Gifted+Girls+in+Science+and+Math

Gifted Girls

GEMS (Girls Exploring Math & Science)

Underrepresentation of Girls in Gifted Programs America’s future economic success and national security depend upon a technologically literate society that is well versed in mathematics and science (Roekel, pg. 1). Unfortunately, girls are still an underrepresented group in our gifted programs.

**__The National Education Association__ (NEA)**: Policy brief shares the following:  **//• Few girls pursue studies and careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics;//**  **//• Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 law requires institutions to not discriminate on the basis of sex;//**  **//• Women and girls should receive an equal opportunity in all aspects of education—from access to higher education to fair treatment in elementary and secondary classrooms;//**  **//• Boys still dominate physics, calculus, and other more advanced courses;//**  **//• Females take more Advanced Placement (AP) tests than boys, except in mathematics, science, and computer science.//**  **//• Females lag behind in America’s high stakes tests such as the SAT—across all races and ethnicities—and that limits their access to higher education—academically and financially.//**  **//• Girls and women score lower on the verbal and mathematics section of the SAT, the mathematics, science, and computer science AP exams, and the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) for master’s and doctoral programs.//**

**__ Research :__** Research confirms that traditional gender-based stereotypes and inequities still exist and are still limiting the academic and social development. Girls still face bias in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). In fact, the NEA policy brief states that the Department of Labor predicts that by the year 2014, there will be a 28 percent increase in professional, scientific, and technical services, which translates to 1.9 million new jobs. Where will that leave girls in comparison to boys? This prediction shares that “…girls are five times less likely than boys to consider technology-related careers, and girls from all ethnic groups rate themselves considerably lower than do boys on technological ability” (Roekel, pg. 2). These statistics MUST change! The NEA supports educational settings for girls to flourish by creating and sustaining environments in which females have: = equal chance of learning in all subjects; = equally high learning and academic expectations communicated to them; = equal opportunities and encouragement to participate and achieve in courses that prepare them for further education and a wide range of career choices.

**__New Study__** :

In a new study for the journal //Intelligence//, the Duke Talent Identification Program researched 30 years of test data from 1.6 million smart students. The top 5 percent of seventh-graders in 16 states focused on the most gifted seventh graders. They were able to score 700 or above on SAT math section or the equivalent on the ACT in math. However, the following was noted:

~ Seventh grade boys outnumbered girls

^ 4-to-1 on the SAT;

^ 3-to-1 on the ACT;

^ 3-to-1 on the ACT for scientific reasoning.

The author’s concluded that women “…are still substantial and remained relatively stable for two decades” partly because of the dearth of women in STEM courses (Miller-McCune).

**__Educators, such as Sally Reis__** ask, “What factors cause some smart young girls with hopes and dreams to become self-fulfilled talented women in their later lives?” Even though researchers have addressed this issue, much more is needed. Gifted girls begin to lose self-confidence in elementary school, which continues through college and graduate school (Reis, pg. 8). They increasingly doubt their intellectual competence; perceive themselves as less capable than they actually are; and believe that boys can rely on innate ability while they themselves must work hard. Reis shares that talented girls’ social and emotional development through elementary and secondary school are important factors. Girls lack self-confidence and self-perceived abilities decrease, as they get older.

Therefore, what is the answer? Girls can participate in //fun conferences// for middle school girls where they learn why technology is important to their careers and lives. Check out footage from a recent Tec-Know Conference hosted by Hardy Girls Healthy Women and Zoey's Room, two innovative organizations in Maine.

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**//Parents//** are a major influence on daughter’s confidence to be successful in mathematics and sciences. media type="youtube" key="lf5BLio6qGQ" height="315" width="420" align="center"

“Girls want to have fun, too!” “This video is a shortened version of the video that was created at the end of the 2009 GEMS camp, "Science Around the World." Girls received mini passports and stamps from all the countries that we "visited." In Egypt, we mummified apples with a chemistry experiment, created shadufs, an engineering construct to carry water, and learned about Egyptian culture. In China, we made paper, learned about Chinese inventions, and culture. In France, we studied physics in the pool and engineering by building gumdrop structures. In Canada, we built robots and programmed them and studied the native people by creating dream catchers. In Japan, we learned about anime and used 3-D computer-aided design programs as well as studied geometry through origami. Then, we all went to the Kennedy Space Center to learn about the International Space Station with a cool IMAX movie and rode all of the virtual reality rides there!” media type="youtube" key="AidgHb3W7Ok" height="315" width="420" align="center"

References Burns, M. (2010, July 22). Smartest Girls Find Gender Gap in Math, Science. //Smartest Girls Find Gender Gap in Math, Science - Miller-Mccune//. Retrieved April 12, 2012, from http://www.miller-mccune.com/news/smartest-girls Encouraging Girls in Math and Science - YouTube. (n.d.). //YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.//. Retrieved April 23, 2012, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lf5BLio6qGQ GEMS (Girls Exploring Math & Science) Summer Camp at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - YouTube. (n.d.). //YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.//. Retrieved April 23, 2012, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AidgHb3W7Ok Girls Get into Math & Science at Tec-Know Conference - YouTube. (n.d.). //YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.//. Retrieved April 23, 2012, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xv3L8H_UF3E&feature=related Reis, S. M. (n.d.). Major Turning Points in Gifted Education in the 20th Century. //Neag Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development//. Retrieved April 23, 2012, from http://www.gifted.uconn.edu/general/faculty/reis/Major_Turning_Points.ht ml Roekel, D. V. (0). Mathematics and Science for Every Girl and Boy. //NEA Education Policy//, 0, 3. Retrieved April 16, 2012, from www.neapolicybrief NEA President