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Women falling behind in STEM bachelor’s degrees

A new report from the National Student Clearinghouse looks at degrees in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering and math) and finds that the share of STEM bachelor’s degrees going to women ticked down over the past decade. The biggest decline was in computer science, where women received 23 percent of bachelor’s degrees awarded in 2004 and just 18 percent in 2014.

U.S. students improving – slowly – in math and science, but still lagging internationally

Scientists and the general public have markedly different views on any number of topics, from evolution to climate change to genetically modified foods. But one thing both groups agree on is that science and math education in the U.S. leaves much to be desired.

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School Leaders Mostly Mystified by Computer Science Education

Low-income schools are less likely than higher income schools to offer computer science (CS) classes. In all schools where computer science courses are part of the curriculum, there is no standardized set of learning standards. And most of the time CS classes are categorized as electives with a vocational slant. These results and others surfaced in a survey administered by the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA), a membership organization that promotes the teaching of computer science and other computing disciplines.

New Research Brief Describes Impacts of Expanded Learning Programs

The American Institutes for Research (AIR) recently released the results from a comprehensive review examining the effects of expanded learning time on student academic and nonacademic performance. Researchers found mixed results from their study of 30 after-school and summer programs nationwide. While elementary school students demonstrated a positive effect on literacy and math achievement, middle school students experienced a small negative effect, while students who suffer from some type of learning disability benefited the most from increased learning time.

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Parents play vital role in molding future scientists, research shows

Parents and family make all the difference in creating the next generation of scientists, engineers and mathematicians, according to new research. The research team surveyed 149 participants in the Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program from classes from 2007 to 2013. This competitive internship attracts top high school and undergraduate students who work on real-world research.

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Female Engineers Try to Lean in But Are Pushed Out, Study Finds

For the past several years, two researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee have surveyed 5,300 women with degrees in engineering. They found that females frequently leave the profession because there aren’t enough opportunities for career advancement, or because they need to fulfill parenting or caregiving responsibilities in the absence of family-friendly work practices and policies. The research indicates that leaning in to an engineering career may not lead to leadership prospects or a lifelong vocation, as women may hope.

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Black Women More Interested In STEM Majors Than White Women, Study Shows

Black women entering college are more likely than white women to be interested in majoring in science, technology, engineering or mathematics fields, new research shows—but they are less likely to earn degrees in those fields. 

Read more of the article here, & access the report here.

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New Study Shows Gap in Specific STEM Skills

In a first-of-its-kind study, Brookings Institution scholar Jonathan Rothwell finds that the science, technology, engineering and math labor market suffers from a very particular kind of skills gap. It’s not just that there aren’t enough skilled workers to fill the jobs; it’s that the skills workers have aren’t specific enough. Read more of the article here.

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Girls’ social connections affect math learning

Social connections among African American girls influence their participation and recognition in math class, according to a researcher who found that students who are more socially connected tend to enjoy more access to learning opportunities. Socially peripheral and isolated students had less support, but not all were equally affected. Those who valued social status often participated less, while those who were indifferent to social status participated more and worked alone by choice. Read more about this here.

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Expanding Minds & Opportunities: Leveraging the Power of Afterschool & Summer Learning for Student Success

This article is an excerpt from the groundbreaking book, Expanding Minds and Opportunities: Leveraging the Power of Afterschool & Summer Learning for Student Success.This landmark compendium, edited by Terry K. Peterson, PhD, is composed of nearly 70 research studies, reports, essays, and commentaries by more than 100 researchers, educators, community leaders, policy makers, and practioners.

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