[House Hearing, 111 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
ENCOURAGING THE PARTICIPATION OF
FEMALE STUDENTS IN STEM FIELDS
=======================================================================
HEARING
BEFORE THE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON RESEARCH AND
SCIENCE EDUCATION
COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED ELEVENTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
__________
JULY 21, 2009
__________
Serial No. 111-45
__________
Printed for the use of the Committee on Science and Technology
Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.science.house.gov
______
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COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
HON. BART GORDON, Tennessee, Chair
JERRY F. COSTELLO, Illinois RALPH M. HALL, Texas
EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON, Texas F. JAMES SENSENBRENNER JR.,
LYNN C. WOOLSEY, California Wisconsin
DAVID WU, Oregon LAMAR S. SMITH, Texas
BRIAN BAIRD, Washington DANA ROHRABACHER, California
BRAD MILLER, North Carolina ROSCOE G. BARTLETT, Maryland
DANIEL LIPINSKI, Illinois VERNON J. EHLERS, Michigan
GABRIELLE GIFFORDS, Arizona FRANK D. LUCAS, Oklahoma
DONNA F. EDWARDS, Maryland JUDY BIGGERT, Illinois
MARCIA L. FUDGE, Ohio W. TODD AKIN, Missouri
BEN R. LUJAN, New Mexico RANDY NEUGEBAUER, Texas
PAUL D. TONKO, New York BOB INGLIS, South Carolina
PARKER GRIFFITH, Alabama MICHAEL T. MCCAUL, Texas
STEVEN R. ROTHMAN, New Jersey MARIO DIAZ-BALART, Florida
JIM MATHESON, Utah BRIAN P. BILBRAY, California
LINCOLN DAVIS, Tennessee ADRIAN SMITH, Nebraska
BEN CHANDLER, Kentucky PAUL C. BROUN, Georgia
RUSS CARNAHAN, Missouri PETE OLSON, Texas
BARON P. HILL, Indiana
HARRY E. MITCHELL, Arizona
CHARLES A. WILSON, Ohio
KATHLEEN DAHLKEMPER, Pennsylvania
ALAN GRAYSON, Florida
SUZANNE M. KOSMAS, Florida
GARY C. PETERS, Michigan
VACANCY
------
Subcommittee on Research and Science Education
HON. DANIEL LIPINSKI, Illinois, Chair
EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON, Texas VERNON J. EHLERS, Michigan
BRIAN BAIRD, Washington RANDY NEUGEBAUER, Texas
MARCIA L. FUDGE, Ohio BOB INGLIS, South Carolina
PAUL D. TONKO, New York BRIAN P. BILBRAY, California
PARKER GRIFFITH, Alabama
RUSS CARNAHAN, Missouri
BART GORDON, Tennessee RALPH M. HALL, Texas
DAHLIA SOKOLOV Subcommittee Staff Director
MARCY GALLO Democratic Professional Staff Member
MELE WILLIAMS Republican Professional Staff Member
BESS CAUGHRAN Research Assistant
C O N T E N T S
July 21, 2009
Page
Witness List..................................................... 2
Hearing Charter.................................................. 3
Opening Statements
Statement by Representative Daniel Lipinski, Chairman,
Subcommittee on Research and Science Education, Committee on
Science and Technology, U.S. House of Representatives.......... 8
Written Statement............................................ 9
Statement by Representative Vernon J. Ehlers, Ranking Minority
Member, Subcommittee on Research and Science Education,
Committee on Science and Technology, U.S. House of
Representatives................................................ 9
Witnesses:
Dr. Alan I. Leshner, Chief Executive Officer, American
Association for the Advancement of Science
Oral Statement............................................... 11
Written Statement............................................ 12
Biography.................................................... 16
Dr. Marcia Brumit Kropf, Chief Operating Officer, Girls
Incorporated
Oral Statement............................................... 17
Written Statement............................................ 18
Biography.................................................... 22
Dr. Sandra L. Hanson, Professor of Sociology, Catholic University
Oral Statement............................................... 22
Written Statement............................................ 24
Biography.................................................... 32
Ms. Barbara Bogue, Co-Founder, Co-Director, SWE AWE Project;
Associate Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics and
Women in Engineering, Pennsylvania State University
Oral Statement............................................... 33
Written Statement............................................ 35
Biography.................................................... 41
Ms. Cherryl T. Thomas, President and Founder, Ardmore Associates,
LLC
Oral Statement............................................... 41
Written Statement............................................ 43
Biography.................................................... 45
Discussion....................................................... 46
Appendix: Additional Material for the Record
Statement of the American Association of University Women........ 58
Statement of the Council on Undergraduate Research............... 63
Statement of the Girl Scouts of the USA.......................... 66
ENCOURAGING THE PARTICIPATION OF FEMALE STUDENTS IN STEM FIELDS
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TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2009
House of Representatives,
Subcommittee on Research and Science Education,
Committee on Science and Technology,
Washington, DC.
The Subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 10:12 a.m., in
Room 2318 of the Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Daniel
Lipinski [Chairman of the Subcommittee] presiding.
hearing charter
SUBCOMMITTEE ON RESEARCH AND SCIENCE EDUCATION
COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Encouraging the Participation of
Female Students in STEM Fields
tuesday, july 21, 2009
10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
2318 rayburn house office building
1. Purpose
On July 21, 2009 the Subcommittee on Research and Science Education
of the House Committee on Science and Technology will hold a hearing to
examine current research findings, best practices, and the role of the
federal agencies in increasing the interest of girls in science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in primary and
secondary school, and addressing the challenges that deter young women
from pursuing post-secondary STEM degrees.
2. Witnesses
Dr. Alan I. Leshner, Chief Executive Officer,
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
Dr. Marcia Brumit Kropf, Chief Operating Officer,
Girls Incorporated.
Dr. Sandra Hanson, Professor of Sociology, Catholic
University.
Ms. Barbara Bogue, Associate Professor of Engineering
Science and Mechanics and Women in Engineering, Penn State
College of Engineering.
Ms. Cherryl Thomas, President, Ardmore Associates
LLC.
3. Overarching Questions
What is the current status of the participation of
girls in STEM in primary, secondary, and post-secondary school?
How does participation vary by field? How does it vary by other
demographic categories, including race, ethnicity, and
socioeconomic status?
What are the biggest challenges to increasing girls'
interest and participation in STEM learning at the K-12 level,
and to recruiting and retaining female undergraduates in STEM
fields? Are there policies, programs or activities with
demonstrated effectiveness in increasing the interest and
participation of girls and young women in STEM? What roles can
scientific organizations, formal and informal educators, non-
profits, and businesses play in addressing these challenges and
providing opportunities for girls to become engaged in STEM?
What role can the Federal Government play in addressing these
challenges? Are there particular federal programs or resources
that can be most helpful?
What assessment tools exist for evaluating the
effectiveness of such programs? What are the barriers to
improving assessment?
What is the current state of research on the
involvement of girls in STEM? What do we know about how
teaching strategies, cultural norms, educational environments,
and other outside factors shape girls' interest and
participation in STEM? What are the biggest unanswered research
questions?
4. Brief Overview
A highly-skilled, STEM educated workforce is
essential to ensuring U.S. competitiveness and leadership in
the global economy of the 21st century. However, according to
many reports, our country is facing a shortage of workers
skilled in STEM. By broadening the STEM pipeline to include
those who have been historically under-represented in STEM
fields, we create a larger, more diverse STEM talent pool.
In recent years, increased attention has been paid to
the issue of gender inequity in STEM. Numerous reports have
highlighted the continued lack of participation of girls and
young women in certain STEM fields, most notably in the fields
of engineering, physics, and computer science.
Research findings suggest that women and other under-
represented groups face unique challenges at multiple stages of
the STEM pipeline, beginning at an early age.
Both federal programs as well as non-governmental
organizations and programs have been created to address these
challenges.
5. Current Status of Participation of Female Students in STEM Fields
Enrollment
According to data compiled by the National Science Foundation
(NSF), in 2006 women earned more than half of all Bachelor's degrees
(58 percent). Women also hold more than half of all science and
engineering degrees (51 percent), but with notable variation among
fields. Women earned more than half of the Bachelor's degrees in
psychology (77 percent), biological sciences (62 percent), and social
sciences (54 percent), and almost half (45 percent) in math. However,
in certain STEM fields, women remain largely under-represented. Women
received only 20 percent of computer science degrees, 21 percent of
physics degrees, and 20 percent of engineering degrees. Due to
continued attrition throughout graduate school as well as other factors
that deter women from entering STEM careers, women make up almost half
(49 percent) of the Nation's workforce, but only 25 percent of the STEM
workforce.
Achievement
The most recent National Association of Educational Progress (NAEP)
assessment reports a small but persistent gap in performance between
boys and girls in grades 4, 8, and 12--less than one percent for math
and less than three percent for science. Many researchers suggest that
issues such as self-confidence and perceived expectations negatively
affect the achievement of girls on standardized tests.
6. Barriers to Increased Participation
A report of the Commission on the Advancement of Women and
Minorities in Science, Engineering, and Technology suggests that there
are four key time periods in which women seem to lose interest in STEM:
at the beginning of middle school, towards the end of high school,
throughout college and graduate school, and in their professional
lives.\1\
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\1\ Congressional Commission on the Advancement of Women and
Minorities in Science, Engineering, and Technology Development. (2000).
Land of Plenty: Diversity as America's Competitive Edge in Science,
Engineering and Technology.
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Research suggests that in elementary school, as many girls as boys
have positive attitudes about science. A recent NSF funded study of
fourth graders showed that 66 percent of girls and 68 percent of boys
reported liking science. By the eighth grade, however, boys report
twice as much interest in STEM careers as girls. Issues such as
stereotypes, cultural expectations, self-efficacy and the behavior of
teachers and parents are all potential contributors to girls' attitudes
about STEM at an early age. Barriers persist as young women leave high
school to enter post-secondary school. Although women now make up the
majority of undergraduate students, participation of women in STEM
degree programs remains markedly low. Issues such as a lack of female
role models or a female peer group, and unsupportive classroom
environments have been shown to deter women from pursuing or remaining
in STEM degree programs in post-secondary school.\2\
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\2\ Fancsali, Cheri. What We Know About Girls, STEM and Afterschool
Programs.
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The National Science Foundation (NSF), a major funding source for
research on gender and STEM learning, compiled the following list,
based on NSF research findings, of five common myths about girls and
science:\3\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ http://www.nsf.gov/news/
news-summ.jsp?cntn-id=109939
1. Myth: From the time they start school, most girls are less
interested in science than boys are.
Reality: In elementary school about as many girls as boys have
positive attitudes toward science. A recent study of fourth graders
showed that 66 percent of girls and 68 percent of boys reported liking
science. But something else starts happening in elementary school. By
second grade, when students (both boys and girls) are asked to draw a
scientist, most portray a white male in a lab coat. The drawings
generally show an isolated person with a beaker or test tube. Any woman
scientist they draw looks severe and not very happy. The persistence of
the stereotypes start to turn girls off, and by eighth grade, boys are
twice as interested in STEM careers as girls are. The female attrition
continues throughout high school, college, and even the work force.
Women with STEM higher education degrees are twice as likely to leave a
scientific or engineering job as men with comparable STEM degrees.
2. Myth: Classroom interventions that work to increase girls' interest
in STEM run the risk of turning off the boys.
Reality: Actually, educators have found that interventions that
work to increase girls' interest in STEM also increase such interest
among the boys in the classroom. When girls are shown images of women
scientists and given a greater sense of possibility about the person
they could become, the boys get the message too--``I can do this!''
3. Myth: Science and math teachers are no longer biased toward their
male students.
Reality: In fact, biases are persistent, and teachers often
interact more with boys than with girls in science and math. A teacher
will often help a boy do an experiment by explaining how to do it,
while when a girl asks for assistance the teacher will often simply do
the experiment, leaving the girl to watch rather than do. Research
shows that when teachers are deliberate about taking steps to involve
the female students, everyone winds up benefiting.
4. Myth: When girls just aren't interested in science, parents can't
do much to motivate them.
Reality: Parents' support (as well as that of teachers) has been
shown to be crucial to a girl's interest in science, technology,
engineering and math. Making girls aware of the range of science and
engineering careers available and their relevance to society works to
attract more women (as well as men) to STEM careers. Parents and
teachers are also in a position to tell young people what they need to
do (in terms of course work and grades) to put themselves on a path to
a STEM career.
5. Myth: At the college level, changing the STEM curriculum runs the
risk of watering down important ``sink or swim''
course work.
Reality: The mentality of needing to ``weed out'' weaker students
in college majors--especially in the more quantitative disciplines--
disproportionately weeds out women. This is not necessarily because
women are failing. Rather, women often perceive ``Bs'' as inadequate
grades and drop out, while men with ``Cs'' will persist with the class.
``Bridge programs'' that prepare students for challenging course work
can counteract this. One of the most effective interventions to help
young women choose and sustain a STEM educational path and subsequent
STEM career is mentoring. In addition, changing the curriculum often
leads to better recruitment and retention of both women and men in STEM
classrooms and majors. For example, having students work in pairs on
programming in entry-level computer science and engineering (CSE)
courses leads to greater retention of both men and women in CSE majors.
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the federal law that
outlaws sex discrimination at schools receiving federal funds, has had
a notable impact on womens' participation in athletics. In recent
years, some advocates have called for applying Title IX to science and
engineering departments, as a means to address barriers to women in
these fields. However, there is no consensus on how Title IX might be
applied to academic departments across diverse fields and institutions.
7. Federal Support for Gender Equity in STEM Education
NSF Research on Gender and Science in Engineering Program
The National Science Foundation is the largest public funding
source for research on the participation of girls and women in STEM.
Beginning in 1993 with the establishment of the Program for Women and
Girls, housed in the NSF's Division of Human Resource Development in
the Directorate for Education and Human Resources, NSF began investing
in research projects to improve the representation of girls and women
in STEM. The Research on Gender in Science and Engineering Program
(GSE), which grew out of the 1993 program, funds research designed to
add to the body of knowledge on gender and STEM. GSE supports research
on gender-related differences in learning, student and educator
programs, as well as dissemination projects that aim to inform
education practicioners about relevant research findings on how
educational experiences, teaching styles, curriculum, institutional
culture, and other factors affect female student interest,
participation and performance in certain STEM fields.
In 2003 and 2006, the GSE program at NSF produced a series of
publications with information and resources designed to help educators,
employers, and parents promote gender diversity in STEM. New Formulas
for America's Workforce: Girls in Science and Engineering is a two
volume series presenting research and best practices on how to attract
girls and women to the STEM disciplines. It also presents the results
of various intervention programs that have succeeded in overcoming
obstacles and enhancing the participation and achievement of girls in
STEM. The agency then followed up with the New Tools for America's
Workforce, a supplementary publication that catalogs the various
resources available to educators through NSF.
The FY09 budget for the Research on Gender and Science in
Engineering Program was approximately $11.5 million. Three of the
witnesses on the panel today have received, or are currently receiving
NSF funding through the GSE program.
Support at Other Agencies
There are a variety of education programs and activities across the
federal agencies that seek to encourage the participation of girls in
STEM. NASA, often in partnership with a number of girl-serving
organizations, such as the Girl Scouts, provides opportunities for
young girls to learn about NASA and interact with female astronauts.
