Math Achievement Differences Might Not Be From Stereotype Threat

Articles pointing to a study that claims stereotypes do not explain diff in math performance!

The study has not been released yet.

Two links
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/curriculum/2012/01/a_new_study_casts_doubt.html?cmp=ENL-CM-NEWS2

http://chronicle.com/article/Stereotypes-Do-Not-Explain/130377/

New Study on Gender Gap in Math - it doesn't exist

The new study from University of Wisconsin looks at international data and claims,

"In summary, we conclude that gender equity and other sociocultural factors, not national income, school type, or religion per se, are the primary determinants of mathematics performance at all levels for both boys and girls. Our findings are consistent with the gender stratified hypothesis, but not with the greater male variability, gap due to inequity, single-gender classroom, or Muslim culture hypotheses."

It is important to look at their breakdown of data, it is extensive. It does discuss the status of gender gap within the United States and links it to the lacks of overall gender equality.

Now, if someone would do this type of study with international reading scores.

Differences in Brain Volume Affect Spatial Ability

A new study that claims that the different brain volume of males and females benefits males spatial ability. This might have to do with geometry? If you are a math teacher or someone doing research, this could be an up to date article to talk about.

Gender Based Data in Canada

An article that looks at the decline of the performance of boys in math and science in Canada.  From the article:

Boys have fallen behind in science and lost their long-held dominance in math, and though the results are a Canadian first, the problem may be a familiar one: reading.

Reading has been a weak spot for boys for decades. The latest national standardized test results show the gap between girls and boys in reading is growing, and that it is spreading to math and science.

This issues seems to have a gendered layer to it.  No, it isn't just a single-gender issue, but, yes, single-gender classes could be part of a potential solution.  But a greater understanding of how to make reading engaging and important to boys is important.  But, for some reason, we just aren't concerned to the degree to really engage people in this conversation yet.

What have you done to bring this issue forward in your local setting?

Gender, Culture and Math

How do gender, culture and use of mathematical procedures interact.  Interesting that there are differences within the United States sample.  Overall the authors claim that differences are not as pronounced as thought, but we know from recent performance data that math achievement gaps between males and females are small.  The key not is to find out why we are losing females from pursuing higher level math classes and from performance in upper level math classes.  I suspect it has to do with "connection."
 From the abstract: 
This study examined the gender differences of U.S. and Chinese students in their solution processes of solving routine and nonroutine mathematical problems. Results of the study showed that overall there were statistically significant gender differences (favoring males) on both routine and nonroutine problem solving for the U.S. sample, but not for the Chinese sample. However, examinations of students' component processes (translation, integration, planning, and execution) for solving routine problems revealed that significant gender differences only exist for the execution component (computation skills) for the U.S. sample. A more elaborate qualitative analysis of student responses to nonroutine problems showed that male and female students exhibit many similarities in their solution processes of solving nonroutine problems. The present study suggests gender differences in solution processes for solving routine and nonroutine mathematical problems are not as pronounced as were found in previous research.
http://www.amle.org/Publications/RMLEOnline/Articles/Vol26No1Article1/tabid/503/Default.aspx

Funding: ending girls and math ... maybe looking at boys and reading?

An Education Week (http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2011/05/house_calls_for_eliminating_mo.html?cmp=ENL-EU-NEWS1)post caught my eye:
Forty-three education programs would be scrapped under a bill introduced today by Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., the chairman of the House Education and the Workforce subcommittee that oversees K-12 policy. Looking at the summary (http://edworkforce.house.gov/UploadedFiles/SUMMARY_-_Setting_New_Priorities_in_Education_Spending_Act.pdf) I found this from the Education and Workforce Committee:
• Women’s Educational Equity: The Women’s Educational Equity program promotes education equity for women and girls. The program received $1.8 million in FY 2008 and $2.4 million in both FY 2009 and 2010. Funding for the program was eliminated in the final FY 2011 budget agreement and the president’s FY 2012 budget request. Research has shown this program is no longer necessary; a March 17, 2010 article in Education Week noted the traditional achievement gap between boys and girls in math has closed, with the "percentages of both genders scoring ‘proficient’ or higher [being] roughly the same." On the other hand, that same article observes that "male students in every state where data were available lag behind females in reading."