The Power and Promise of Girls' Education - Save the Children

Bridging the
Technology Gap in
the United States
While girls in the United States typically perform better
academically – and graduate in higher numbers – than
boys, a significant gender gap has developed between
boys and girls in the critical areas of science, math and
technology.
Starting in middle school and throughout high school,
girls generally have less access to technology and less
interest in math, science and computer courses. Boys
consistently outperform girls in these courses, even
though it is estimated that by 2010, 65 percent of all
jobs will require these skills. 49
How do we close the gap? Experts say we must do
more to train teachers at all levels to encourage girls
to change their attitudes toward science, math and
technology.
Many girls in middle school and high school have a
stereotypical view of technology as a male occupation,
which reinforces their reluctance to consider careers in
these areas. 50 Additionally, the myth that “math, science
or technology are not for girls” remains prevalent
among both male and female students throughout the
country. 51 By eighth grade, across all racial and ethnic
groups, twice as many boys as girls are interested in
careers involving math and science. 52
With proper training, teachers can play a key role in
breaking down cultural stereotypes and building selfconfidence
among girls to encourage more of them to
pursue careers in science and technology.
Roadmap to a Brighter Future:
What you might see if you visited a school in the United States
that had achieved gender equity.
• Displays on bulletin boards, posters and other school
decorations that feature an appropriate balance between
girls and boys
• Greetings and messages posted on walls that are equally
inviting to girls and boys
• An appropriate balance between girls and boys who receive
public praise and rewards for academic excellence or
extracurricular achievement
• Classes, courses or programs that have achieved gender
balance (meaning that no one sex represents more than
70 percent of enrollment)
• Standards regarding appropriate or inappropriate student
behavior do not place a disproportionate share of
responsibility on either boys or girls
• School discipline practices and enforcement policies are
administered fairly and even-handedly without unduly
burdening either boys or girls
• An appropriate balance between men and women who act
as teachers, mentors and role models
• Classroom practices with supporting messages to make it
clear to students and parents that teachers hold equally high
academic achievement expectations of both girls and boys
Adapted from the WEEA Equity Resource Center's Resources to Infuse Equity,
http://www2.edc.org/WomensEquity/resource/title9/t9faq.htm (2002)
Save the Children recognizes the problem. In many of its
after-school literacy programs in rural communities
throughout the United States, Save the Children works
to provide both girls and boys access to computers –
and basic skills on how to use them – as part of its
successful efforts to improve reading skills among rural
children and youth.
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THE POWER AND PROMISE OF GIRLS’ EDUCATION