For example, the NASA Summer Institute in Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Research (SISTER), is a five-day summer program for
middle-school girls. In the SISTER program, 6-8th grade girls are given
the opportunity to interact with NASA research scientists and explore
STEM career fields. The Department of Energy supports programs for
girls and young women as well. One such program, the Conference on
Undergraduate Women in Physics, is designed to provide workshops, panel
discussions, and other opportunities for female undergraduate physics
students to interact with other women in the discipline.
The Department of Education has also been active in promoting
gender equity in STEM. In 2007, the Department of Education, through
the Institute for Education Sciences, released a Practice Guide
entitled, ``Encouraging Girls in Math and Science.'' The guide was
developed by a panel of experts with the goal to compile the best
available evidence-based recommendations to assist educators in
encouraging girls in the fields of math and science. The guide offers a
series of five recommendations for educators:
(1) teach students that academic abilities are expandable and
improvable;
(2) provide prescriptive, informal feedback;
(3) expose girls to female role models who have succeeded in
math and science;
(4) create a classroom environment that sparks initial
curiosity and fosters long-term interest in math and science;
and
(5) provide spatial skills training.
8. Questions for Witnesses
Dr. Alan I. Leshner
What is the current status of the involvement of
girls in STEM? What are the biggest challenges to attracting
and retaining young women and girls in STEM fields, and what
are the most promising solutions to these challenges?
What role can scientific organizations such as AAAS
play in helping to address these challenges? Please describe
AAAS work targeted at increasing girls' interest and
participation in STEM learning.
What role can the Federal Government play in
increasing the interest of girls in STEM at the primary and
secondary education level, and in addressing the challenges
that deter young women from pursuing post-secondary STEM
degrees?
Dr. Marcia Brumit Kropf
What is the current status of the involvement of
girls in STEM? What are the biggest challenges to attracting
and retaining young women and girls in STEM fields, and what
are the most promising solutions to these challenges?
What role can organizations such as Girls Inc. play
in addressing these challenges and providing opportunities for
girls to become engaged in STEM? Please describe the work of
Girls Inc. and the evolution of your STEM programming. What
programs or activities at Girls Inc. have been effective in
increasing girls' interest and participation in STEM learning,
and what were the key elements that led to their success? Are
there common characteristics of programs that have demonstrated
success in attracting girls to STEM?
What role can the Federal Government play in
increasing the interest of girls in STEM at the primary and
secondary education level, and in addressing the challenges
that deter young women from pursuing post-secondary STEM
degrees? What is the nature of your interaction with federal
agencies? Are there particular federal programs or resources
that can be most helpful?
Dr. Sandra Hanson
Please provide an overview of your research. What
have you learned about what shapes girls' interest and
participation in STEM?
What is the current status of research on the
involvement of girls in STEM? What do we know about how
teaching strategies, educational environments, and other
outside factors affect girls' interest or achievement in STEM
in the elementary, middle, and high school years? What are the
most important unanswered research questions?
How can dissemination of these research findings be
improved so that formal and informal educators and education
policy-makers implement best practices?
Ms. Barbara Bogue
Please provide an overview of the Society of Women's
Engineers' Assessing Women in Engineering Project. What metrics
and methodologies exist for assessing and evaluating the
effectiveness of programs designed to increase girls'
participation in STEM? What are the barriers to improving
assessment and developing better metrics? What kinds of
programs or policies have been shown to be effective through
rigorous evaluation?
In your role as associate professor of Women in
Engineering at Penn State, what do you see as the biggest
barriers to recruiting and retaining female undergraduates in
STEM fields? What programs or activities at your institution
(or others you are familiar with) have been effective in
addressing the barriers you identified above, and what were the
key elements that led to their success?
Ms. Cherryl Thomas
What influenced your decision to pursue a career in
engineering, and what were some of the greatest barriers you
faced as a woman in a STEM field?
What are the biggest challenges to attracting and
retaining young women and girls in STEM fields, and what are
the most promising solutions to these challenges?
Chairman Lipinski. The hearing will now come to order.
Good morning, and welcome to the Research and Science
Education Subcommittee hearing on Encouraging the Participation
of Female Students in STEM Fields.
For the past decades, girls and women have made substantial
gains in breaking down barriers in both education and the
workforce. However, women's participation rates in certain STEM
disciplines remain disproportionately low. According to NSF
(National Science Foundation), although women earned more than
half of all science and engineering Bachelor's degrees in 2006,
they earned only about 20 percent of degrees in engineering,
computer science, and physics. Although this is an improvement
from the time when I was earning my mechanical engineering
degree at Northwestern 20 years ago, more can be done to
encourage women in these fields.
We have heard time and time again that as a nation, we are
not producing enough scientists and engineers for the
increasing number of technical jobs of the future. We need to
make sure that we have the scientific and technical workforce
that we need if we are to remain a leader in a global economy,
and it is not possible to do this without developing and
encouraging all the talent in our nation. We must have women
engineers, computer scientists, and physicists. By broadening
the STEM pipeline to include more women and other unrepresented
groups, we can strengthen our workforce.
In the last Congress, Chairman Baird worked with Ms.
Johnson to focus on issues for women in academic science and
engineering. Today, we look at the beginning of the pipeline,
and examine what factors impact women in STEM fields, from
kindergarten through the end of college.
The issue of female students in STEM fields is something
that is really close to home for me. My wife is an actuary, and
a fellow with the Society of Actuaries, has gone through all of
her exams, and reached the top of her field. And I asked her
what encouraged her, what really impacted her along the way,
and for her, it was an advisor in college who recommended that
she go and talk to a math professor who really encouraged her
to be a math major, and encouraged her to thereafter go into
actuarial sciences. So, that was her story, and that is how she
wound up where she is today.
We know that women can face unique challenges throughout
the STEM pipeline, and we invited today's witnesses to help us
understand what these barriers are, and how we can break them
down. It is important for the Federal Government to do its part
in supporting research and programs that encourage best
practices to attract and retain women in STEM, but there is a
role for disciplinary societies, formal and informal educators,
nonprofits, businesses, and other stakeholders.
Fortunately, there is a lot of good work already underway
to address some of these challenges, and I look forward to
hearing from our witnesses today about what is working, what
obstacles remain, and where we go from here. I thank all of our
witnesses for being here today, and I look forward to your
testimony.
Now, the Chair will recognize Dr. Ehlers for an opening
statement.
[The prepared statement of Chairman Lipinski follows:]
Prepared Statement of Chairman Daniel Lipinski
Good morning and welcome to this Research and Science Education
Subcommittee hearing on Encouraging the Participation of Female
Students in STEM Fields.
Over the past few decades, girls and women have made substantial
gains in breaking down barriers in both education and the workforce.
However women's participation rates in certain STEM disciplines remains
disproportionately low. According to the NSF, although women earned
more than half of all science and engineering Bachelor's degrees in
2006, they earned only about 20 percent of degrees in engineering,
computer science, and physics. Although this is an improvement from the
time I was earning my mechanical engineering degree from Northwestern
University 20 years ago, more can be done to encourage women in these
fields.
We have heard time and time again that, as a nation, we are not
producing enough scientists and engineers for the increasing number of
technical jobs of the future. We need to make sure that we have the
scientific and technical workforce we need if we are to remain a leader
in the global economy, and it is not possible do this without
developing and encouraging all the talent in our nation. We must have
women engineers, computer scientists, and physicists. By broadening the
STEM pipeline to include more women and other under-represented groups,
we can strengthen our workforce.
In the last Congress, Chairman Baird worked with Ms. Johnson to
focus on issues for women in academic science and engineering. Today we
look back to the beginning of the pipeline, and examine what factors
impact women in STEM fields from kindergarten through the end of
college.
The issue of female students in STEM fields hits close to home for
me. My wife is a fully credentialed actuary. I asked her what led her
down this path. For her it was her college advisor and a math
professor.
We know that women can face unique challenges throughout the STEM
pipeline, and we invited today's witnesses to help us understand what
those barriers are and how we can break them down. It is important for
the Federal Government to do its part in supporting research and
programs that encourage best practices to attract and retain women in
STEM, but there is a role for disciplinary societies, formal and
informal educators, non-profits, businesses, and other stakeholders.
Fortunately, there is a lot of good work already underway to address
some of these challenges, and I look forward to hearing from our
witnesses today about what is working, what obstacles remain, and where
we go from here.
I thank all of the witnesses for being here today and I look
forward to your testimony.
Mr. Ehlers. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you for the
good words you have just spoken.
Today's hearing is an opportunity for us to gain insight
into the reasons why young women are being deterred from
pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics, better known as STEM. And I think it is essential,
because each one of us tends to think we know what the problem
is and what the answers are, but I think when we listen to the
experts here today, we will find out how wrong we are, looking
at it from our male perspective.
Strengthening math and science education is essential to
the future of American economic competitiveness, and the lack
of female participation in these areas is a great hindrance
that must be remedied, for one reason, just out of fairness to
all involved. Secondly, because the Nation can certainly
benefit from the involvement of more individuals interested in
math and science.
Despite the fact that women represent more than half of all
Bachelor's degrees, they constitute only 25 percent of the STEM
workforce in the United States. I spend a considerable amount
of time and effort in Congress promoting STEM education, and
this committee has held multiple hearings on the topic, paying
particular attention to the need for more women and minorities
in STEM fields. As a professor, I have also spent a good deal
of time trying to interest women in math and science,
particularly with the idea of developing new opportunities for
them, but also, since many of them were to become teachers,
also changing their perspective on math and science, and why it
is important to teach math and science to everyone in
elementary school.
While great strides have been made since my days as a
student, and later as a professor of physics at Calvin College
and at Berkeley, the data still show great disparities in the
participation of women in STEM. Much to my dismay, women
represent only 21 percent of physics degrees, according to the
National Science Foundation. It is my hope that today's
observations will offer this committee insight into ways to
better support these important fields of study as we continue
to explore any federal role.
I look forward to the testimony of our distinguished panel.
I thank them for being here, but I just have to add one point
that I think is essential, and that is the jobs of the future
are going to require of the workers a basic understanding of
the fundamental principles of mathematics and science. I don't
think there is any disagreement with that. If we do not, in
some way, persuade women to learn these topics in the
elementary and secondary levels, we and they are automatically
cutting themselves out of a great many job opportunities in the
future.
So, let us hope we can do a better job than we have done. I
look forward to hearing from each and every one of you. Thank
you.
Chairman Lipinski. Thank you, Dr. Ehlers. As usual, with
your background as a physicist and also, the great concern that
you have for science in this country and scientists, you always
have a lot of important things to add, and it is good to have
you working with me on this.
If there are Members who wish to submit additional opening
statements, your statements will be added to the record at this
point.
So now I would like to introduce our witnesses. First, we
have Dr. Alan Leshner, who is the Chief Executive Officer of
the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Next, we have Dr. Marcia Brumit Kropf, who is the Chief
Operating Officer of Girls Incorporated. Dr. Kropf comes to us
from New York, and Mr. Tonko had hoped that he would be here to
introduce her himself, but unfortunately he is tied up with
another committee this morning and will try to join us at some
point.
Next, we have Dr. Sandra Hanson, who is a professor of
sociology at Catholic University. We have Ms. Barbara Bogue,
who is an Associate Professor of Engineering Science and
Mechanics and Women in Engineering at Penn State.
And finally, we have Ms. Cherryl Thomas who I know from
back home in Chicago, who has worked not only in the
administration of Mayor Daley, but also in the Clinton
Administration. Ms. Thomas is currently the President and
Founder of Ardmore Associates, an engineering construction
management firm in Chicago.
As our witnesses should know, spoken testimony is limited
to five minutes each, after which the Members of the Committee
will have five minutes each to ask questions, so I ask you
hopefully to stay in the five minutes here. Your complete
written statement will be added to the record.
So, with that, we will start with Dr. Leshner. I recognize
you for five minutes.
STATEMENT OF DR. ALAN I. LESHNER, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER,
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE
Dr. Leshner. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Dr. Ehlers, thank you
for your leadership in convening this hearing, and thank you
for the invitation for us to testify.
As you know, the American Association for the Advancement
of Science (AAAS) is the world's largest multi-disciplinary
scientific society, and we are the publishers of the well-known
journal Science.
Our involvement in education extends from pre-kindergarten
through postgraduate, and into the careers of the scientific
workforce. We have a long history of efforts to increase the
participation of girls and young women, and to enhance the
status of women in science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics.
The first woman President of AAAS was elected in 1970, and
since that time, 35 percent of those in the presidential line
have been distinguished women. In 1973, AAAS created both an
office of and a committee on opportunities in science, and
their activities continue today.
I am very pleased to note that since the early days of
advocacy and action related to women in STEM fields, the levels
of enrollment and degrees awarded have overall increased
dramatically. At K-12 levels, participation gaps between males
and females have disappeared in such courses as chemistry,
advanced algebra, and pre-calculus mathematics. This, then, has
affected women's course taking and professional aspirations at
undergraduate and higher levels. As one example, in 1977, women
received roughly 22 percent of doctoral degrees in the
biological sciences, but as you know, by 2006, women received
almost half of biological science Ph.D.s in this country.
Despite this kind of progress, however, some serious
challenges remain. And I have to start with the general
statement that for K-12 education overall, science and math
standards are unfortunately way too low for all students,
whatever their career goals, whatever their genders, and we, as
a country, have got to do something to change that. From my
perspective, that is the largest problem facing education in
this country.
In high schools and colleges, gaps still do persist for
young women in pursuing courses like physics, calculus, and
computer science, as you noted, but here, the percentage has
actually decreased over time, and that needs focused attention.
Women overall have about a 40 percent share within the
overall physical sciences, but that number masks the fact that
in 2006, although women received half the Bachelor's degrees in
fields like astronomy and chemistry, as you noted, women
received only 20 percent of the Bachelor's degrees in physics,
and women still receive only 20 percent of Bachelor's degrees
in engineering. The gap is real; the gap exists.
It is more problematic that even when women do pursue
science degrees, many leave the scientific workforce because of
the lack of career opportunities that enable them to do a
better job balancing having a career and a life outside the
laboratory. Fortunately there have been some, but frankly, too
few federal programs, as well as changes in culture in some
institutions to change this. Just as one example, the ADVANCE
Program of the National Science Foundation is an example of an
effective mechanism to foster these accommodations.
So, what can we do? Well, organizations like AAAS have a
robust set of career-related activities generally, working
cooperatively through something we established called a Center
on Careers in Science and Technology. And both alone and
through external partnerships, we produce materials that
feature young and established women in STEM careers telling
their stories, providing guidance to guidance counselors and
educators.
We also have a Center on Advancing Science and Engineering
capacity. Its purpose is to emphasize research-based
interventions of demonstrated effectiveness, in order to help
universities fully develop and utilize the talents of women and
minority students and faculty. And I might point out that we
try to provide role models as well. Women are active and
visible participants in every aspect of the leadership of AAAS.
Speakers and organizers of our meetings and conferences,
leaders in the organization's governance, and I should point
out that among the senior staff, over 50 percent are female.
How about the Federal Government? Many of us believe that a
new call to serve for young men and women needs to link the
critical role of education in STEM fields with the opportunity
to address global concerns. Young people are far more
interested in the relevance of what they do with their lives
than they were, at least, in my generation, when I was trained
as a scientist, where if you worried about relevance, you had
sold out.
