North Carolina was the only participating state in the country and one of only eight education systems across the world in which fourth-grade math students outscored the test average and U.S. national average on the 2011 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, according to a report released today by the National Center for Education Statistics. At the eighth grade level, North Carolina was among only 11 states and countries to score higher than both the TIMSS scale and national averages. In science, the average scores among fourth and eighth grade students in the state exceeded the TIMSS scale average but not the U.S. national average. For more information, visit www.ncpublicschools.org and select the appropriate link under “News.”