) Assessment Design (Chapter 3): Presents the rationale and procedures for the groupadaptive assessment design. Updates to the PIRLS 2026 framework chapters involved contributions from National Research Coordinators (NRCs) in participating countries and from experts at partner institutions who assisted in developing item drafts and framework chapters. Their input informed new constructs of interest for the questionnaires, ensuring the frameworks remain relevant for measuring and reporting on reading achievement over time. Expert committees--the Reading Development Group (RDG) and Questionnaire Development Group (QDG)--guided revisions based on evolving theories and policy-focused research.

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization officially declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, causing one of the largest disruptions to schooling in history. The COVID-19 pandemic introduced unprecedented challenges for education research and large-scale assessments of student populations. Both schools and researchers were forced to modify their usual practices to protect the health and safety of students and other members of school communities. Disruptions to data collection processes can be especially problematic in large-scale international assessments that study trends within and across countries, such as PIRLS 2021. This report provides researchers with an overview of information about the COVID-19 pandemic that is available through the PIRLS 2021 data. As noted in the PIRLS 2021 International Results in Reading, neither PIRLS 2021 data nor any other cross-sectional international large-scale assessment can be used to make causal inferences about the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on students' reading achievement, such as "learning loss." However, PIRLS 2021 offers rich contextual information about students' instruction and learning during the pandemic, including their home and school environments and the broader national education systems. The immense disruptions to schooling worldwide during the pandemic period are also important to keep in mind when interpreting the PIRLS 2021 results. This report begins by describing how the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated modifications to the original plans for the PIRLS 2021 assessment, which have implications for interpreting PIRLS 2021 results. The report continues with an overview of the different types of contextual data related to the COVID-19 pandemic that are included in the PIRLS 2021 International Database. COVID-related items from the PIRLS 2021 home and school questionnaires and their international average results are presented. Information about COVID-19 available in the "PIRLS 2021 Encyclopedia" and some key themes are also presented. Finally, the report concludes with key takeaways for researchers wishing to use PIRLS 2021 data.

The Internet has become the primary source for obtaining information at work, at home, and for school. Because Internet reading increasingly is becoming one of the central ways students are acquiring information, in 2016, PIRLS was extended to include ePIRLS--an innovative assessment of online reading. ePIRLS is a computer-based assessment that uses an engaging, simulated Internet environment to present fourth grade students with authentic school-like assignments involving science and social studies topics. Like PIRLS 2016, the ePIRLS assessment was developed based on the "PIRLS 2016 Assessment Framework," used the same quality assurance procedures, and was given to the same students who participated in the PIRLS assessment typically on the next day. The ePIRLS assessment consisted of five tasks with each task lasting up to 40 minutes. This brief report presents an overview of ePIRLS 2016. [For the "PIRLS 2016 Assessment Framework," see ED545242.]

PIRLS (Progress in International Reading Literacy Study) is the fourth assessment in the current trend series, following PIRLS 2001, 2006, and 2011. There were 61 participants in PIRLS 2016, including 50 countries and 11 benchmarking entities (e.g., regions of countries as well as additional grades or language groups from the participating countries) that were assessed to provide comparative data to inform policy. For countries that have participated in a previous assessment since 2001, the PIRLS 2016 results provide an opportunity to evaluate progress in reading achievement across four time points: 2001, 2006, 2011, and 2016. The PIRLS 2016 assessment is based on the PIRLS 2016 Assessment Framework developed collaboratively with the participating countries. The framework is organized around two overarching purposes for reading--for literary experience and to acquire and use information. Four reading comprehension processes are integrated across the purposes: focus on and retrieve explicitly stated information, make straightforward inferences, interpret and integrate ideas and information, and evaluate and critique content and textual elements. This report presents an overview of PIRLS 2016 results. [For the primary report "PIRLS 2016: International Results in Reading," see ED580353. For the "PIRLS 2016 Assessment Framework," see ED545242.]

Fifty countries from around the world participated in the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) 2016 international assessment of reading comprehension at the fourth grade, and in every country there was a wide range of reading achievement from basic skills to advanced comprehension. This report presents international findings from PIRLS 2016 fourth grade. In terms of basic reading literacy, it is noteworthy that in more than half of the PIRLS 2016 countries almost all of the students (more than 95 percent) demonstrated fundamental reading skills. These students could locate and reproduce ideas and information from text and make straightforward inferences. [For the primary report "PIRLS 2016: International Results in Reading," see ED580353. For the "PIRLS 2016 Assessment Framework," see ED545242.]

