Research Report Gender Gaps in Math and Reading Gains During Elementary and High School by Race and Ethnicity
Laura LoGerfo, Austin Nichols, Duncan Chaplin
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Gender differences in academic achievement have long fascinated researchers and policy-makers alike. In this paper we analyze differences in math and reading test score growth rates by gender for four different race and ethnic groups -- white, black, Hispanic, and Asian students -- for six different time periods. Our data cover both the earliest years of education and the crucial years of adolescence. In addition, we have data bracketing one non-schooling period. Together these data enable us to get a very complete picture of how gender gaps evolve over the course of early elementary and high school years and how these trajectories differ by race and ethnicity. While the gender gaps are not always statistically significant, they are for 15 of 48 comparisons made, all during school. In addition, all of the statistically significant results suggest that males learn more math and females more reading during early elementary school and again during high school.
Research Areas Education Race and equity
Tags Racial and ethnic disparities K-12 education Race, gender, class, and ethnicity Women and girls Men and boys Racial equity in education