We also need much better data and statistics. It is
critical to improve the recruitment and retention in STEM
fields, to help identify measures of success, and to figure out
what is working and what the climate is. We also need to
support research to help us identify and better understand best
practices that do work, that are effective in providing greater
support.
Let me conclude by saying that it is critical that the
United States have access to the full talent of all its
citizens, and that every effort has to be made to enable that.
As we face pressing societal challenges, all of whose solutions
involve science and technology, either directly or indirectly,
we can't afford to allow the great potential contributions of
women to go untapped.
Thank you very much.
[The prepared statement of Dr. Leshner follows:]
Prepared Statement of Alan I. Leshner
Chairman Lipinski, Ranking Member Ehlers, Members of the
Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today on the
critically important topic of encouraging women and girls to pursue
science, mathematics and engineering fields of study.
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is
the largest multidisciplinary scientific society and publisher of the
journal Science. The Association encompasses all fields of science,
engineering, mathematics, biomedicine and their applications. Our
commitment to and involvement in education extends from pre-
Kindergarten through post-graduate and into the workforce.
AAAS has a long history of efforts to increase the participation of
girls and young women and to enhance the status of women in science,
technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The association has
communicated this commitment to equal opportunity in many ways: through
its mission statement, its programs, and its governance. This work is
consistent with the AAAS mission to ``advance science, engineering, and
innovation throughout the world for the benefit of all people.'' To
fulfill this mission, the AAAS Board has set out broad goals that
include strengthening and diversifying the science and technology (S&T)
workforce and fostering education in science and technology for
everyone.
The first woman President of AAAS was elected in 1970: Dr. Mina
Rees, a mathematician. Since that time 35 percent of those in the
presidential line have been women--all distinguished scientists,
engineers, mathematicians and physician scientists. In 1971 the AAAS
Council passed a resolution urging the establishment of a women's
office. The goals of that resolution were realized in 1973 with the
creation of the AAAS Office of and Committee on Opportunities in
Science. The mandate of the office and committee was ultimately
enlarged beyond the concerns of gender equity to include attention to
issues of minorities and persons with disabilities.
Since those early days of advocacy and action related to women in
STEM, the makeup of the larger science and engineering communities has
changed. Fueled by societal changes regarding the participation of
women in a range of career opportunities and improved access to science
and engineering education for women, the levels of enrollment and
degrees awarded increased dramatically.
At K-12 levels, young women greatly increased their course-taking
in science and mathematics to the extent that participation gaps
between males and females disappeared in courses such as chemistry,
advanced algebra and pre-calculus mathematics. Women moved from nine
percent of those earning M.D. degrees in 1972-73 to earning nearly 50
percent of M.D. degrees in 2007. We saw similar success in women's
participation in the life sciences. Between 1973 and 1977, women
received 22 percent of doctoral degrees in the biological sciences; by
2006 women received almost half of such Ph.D.s awarded.
Despite the progress achieved in the past there are many challenges
that remain.
In K-12 education, standards are unfortunately too
low for all students and expectations lag, especially for
students from groups without a clear history of participation
in STEM fields.
In high schools gaps persist for young women in
pursuing study in courses such as physics, calculus and
computer science. That gap continues to the undergraduate
levels.
In 2006, women represented only 20 percent of those
receiving Bachelor's degrees in engineering.
The percentage of Bachelor's degrees awarded to women
in computer sciences was highest in 1984 at over 37 percent but
has subsequently declined to today's level of 20.5 precent.
There is a wide variation around women's
participation within the broader fields of science and
engineering. For example, women's 40+ percent share within the
physical sciences masks the fact that women received half of
the Bachelor's degrees in fields such as astronomy and
chemistry but only 20 percent of Bachelor's degrees in physics
in 2006. In addition, women received 19.4 percent of all
engineering Bachelor's degrees in 2005-2006; this ranges from
their 43.1 percent and 41.1 percent share of degrees in
environmental and biomedical engineering degrees, respectively,
to their 10.5 percent share of degrees in computer engineering
on the other end of the spectrum.
There is concern about the trajectory of doctoral
production for women in many fields. For doctorates awarded to
U.S. citizens and permanent residents there has been a
plateauing or downward trending in women's share of degrees in
mathematics, geosciences and computer science since about 2000.
Even in fields such as psychology, where women have
received more than 50 percent of Ph.D.s since the mid 1980's
(and where they have received over two-thirds of doctorates
since 1996), in 2007-2008 they were less likely to be in the
rank of full professor (26.4 percent of women vs. 46.3 percent
of men) and more likely to be in non-tenure track or lecturer
positions. In chemistry, despite receiving at least 30 percent
of Ph.D.s since the mid-1990's, women are not appearing in
significant numbers among the ranks of the chemistry faculty in
many of our major research institutions.
Even where women may have reached the level of full
professor at major research universities, climate studies of
the academic environment at many of these institutions reveal
that women continue to face ongoing micro-inequities and lack
diversity in the faculty hiring pools. And the hiring
challenges are especially severe for women from under-
represented racial/ethnic minority groups.
Although the story of women in STEM fields is one of tremendous
gains over the past 40 years, it is a bittersweet story that is coupled
with uneven progress and sometimes loss of ground--a discipline-
specific program here, a department there, but seldom an institution-
wide effort.
And even where women are able to attain degrees, many leave the
scientific workforce because of the lack of career opportunities that
respect the balance between having a career and a life outside of the
laboratory.
Fortunately, there have been some recent changes in culture in some
institutions to legitimize the idea of making allowances for women and
men in the workplace (especially in academe) to accommodate such needs.
For example, the ADVANCE program of the National Science Foundation has
been especially important in funding efforts on campuses of research
universities to effect structural changes that lead to the creation of
work environments where women and men are supported in blending the
demands of their work and their lives.
We know that the challenges presented above need not be the norm
since we see institutions that are able to do much better:
Institutions that have high percentages of women in
engineering--for example, Morgan State University, where women
received over 42 percent of such Bachelor's degrees in 2007.
Institutions with high percentages of women in
computer science--for example, Carnegie Mellon University,
which was able to move from seven percent to about 40 percent
entering majors between 1995 and 2001.
Curriculum arrangements that produce different
outcomes--for example, programs of ``Physics First'' in Rhode
Island, which are generating more excitement as well as parity
in physics course taking.
Departments with more than the token woman--for
example, the chemistry faculty of Purdue University, which
boasts 15 women.
The question is, ``what do these institutions do differently?'' How
do we more broadly share these effective practices? How can individual
champions, departments and whole institutions be rewarded and
recognized for their effective efforts?
What Can AAAS Do?
Recognition. Responding to the need to give recognition and visibility
to individuals who have excelled in their efforts as mentors to
students from under-represented groups, AAAS established its mentoring
award, conferred first in 1991. This award served as the inspiration
for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and
Engineering Mentoring program administrated by the National Science
Foundation.
Defining ``Normative'' Behavior. An important role that a professional
society plays is in helping to define what is an acceptable practice
within the culture of the discipline. Through the years and on numerous
occasions, the association has prescribed and clarified its position in
support of equal opportunity in science and non-discrimination in the
workplace and has urged its affiliates to adopt similar positions. Such
a stance helps to shape the mores of the community, defining as
unacceptable behaviors that ``create an atmosphere that is not
conducive to the advancement of science.''
Career Development. AAAS has a robust set of career-related activities
coordinated across its programs and the journal Science, working
cooperatively through a Center on Careers in Science and Technology.
Through partnerships with organizations and corporations, AAAS produces
materials that feature young and established women in STEM careers,
telling their stories about their lives in science and beyond. These
materials are among the resources that are distributed to organizations
and institutions by AAAS and others as we reach into communities to
help young women, along with their parents and teachers, explore the
possibilities of careers in science. It is also important to tell these
stories to higher education faculty.
In partnership with L'Oreal and its initiative ``For Women in
Science'' we manage the postdoctoral awards program, giving a boost to
the careers of young women scientists through grants to support their
independent entry into research as well as through a program of
professional development and skill building.
Education and Career Guidance. Through the support of a grant to
promote STEM careers (especially those focused on energy and
environment) to middle grades students, we are developing training
materials and models for guidance counselors in secondary schools. By
demystifying potential S&T jobs of the future and the education needed
to pursue these career tracks, we are also directly addressing the
stereotypes about ``who can do science and engineering,'' allowing the
opportunity to develop the talent of students who may be female,
members of minority groups and/or persons with disabilities.
Capacity Building. Recognizing the need to develop organizational
capacity to assess program value and effectiveness, AAAS has
established its Center on Advancing Science and Engineering Capacity.
Working largely with universities, AAAS assists these institutions in
developing internal structures to evaluate their programs and processes
and to act on the information that it gains. The Capacity Center points
to research-based interventions of demonstrated effectiveness to fully
develop and utilize the talents of women and men among its
undergraduate and graduate students as well as in support of
diversifying its faculty.
Capacity building has not been confined to formal education; for
decades AAAS has worked with community-based organizations and girl-
serving groups to incorporate STEM programming into the suite of
informal activities that such groups provide. In the past our
partnerships have included Girls, Inc. (represented here at this
hearing) and Delta Research and Education Foundation of Delta Sigma
Theta Sorority (a service sorority of college-educated African American
women who used the AAAS-developed training models and materials to
organize science-focused community activities for families). These
types of informal science education opportunities have been found to be
particularly effective for engaging under-represented groups in the
sciences. It is a theme that is echoed in the new NAS report, Learning
Science in Informal Environments: People, Places and Pursuits.
``The Double Bind.'' AAAS has played a leadership role in identifying
barriers to education and careers in science, engineering and
biomedicine for women who face multiple barriers including race/
ethnicity and/or disability. In 1975 AAAS convened the first conference
on minority women in science, the proceedings of which were published
as The Double Bind: The Price of Being a Minority Woman in Science. The
Association catalyzed the development of a national network of minority
women as well and urged the collection and reporting of data
disaggregated by race/ethnicity and by sex. Such data are critical to
identifying barriers still encountered by these women such as their
lower levels of participation within university STEM faculties, even
where their levels of doctoral attainment compare favorably with males
of their particular group.
Visibility. Women are active and visible participants in every aspect
of the leadership of AAAS: as speakers and organizers of meetings and
conferences; as leaders in the governance of the organization; and
among the ranks of its senior staff. It is critically important that
young women who may be asking if there is a place for them in science
see examples of individuals who have made this choice, who are being
successful and making a difference.
What Can the Federal Government Do?
Many researchers and program managers believe that STEM fields are
not being ``marketed'' appropriately to girls and young women. While
President Obama has articulated specific challenges where science and
engineering must play a role, it is also important to provide materials
(and opportunities for engagement) that demonstrate how STEM connects
to addressing the real world problems we face as a nation and as a
world. Consider, for example, the areas of engineering where the
distribution of Bachelor's degrees in environmental and biomedical
engineering awarded to women approaches that of men.
Many believe that a new call to serve for both young men and young
women needs to link the critical role of education in STEM fields with
the opportunity to address global concerns such as food security, clean
water, climate change, clean sources of energy, and infectious diseases
and other health issues. Students need examples of people who are doing
this work today as well as access to opportunities for experiential
learning. It is important in such efforts to prominently include women
as well as men.
There is a range of laws and executive orders that pertain to
colleges and universities as educational institutions as well as their
role as recipients of federal funding that require fair treatment and
equal opportunity. It is important that the Federal Government provide
guidance and assistance to higher education institutions in their
voluntary reviews of their practices to ensure that there is full
access to study and employment for women as well as men. It is
important that we not tolerate discrimination in any form: in
establishing environments supportive of women's education in STEM
fields; in applications, hiring, salaries and so on.
In addition we need to explore the cost of pursuing STEM careers,
both in terms of loans that must be repaid as well as the opportunity
costs incurred through additional years of school. While access and the
cost of education are problems for all, expecting a future of lower
compensation is a major deterrent. With high rates of attrition and
poor prospects for jobs, especially in universities, science is losing
in the competition for talent. With debt and expectations of lower
salaries women will vote with their feet.
Statistics. Critical to efforts to improve the recruitment and
retention of women in STEM fields is identifying measures of success
and ``keeping score.'' While this certainly means evaluating individual
local programs for their effectiveness, it also means maintaining the
statistical base in this country that will allow us to gauge
``climate'' and chart progress. We need to be able to look at
enrollment data by specific field of study and by each degree level;
disaggregated for men and women, most certainly, but also for women
from different racial/ethnic groups and by citizenship status.
We need better information on women in the S&T workforce as well as
their participation as members of the STEM faculties of different kinds
of institutions.
Better Practices. It was noted above that institutions vary widely in
their outcomes for women in STEM, as students as well as faculty. The
Federal Government needs to support the research that helps us better
understand the practices that are especially effective as well as
provide greater support for dissemination of these. Federal laws and
infrastructure are already in place to support much of this work.
Several aspects that currently apply to the National Science Foundation
might be viewed for wider adoption across agencies that support STEM
education and careers. In particular, the NSF Equal Opportunity in
Science and Engineering Act and the Committee on Equal Opportunities in
Science and Engineering might help inform government-wide efforts to
support equal access to education and careers. In addition, in select
agencies aspects of NSF's ``broader impacts'' criterion in award of
support might also be explored.
With regard to assembling the talent needed to address America's
challenges, including our long-term competitiveness, it is ``all hands
on deck.'' It is critical that the United States have access to the
full talents of all of its citizens and that every effort be made to
enable that. As we face pressing challenges whose solutions depend upon
science and technology, we cannot afford to waste the minds and
potential of women.
Biography for Alan I. Leshner
Alan I. Leshner is Chief Executive Officer of the American
Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and Executive
Publisher of its journal, Science. From 1994 to 2001, Dr. Leshner was
Director of the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse at the National
Institutes of Health (NIH), and from 1988 to 1994 he was Deputy
Director and Acting Director of the National Institute of Mental
Health. Prior to that, he spent nine years at the National Science
Foundation, where he held a variety of senior positions, focusing on
basic research in the biological, behavioral and social sciences, on
science policy and on science education. Dr. Leshner began his career
at Bucknell University, where he was Professor of Psychology. His
research has focused on the biological bases of behavior, particularly
the role of hormones in the control of behavior. Dr. Leshner is an
elected member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of
Sciences, and an elected fellow of the AAAS, the American Academy of
Arts and Sciences, and the National Academy of Public Administration.
He has received numerous awards from both professional and lay groups
for his national leadership in science, mental illness and mental
health, substance abuse and addiction, and public engagement with
science. He received an A.B. degree in Psychology from Franklin and
Marshall College and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Physiological Psychology
from Rutgers University. He also has been awarded six Honorary Doctor
of Science degrees.
Chairman Lipinski. Thank you, Dr. Leshner. I now recognize
Dr. Kropf.
STATEMENT OF DR. MARCIA BRUMIT KROPF, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER,
GIRLS INCORPORATED
Dr. Kropf. Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member Ehlers, thank you
for the opportunity to testify before you today.
As you know, I am the Chief Operating Officer of Girls
Incorporated. That is the national nonprofit that inspires all
girls to be strong, smart, and bold. On behalf of Girls Inc.,
our 96 local affiliates, and the girls we serve, I am pleased
to present our approach to advancing girls' interests,
confidence, and competence in STEM fields.