The "PIRLS 2016 Assessment Framework, 2nd Edition" provides the foundation for the three international assessments planned as part of the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement's Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) 2016: PIRLS, PIRLS Literacy, and ePIRLS. PIRLS represents the international standard for reading comprehension at the fourth grade. PIRLS Literacy, a less difficult version of PIRLS, is designed to assess foundational reading skills that are prerequisites for success on PIRLS. New in 2016, ePIRLS is an innovative assessment of online reading that makes it possible for countries to understand how successful the are in preparing fourth grade students to read, comprehend, and interpret online information. Chapter 1 (Ina V. S. Mullis, Michael O. Martin, Marian Sainsbury) presents the "PIRLS 2016 Reading Framework", and describes in some detail the major purposes of reading and processes of comprehension to be tested at the fourth grade. PIRLS assesses two purposes of reading that fourth grade students typically engage in: reading for literary experience, as well as to acquire and use information. PIRLS also assesses four broad processes of comprehension predominantly used by fourth grade readers: focus on and retrieve explicitly stated information, make straightforward inferences, interpret and integrate ideas and information, and evaluate and critique content and textual elements. Chapter 2 (Martin Hooper, Ina V. S. Mullis, Michael O. Martin) contains the "PIRLS 2016 Contextual Framework" describing the types of schooling situations and factors associated with students' development in reading literacy that will be investigated via the "PIRLS 2016 Encyclopedia" in addition to the questionnaires completed by students, their teachers, and schools. Finally, Chapter 3 (Michael O. Martin, Ina V. S. Mullis, Pierre Foy) provides an overview of the PIRLS and PIRLS Literacy test booklet and ePIRLS task designs, including general parameters for item development. The following are appended: (1) Acknowledgements; (2) Sample PIRLS Passages, Questions, and Scoring Guides; and (3) Sample PIRLS Literacy Passages, Questions, and Scoring Guides. [For the first edition, "PIRLS 2016 Assessment Framework." see ED545242.]

The "TIMSS Advanced 2015 Assessment Frameworks" provides the foundation for the two international assessments to take place as part of the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement's TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study) Advanced 2015--Advanced Mathematics and Physics. Chapter 1 (Liv Sissel Grønmo, Mary Lindquist, Alka Arora) and Chapter 2 (Lee R. Jones, Gerald Wheeler, Victoria A. S. Centurino) present the TIMSS Advanced 2015 Mathematics Framework and the TIMSS Advanced 2015 Physics Framework, respectively, describing in some detail the major content and cognitive domains in advanced mathematics and physics to be tested at the final year of secondary school. The content domains (algebra, calculus, and geometry in mathematics; and mechanics and thermodynamics, electricity and magnetism, and wave phenomena and atomic/nuclear physics in physics) and the topic areas within the domains are presented, with further elaboration on specific objectives of each topic area. The cognitive domains describing the thinking students should be doing within the advanced mathematics and physics content domains are the same for both subjects, albeit with different levels of emphasis. Chapter 3 (Martin Hooper, Ina V. S. Mullis, Michael O. Martin) contains the TIMSS Advanced 2015 Context Questionnaire Framework, describing the types of schooling situations and factors associated with students' learning in advanced mathematics and physics that will be investigated via the questionnaires completed by students, their teachers, and their school principals as well as via the "TIMSS 2015 Encyclopedia". Finally, Chapter 4 (Michael O. Martin, Ina. V. S. Mullis, Pierre Foy) provides an overview of the TIMSS Advanced 2015 test booklet design, and includes general parameters for item development. The following are appended: (1) Acknowledgements; (2) Example Mathematics Items; and (3) Example Physics Items.

