CBC: Girls closing gender gap in math

[pampango]

A new report suggests there is no significant difference between Canadian boys and girls when it comes to Grade 8 math skills.

The report, which outlines the results of the 2010 Pan-Canadian Assessment Program (PCAP) from the Council of Ministers of Education in Canada, found there was no significant difference between male and female students when it came to math scores.

“I think it has to do with cultural change, schools getting rid of ‘gender-tagging’,” said Denis Mildon, an independent consultant on the report who helped to ensure that CMEC collected the data properly, and helped write the final report. “They have done a lot of work on getting science and math gender-neutral. Both boys and girls are getting an equal voice — neither gender is treated differently,” Mildon added.

The 2010 report focused on math, but it also tested for reading and science. Girls did better than boys in both science and reading, lending credence to the view that boys need a push in several subjects.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2011/11/27/education-math-gender-gap.html?cmp=rss

[lbrtbell]

1. It's all about "gender tagging"

Girls mature faster than boys at that age, so if it weren't for societal pressures, girls would most likely be better at math than boys. But when teachers favor boys over girls...well, you know the result.

[seabeyond]

2. go figure. and here i have people demand, insist, it is all about biology and the differences.

and it was really about conditioning.

thanks

[WinkyDink]

3. Corollary: Girls descending to boys' literacy levels. :-P

[Javaman]

5. or...

Girls are staying the same while boys get worse.

[seabeyond]

6. There’s a conception that reading and writing is a feminine act."

"Mildon says there is still a problem with how boys view reading and writing.

“There’s a conception that reading and writing is a feminine act. It is changing a bit, for example male hip-hop artists, they are writing poetry. But it’s a long, difficult cultural battle. We haven’t got there yet,” said Mildon."



my boys excel in reading, writing and some sciences. they struggle with math. there absolutely is the instilled conditioning that reading and writing is or girls. they have had it all their lives. yea.... we dont buy into the conditioning adn they have been able to perform to the extent it has them in the highest margins nationally, allowing colleges and other programs to look at them

[exboyfil]

4. I had to do considerable intervention to get both my girls in

Algebra in 8th grade. Even though my oldest was in the 95% range on the ITBS and got mostly As in math in elementary, she was placed into the Honors 7th grade math class and not the honors 8th grade class (PreAlgebra). This was based on a B.S. Pre-Algebra assessment test in 6th grade over material never covered in class. To my regret I did not prep her for this test. She had to get an A in the 7th grade Honors class and pass an assessment to get into the 8th grade class. I took a day off and prepped her for the assessment test which she passed. She indicated she does not think she would have passed otherwise because, again, there was material on the test which had never been covered in class. She is now getting a high A in 10th grade Honors Algebra II/Trig (one of the few As in the class). She has gotten all As in math since 7th grade.

I did prep my younger daughter some for the the 6th grade test. She is not quite as good in math as her sister (still in the mid 90s on the ITBS math). She got a bordlerline score on the PreAlgebra assessment (76 when an 80 was required - my older daughter had gotten a 56). This time they looked back to her 2nd grade CogAT score to exclude her from the PreAlgebra class in 7th grade. I would have none of it, and fought with the Gifted and Talented coordinator until she agreed to allow Laura to retake the CogAT. Well I wanted to make sure so I actually got a copy of the old CogAT test and let it be a guide for my prep work. She did well on the test. She got into PreAlgebra as a 7th grader and got a B+. So far she is riding with a high A in Algebra as an 8th grader.

I don't attribute the exclusion to discrimination against girls - just to a primitive school system when it comes to math. It was hilarious because now one of the big pushes by the state Department of Ed is to get more kids into Algebra in 8th grade. Iowa is one of the lowest wiht only 19% of its students in Algebra or higher in 8th grade. I received a handout at student conferences with that mentioned. Suddenly it is a big push. It is one of the statistics I quoted when I was fighting with our local school system about accessing Algebra in 8th grade.

I really did not care as much, but the 2nd grade CogAT was also used to exclude my youngest daughter from the Gifted and Talented program. She is in it now as an 8th grader, but it is of secondary importance to her subject classes. She is currently taking 10th grade Biology as an 8th grader (already finished Biology 1 with a strong A). She wants to be a doctor.