In 1985, with funding from the National Science Foundation,
we launched Girls Inc. Operation Smart, our program to help
girls develop enthusiasm for and skills in STEM. Since that
time, more than 750,000 girls have participated in this
program. Our experience with Operation Smart and our research
and development leads us to three important messages for you
today.
First, despite gains in the number and achievement of girls
and women in STEM, substantial gaps remain. Over the past 30
years, as the barriers of entry into many STEM fields have
eased, women have vastly increased their proportion of academic
degrees earned in STEM, as you just heard.
At the same time, however, gaps remain. Girls in the United
States today grow up at a time when women have unprecedented
opportunities, but they are also aware that in our society,
stereotypes persist. In a 2006 Girls Inc. survey, conducted by
Harris Interactive, 55 percent of girls in grades 3-12 agreed
with this statement: ``In my school, boys think they have the
right to talk about girls' bodies in public.'' 44 percent of
girls, half, almost half, agreed that: ``The smartest girls in
my school are not popular.'' 36 percent said: ``People think
girls are not interested in computers and technology.'' And 17
percent of girls thought it was true that: ``Teachers think it
is not important for girls to be good at math.'' And those
statistics, by the way, didn't change much since an earlier
survey in 2000.
This last finding leads to our second message, that
informal science education is a critical strategy to address
the gender gap. The National Academies recently published a
report on learning science in informal settings, advising that
schools should not be solely responsible for addressing the
scientific knowledge needs of society, and we at Girls Inc.
agree. Informal education allows students the ability to learn,
to discover through prolonged, hands-on collaborative
experiences, to become comfortable making mistakes, and using
trial and error method to solve complex problems.
To cite just one example, at our Girls Inc. affiliate in
Schenectady, New York, girls created working toy hovercrafts.
They were so excited by their success that they decided to try
to bring their experiment to scale. Using plywood and a leaf
blower, they constructed a hovercraft that was strong enough to
lift girls four inches off the floor.
And we know that our approach has an impact. Girls in
Eureka, our four week STEM sports camp, increased their plans
to take math courses. Their interest in science careers
increased as well, and the percentage of girls who were
predominantly urban minority girls, whose wish for the
following school year was to do well, and be on the honor roll,
increased from 38 percent to 66 percent.
At Girls Inc., we pay explicit attention to equity. We
assume girls are interested in math, science, and technology.
We encourage them to see themselves as scientists. When our
first Robotics Lego League teams go to competitions, staff have
observed it is the boys who are operating the robots on the
coed teams. On our teams, and those sponsored by our friends,
the Girl Scouts, girls do it all. We expect girls to succeed,
and we help them to develop the same expectations of
themselves.
We also include adult women role models, as they are
essential in helping girls to be aware of career options, and
to envision themselves in those careers someday. In 2004, we
surveyed women who had previously received Girls Inc. college
scholarships. Of the 85 respondents, 51 percent said: ``My
Girls Inc. experience inspired me to pursue my interest in
science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.''
My final point is that the Federal Government has a vital
role to play in increasing girls' participation in STEM fields.
First, continue to support the NSF's Informal Science Education
Program, and the research on gender in science and engineering.
Secondly, promote informal STEM education through federally
funded afterschool programs. Third, support professional
development for teachers and youth workers in informal STEM
education, and in gender equitable teaching methods. And
finally, promote the increased enforcement of Title IX.
Thank you for doing your part through this important work
of the Committee. As we say at Girls Inc., it doesn't matter
where a girl is from, as long as she knows where she is going.
Thank you.
[The prepared statement of Dr. Kropf follows:]
Prepared Statement of Marcia Brumit Kropf
Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member Ehlers, and Members of the Committee,
thank you for the opportunity to testify before you today. My name is
Marcia Brumit Kropf, and I am the Chief Operating Officer of Girls
Incorporated, the national non-profit youth organization that inspires
all girls to be strong, smart, and bold. On behalf of Girls Inc., our
96 local affiliates, and the girls that we serve, I am pleased to have
the opportunity to present our approach to advancing girls' interest,
confidence, and competence in STEM fields.
With local roots dating to 1864 and national status since 1945,
Girls Inc., formerly Girls Clubs of America, has responded to the
changing needs of girls and their communities through research-based
programs and advocacy that empower girls to reach their full potential.
We have a longstanding and deep commitment to preparing girls for
careers they might otherwise never consider, including scientific and
technical careers.
In 1985, with funding from the National Science Foundation, we
launched Girls Inc. Operation SMART, a structured approach to helping
girls develop enthusiasm for and skills in science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics. Since that time, more than 750,000 girls
have participated in Operation SMART. Through hands-on activities,
girls explore, ask questions, and solve problems, and they interact
with women pursuing STEM careers. Girls Inc. Operation SMART was
developed with the research-based premise that in order to increase
STEM gender equity, girls need to be: 1) interested in science; 2)
competent and confident in science; and 3) aware of future science
careers. Our experience with Operation SMART and ongoing research and
development leads us to three important messages for you today:
1. As a country, we still need to address the gender gap in
STEM.
2. Informal science education is a critical strategy to
address the gender gap.
3. The Federal Government must continue to play a role,
alongside the private, nonprofit and educational sectors, in
fostering girls' success in STEM fields.
To my first point, despite gains in the number and achievement of girls
and women in STEM, substantial gaps remain.
Over the past 30 years, as the barriers of entry into many STEM
fields have eased, women have vastly increased their proportion of
Bachelors, Masters, and doctoral degrees earned in math and in the
sciences. In 1970, women earned 0.8 percent of Bachelors, 1.1 percent
of Masters, and 0.6 percent of the doctoral degrees in engineering. In
2006, the percentages were 19.5, 22.9, and 20.2, respectively.\1\ The
story is the same in physics, geology, and chemistry. In math, women
are earning nearly half of the Bachelors and Masters degrees, and
almost a third of the doctoral degrees.
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\1\ National Science Foundation, Division of Science Resources
Statistics. (2008). Science and engineering degrees: 1966-2006
(Detailed Statistical Tables NSF 08-321). Arlington, VA: Author.
Retrieved July 13, 2009, from http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/nsf08321/
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Girls have now essentially closed the gender gap that has
historically existed in math course-taking, and in the grades boys and
girls receive in those courses.\2\ Girls are also now narrowing that
gap in the physical sciences.
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\2\ Freeman, Catherine E. (2004). Trends in educational equity of
girls & women: 2004 (NCES 2005-016). Washington, DC: National Center
for Education Statistics. Retrieved July 14, 2009, from http://
nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2005016
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Among SAT takers, a higher percentage of young women than young men
are enrolled in honors math and science courses. In 2008, 53 percent of
students who took the SAT and had taken at least four years of
mathematics courses were young women; 53 percent of students who had
taken at least four years of science courses were young women.\3\ And
notably, half of the 40 finalists in the 2007 Intel Science Talent
Search were girls.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ The College Board. (2008). 2008 college-bound seniors: Total
group profile report. New York: Author. Retrieved July 14, 2009, from
http://professionals.collegeboard.com/profdownload/
Total-Group-Report.pdf
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At the same time, however, substantial gaps remain. Girls continue
to lag behind boys in computer science, comprising just 17 percent of
students taking the Computer Science A advanced placement exam in 2008,
and just 12 percent of those taking the more rigorous AB exam,
virtually the same proportions as in 1997.\4\ Likewise, just 35 percent
of AP physics test takers were girls.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ The College Board. (2009). AP report to the Nation. New York:
Author. Retrieved July 14, 2009, from http://www.collegeboard.com/html/
aprtn/pdf/
ap-report-to-the-nation.pdf
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Of greater concern is the fact that gains in education have not
translated into workplace parity as of yet. Women still represent fewer
than one in five faculty members employed in computer science,
mathematics, engineering, and the physical sciences collectively. In
engineering in particular women account for just one in ten faculty
members.\5\ And, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2008
women accounted for just 24.8 percent of all those employed in computer
and mathematical occupations, just 6.7 percent of mechanical engineers,
and just 6.3 percent of engineering managers.\6\
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\5\ Commission on Professionals in Science and Technology (CPST).
(2006). Professional women and minorities: A total human resources data
compendium (16th Ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
\6\ Current Population Survey, Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2009).
Employed persons by detailed occupation, sex, race, and Hispanic or
Latino ethnicity, 2008. Annual Averages 2008.
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Girls in the United States today grow up at a time when women have
unprecedented opportunities. At the same time, they are aware that, in
our society, women are often viewed as sexual objects and that their
skills and abilities continue to be undervalued. In a 2006 Girls Inc.
survey conducted by Harris Interactive, 55 percent of girls in grades 3
through 12 agreed with the statement, ``In my school, boys think they
have the right to talk about girls' bodies in public.'' At the same
time, 44 percent of girls--almost half--agreed with the statement,
``the smartest girls in my school are not popular'' and 38 percent of
boys agreed with the statement as well. This finding is virtually
unchanged from an earlier study conducted in 2000. In addition, 36
percent of girls agreed that ``people think girls are not interested in
computers and technology'' and 17 percent of girls thought it was true
that ``teachers think it is not important for girls to be good at
math.'' \7\
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\7\ Girls Incorporated. (2006). The supergirl dilemma: Girls
grapple with the mounting pressure of expectations, summary findings.
New York: Author.
This last finding is especially troubling and leads to my second point
about the importance of informal STEM education--for girls, in
particular, AND for the lessons it can bring into the regular school
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classroom.
As this subcommittee is well aware, the National Academies recently
published a report on learning science in informal settings, advising
that schools should not be solely responsible for addressing the
scientific knowledge needs of society. In fact, the Academic
Competitiveness Council at the Department of Education recognized
informal education as one of three integral pieces of the U.S.
education system (the other two being K-12 and higher education) that
are necessary to ensure U.S. economic competitiveness.\8\
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\8\ U.S. Department of Education. (2007). Report of the Academic
Competitiveness Council. Washington, DC.
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We at Girls Inc. agree.
First, informal science education offers a learning environment
free of time limitations and test anxiety. As one participant of the
Girls Inc. Eureka! Program observed, ``In Eureka science we get to do
experiments every day and discuss and help our peers, but in school
science you can't talk among your friends about the work or you will
get in trouble.''
Indeed, informal education allows students the ability to learn and
discover through prolonged hands-on experiences. These experiences
allow individuals to become comfortable making mistakes and using a
trial-and-error method to solve complex problems. At Girls Inc. of the
Greater Capital Region in New York, girls created working toy
hovercrafts. They were so excited by their success that they decided to
try to bring their experiment to scale. Using plywood and a leaf
blower, the girls constructed a hovercraft that was strong enough to
lift girls four inches off of the floor. Likewise, informal science
education is more free to proceed at the pace of individuals' learning.
One Girls Inc. scholarship recipient described doing the ``Batteries
and Bulbs'' experiment. She said it took her group three afternoons to
make the light bulb go on--but they did it. If the experiment had been
conducted in a regular school classroom with the pressures of a tight
schedule for covering specific curricula, at the end of class, the
teacher would have most likely shared the solution. Her group would
have learned that they couldn't make the light bulb go on themselves.
At Girls Inc., they learned that they could.
Girls Inc. Eureka! is a four-week summer STEM and sports camp
program for girls 12-15 held on a college campus. In Alameda County,
CA, girls in Eureka!, who were predominantly urban, minority girls,
increased their math course-taking plans, while control group girls'
plans to take math decreased. Second-year Eureka! girls' math and
science course-taking plans almost doubled. Their interest in science
careers increased, and the percentage of girls whose wish for the
following school year was ``to do well/be on the honor roll,''
increased from 38 percent to 66 percent.\9\
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\9\ Campbell, Patricia B., Ph.D., Storo, Jennifer, Ed.M. and
Acerbo, Kathryn, M.A. Math, Science, Sports and Empowerment: Girls
Incorporated Replication And Expansion Of The Eureka! Model. Executive
Summary. Campbell-Kibler Associates, Groton, MA.
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Alarmingly, however, this study also seemed to indicate that being
away from school had a positive impact on girls--both Eureka! and
control girls--in terms of wanting to do math and science. For most,
being back in school tended to decrease that interest.\10\
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\10\ Ibid.
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For Girls Inc. and other providers of informal STEM education, this
last finding points to what school systems may have something to learn
from informal providers. Girls Inc. Operation SMART is a philosophy and
approach to engaging girls in STEM subjects. It allows trained Girls
Inc. affiliate staff to design their own programs, relevant to the
interest and ages of the girls they serve. Girls Inc. of Carpentaria
(CA), for example, has an Animal Care Club, where girls study animal
habitats and are responsible for the care of the animals, including
Rosie, their 12-year old tarantula. Girls Inc. of Omaha (NE) has a
strong partnership with the College of St. Mary where female college
students meet with girls in grades 1 to 6 twice a week for two months
each semester in groups of one to three girls. A fifteen-year-old
graduate of the program in Omaha explained that the projects were fun,
hands-on, often outside, and, she said, ``We didn't have to do
worksheets.''
Second, girls benefit from informal girl-focused programs because
gender discrimination persists, usually subtle but at times blatant.
Girls Inc. sponsors eight FIRST Robotics Lego League teams, with
support from Motorola. The Girls Inc. teams often find themselves the
only all-girl teams in the competitions (except of course when there
are teams sponsored by the Girl Scouts). But on the co-ed teams, staff
observed that it was always the boys who were operating the robots. In
fact, on one occasion when I had the pleasure of speaking with some
members of Robot Chicks Union, a group of female FIRST Robotics
competitors, they complained that on co-ed teams they were actually
assigned roles such as marketing and bringing the snacks for their
team.
This phenomenon plays out in classrooms as well, where girls are
too often relegated to supporting roles, such as recording notes, as
they watch boys perform the experiments and work with equipment.
At Girls Inc., we pay explicit attention to equity and support
girls as they develop the skills and self-confidence to navigate
successfully through the challenges of adolescence. In Girls Inc.
Operation SMART, we assume girls are interested in math, science, and
technology. We let them make big, interesting mistakes. We encourage
them to see themselves as scientists. Most importantly, we expect girls
to succeed, and help them develop the same expectations of themselves.
According to the National Center for Women in IT, women are more
likely than men to say they entered careers in STEM as a result of
encouragement from a teacher, family member, or friend.\11\ While we
may think of ``encouragement'' as ``soft'' or unnecessary, it is
actually an important factor in women's decisions about careers.
Parents are a critical part of the equation here and we help them seize
opportunities to encourage their daughters in STEM. Our new Girls Inc.
Thinking SMART Guide has a packet for parents, also available in
Spanish, filled with resources and suggestions. For example, to
determine if a home experiment is SMART, parents are asked to consider
whether the activity allows girls to ``use their hands, bodies, and
senses for things other than writing.'' In contrast, an activity is
probably not SMART if its primary goal is ``to produce an ornament or
decoration.''
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\11\ Zarrett, N. & Malanchuk, O. (2006). Encouragement from parents
or teachers plays a large role in students' choice of a Computer
Science major. In Women and IT: Research on Under-representation. J.M.
Cohoon & W. Aspray, eds., Cambridge: MIT Press.
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Encouragement increases self-efficacy, which in turn increases
girls' participation in formal science classes and, later, in STEM-
related careers.
