Hey Girl Bloggers!
Have you ever had someone tell you that boys are better than girls at math!? Well guess what! It’s not true, and there are new studies to prove it! These studies are the largest compilation of math scores ever recorded. Researchers looked at yearly math tests required by the No Child Left Behind education law in 2002. In these tests over seven million children’s statistical test score information was reviewed by gender. These tests were collected from ten different states.
After viewing all these different scores and comparing the boys’ to the girls’, researchers found no difference in the scores of girls versus boys in elementary and high school. Twenty years ago studies showed that scores were equal in elementary school, but boys had better math scores than girls in high school.
Some researchers claim that many parents and teachers tend to think boys have better math skills, so then they are the ones who end up in professional science and technology careers. Hopefully this new study changes things and will give more opportunities to girls in these exciting jobs!
What do you think girls?! Do you like the math classes you have in high school? Do any of you want jobs someday where you need to use math skills?
Let’s here your thoughts on this exciting breakthrough!
2 comments:
The results of the study can be interpreted as consistent with what Larry Summer said: That girls and boys have the same average achievement, but boys have higher variance, leading to an over-abundance of males at the higher (and lower) ends of the achievement spectrum.
It seems that only the wall street journal reported on the “boys higher variance” part of the study with this headline: “Boys’ Math Scores Hit Highs and Lows”
Here is Andrew Gelman of Columbia talking about the variance part of the study as well, and the contrasting parts that were emphasized by the WSJ vs the NYT (and virtually all other newspapers).
http://www.stat.columbia.edu/~cook/movabletype/archives/2008/07/nyt_vs_wsj_on_g.html
Also, here is Alex Tabarrok of marginalrevolution talking about how the study vindicates summers:
Summers Vindicated (Again)
http://www.marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2008/07/summers-vindica.html
I wonder then, if Summers was essentially pointing out what studies have been saying all along: that boys are more apt to excel at math than girls, why he felt the need to leave off that part where boys are also more apt to be delinquent at math than girls.
It's also interesting that you felt the need to "well actually" a blog by and for girls and their accomplishments, self-esteem, and pride. Bravo.
P.S. the "(and lower)" part of your comment does not need to be used as an aside. It's a pertinent fact that belongs in your statement about the study's findings.
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