It is critical for countries to ensure that capable secondary school students receive further preparation in advanced mathematics and science, so that they are ready to enter challenging university-level studies that prepare them for careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. This group of students will become the next generation of scientists and engineers who will drive innovation and technological development in all sectors of the economy; thus, it is important for countries to understand the mathematics and science achievement of these students as they begin their university-level education. First conducted in 1995, and then again in 2008, TIMSS Advanced is the only international assessment that targets this specific group of students and provides essential information about their advanced mathematics and physics achievement. TIMSS Advanced assesses these students in their final year of secondary school or, as an option offered in 2015 for the first time, at the start of their STEM coursework in universities. Each country that participates in TIMSS Advanced 2015 gains valuable information on the following: (1) The numbers of students and the proportion of the overall student population who are participating in advanced mathematics and physics study at the end of secondary school; (2) The achievement of these students based on international benchmarks (advanced, high, and intermediate); and (3) A rich set of contextual data on curricula, teaching and learning strategies, teacher preparation, school resources, and student preparation and attitudes that can be used to guide education reform and policy planning in STEM fields. Thus, countries that participate in TIMSS Advanced 2015 can obtain data to help them understand how successful they are at preparing the future generation of scientists and engineers, and what policies can be implemented to support and expand the pipeline of students who enter STEM careers. TIMSS Advanced 2015 provides countries that participated in the prior assessments in 1995 and 2008 the opportunity to continue the trend line that shows achievement in advanced mathematics and physics over time. In conjunction with the collection of advanced mathematics and physics achievement data, TIMSS Advanced 2015 also will collect an array of contextual data from curriculum specialists, school principals, mathematics and physics teachers, and the students themselves in each participating country. These data include the following: (1) Organization of the advanced mathematics and physics curriculum; (2) Topics actually taught; (3) Teacher qualifications and experience; (4) Classroom instructional strategies, including technology use; (5) School resources; (6) Amount of instructional time; (7) School environment and climate for learning; (8) Students' homework and out-of-school activities; (9) Home educational supports, including information and communications technology (ICT); and (10) Students' attitudes and aspirations toward STEM-related careers. This extensive set of TIMSS Advanced 2015 contextual data can be used to evaluate current educational policies and instructional strategies, and shape them to improve enrollment and achievement in the advanced secondary school courses required to prepare students for university study in STEM fields. The introduction was written by Ina V. S. Mullis. Chapter 1, TIMSS Advanced 2015 Mathematics Framework (Liv Sissel Grønmo, Mary Lindquist, and Alka Arora) contains the framework for the advanced mathematics assessment. Chapter 2, TIMSS Advanced 2015 Physics Framework,(Lee R. Jones, Gerald Wheeler, and Victoria A.S. Centurino) contains the framework for the physics assessment. Chapter 3, TIMSS Advanced 2015 Context Questionnaire Framework (Martin Hooper, Ina V.S. Mullis, and Michael O. Martin) contains the TIMSS Advanced Contextual Framework describing the types of learning situations and factors associated with students' achievement in advanced mathematics and physics that will be investigated via the questionnaire data. Finally, Chapter 4, TIMSS Advanced 2015 Assessment Design (Michael O. Martin, Ina V.S. Mullis, and Pierre Foy) provides an overview of the 2015 Assessment Design, including general guidelines for item development. For TIMSS Advanced 2015, the advanced mathematics and physics frameworks were updated to better reflect the curricula, standards, and frameworks of the participating countries. The following are appended: (1) Acknowledgements; (2) Example Mathematics Items; (3) Example Physics Items.

This supplement contains documentation on all the derived variables contained in the TIMSS 2011 data files that are based on background questionnaire variables. These variables were used to report background data in the TIMSS 2011 International Results in Mathematics and TIMSS 2011 International Results in Science reports, and are made available as part of this database to be used in secondary analyses. This supplement has eight sections corresponding to each background questionnaire from which reporting variables are derived: (1) Fourth Grade Student Questionnaire; (2) Fourth Grade Home Questionnaire; (3) Fourth Grade Teacher Questionnaire; (4) Fourth Grade School Questionnaire; (5) Eighth Grade Student Questionnaires; (6) Eighth Grade Mathematics Teacher Questionnaire; (7) Eighth Grade Science Teacher Questionnaire; and (8) Eighth Grade School Questionnaire. The following information is provided for each derived variable: (1) Derived Variable Name; (2) Variable Label; (3) Title of International Report Exhibit; (4) Report Location; (5) A procedural description of how the derived variable was computed, including missing data rules if different from the general missing data rule described herein; and (6) Information about whether the variable was available in the previous cycle. [For the "TIMSS 2011 User Guide for the International Database," see ED544555. For Supplement 1, see ED544556. For Supplement 2, see ED544557. For Supplement 4, see ED544559.]

