Gender gap fixed; global gap next
Earlier this month, the president of the Illinois Math and Science Academy - a former state schools superintendent - said the gender gap in math and science had been fixed.
"The girls (at IMSA) will be the first ones to tell you they're second to none," said Glenn "Max" McGee, adding in the Daily Herald article that he believes that is the case statewide as well.
And the following week, he was proved right.
A new study reported on by the Associated Press last Friday shows that the gender gap nationwide is no more as well. In the largest study of its kind, girls measured up to boys in every grade, from second to 11th.
Now it's time for parents, teachers and the girls themselves to believe in this positive news.
"It (the notion they aren't as smart in math and science) keeps girls and women out of a lot of careers, particularly high-prestige, lucrative careers in science and technology," said Janet Hyde, a University of Wisconsin-Madison researcher who led the study.
Indeed, gender should not play a role in determining the type of class female students take or the major they choose in college. But gender still does play a role if the girls aren't made to feel comfortable in those classes by teachers or fellow students. And they may never walk into those classes if they aren't encouraged by their parents or counselors to challenge themselves in these subjects. This is where attitudes, if they still exist in our schools, need to change.
McGee also points out that more attention needs to be given to minority girls in math and science.
"I think by and large the girls have caught up to the boys, but it's not necessarily so for minority students, especially those in poverty. As a statewide policy issue, I think that still needs attention," McGee said.
And as we make progress on the gender gap, McGee and others point out that American students still lag behind other nations in math and science. That must be addressed as well.
"I think it's going to be a national crisis," McGee said.
The key, he said - and with which we agree - is to provide hands-on, in-depth understanding of the basic material taught in the schools.
"I cannot see us catching up unless we change the way we teach," McGee said. In China, he said, they learn all the basics at a young age and then they learn how to apply those skills to solve problems.
A nationwide survey released last month said more than a third of those surveyed - adults with and without children - said math needs more class time in schools.
"Math is the subject that parents are often intimidated by," said Janine Remillard of the University of Pennsylvania education school. "We've allowed a lot of kids to just say, 'I'm not good at math,' - and those kids become parents."
Whether intimidated or not, parents must insist on a strong math and science education. It's vital for their children's future and the nation's.