Finally, women role models are essential for girls to be aware of
career options and to envision themselves in those careers someday.
At an event at the White House last month, tennis great Billie Jean
King spoke about the importance of female role models in sports. She
said girls, ``have to see it to be it.'' The same holds true for STEM.
So, we incorporate a strong career component in our STEM programming.
Girls Inc. has just completed a $2.3 million grant from the National
Science Foundation for a program that connects girls with women in STEM
career fields, including members of the Society for Women Engineers.
And this is not just a 20 minute career day speech. This is working
together over time on a substantive project, allowing for positive
connections to be built.
Role models are particularly important for girls of color, but
sadly minority women in science are scarce. African-American women make
up just 1.5 percent of all those employed in science and engineering
occupations, Hispanic women account for just 1.3 percent and American
Indian and Alaska Native accounts for 0.1 percent.\12\ Ironically,
African-American women have been shown to express higher levels of
interest in science than white women.\13\ Seventy percent of the girls
served by Girls Inc. are girls of color. And 65 percent come from
families with incomes under $25,000. It is essential that these girls
receive high quality STEM programming that will open these fields up to
them.
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\12\ National Science Foundation. (2007). Employed scientists and
engineers, by occupation, highest degree level, race-ethnicity, and
sex: 2006. Division of Science Resource Statistics, Arlington, VA.
\13\ Hanson, S. (2004). African American women in science:
Experiences from high school through the post-secondary years and
beyond. NWSA Journal 16(1), 96-115.
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In 2004, we surveyed women who had previously received our Girls
Inc. Lucile Miller Wright College Scholarships. Of the 85 respondents,
51 percent said that ``My Girls Inc. experience influenced my college
experience. It inspired me to pursue my interests in science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics.'' \14\
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\14\ Girls Incorporated (2004). Growing Up at Girls Incorporated:
The GROW Study of Girls Inc. National Scholars. New York: Author.
My final point is that the Federal Government has a vital role to play
in increasing girls' participation in STEM fields. We need the help of
this committee to be recognized and tapped as equal players in STEM
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education.
First, continue to support the National Science
Foundation's Informal Science Education Program, and Research
on Gender in Science and Engineering. Grants through the NSF
are critical to the implementation of informal science
education programs like ours as well as science museums, zoos,
and environmental centers. Such grants provide research-based
and innovative programs the ability to continue to increase
national interest in STEM fields.
Second, promote informal STEM education through
federally funded afterschool programs. Proven, national
programs like Girls Inc. Operation SMART incorporate the latest
research on girls' engagement and persistence in STEM and can
and should be targeted for funding to address the under
representation of girls and minorities in STEM. Ninety percent
of the sites funded by the 21st Century Community Learning
Centers (federal afterschool program) are on school campuses.
Third, support professional development for teachers
and youth workers in informal STEM education and in gender-
equitable teaching methods. Provide opportunities for these
professionals to interact with each other and learn from each
other.
Finally, promote increased enforcement of Title IX.
Public information campaigns are needed to raise awareness
among students that Title IX covers discrimination broadly, not
just sports. Title IX prohibits bias in counseling, sexual
harassment in schools, and can be a tool for achieving
classroom environments that are free of harassment.
In closing, according to a report of the Commission on the
Advancement of Women and Minorities in Science, Engineering and
Technology, there are four points at which the STEM career pipeline
loses girls and women: as they enter middle school, late high school,
college and graduate school, and finally in their professional
life.\15\ We have to be attentive to all these stages and intentional
about retaining girls and women at each. Thank you for doing your part
through the important work of this committee. As we are fond of saying
at Girls Inc., it doesn't matter where a girl is from, as long as she
knows where she is going.
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\15\ ``Land of Plenty: Diversity as America's Competitive Edge in
Science, Engineering, and Technology.'' September 2000.
Biography for Marcia Brumit Kropf
Marcia Brumit Kropf joined Girls Incorporated, the nonprofit
organization that inspires all girls to be strong, smart, and bold, in
the Fall of 2003. Dr. Kropf oversees the implementation of the
organization's strategic plan and has direct responsibility for the
National Services, Program & Training Services, Research, IT, and Human
Resources departments. She heads the organization's IT Council and is
leading an enterprise-wide multi-year initiative to address the needs
of Latina girls aged 6 to 18. Dr. Kropf represents Girls Inc. at the K-
12 Alliance for the National Council of Women in IT and just completed
a two-year term as Co-Chair for that group. She is a member of the New
York City Commission on Women's Issues and the Expert Advisory Panel
for New Moon, as well as an advisor to the Jeannette Rankin Foundation
and the Purdue University Center for Families. She also serves as Co-
Chair of the COO Peer Network for the National Human Services Assembly.
Previously, Dr. Kropf spent 12 years at Catalyst, the premier
nonprofit research and advisory organization working to advance women
in business, as Vice President of Research & Information Services. She
oversaw the Research Department, the Information Center (a special
library focusing on women and work), and Catalyst's efforts to advance
technologically in the 21st Century. She also led the Work and Family
team of experts, the group advising companies on a range of topics
including flexible work arrangements, leaves of absence, and childcare.
Prior to her work at Catalyst, Dr. Kropf spent over 20 years working in
public education in a variety of positions, from classroom teaching to
software design, focusing primarily on curriculum design and
evaluation.
Dr. Kropf earned her B.A. from Mount Holyoke College, a Master of
Arts in Teaching from Oberlin College, a Certificate of Advanced
Studies in Reading Education from Syracuse University, and a Ph.D. in
Educational Communication and Technology from New York University.
Chairman Lipinski. Thank you, Dr. Kropf. The Chair will now
recognize Dr. Hanson.
STATEMENT OF DR. SANDRA L. HANSON, PROFESSOR OF SOCIOLOGY,
CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY
Dr. Hanson. Chairman Lipinski, Ranking Member Ehlers,
distinguished Members. I am Sandra Hanson. I am Professor of
Sociology at Catholic University. I have been doing research on
girls in science for several decades now, and it is a pleasure
to be here.
One of the myths about girls in science is that from the
time they start school, girls are less interested in science
than boys. In my research and that of others, we show girls
start out with equal interest and abilities in science. Things
start changing, though, as early as the second grade.
One NSF study found that when second grade girls and boys
draw pictures of scientists, they draw a white male in a lab
coat. Usually the scientist is alone with a beaker or a test
tube, and when they draw a woman scientist, she is fairly
severe and unhappy looking. I have found that the departure
from STEM even happens for very talented girls who show promise
in science.
What about the nature versus nurture argument? The notion
that boys are naturally better at math and science, continues
to be a popular one. A recent study looked at 3,000 pairs of
British twins at nine, 10, and 12 years of age. They looked at
genetic and environmental factors that affected math and
science achievement. They found no difference in math and
science achievement at nine, 10, and 12, and more importantly,
no difference in the influence of genetic and environmental
factors on the boys and girls at these ages. So they concluded
it is more about attitudes than aptitude.
So what is going on? Why are women leaving STEM? One of the
issues is textbooks. If students don't see images in textbooks
of people that look like themselves, they can't connect.
Science textbooks are improving, but they show many more images
of male scientists. One NSF-funded study at Colorado State
looked at elementary school science textbooks, and found 66
percent of the images were of men, and 34 percent were of
women.
But there has been progress in STEM education. Recently,
for the first time ever, two women, young girls, won the grand
prizes in the prestigious Siemens National Math and Science
Competition. And my research shows there is more progress in
STEM education than occupations, so that in 2006, women earned
20 percent of the Ph.D.s in engineering, but they were only 12
percent of the employed engineers. In some areas, girls get
more degrees than boys. Chemistry and biological sciences are
two of them. Employers can no longer argue that there is a
shortage of qualified female science talent.
One of the things that is implicit in my research is that
you can't just talk about girls in science. Science is not just
a male culture. It is a white male culture. So that an
important lesson from my work is that men and womens'
experiences in science vary across social class and race
groups. When I looked at African-American women in science
recently, I found tremendous interest and engagement, and many
people have missed this, including social scientists, who think
that the race and gender disadvantage is a double disadvantage
for them, thus, they must not be interested.
Although I have found a loss of science talent amongst
young women, I am quite optimistic. I see more interest. I see
the interest amongst minority women. I also have looked at the
role of sport as a resource for young women. Sport encourages
independence, teamwork, competition, the same traits that tend
to be associated with women's success in the male domain of
science. So, female athletes have an advantage in science over
non-athletes, and so young girls who are given an early
opportunity in sport might be less intimidated and more
prepared for the culture of the science classroom.
I am also encouraged by evidence from single-sex STEM
education. Many women scientists today have spent at least some
of their time at single-sex universities. In 2006, several
researchers at the University of Michigan studied the progress
of girls in two schools, almost identical math curriculum, but
one was coed and one was single-sex. And at the end of the
year, they measured their progress in math, and found those in
the single-sex school outscored those in the coed school by
over 50 percent.
There are things that work. There are things that we can
do. My time is running short, but I know that the new practice
guide published by the National Center for Education Research,
entitled ``Encouraging Girls in Math and Science,'' offers very
specific things for schools and teachers, in terms of
increasing girls' participation and interest in science.
Guides such as this one should be integrated into our
curriculum. Girls deserve equal access to STEM, and we can do
better, and I think both boys and girls would benefit from
improving our STEM education.
Thank you.
[The prepared statement of Dr. Hanson follows:]
Prepared Statement of Sandra L. Hanson
Chairman Lipinski, Ranking Member Ehlers, and distinguished Members
of the Subcommittee, I am Sandra Hanson, Professor of Sociology at
Catholic University. I have been doing research on girls in science for
several decades. It is a great compliment to be able to share my
research with you today. Thank you for the opportunity to testify about
encouraging female students in STEM fields.
Today I would like to address three issues regarding research on
girls in science education: an overview of my research on the topic,
the current status of research (in general) on girls in STEM; and ideas
about disseminating research findings.
OVERVIEW OF MY RESEARCH: WHAT MY RESEARCH REVEALS ABOUT THE FACTORS
THAT SHAPE GIRLS' INTEREST AND PARTICIPATION IN
STEM.
Findings from my research show that young girls do not start out
with low achievement in STEM. Early in the high school years, however,
many girls experience the beginning of a departure from STEM typified
by enrollment in fewer STEM courses, lowered achievement, and
increasingly negative attitudes.\1\ This ``chilling out'' occurs even
for young women who have shown promise and talent in science. My
research confirms that young women's increasing presence and success in
STEM education is happening at a faster rate than in science
occupations. In 2006, women earned 20 percent of Ph.D. Engineering
degrees but they represented only 12 percent of employed Engineers.\2\
In some areas (e.g., Bachelor's degrees in chemistry and in biological
sciences) young women earn more degrees than young men. Employers can
no longer argue that there is a shortage of qualified female science
talent. We need to do more to make sure that all young people,
regardless of sex, have a chance to succeed in STEM education. It is
just as important that young women who acquire qualifications in STEM
have equal access and opportunity in STEM occupations. Although I
cannot summarize all of my research here, I briefly discuss a number of
issues below, including: STEM as an elite area of the U.S. (and
international) education and occupation systems, the intersection of
gender and race in creating STEM talent, structural barriers and
selection processes that filter women (even talented women) out of
STEM, measurement of girls' STEM experiences, and sources of optimism
about the future of girls in STEM.
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\1\ See data from NCES (Appendix Table 1), NSF, and NCER (National
Center for Education Research, Institute of Education Studies) (Figures
1 through 4) on gender and STEM achievement from kindergarten through
post-secondary school in the Appendix.
\2\ NSF. 2009. Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in
Science and Engineering (http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/wmpd).
STEM as an elite. My research suggests that we view STEM as an
increasingly powerful elite. The study of elites has historically been
an important part of social science theory and research. Elites have
been described as those occupying powerful and influential positions in
government, corporations, and the military. These elites share
interests and attitudes, and have networks which work to encourage and
include some and discourage and exclude others. In a technologically
advanced, post-modern, global society, the status, power, shared
interests and powerful networks of those in STEM suggests that they
must be considered as members of the new elite. One of the most
distinguishing features of the science elite (historically and
currently) is the shortage of women and non-whites. In spite of the
progress that women and minorities have made in STEM education and
occupations, the culture of science continues to be a white male
culture that is often hostile to women and minorities. In a
technologically advanced society, it is the work of scientists that
will determine our future. The need for a talented, diverse, well-
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educated workforce can no longer be questioned.
The intersection of gender and race. Implicit in my research is the
notion that STEM is not just a male culture; it is a white male
culture. I am happy to hear that the subcommittee will also be holding
hearings on minorities in science. An important lesson from my work on
women in STEM is that one cannot just talk about ``women'' or ``men''
in STEM. Men and women across race and social class statuses have very
different experiences in STEM. Gender cultures vary tremendously across
race groups and my recent research on African American women in science
suggests a considerable interest and engagement in science. Many people
assume a double disadvantage associated with race and gender for young
African American women as they enter the STEM education system. It is
important that researchers not make any assumptions about the effect of
being female or black without considering how these statuses might
converge. In other words, we need to avoid talking about ``women'' in
science. Instead, we should be looking at the experiences of different
groups of women. Because of the unique gender system in the African
American community, these young women actually have some advantages in
the STEM system.
In a related way some of my research has focused on the unique
science experiences of another racial/ethnic group--Asian Americans. My
surveys with hundreds of Asian American youth reveal considerable
complexity in their science experiences in spite of stereotypes about
the ``model'' minority. Both Asian American girls and boys outperform
white youth (even male white youth) in science. This finding is an
interesting one given the evidence of traditional gender systems in
many Asian American cultures. My research does show, however, that
Asian American girls do not have the same level of science achievement
as Asian American boys. Although Asian (and Asian American) culture can
be seen as a model for creating interest and achievement in science
(for girls as well as boys), the youth in my survey reported
considerable stress and anxiety associated with overwhelming familial
pressure towards success in science.
The next ethnic group that I will focus on in my examination of the
confluence of race and gender in STEM is Latino youth. There is a
dearth of research on the experiences of Latino youth in the U.S. STEM
education system in spite of the fact that Latinos are the fastest
growing ethnic/racial minority in the U.S. Both Latino men and women
are under-represented in STEM. Stereotypes about Latinos involving
``marginalized populations,'' ``immigrants,'' and ``second-language
users'' as well as the assumption that the Latino experience is at odds
with the larger U.S. culture work against these young people in the
science education system. I hypothesize that Latino women will have
considerable interest and potential talent in science in spite of
stereotypes involving ``marianismo'' which see them as submissive,
subservient, and thus uninterested in STEM. There is a growing, but
limited research on Latino women that shows that they are breaking
these old stereotypes and increasingly earning graduate degrees and
higher salaries in professional (and science) areas.
Structural barriers and selection processes. My research also shows
that the problem of talented young women leaving science (and of a
shortage of women in science in general) says less about the
characteristics of young women and more about structural barriers and
selection processes. These processes directly affect STEM achievement
through gender discrimination but they also affect achievement
indirectly through the transmission of ``gendered'' socialization and
unequal allocation of science resources in families, schools, and the
media. My research supports structural theories of how education
systems work. Here, individuals are not necessarily free to achieve
according to their talents but rather are subject to systems that
identify, select, process, classify, and assign individuals according
to externally imposed (in this case biological sex) standards. Students
then develop their expectations toward their future around these
observed constraints.