This supplement contains documentation on all the derived variables contained in the PIRLS and prePIRLS 2011 data files that are based on background questionnaire variables. These variables were used to report background data in the PIRLS 2011 International Results in Reading report, and are made available as part of this database to be used in secondary analyses. This supplement has four sections corresponding to each background questionnaire from which reporting variables are derived: (1) Student Questionnaire; (2) Home Questionnaire (Learning to Read Survey); (3) Teacher Questionnaire; and (4) School Questionnaire. The following information is provided for each derived variable: (1) Derived Variable Name; (2) Variable Label; (3) Title of International Report Exhibit; (4) Report Location; (5) A procedural description of how the derived variable was computed, including missing data rules if different from the general missing data rule described herein; and (6) Information about whether the variable was available in the previous cycle. [For the "PIRLS 2011 User Guide for the International Database," see ED544357. For Supplement 1, see ED544359. For Supplement 2, see ED544360. For Supplement 4, see ED544358.]

TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study) is an international assessment of mathematics and science at the fourth and eighth grades that has been conducted every four years since 1995, with the most recent assessment in 2011. PIRLS (Progress in International Reading Literacy Study) is an international assessment of reading comprehension at the fourth grade that has been conducted every five years since 2001. In total, approximately 325,000 students participated in PIRLS 2011, including countries assessing students at the sixth as well as the fourth grades, regional participants or language benchmarking efforts, and prePIRLS (an easier version of PIRLS) for students who are still developing their reading skills. Both TIMSS and PIRLS 2011 continue series' of international assessments in mathematics, science, and reading conducted by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational (IEA). IEA pioneered international comparative assessments of educational achievement in the 1960s to gain a deeper understanding of the effects of policies and practices across countries' different systems of education. In 2011, the TIMSS and PIRLS data collection schedules came into alignment for the first time in the history of these international assessments. This provided countries with the opportunity to assess their fourth grade students in three fundamental curricular areas: mathematics, science, and reading. However, more pertinent to the present report, 34 countries and three benchmarking entities took advantage of this unique opportunity to assess the same students in all three subjects. Equally important, because the PIRLS assessment includes a parent questionnaire that provides information describing students' home environments and supports for learning, this home environment information was available for the first time with TIMSS data as well. Taken together, the fourth grade students in these 34 countries and three benchmarking participants have achievement data in the three core academic areas--reading, mathematics, and science--accompanied by an extensive array of background questionnaire data about the home, school, and classroom contexts for learning these three subjects. Having data on the same students makes it possible to conduct a range of investigations of the important characteristics of home and school influencing early learning, while controlling for extraneous factors. Researchers can apply a variety of modeling techniques to explore these important issues by examining the interrelationships among their underlying components. To facilitate this research, the TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center created a special international database including only fourth grade students assessed in all three subjects, and achievement scores in reading, mathematics, and science were estimated based on a multidimensional scaling or reading, mathematics, and science together (Foy, 2013). The purpose of the special database is to have the most appropriate basis for studying relationships among reading, mathematics, and science teaching and learning. It is anticipated that the primary value of this special TIMSS and PIRLS 2011 data will be realized through in-depth national research, as participating countries use the data for school improvement at the primary level. The intention of this initial book examining relationships among reading, mathematics, and science teaching and learning is to illustrate the potential of the special TIMSS and PIRLS 2011 database and to make some headway in the analysis process. The hope is that that the four chapters of this book will inspire many others to conduct further research and mine this valuable data. Following an introduction by Ina V. S. Mullis and Michael O. Martin, the content are as follows: (1) Profiles of Achievement across Reading, Mathematics, and Science at the Fourth Grade (Ina V.S. Mullis); (2) The Impact of Reading Ability on TIMSS Mathematics and Science Achievement at the Fourth Grade: An Analysis by Item Reading Demands (Ina V. S. Mullis, Michael O. Martin, and Pierre Foy); (3) Effective Schools in Reading, Mathematics, and Science at the Fourth Grade (Michael O. Martin, Pierre Foy, Ina V. S. Mullis, and Laura M. O'Dwyer); and (4) Effects of Home Background on Student Achievement in Reading, Mathematics, and Science at the Fourth Grade (Jan-Eric Gustafsson, Kajsa Yang Hansen, and Monica Rosén). Individual chapters contain references.

