Girls Outpacing Boys in STEM

According to a recent study done by the National Assessment of Educational Progress, eighth graders’ science and technology 2018 test scores had improved overall from the 2014 results. These improvements ranged from top scoring groups to low-income, asian, black and white students.  

Although these test score advancements are prevalent across the board, there has been a great leap amongst female students. Girls scores had a greater increase than their male classmates during the 2014 to 2018 gap, leaving them with an average test score of approximately 5 points higher on a 300 point scale.

These results show that the efforts being made for girls in STEM are paying off. Groups such as Girls Who Code, Girl Start, Techbridge Girls and many more are beginning to create a lasting impact on girls’ interest in STEM academics. With this trend gaining traction over a four year span, this will play into closing the gender gap in science, technology, engineering and math jobs.