Interestingly, my work shows that these processes often work in a
subtle way that students and teachers may not be aware of. Instead,
members of a society are largely in agreement on cultural ideas
regarding gender. They share in this ``world taken for granted''
regarding gender and science which becomes so routine that it is seldom
questioned. Studies of young girls show that they think they are making
individual choices, but those choices tend to reproduce gender
structures. In a similar manner, work by the Sadkers has shown that
teachers (in science and other classes) teach male and female students
differently without being aware of these behaviors.
My work supports the stereotype threat theory in psychology by
showing that many young African American women adjust their behavior to
stereotypes about race, gender and STEM. These adjustments sometimes
result in leaving STEM fields. In addition, the stress of trying to
resist stereotypes actually results in reduced STEM achievement.
Measurement of girls' STEM experiences. An important finding coming
out of my recent research involves the way in which we measure girls'
STEM experiences. Social scientists need to think carefully about their
methods, measures, and samples when making conclusions about gender and
science. Gender continues to be a sensitive topic in U.S. culture and
standard methods of data collection via surveys often result in
responses that are socially desirable and culturally biased. In my
recent book Swimming Against the Tide, I used a series of vignettes to
provide insight into STEM attitudes and experiences. Instead of asking
young women directly about their STEM experiences, I asked the young
women to respond to a story of a young woman and her experience in the
science classroom. I also allowed the young women to answer
unstructured, open-ended questions about their STEM experiences so that
they could describe these experiences in their own words. When the
young women (both white and African American) were asked about a
``chilly'' climate in the science classroom for women like those in the
vignette (as opposed to for themselves), they were twice as likely to
report this problem.\3\ Additionally, the open-ended responses from the
young women provided rich insights into the difficulties that young
women have in the science classroom. One young African American woman
talked about her love of science, the science camps her family had sent
her to, and the posters of African American scientists hanging in her
bedroom. But when this young woman entered the science education
system, she felt like she was ``swimming against the tide.'' Another
young African American woman reported that the science teachers
``looked at us like we were not supposed to be scientists.''
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\3\ See Table A.3.3 in the Appendix for my findings using the
Vignettes presented in Hanson (2009), Swimming Against the Tide.
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Another factor in the research process has to do with the samples
that we use. STEM research based on non-representative samples of youth
must be considered cautiously. Although findings from this research
might help in formulating concepts and theory, it should not be (but
often is) generalized. In sum, my research shows that the methods we
use to study gender and STEM need to be carefully considered. The
ultimate goal of researchers should be to use multiple methods and
representative samples.
Sources of optimism. Although my research shows a loss of talented
young women from the STEM pipeline, my research results have also
provided me with considerable optimism about the future of women in
science. Some of the sources of optimism come from:
The gains that women are making in STEM (course
taking, achievement scores, degrees, and jobs). Recently, for
the first time ever, girls were awarded both grand prizes in
the prestigious Siemens national math and science competition.
The high level of interest and engagement in STEM
among young minority women and the important role of minority
families and communities in creating and maintaining this
interest (schools and educators need to be aware of this
resource).
The important resource that sport provides in
enhancing young women's science access and achievement. My
research has shown that sport encourages independence,
teamwork, and competition--the same traits that tend to be
associated with women's success in the male domain of science.
Female athletes have an advantage in science over non-athletes.
Young girls who are given an early opportunity to be involved
in sport may well be less intimated and more prepared for the
culture of science classrooms and work settings.
The increasing body of research addressing issues
regarding gender and STEM.
The ongoing support of research and programs on girls
in STEM by organizations such as The National Science
Foundation and the cumulative knowledge (as well as
applications) resulting from this support.
The increasing evidence that there is a large and
talented pool of women to fill the increased demand in STEM.
Additionally, the compelling evidence that the absence of women
and minorities in STEM robs employers of diverse strategies,
skills, and competence that translate into economic gain in an
age of global markets.
My review of the education literature and surveys of
young women show a clear direction for how we can change
science education to make it more inclusive.\4\ Other research
supported by NSF concurs and, importantly, suggests that these
changes would benefit all youth.\5\ The young women in my
sample suggested, e.g.: better preparation in STEM in the early
years and access to advanced STEM tracks in the later years,
making science more accessible, better trained and motivated
teachers, smaller classes, more work in groups (cooperative
learning), more hands-on experiences (and an active laboratory
component), more gender and race diversity in science teachers
and curriculum (especially textbooks), high expectations for
all students, special programs to encourage women and
minorities in science, and more access to mentoring and
networking.
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\4\ Hanson, S.L. 2009. Swimming Against the Tide. Philadelphia:
Temple University Press.
\5\ National Science Foundation. 2007. Back to School: Five Myths
about Girls and Science. (Press Release 01-108).
THE CURRENT STATUS OF RESEARCH ON THE INVOLVEMENT OF GIRLS IN STEM.
WHAT DO WE KNOW?
In the paragraphs below I briefly highlight some of the recent
research on girls in STEM. I begin the discussion with research
compiled by NSF on myths associated with girls in STEM.
Myths. The NSF Research on Gender in Science and Engineering
program has published the following myths about girls and science based
on findings generated by their funded research:\6\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\6\ http://www.nsf.gov/news/
news-summ.jsp?cntn-id=109939
1. From the time they start school, girls tend to be less
interested in science than are boys. In fact, boys and girls
start out with equal interest and abilities in science. Things
start changing, though, as early as the second grade. One study
showed that when second grade boys and girls draw a scientist,
most draw a while male in a lab coat. The scientist is
generally shown to be alone with a beaker or test tube. When
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they draw women scientists she looks severe and unhappy.
2. Classroom interventions that work to increase girls'
interest in STEM turn off boys. Researchers have found that
what works to increase girls' interest in STEM also tends to
increase boys' interest in STEM.
3. Science and math teachers are not biased toward male
students. Research shows STEM teachers continue to interact
more with boys than girls. They often encourage independence
for boys and requests for help from girls.
4. Parents can't do much to motivate girls when they are not
interested in science. Research shows that the support of
parents is crucial to a girl's interest in STEM. Parents can
make girls aware of STEM careers and their relevance. They can
help in planning the courses and preparation which are required
for a STEM career.
5. Changing the STEM curriculum at the college level might
water down important STEM course work. The idea of having to
``weed out'' weaker students tends to discourage young women in
STEM. One researcher found that young women with B's in STEM
classes are likely to perceive these as inadequate and drop
out. Young men with C's, on the other hand, were more likely to
persist in the class. Changes in STEM curriculum (e.g., working
in pairs on programming in entry level computer science and
engineering courses) contributes to greater retention for both
men and women.
The National Science Foundation provides resources for teachers
(and parents) in each of these areas of STEM education.
International trends. Although women are under-represented in many
science systems around the world, some countries have been more
successful in creating gender equity than others. Countries that have
made great progress in this area include New Zealand, Iceland, Finland,
Albania, and Thailand. Some scholars have suggested that we examine
science education practices in these countries and attempt to implement
successful strategies here.\7\ Data from TIMSS (Trends in International
Mathematics and Science Study) show that in the U.S. boys score higher
than girls on fourth grade math and science scales. There are no sex
differences on these scales in many of the countries examined. In
others, girls score higher than boys.\8\
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\7\ Davis, H. 2009 (http://www.kon.org/urc/v7/davis.html)
\8\ Lamb, T.A. and R. Bybee. 2005 (http://www.asanet.org/footnotes/
jan05/fn10.html).
The importance of nurture over nature. The notion that boys are
``naturally'' better at math and science continues to be a popular one
for many. A recent study on 3,000 pairs of British twins (at nine, 10,
and 12 years of age) informs the nature vs. nurture debate in STEM. The
researchers were able to examine the genetic and environmental
influences on science ability. They found that there were no
differences in standardized math and science achievement scores between
boys and girls at any age. The researchers found no difference between
the boys and girls in how they were influenced by genetic and
environmental factors. Given these findings the authors conclude that
causal factors influencing science achievement have more to do with
attitudes than aptitude.\9\
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\9\ Haworth, C., Dale, P., Plomin, R. 2009. Sex differences and
science: the etiology of science excellence. Journal of Child
Psychology and Psychiatry DOI: 10.111/j.1469-7610.2009.02087.x
Media and image of scientists. Young people often have a negative
image about scientists. Many of the young women in my survey resisted
science because they thought it was ``dumb,'' ``not fun,'' ``boring,''
for ``bookworms,'' ``geeks,'' and ``nerds.'' \10\ Unfortunately, there
are a considerable number of negative stereotypes about science. Not
only is science seen as being for old white males, but it is also
perceived as being boring, and those with an interest in science are
sometimes labeled as geeks and nerds. One researcher asked science
teachers to draw a picture of scientists using a Draw a Scientist Test
(DAST) and discovered that these teachers often view scientists in the
same negative way. The pictures tended to portray scientists as
serious, ominous, lonely people.\11\
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\10\ Hanson, S.L. 2009. Swimming Against the Tide. Philadelphia:
Temple University Press.
\11\ See research by Vinchez-Gonzalez, J.M. and F.J.P Palacios.
2006. ``Image of science in cartoons.'' Physics Education 41(3): 240-
49, and McDuffie (2001) (http://proquest.umi.com/pqdlink?Ver=1&Exp=07-
13-2014&FMT=7&DID=73462424&RQT=309&clientId=31807&cfc=1)
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Textbooks If students don't see images in textbooks of people that
look like themselves, they cannot connect. Science textbooks are
improving but they continue to disproportionately show images of male
scientists. Recent NSF funded research at Colorado State University
found that 66 percent of images in elementary science textbooks were
male and 34 percent were female.\12\
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\12\ http://www.cmmap.org/scienceEd/colloquium/colloquium08/
April-Biasiollia.ppt
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Evidence from single-sex STEM education Research has shown the
success of single-sex girls' schools in recruiting young women into
STEM courses. A disproportionate number of women scientists have spent
time in single sex colleges. The presence of a critical mass of women
has been suggested to be an important ingredient for this success.\13\
In 2006, researchers at the University of Michigan studied the progress
of girls in a single-sex and coed school in similar math classes. When
the researchers examined the math proficiency scores for these two
groups of women, they discovered that the young women in the single sex
school outscored those in the coed school by over 50 percent.\14\
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\13\ See Hanson, S.L. (2009) Swimming Against the Tide for a brief
review of this research.
\14\ http://sitemaker.umich.edu/johnson.356/
math---science-education
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Resources Girls have fewer out-of-school science experiences than
do boys. Researchers stress the importance of exposing girls to out-of-
school programs at an early age. Successful programs such as ``The
Magic of Chemistry'' program sponsored by the University of Missouri
tend to involve hands-on activities, role models, emphasis on practical
applications, and equitable learning environments for girls.\15\
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\15\ Tucker, S.A., D.L. Hanuscin, and C.J. Bearnes. 2008.
``Igniting girls' interest in science.'' Science 319: 1621-22.
HOW CAN DISSEMINATION OF THESE RESEARCH FINDINGS BE IMPROVED SO THAT
FORMAL AND INFORMAL EDUCATORS AND EDUCATION POLICY-
MAKERS IMPLEMENT BEST PRACTICES?
We have a perfect opportunity to increase the dissemination of
research on best practices for girls in STEM. President Obama's
economic stimulus package involving federal research monies has given
the green light to increasing our knowledge about science education.
Discussions about rigorously applying Title IX to STEM education (as in
sport) are beginning. This is a tremendous opportunity for
organizations such as NSF (National Science Foundation), WEPAN (Women
in Engineering Proactive Network), NCES (National Center for Education
Statistics), the NSB (National Science Board), NRC (the National
Research Council) and others who collect data and fund research and
programs on girls in STEM. These organizations have considerable
knowledge and expertise on best practices. We know a lot about the
changes we need to make in STEM classrooms. Only with the assistance of
the U.S. Department of Education and mandated science standards can we
assure that these resources would be required tools for all science
teachers. The new practice guide by the National Center for Education
Research (``Encouraging Girls in Math and Science'') offers five
recommendations for schools and teachers for increasing girls'
participation and interest in science. Guides such as this one need to
be integrated in a routine way into U.S. STEM programs. Girls deserve
equal access to STEM. The Title IX legislation brought about tremendous
change and improvement in young women's access to sport in public
schools by requiring evidence of progress toward equity. We could do
the same in science. Both boys and girls would benefit from improving
our STEM education.
Mr. Chairman, this concludes my remarks. I would be happy to answer
any questions.
Biography for Sandra L. Hanson
Sandra L. Hanson is Ordinary Professor of Sociology and Research
Associate at the Life Cycle Institute, The Catholic University of
America. Dr. Hanson's research examines the gender structure of
educational and occupational systems in a comparative context. Her work
has been supported by six grants from the National Science Foundation.
Dr. Hanson has authored numerous research articles appearing in
journals including, Sociology of Education, Journal of Women and
Minorities in Science and Engineering, and European Sociological
Review. Her new book, entitled Swimming Against the Tide: African
American Girls in Science Education (Philadelphia: Temple University
Press: 2009), examines the experiences of African American girls in the
science education system. Dr. Hanson's earlier book Lost Talent: Women
in the Sciences (Temple University Press: 1996) was a culmination of
her research on the loss of talented young women in the science
pipeline. Dr. Hanson received a Fulbright award for teaching and
research at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow Poland in 1997. Her
work there involved comparative analyses of gender in Poland and the
U.S.
Chairman Lipinski. Thank you, Dr. Hanson. The Chair will
now recognize Ms. Bogue.
STATEMENT OF MS. BARBARA BOGUE, CO-FOUNDER, CO-DIRECTOR, SWE
AWE PROJECT; ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF ENGINEERING SCIENCE AND
MECHANICS AND WOMEN IN ENGINEERING, PENNSYLVANIA STATE
UNIVERSITY
Ms. Bogue. I am speaking today for the Society of Women
Engineers, founded in 1950 as a 20,000 member educational and
service organization that empowers women to succeed and advance
in the field of engineering.
First, I would like to thank the Subcommittee for providing
this opportunity and I really appreciated your comments, so I
should start out by saying, Mr. Chairman, Mr. Ranking Member
and Members of the Subcommittee.
I will focus my comments on the need for improved
assessment and evaluation practices, and the specific
challenges that we face in our effort to increase the numbers
of girls and women entering and succeeding in STEM-related
fields.
I will emphasize engineering. That is my primary experience
and knowledge, but the basic assumptions and recommendations
really can apply across STEM fields in which women are under-
represented.
We know that women are graduating from high school and
prepared to enter engineering. High school girls take 47
percent of all AP calculus tests, and 31 percent of AP physics
tests, so the real question is not whether women can do
engineering. It is, ``Why aren't they doing engineering, and
how can we get them there?''
One key is a better understanding of what works and what
does not. As Director of Women in Engineering, I developed the
Women in Engineering Program at Penn State, and I developed an
orientation in our bridge program that yielded the highest
retention rate of any program in the College of Engineering.
For that, I was recognized with the Presidential Award for
Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring.
Developing an assessment plan to measure the success of the
program with Rose Marra, who is co-founder and co-Director of
the AWE Project, which I will talk about in a bit, helped me
understand what was working and led to the realization that the
need for help in creating good assessment and evaluation is a
universal need among programs with lean budgets and staff.
