Hawai'i's elementary and middle school students not only lag behind their national counterparts but are also outperformed by their peers in many Asian countries and parts of Europe, according to a new international grading index.

In a first of its kind comparison of math performance across the globe, Hawai'i's fourth- and eighth-grade students were outperformed by peers in several places including China, Singapore, Japan and Russia.

Hawai'i's fourth- and eighth-graders scored a math grade of C+ and C, respectively.

"Asian nations consistently perform at the B+, B, and B- levels," said Gary Phillips, author of the report and vice president at the American Institutes for Research in Washington, D.C.

"Their students are learning mathematics not just at a higher level than students in the United States, but at a level that is a quantum leap higher," Phillips said.

Only fourth-grade students in a few states — Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Kansas and Vermont — earned mathematics scores at B levels when compared with students internationally, the report found.

In eighth grade, only Massachusetts achieves a grade of B.

The study, which uses results from two 2007 international assessments and U.S. results from the 2007 National Assessment for Educational Progress, is calibrated so that a grade of "B" is the highest score.

Hawai'i's education officials say the new research is helpful as the state prepares to join a consortium of 46 states to develop national "common core standards" for reading and math.

"The Department of Education is concerned that we don't score as well as other countries," said Cara Tanimura, director of the state DOE's Systems Accountability Office.

"I think that developing common core standards will help us with our focus and to be more competitive internationally," Tanimura said.

Tanimura pointed out several differences between the U.S. education system versus the system from other industrialized countries, including longer school days and years and more intensive teacher development.

"These tests that our students take — the Hawai'i State Assessment, the NAEP — they're not high stakes for the kids. They can bubble (answer) anything they want and it doesn't affect their grade nor impact whether or not they graduate," Tanimura said.

"They may not take the test as seriously as some of the students in other countries," Tanimura said.

Because education policy is generally developed on the state or municipal level, with little federal control, there are a wide variety of academic benchmarks and standards being implemented across the U.S.

Earlier this month, Gov. Linda Lingle and Superintendent Patricia Hamamoto signed on to Hawai'i's participation in a national process to develop a common core of state standards that rival international expectations.

The national effort, which includes 46 states, will be led by the Council of Chief State School Officers and the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices.

Daniel Hamada, assistant superintendent of curriculum, instruction and student support, said having common benchmarks and standards across state lines will allow for more accurate comparisons of how Hawai'i students are doing.

"With common standards, that'll get us one step closer to competing internationally," he said.