Mila Arbitman

Research has shown that the gender gap in math test scores for pre-college students is largely due to the stereotypical role of women in the local culture. This effect has been measured across over 30 countries, with results showing a strong correlation between the level of gender equality measured by the Gender Equality Index (GEI) and the gender gap in math sections of standardized testing. However, the GEI was made to measure the gender equality of a range of European countries, and this study has not been replicated by looking at different regions in the United States.

Since the choice of what to study in college and what career to pursue is largely based on perceived aptitude and enjoyment of the subject based on the student's previous experiences, many mathematics majors and people in math-related fields tend to be previously high-achieving students in math and other STEM subjects. Researchers have found that the gender gap in math performance has been closing in recent years, yet male students are still overrepresented among the high test scores in the United States. A previous study used questions related to gender roles from the General Social Survey; however, the questions used did not measure the state’s overall level of gender equality; they were just opinions on gender norms.

My research aims to analyze the level of gender equality and the gender gap in high-achieving test scores in individual states across the US to see if there is a correlation and, therefore, test another possible explanation for the lack of women pursuing graduate degrees in mathematics and mathematics-based careers despite reaching gender parity within standardized testing. I plan to combine gender-related data on the wage gap, poverty levels, reproductive rights, family demographics, workforce participation, and political participation to measure gender equality in each state. I will use data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress for the test scores because they provide data by state, subject, gender, and age, and I will control for the education funding in each state.