Because developing reading literacy ability is vital to every student's growth and maturation, the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement, more widely known as IEA, has been conducting regular international assessments of reading literacy and the factors associated with its acquisition in countries around the world for more than 50 years. PIRLS (Progress in International Reading Literacy Study) was inaugurated in 2001 as a follow-up to IEA's 1991 Reading Literacy Study. Conducted a five year intervals, PIRLS 2016 is the fourth assessment in the current trend series, following PIRLS 2001, 2006, and 2011, All of the countries, institutions and agencies involved in successive PIRLS assessments have worked collaboratively in building the most comprehensive and innovative measure of reading comprehension possible beginning in 2001 and improving with each cycle since then. PIRLS is directed by the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) & PIRLS International Study Center at Boston College. New for 2016, ePIRLS is an innovative assessment of online reading. In order to be responsive to the information age and provide important information about how well students are developing 21st century skills, ePIRLS uses an engaging, simulated Internet environment to present fourth grade students with authentic school-like assignments involving science and social studies topics. A teacher avatar guides students through the ePIRLS assignments, prompting the students with questions about the online information. The number of countries participating in PIRLS has grown with each assessment cycle. Based on reading purposes and comprehension processes, the PIRLS framework provides the foundation for the PIRLS, prePIRLS, and ePIRLS assessments of students' reading achievement. PIRLS assesses students' reading achievement within the two overarching purposes for reading that account for most of the reading done by young students both in and out of school: (1) Reading for literary experience; and (2) Reading to acquire and use information. The PIRLS assessments integrate four types of comprehension processes within each of the two purposes for reading: (1) Focus on and retrieve explicitly stated information; (2) Make straightforward inferences; (3) Interpret and integrate ideas and information; and (4) Evaluate and critique content and textual elements. The upcoming PIRLS 2016 assessment with its questionnaires, as well as the PIRLS 2016 Encyclopedia, will collect and report data on a variety of activities and experiences from the following range of learning to read contexts: (1) National and community; (2) Home; (3) School; (4) Classroom; and (5) Student. As a result, the PIRLS 2016 Encyclopedia and questionnaire data will provide a dynamic picture of reading educational policies and practices across the participating countries that can raise issues and indicate avenues relevant to educational improvement efforts. Consistent with the purpose of extending PIRLS or bridging to PIRLS, the less difficult reading assessment has been named prePIRLS. The prePIRLS assessment follows the same conception of reading literacy as PIRLS outlined in this publication, but is intended to measure the reading comprehension skills of students who are still in the process of learning how to read. The availability of prePIRLS enables IEA to target the PIRLS assessment to each country's situation in order to provide the best possible measurement. Depending on a country's educational development and the students' reading level, countries can participate in either or both PIRLS and prePIRLS in order to conduct the most effective assessment. The goal is to provide the best policy-relevant information about how to improve teaching and learning and to help young students become accomplished and self-sufficient readers. Updating the PIRLS framework with each assessment cycle provides participating countries opportunities to introduce fresh ideas and current information about curricula, standards, frameworks, and instruction. This keeps the frameworks educationally relevant, creates coherence from assessment to assessment, and permits the framework, instruments, and procedures to evolve gradually into the future. The introduction was authored by Ina V. S. Mullis. Chapters of this report are as follows: (1) PIRLS 2016 Reading Framework (Ina V. S. Mullis, Michael O. Martin, and Marian Sainsbury); (2) PIRLS 2016 Context Questionnaire Framework (Martin Hooper, Ina V. S. Mullis, and Michael O. Martin); and (3) PIRLS 2016 Assessment Design and Specifications (Michael O. Martin, Ina V. S. Mullis, and Pierre Foy). Appendices include: (1) Acknowledgements; (2) Sample PIRLS Passages, Questions, and Scoring Guides; and (3) Sample prePIRLS Passages, Questions, and Scoring Guides.

