Women and Girls in STEM: A Comprehensive Approach to Achieving Equity

1
Women and Girls in STEM A Comprehensive
Approach to Achieving Equity

• Linda D. Hallman, CAE
• AAUW Executive Director
• Presented to the National Science Foundations
• Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and
  Engineering
• October 26, 2009

2
(No Transcript)
3
High School Credits Earned in Math and Science
by boys and girls, 19902005
On average, girls are taking slightly more
credits than boys in science and math and
earning higher grades in these classes.
Female and Male High School Graduates Mathematics
and Science Combined High School GPA 1990-2005
SOURCE U.S. Department of Education, Institute
of Education Sciences, National Center for
Education Statistics, High School Transcript
Study.
4
Average score male students (2008) AB 3.14
BC 3.84 Average scores female students (2008) AB
2.87 BC 3.50
5
Female freshmen are less likely than male
freshmen to declare a major in a STEM field
Males
Females
Source CPST, data derived from Higher Education
Research Institute
6
Womens representation among STEM bachelors
degree holders has improved over time, but varies
by field.
7
Consistent with the increased representation of
women among STEM degree recipients, womens
representation in the STEM workforce has also
increased.
8
In the STEM workforce, women remain outnumbered,
especially among the most highly educated workers.

• Doctoral Workforce in Computer and Information
  Sciences 2006

• Doctoral Workforce in Biological, Agricultural,
  and Environmental life science 2006

Source National Science Foundation/Division of
Science Resources Statistics, Survey of Doctorate
Recipients 2006. Table 2. Note The number of
female unemployed workers was not available due
to small sample size.
9
National Girls Collaborative Project

• AAUW FELLOWSHIPS GRANTS
• Advancing the Agenda in Gender Equity for
  Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics

10
AAUW FELLOWSHIPS AND GRANTS
11
AAUW Fellowships

• American Fellowships
• International Fellowships

12
AAUW Fellowships

• Selected Professions Fellowships

13
AAUW Grants

• Campus Action Projects
• Career Development Grants

14
AAUW Grants

• Community Action Grants

15
The Role of the National Girls Collaborative
Project
16
National Girls Collaborative Project

• GOALS
• Maximize Access to Shared Resources
• Strengthen Capacity of Existing Projects
• Create the Tipping Point for Gender Equity in
  STEM
• METHOD
• Implementation of the Collaborative Model
• Dissemination Outreach
• Collaboration Support
• Research Evaluation

17
Components of the NGCP Model

• Program Directory
• Mini-Grants
• Dissemination of Promising Practices

18
AAUW is a leader in advancing equity for women
and girls in science, technology, engineering and
math (STEM)
Reports available at www.aauw.org under Research
19
Where the Girls Are The Facts about Gender
Equity in Education showed that girls gains have
not come at boys expense.
20
Why So Few Women and Girls in Science,
Technology, Engineering and Mathematics

• Report will summarize participation and
  performance of women and girls in
• middle and high school,
• college and graduate school, and
• the workplace.
• Report will highlight key findings on gender
  equity in STEM, drawing from hundreds of research
  studies.
• Expected release date early 2010

21
The report will demonstrate how research can and
should inform policymaking.

• Key findings are
• Important
• Recent
• Critical to social policy on gender and STEM
• Case studies
• Profile research that supports interventions to
  help mitigate existing barriers.

22
Legislation and Public Policy
23
STEM Jobs Well-Paying Jobs

• Pay Gap Women earn 77 for every dollar men earn.
• STEM careers provide women with economic
  security.
• Often pay significantly more than jobs
  traditionally held by women
• Women earn less than men following college even
  with the same job/major

24
Legislative and Policy Recommendations

• Enact Recommendations from Beyond Bias and
  Barriers
• Use Title IX to Improve the Climate for Women in
  STEM Fields
• Measure Student Achievement in Science
• Teacher Training
• Encourage the Inclusion of STEM Subjects and
  Activities in Co-curricular Programs

25
Girls and Women Have Made Great Progress in STEM
Fields

• Advocacy and policy change work!
• But barriers remain

26
(No Transcript)