So, we have created the Assessing Women and Men in
Engineering Project, which is funded by NSF's Research on
Gender and Science in Engineering Program, to develop survey
tools that measure program effectiveness, and allow comparisons
of outcomes among programs. We have more than 50 of these tools
now, surveys along with a lot of capacity-building tools. AWE
moved in to the Society of Women Engineers to sustain the
project's many projects and services. A list of current AWE
products is submitted for the hearing record.
Assessment is essential for success, and funders have a
role to play. The Federal Government should require meaningful
assessment of funded activities, aimed toward the goal of
broadening participation. Federal Title IX reviews, like those
conducted by NASA, are an effective tool for identifying
activities that would benefit from added scrutiny.
There are many ways to break down barriers to the
recruitment and development of women in STEM, in addition to
having better assessment of the programs. I will focus on
three.
First, applying the research to practice is essential for
success. Basic research, through programs like NSF GSE is a
critical tool for increasing the numbers of women in
engineering and other STEM fields.
Second, climate studies are important in uncovering
barriers for women in engineering. Unwelcoming classrooms,
outdated teaching styles, a lack of accommodation for different
social or cultural experiences, a lack of good advising, can
all create an environment that students decide to leave, rather
than thrive in. This affects all students, men and women.
Our results, the AWE Project results, and other findings
belie the postulation that women do not pursue engineering
because they are not interested, or don't have the talent.
Rather, they indicate that women who have the talent and the
interest are being turned off by how the discipline is being
presented.
Finally, sustained and targeted funding is necessary.
Funding for basic research, funding to design and implement
programs, and funding to support individuals.
In conclusion, we would like to recommend the following:
Sustain and target funding for programs and activities that
focus on attracting and retaining women in STEM careers and
remove institutional barriers to their success, fund basic
research related to those goals, review federal funding
requirements and set guidelines to ensure that funded programs
address national priorities that we have all talked about here
today, and attract a diverse population. Support the
continuation of federal Title IX reviews, to increase
understanding of the issues that inhibit full participation of
women in STEM at the college level. And finally, support women
who wish to pursue engineering degrees. Reward institutions
that are successful in increasing the number of women studying
STEM disciplines.
Forty years ago, the first humans set foot on the Moon. We
achieved this because we had the national will to achieve that
goal, but we also supported it financially. One example is the
National Defense Education Act, which ensured an innovative and
productive engineering workforce that could do the work to get
there.
President Obama has set out an equally ambitious goal to
increase R&D funding to levels exceeding those of the Space
Race. To achieve full participation of women and other under-
represented groups in this bold new endeavor requires a bold
commitment. We at the Society of Women Engineers look forward
to and support your efforts in this regard.
Thank you for the opportunity.
[The prepared statement of Ms. Bogue follows:]
Prepared Statement of Barbara Bogue
Mr. Chairman, Mr. Ranking Member, and Members of the Subcommittee:
Good morning. My name is Barbara Bogue. I am an associate professor
of engineering science and mechanics and women in engineering at Penn
State. I am also the Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Society of Women
Engineers' Assessing Women and Men in Engineering (AWE) Project. I am
Past Director of Penn State's Women in Engineering Program and received
a Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and
Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM) recognizing my work as Director in
increasing the retention of women in engineering. I also serve on the
Advisory Group for the American Association of University Women (AAUW)
Project on Women and Girls in Science, Technology Engineering and
Mathematics (STEM), on the National Girls Collaborative Extension
Service Project Champions Board, and as an equity expert for the
National Academy of Engineering Center for the Advancement of
Scholarship in Engineering Education. I am speaking today on behalf of
the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and not on behalf of my employer
or any of these groups.
First, I would like to thank the Subcommittee for providing me with
this opportunity to talk about how to encourage the participation of
female students in STEM fields. This is important to our nation's
future as a global leader in innovation. As you know, the National
Academies' report, Rising Above the Gathering Storm, concluded that
increasing the number of students entering and succeeding in the STEM
fields was critical to prepare our nation for the future.\1\ A more
recent National Academies report entitled Beyond Bias and Barriers:
Fulfilling the Potential of Women in Academic Science and Engineering,
also reminds us that women and girls still face barriers to their
success in the STEM fields, and more attention must be paid to this
issue.\2\
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\1\ National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering,
Institute of Medicine Committee on Prospering in the Global Economy of
the 21st Century: An Agenda for American Science and Technology.
(2006). Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing
America for a Brighter Economic Future. Washington, D.C. : National
Academies Press.
\2\ National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering,
Institute of Medicine Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public
Policy (COSEPUP). (2009). Beyond Bias and Barriers: Fulfilling the
Potential of Women in Academic Science and Engineering. Washington, DC:
National Academies Press.
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I will focus my comments on the need for improved assessment and
evaluation practices of programs serving women in STEM, and on some
specific challenges we face in our effort to increase the numbers of
girls and women entering and succeeding in STEM-related studies. I will
be emphasizing engineering, because that is where my primary experience
and knowledge lie, but the basic assumptions and recommendations can
apply throughout many disciplines in STEM fields in which women are
under-represented.
While there are some similarities among the various STEM fields,
there are also many differences. It is important to note that
engineering and science are different fields. We must recognize that,
while they have common recruitment and retention challenges, the
different disciplines each face unique challenges. Discussions and
statistics that treat all STEM disciplines as one mask real issues. For
example, 2006 National Science Foundation (NSF) statistics show that
women received almost 50 percent of science and engineering Bachelor's
degrees in 2005-06.
Taken on face value, these statistics make it look like there is no
problem. If we break out engineering, however, the percentage of women
receiving degrees is a very low 18 percent. And even within
engineering, there are great variations. Environmental, bio and
chemical engineering--all fields related to biological sciences--have
high percentages of women at 40 percent, 37 percent and 34 percent
respectively. Unfortunately, these are relatively small disciplines in
terms of numbers enrolled. Mechanical and electrical engineering, on
the other hand, are disciplines that traditionally have the largest
populations of students, but have very low percentages of women at 11
percent and 12 percent respectively. Computer engineering, another
field critical to national competitiveness, has only 11 percent.\3\ I
am submitting some graphs for the hearing record that illustrate these
statistics.
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\3\ Commission of Professionals in Science and Technology. (2009).
Professional Women and Minorities: A Total Human Resources Data
Compendium. Washington, D.C.
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These differences have real implications for policy makers and STEM
practitioners. A recent study by Sonnert and Fox finds that it is
advisable ``to take field differences into account and to tailor
efforts and initiatives to the situation in specific fields, rather
than simply targeting `women in science' or `women in science and
engineering' in toto.'' \4\ A recent National Academies study, Gender
Differences in Critical Transition Points in the Careers of Science,
Engineering, and Mathematics Faculty, did not take such research into
account, and examined only select STEM fields to conclude that there is
relatively no problem at critical transition points for women in
academic careers.\5\ This study is an example of the way that treating
all disciplines collectively conceals problems in individual STEM
fields.
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\4\ Sonnert, Gerhard; Fox, Mary Frank; Adkins, Kristen. (2007).
``Undergraduate Women in Science and Engineering: Effects of Faculty,
Fields, and Institutions over Time.'' Social Science Quarterly. Vol. 88
(5), pp. 1333-57.
\5\ National Research Council Committee on Women in Science,
Engineering, and Medicine. (2009). Pre-publication Copy of Gender
Differences in Critical Transition Points in the Careers of Science,
Engineering, and Mathematics Faculty. Washington, DC: National
Academies Press.
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Recruiting women into engineering, a field in which they are under-
represented, should be pursued as one clear path to increasing the
overall yield of engineering degrees granted in the U.S. We know that
women graduating from high school are prepared to enter engineering.
High school girls take 55 percent of all Advanced Placement tests,
including 47 percent of all calculus tests, 47 percent of chemistry
tests, 31 percent of physics tests and 17 percent of computer science
tests.\6\ So the real question is not whether women can do engineering.
It is: How can we attract them into STEM careers?
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\6\ College Board. (2009). AP Data 2008. Available at: http://
professionals.collegeboard.com/data-reports-research/ap/data
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One key to answering this question is a better understanding of
what is working and what is not working in our national efforts to
attract girls and women into STEM fields. And, although different
efforts might be required for particular STEM fields, certain
activities, such as effective assessment of those efforts, are relevant
across all disciplines within STEM.
We know that there are a lot of very good programs offered by
knowledgeable and talented STEM professionals and volunteers throughout
the country. Anecdotally and through research on specific program
activities, we know that engineering outreach programs have a
tremendous impact on the goal expressed by NSF, as well as by other
engineering and science industrial and academic leaders, to broaden the
participation of girls and young women in engineering and
technology.\7\ These large-scale programs are the exception and not the
rule, both in terms of funding and effort level, and in terms of their
means to analyze and assess effectiveness. Such efforts are well
funded, well staffed and resource intensive--and not easily replicated
by the people and organizations that normally do STEM outreach. The
findings of these exemplary programs are important, and can inform
future program development and answer questions about longitudinal
retention rates, but they are not designed for export and use by
individual STEM practitioners at the program level. What we need to
know is how effective are the broad offerings of STEM educational
practice and programming at work in K-12 schools, colleges, and
community and professional organizations across the country.
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\7\ National Science Foundation. (2003). New Formulas for America's
Workforce: Girls in Science and Engineering. NSF 03-207. Available at:
http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2003/nsf03207/start.htm; Goodman, I.F.;
Cunningham, C.M.; Lachapelle, C.; Thompson, M.; Bittinger, K.; Brennan,
R.T.; Delci, M. (2002). Final Report of Women's Experiences in College
Engineering (WECE) Project. Cambridge, MA: Goodman Research Group Inc.
Available online at www.grginc.com
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When I re-established the Women in Engineering Program at Penn
State, one of the first things I did was talk to several directors of
similar programs throughout the country and survey the literature to
find out what other programs were doing and what the most effective
strategies were. What I found was a very dedicated, energetic community
rich with people who ran a variety of innovative programs, often on
shoestring budgets and with lean staffs and student volunteers. I also
found an environment poor in meaningful assessment. And the assessments
that did exist took the form of what we call ``happy face,'' or an
assessment that asks participants how much fun they had, and includes
many engaging quotes from girls and women.
I then sought out literature relevant to my program goals:
recruiting women into engineering and developing their talents.
Developing hands-on skills, supporting a sense of self-efficacy in
engineering, and having active mentors are all well researched as ways
to motivate women to succeed. I integrated all three into a three-day
orientation program, the Women in Engineering Program Orientation
(WEPO), that continues to yield the highest retention rate of any group
in the Penn State College of Engineering and was recognized with the
PAESMEM award.
The next step was creating effective assessment tools so that I
could find out things like how well participants were retained. At that
point, I teamed up with Rose Marra, now associate professor of learning
technologies at the University of Missouri and Co-Founder and Co-
Director of the AWE Project, to develop an assessment plan. The step
after that was the realization that the need for help in creating good
assessment was universal.
We integrated these two key concepts--effective assessment and
integration of research findings into programming--when we conceived of
the Assessing Women and Men in Engineering Project, or the AWE Project,
to develop universal tools that could be used by STEM educational and
outreach programs to measure the success of different activities and
approaches, compare them with other programs, and continuously improve
programs and activities. The more than fifty surveys offered by SWE AWE
have been tested and proven effective for both male and female
students, and help us to confirm that our efforts on behalf of women
are also benefiting men.
AWE moved into the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) to broaden the
scope and audience, and to sustain the project and its many products
and services. Founded in 1950, SWE is a 20,000 member not-for-profit
educational and service organization that empowers women to succeed and
advance in the field of engineering. These activities are supported by
the NSF Research in Gender in Science and Engineering (GSE) Program.\8\
NSF and the GSE Program are leaders in promoting better assessment in
their sponsored programs. GSE encourages other grantees to access SWE
AWE products, supporting further development and dissemination. To
date, the SWE AWE Project has 1065 registered users from 418
institutions and organizations.
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\8\ National Science Foundation. (2009). Research in Gender in
Science and Engineering Program. Available at: http://www.nsf.gov/
funding/pgm--summ.jsp?pims--id=5475&org= NSF&sel--org=NSF&from=fund.
Award #0120642; #0607081; #0734072.
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The SWE AWE Project addresses the barriers to improving assessment
and developing better metrics by looking at assessment as an organizing
tool rather than as something tacked on to the end of an activity. It
advocates assessment as a method to guide the development and
implementation of STEM programs as well as the measurement of outcomes.
The SWE AWE Project is designed to address the core issues that
inhibit the development and implementation of effective STEM
programming--issues that I faced when I started Penn State's Program--
particularly limited resources and a lack of will to assess or reward
for assessing.
STEM initiatives typically run with small staffs or volunteers, who
often have little assessment expertise, and function on soft money
budgets with limited facilities.\9\ The staff more often has expertise
in developing and implementing programs, advising and outreach, rather
than in assessment.
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\9\ Goodman, I.F.; Cunningham, C.M.; Lachapelle, C.; Thompson, M.;
Bittinger, K.; Brennan, R.T.; Delci, M. (2002). Final Report of Women's
Experiences in College Engineering (WECE) Project. Cambridge, MA:
Goodman Research Group Inc. Available online at www.grginc.com; Bogue,
B., & Marra, R. (2001). ``Informal Survey of WIE Directors.'' Penn
State University.
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Programs offered by volunteers in companies or through professional
societies face similar resourcing issues, with the added problem--and,
it has to be stressed, the added benefit--that the volunteers are
typically experts in STEM fields rather than in education or outreach.
These professional volunteers create good programs. They can assess the
success of their program with attendance figures and the results of
``happy face'' surveys. But good assessment and evaluation of those
programs--the kind of assessment that leads to sustainable impacts--
require assessment expertise, funding and other resources.
The SWE AWE Project promotes effective assessment and evaluation in
two ways: 1) by providing exportable survey instruments at the pre-
college and college levels that can be adapted and used by programs
throughout the country; and 2) by creating capacity for assessment and
evaluation among practitioners through the distillation of relevant
research findings in Applying Research to Practice (ARP) papers and
capacity-building workshops throughout the country. The surveys, which
are available in paper and online versions, measure typical objectives
for precollege and college level activities and, at the precollege
level, are available in science, computer and math versions as well as
engineering. ARP resources are developed in collaboration with the
National Academy of Engineering Center for the Advancement of
Scholarship in Engineering Education. I am submitting a list of the
current available AWE Products for the hearing record.
The second issue that the SWE AWE project is designed to address is
the will to undertake and use assessment. Offering programs to girls
and young women is fun, and their positive responses are rewarding.
Assessment, on the other hand, takes time and is designed to tell us
what to do better. If resources are limited and everyone is happy with
the status quo, why change? Where are the rewards?
But lack of effective assessment precludes continuous improvement
of activities. How many activities are there out there that have been
offered year after year without change--they worked once, but do they
still today? Have they taken advantage of new research findings or
changing demographics? When I started the women in engineering
orientation at Penn State, most of the girls had no experience with e-
mail! One of our most popular skill building sessions was learning to
use e-mail. That clearly had to change. Today, we offer sessions on how
to manage labs and set up computer hardware networks.
Without effective assessment and evaluation, programs can actually
be counterproductive. How many activities and events out there are
doing the job of committing girls and women to technical careers? How
many girls and women are we unintentionally discouraging by not
improving our activities using assessment results and new research
findings?