For more than 50 years, the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) has been conducting comparative studies of educational achievement in a number of curriculum areas, including mathematics and science. TIMSS 2011 represents the fifth cycle of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), developed by IEA. During the past two decades, TIMSS has reported on mathematics and science achievement trends at the fourth and eighth grades, providing educational policymakers, administrators, teachers, and researchers with powerful insights into how educational systems are functioning as well as critical intelligence about the possibilities for educational reform and improvement. The "TIMSS 2011 International Results in Science" presents extensive information on student performance in science, including trends over the five assessments since 1995. Also included are data on performance in the science content domains (earth science, biology, chemistry, etc.) and on competence in managing the problem solving challenges in these science contexts. In addition, the TIMSS 2011 report contains vital information on key curricular, instructional, and resource-related factors that can impact the teaching and learning process. These data on student achievement trends and the contexts for teaching and learning science will ensure that TIMSS continues to set the standard for studies of this type and be regarded as a fundamental source of information for educational policymakers, planners, and researchers alike. The following appendices are included: (1) Countries Participating in TIMSS 2011 and in Earlier TIMSS Assessments; (2) Characteristics of the Items in the TIMSS 2011 Science Assessment; (3) Population Coverage and Sample Participation Rates; (4) Percentage of Students with Achievement Too Low for Estimation; (5) Average Percent Correct in the Science Content and Cognitive Domains; (6) The Test-Curriculum Matching Analysis--Science; (7) Percentiles and Standard Deviations of Science Achievement; and (8) Organizations and Individuals Responsible for TIMSS 2011. (Contains 143 exhibits and 5 footnotes.)

The "TIMSS 2011 International Results in Mathematics" summarizes fourth and eighth grade student achievement in each of the 63 countries and 14 benchmarking entities which participated in TIMSS 2011. The report includes trends in mathematics achievement over time for participants in the previous TIMSS 1995, 1999, 2003, and 2007 assessments, as well as student performance at the TIMSS International Benchmarks. Achievement results also are presented for mathematics content and cognitive domains. The "Mathematics Report" provides a rich array of information which describes the educational contexts for mathematics, including home environment support, students' backgrounds and attitudes toward mathematics, the mathematics curriculum, teachers' education and training, classroom characteristics and activities, and school contexts for mathematics learning and instruction. The following appendices are included: (1) Countries Participating in TIMSS 2011 and in Earlier TIMSS Assessments; (2) Characteristics of the Items in the TIMSS 2011 Mathematics Assessment; (3) Population Coverage and Sample Participation Rates; (4) Percentage of Students with Achievement Too Low for Estimation; (5) Average Percent Correct in the Mathematics Content and Cognitive Domains; (6) The Test-Curriculum Matching Analysis--Mathematics; (7) Percentiles and Standard Deviations of Mathematics Achievement; and (8) Organizations and Individuals Responsible for TIMSS 2011. (Contains 145 exhibits and 5 footnotes.)

Because of the educational importance of mathematics and science, IEA's (International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement) Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, widely known as TIMSS, is dedicated to providing countries with information to improve teaching and learning in these curriculum areas. Conducted every four years on a regular cycle, TIMSS assesses achievement in mathematics and science at the fourth and eighth grades. TIMSS 2011 is the most recent in the TIMSS series, which began with the first assessment in 1995 and has continued with subsequent assessments in 1999, 2003, and 2007. For countries with data back to 1995, TIMSS 2011 will provide the fifth trend measure. This publication contains three frameworks and explains the assessment design that will serve as the basis for implementing TIMSS 2011. The "TIMSS 2011 Mathematics Framework" and the "TIMSS 2011 Science Framework" in Chapters 1 and 2, respectively, describe in some detail the major content and cognitive domains in mathematics and science to be tested at the fourth and eighth grades. The content domains (for example, algebra, geometry, etc. in mathematics, and biology, chemistry, etc. in science) and the topic areas within the domains are described separately for the fourth and eighth grades with each topic area elaborated with specific objectives. The cognitive domains describing the thinking students should be doing within the mathematics and science content domains are the same for mathematics and science and parallel across grades, but with different levels of emphasis. Chapter 3 contains the "TIMSS 2011 Contextual Framework" describing the types of situations and factors associated with students' learning in mathematics and science that will be investigated via the questionnaires. Finally, Chapter 4 provides an overview of the "TIMSS 2011 Assessment Design", including general parameters for item development. Appendices include: (1) Acknowledgements; (2) Example Mathematics Items; and (3) Example Science Items. (Contains 12 exhibits and 6 footnotes.) [Funding for this paper was provided by the Boston College.