The government says calculators will be banned in maths tests for 11-year-olds in England from 2014.
About a quarter of each course at DUOC involves remedial classes in maths, language and English.
In maths, as it happens, America's score was 500, placing it 28th in the league.
And nearly one in five girls said they deliberately underachieved in maths skills to avoid being bullied.
Incidentally, this was well ahead of Scotland which came 18th and 16th in maths and science respectively.
A-level too: it's possible to get an A in maths without a solid grasp of calculus, for example.
These gained, on average, five percentage points in reading and 15 points in maths, compared with national norms.
Ms Truss said she was "not anti-calculator", but claimed that their use may be lowering basic standards in maths.
He said the rise in maths and single sciences was "encouraging", but the fall in language study was "worrying".
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First, the international comparison of standards in maths and science (TIMSS) showed that England is indeed doing very well.
The studies reveal that Asian countries continue to dominate the top of the global tables in maths, science and reading.
In maths, the proportion at Level 5 is at a record high of 35%, almost three times higher than in 1995.
The Tech Bacc will require students to have three elements - qualifications in maths and literacy and a "high quality" vocational qualification.
America was 17th in reading and even lower in maths and science.
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Compiled by researchers in the US, the Timss study is an important benchmark for comparing standards in maths and science around the world.
Currently, prospective candidates should have an SCQF 6 in English (equivalent to a Higher) and an SCQF 5 in Maths (Standard Grade equivalent).
In a ranking of 15-year-olds in 30 industrialised countries in 2006, American teenagers came a dismal 21st in science and 25th in maths.
Timms, which analyses performance in maths and science at ages nine to 10 and 13-14, and Pirls which looks at reading among 10-year-olds.
The Northern Ireland Audit Office has examined levels of attainment in maths, reading and writing at primary and secondary schools in Northern Ireland.
Prisoners in the North West will be given "military-style" lessons in maths and English to boost their chances of finding employment on release.
Manchester Grammar School is already offering IGCSEs in maths, biology, chemistry and physics, and will offer it in seven more subjects from September.
Schools Minister Diana Johnson said another independent report showed pupils in England making real progress in maths and that GCSE standards were rigorously monitored.
Pupils at schools where the arts were integrated into the curriculum showed stronger performance in maths, English, critical thinking and verbal skills, he added.
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For example, a lottery study in New York City found that by eighth grade (around 13), charter-school pupils were 30 points ahead in maths.
The Pisa tests, which measure the performance of 15-year-olds in maths, reading and science, have become a highly influential way of comparing international education standards.
It compared scores of 13-year-olds in maths and science tests, calibrating the scores so that a mark of 500 was equal to the international average.
The Westminster government has also announced its intention to bring in a "technical baccalaureate" for England, showing young people's abilities in maths, literacy and vocational skills.
External assessments in maths and reading had been "much less criticised" by the teachers his panel had talked to, and these would be retained, he said.
Next year in a few hundred pilot schools, single level tests will replace Sats in maths, though the government is moving cautiously in introducing the new tests.
They say their data therefore show that improvements in maths scores are related not to economic development, but directly to improvements in the social position of women.
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