This is where funders have a role to play. The Federal Government
as a funder should require effective assessment of activities aimed
toward NSF's goal of ``broadening participation,'' which is a standard
feature of many grant rewards. And federal Title IX reviews, like those
conducted by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA),
can be an effective tool for understanding the activities, such as
student recruitment and retention programs, that would benefit from an
assessment of effectiveness.\10\ It is not enough to do ``something''--
that something should be proven effective, especially where federal
funds are used. Industry and professional societies as funders have a
similar stake in understanding the effectiveness of funded programs. By
requiring annual assessment and evaluation reports, and by basing
further funding on how those assessments and evaluations are used to
improve programs, effective programs are rewarded; ineffective programs
are motivated to improve.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\10\ National Aeronautics and Space Administration. (2009). NASA
Title IX Compliance Program. Available at: http://www.hq.nasa.gov/
office/codee/compliance-program.html
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Services like the SWE AWE Project offer ready-made tools that
funders and practitioners alike can use to identify and achieve common
goals. Greater use of uniform tools also opens the door for comparison
of data from a broad variety of programs and venues--which ultimately
will allow us a much clearer picture of what works and what doesn't.
There are many ways in addition to the use of good assessment that
we can break down the barriers to effective recruitment and development
of women in STEM.\11\ I will focus on three:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\11\ National Science Foundation. (2003). New Formulas for
America's Workforce: Girls in Science and Engineering. NSF 03-207.
Available at: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2003/nsf03207/start.htm; Sevo, R.
(2009). ``10 x 10 List.'' Available at http://momox.org/10x10.html
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The application of research to practice,
Improved learning environments, and
Sustained and targeted funding.
First, the need for the application of research to practice is
essential if we are to develop effective programming for women in STEM.
Basic research through programs like NSF GSE is a critical tool for
increasing the numbers of women in engineering. Research into why women
and girls leave or stay, how psychological constructs can impact
decision-making or retention, and understanding the experience of
minorities in majority-built and -maintained environments can make or
break our combined national effort to increase the numbers of under-
represented populations in engineering and other STEM disciplines.
Next, climate studies that look at students' learning and working
environment are an important area of research for uncovering barriers
for women in engineering. A student's learning environment, or
``climate,'' can have an impact on the successful retention and
development of all students in STEM fields. Unwelcoming classrooms,
outdated teaching styles, and a lack of accommodation for different
social or cultural experiences can all add up to create an environment
that students decide to leave rather than thrive in. This affects all
students, men as well as women. However, students who are already
marginalized as ``non typical,'' or who are severely under-represented,
as are women in engineering, experience these adverse environments more
keenly. Much research shares common findings that women who are equally
prepared academically as men when they enter engineering leave
engineering or science with higher GPAs than their male counterparts
who leave, having found less of a sense of community and citing that
they have encountered poor teaching. Surveys of students leaving
engineering or science, including surveys developed and implemented by
SWE AWE, find that students who leave are less involved in discipline-
related activities and fail to develop a sense of community.\12\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\12\ Seymour, E. & Hewitt, N. (1997). Talking about Leaving: Why
Undergraduates leave the Sciences. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press;
Goodman, I.F.; Cunningham, C.M.; Lachapelle, C.; Thompson, M.;
Bittinger, K.; Brennan, R.T.; Delci, M. (2002). Final Report of Women's
Experiences in College Engineering (WECE) Project. Cambridge, MA:
Goodman Research Group Inc. Available online at www.grginc.com;
Hartman, H. and Hartman, M. (2006). ``Leaving Engineering: Lessons from
Rowan University's College of Engineering.'' Journal of Engineering
Education, Vol. 95, pp. 49-61; Marra, R.; Bogue, B. (2008).
``Engineering Classroom Environments: Examining Differences by Gender
and Departments.'' Proceedings of American Society for Engineering
Education, June 2008, Pittsburgh, PA; Marra, R.; Rogers, K.A.; Shen,
D.; & Bogue, B. (2009). ``A Multi-Year, Multi-Institution Study of
Women Engineering Student Self-Efficacy,'' Journal of Engineering
Education, Vol. 98, pp. 1-12.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
AWE results and other findings belie the postulation that women do
not pursue engineering because they are just not interested or don't
have the talent. Rather, they indicate that women who have the talent
and interest are being turned off by how the discipline is presented.
Women's high school preparation and GPAs once in college are comparable
to men's. In fact, in our recent research females show significantly
higher intentions to persist in engineering than their male
counterparts.\13\ These results show that we don't need to fix the
women; we need to fix environments in which they fail to thrive.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\13\ Bogue, B. and Marra, R. (2009). ``The AWE Family of Projects:
Assessing STEM Educational Outreach, Retention Programs and Research on
Engineering Undergraduates.'' Poster presented at the National Science
Foundation Joint Annual Meeting, June 2009; Marra, R.; Bogue, B.
(2008). ``Engineering Classroom Environments: Examining Differences by
Gender and Departments.'' Proceedings of American Society for
Engineering Education, June 2008, Pittsburgh, PA.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Finally, sustained and targeted funding is necessary in order to
increase the numbers of women entering and succeeding in engineering:
funding for basic research, funding for designing and implementing
programs, and funding to support individuals. Such funding has the
potential to effect change when it comes with prudent conditions
designed to reinforce real change in how programs are developed and
evaluated. Funding that includes requirements for effective assessment
plans and reports on outcomes that describe how assessment results are
used. Funding that requires that basic researchers work directly with
STEM practitioners to integrate findings into practice. Funding that
provides individual funding to support women students who commit to the
completion of studies in STEM fields in which they are under-
represented.
There is historical evidence that directed individual funding
works. We saw a tremendous change in the number of men who decided to
study engineering in the wake of the ground-breaking National Defense
Education Act (NDEA), which occurred in the wake of the launch of
Sputnik in 1958. Today, we see more modest efforts aimed at women in
engineering through, for example, the NSF ADVANCE Program, which offers
institutional transformation grants aimed at the goal of increasing
women faculty in STEM.\14\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\14\ National Science Foundation. (2009). ADVANCE: Increasing the
Participation and Advancement of Women in Academic Science and
Engineering Careers (ADVANCE). Available at: http://www.nsf.gov/
funding/pgm-summ.jsp?pims-id=5383. Also, see
ADVANCE portal at http://www.portal.advance.vt.edu/
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Directing that all federal funding in STEM fields must address
these issues as a part of any funded project would validate the
importance of a creating an inclusive work and study environment and
encourage more girls and women to enter engineering.
In conclusion, increasing the number of women pursuing engineering
degrees and succeeding in professional careers is an essential
component of our ability as a nation to solve the problems we face and
to remain a world leader in science and technology. Promoting the use
of assessments, like those offered by the SWE AWE Project, and
supporting programs at the undergraduate level to overcome barriers to
recruit and retain female undergraduates in STEM should be part of the
equation. Therefore, we would like to recommend the following policy
recommendations to you:
Sustain and target funding for programs and
activities that focus on attracting and retaining women and
girls to non-traditional and STEM careers and removing
institutional barriers to their success, for basic research
related to that goal, and for efforts directed at encouraging
individual women to undertake and complete engineering degrees.
Review federal funding requirements and set
guidelines to ensure that funded programs address national
priorities and attract a diverse population. Include
requirements for effective assessment, including reporting of
how findings will be used to continuously improve processes.
Support the continuation of federal Title IX reviews,
like those conducted by NASA, as one component of understanding
the issues that inhibit the full participation of women in
engineering and other STEM disciplines at the college level.
Provide support for women who wish to pursue
engineering degrees. Reward the institutions that make
successful efforts to increase the percentages of women
studying STEM disciplines in which they are currently under-
represented.
Forty years ago yesterday, Neil Armstrong became the first human to
set foot on the Moon, thanks to our Federal Government's commitment to
set forth a clear vision for achieving that goal by the end of the
1960s. Not only did we have the national will to achieve that event, we
supported it financially by ensuring an innovative and productive
engineering workforce through the National Defense Education Act.
Earlier this year, in a speech to the National Academy of Science,
President Obama set out an equally ambitious goal to increase research
and development funding to levels that exceed those in the era of the
space race. To achieve the goal of full participation of women and
other under-represented groups in this new bold endeavor will require
an equivalently bold commitment. We at the Society of Women Engineers
look forward to and support your efforts in this regard.
Thank you again for the opportunity to present our views.
References
Bogue, B. and Marra, R. (2009). ``The AWE Family of Projects: Assessing
STEM Educational Outreach, Retention Programs and Research on
Engineering Undergraduates.'' Poster presented at the National
Science Foundation Joint Annual Meeting, June 2009.
Bogue, B., and Marra, R. (2001). ``Informal Survey of WIE Directors.''
Penn State University.
College Board. (2009). AP Data 2008. Available at: http://
professionals. collegeboard.com/datareports-research/ap/data
Commission of Professionals in Science and Technology. (2009).
Professional Women and Minorities: A Total Human Resources Data
Compendium. Washington, D.C.
Goodman, I.F.; Cunningham, C.M.; Lachapelle, C.; Thompson, M.;
Bittinger, K.; Brennan, R.T.; Delci, M. (2002). Final Report of
Women's Experiences in College Engineering (WECE) Project.
Cambridge, MA: Goodman Research Group Inc. Available online at
www.grginc.com
Hartman, H. and Hartman, M. (2006). ``Leaving Engineering: Lessons from
Rowan University's College of Engineering.'' Journal of
Engineering Education, Vol. 95, pp. 49-61.
Marra, R.; Rogers, K.A.; Shen, D.; and Bogue, B. (2009). ``A Multi-
Year, Multi-Institution Study of Women Engineering Student
Self-Efficacy,'' Journal of Engineering Education, Vol. 98, pp.
1-12.
Marra, R. and Bogue, B. (2008). ``Engineering Classroom Environments:
Examining Differences by Gender and Departments.'' Proceedings
of American Society for Engineering Education, June 2008,
Pittsburgh, PA.
National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering,
Institute of Medicine Committee on Science, Engineering, and
Public Policy (COSEPUP). (2009). Beyond Bias and Barriers:
Fulfilling the Potential of Women in Academic Science and
Engineering. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.
National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering,
Institute of Medicine Committee on Prospering in the Global
Economy of the 21st Century: An Agenda for American Science and
Technology. (2006). Rising Above the Gathering Storm:
Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic
Future. Washington, DC : National Academies Press.
National Research Council Committee on Women in Science, Engineering,
and Medicine. (2009). Pre-publication Copy of Gender
Differences in Critical Transition Points in the Careers of
Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Faculty. Washington, DC:
National Academies Press.
National Science Foundation. (2003). New Formulas for America's
Workforce: Girls in Science and Engineering. NSF 03-207.
Available at: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2003/nsf03207/start.htm
National Science Foundation. (2009). ADVANCE: Increasing the
Participation and Advancement of Women in Academic Science and
Engineering Careers (ADVANCE). Available at: http://
www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm-summ.jsp?pims-
id=5383. Also, see ADVANCE portal at http://
www.portal.advance.vt.edu/
National Science Foundation. (2009). Research in Gender in Science and
Engineering Program. Available at: http://www.nsf.gov/funding/
pgm-summ.jsp?pims-
id=5475&org=NSF&sel-org=NSF&from=fund. Award
#0120642; #0607081; #0734072.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration. (2009). NASA Title IX
Compliance Program. Available at: http://www.hq.nasa.gov/
office/codee/compliance- program.html
Projects in the Sciences. Retrieved 12 December 2005 from http://
www.aauw.org/research/microscope.cfm
Sevo, R. (2009). ``10 x 10 List.'' Available at http://momox.org/
10x10.html
Seymour, E. and Hewitt, N. (1997). Talking about Leaving: Why
Undergraduates leave the Sciences. Boulder, Colorado: Westview
Press.
Sonnert, Gerhard; Fox, Mary Frank; Adkins, Kristen. (2007).
``Undergraduate Women in Science and Engineering: Effects of
Faculty, Fields, and Institutions over Time.'' Social Science
Quarterly, Vol. 88 (5), pp. 1333-57.
The National Council for Research on Women. (2001). ``Balancing the
Equation: Where Are Women and Girls in Science, Engineering and
Technology?'' Available at: www.ncrw.org
Biography for Barbara Bogue
Barbara Bogue is Co-Founder and Co-Director of the SWE AWE (Society
of Women Engineers' Assessing Women and Men in Engineering) Project and
associate professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics and Women in
Engineering and Women in Engineering at Penn State. The SWE AWE Project
develops and disseminates assessment instruments for educational
outreach, engineering self-efficacy, classroom climate and assessment
capacity building tools.
Prior to her current position, Bogue served as Director of the Penn
State Women in Engineering Program, hired with the charge to re-
institute and revitalize the program. In that role, she created and
implemented recruitment and retention programs and was recognized for
her achievements with several awards, including the White House
Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and
Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM), the WEPAN Women in Engineering and
Science Program Award and the Penn State Outstanding Recruitment and
Retention Award. A fulfilling part of her career has been the mentoring
of young women and men and she takes great pleasure in maintaining
contact with Penn State engineers throughout the world. Her activities
in this area were recognized with the Penn State Rosemary Shearer
Mentoring Award.
Bogue's research focuses on the application of research to
practice, assessment, and the development and progression of girls and
women in engineering. She is the Principal Investigator of a National
Science Foundation grant that moved the AWE Project into the Society of
Women Engineers, where it will continue to offer quality products and
capacity building. SWE's ownership of the AWE Project ensures
continuity and the ability to reach a larger audience. The author of
numerous publications, Bogue has developed and presents workshops on
assessment, evaluation and faculty development for the Women in
Engineering ProActive Network (WEPAN), the American Society of
Engineering Educators, the Society of Women Engineers, The Big Ten CIC
Faculty Development Workshop, and the National Girls Collaborative
Project (webcast). Bogue also evaluates interventions that aim to
increase the participation and progression of women and minorities in
engineering. The National Science Foundation, the GE Fund, the Henry
Luce Foundation, the Engineering Information Foundation, The
Engineering Foundation and a variety of corporations have funded her
work.
Chairman Lipinski. Thank you, Ms. Bogue. And finally, the
Chair recognizes Ms. Thomas.
STATEMENT OF MS. CHERRYL T. THOMAS, PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER,
ARDMORE ASSOCIATES, LLC
Ms. Thomas. Good morning, Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member
Ehlers, distinguished Members of Congress and this
subcommittee. I am both humbled and pleased that I have been
asked to testify before you today.
Rather than a direct academic pursuit of engineering, I
came to the field by quite a circuitous route. Actually, I
really did not know anyone personally who was an engineer.
However, through the encouragement and development of my
scientific and mathematical aptitude, and the forward thinking
of leaders in my life, my mother, teachers, and mentors, I came
to the STEM fields. I hope that you can bear with me for a few
moments, while I give you a brief synopsis of my career path.
My earliest recollection of building materials was a
Christmas morning, when I spied a very large box of Tinkertoys.
These were for my oldest brother. He admonished me not to put
my sticky paws on his Tinkertoys. They were special for him to
build things. Of course, I couldn't wait to set the Big Ben
alarm clock to get up in the middle of the night and play with
that set.
As fortune would intervene, eventually, my brothers got an
Erector Set. The Tinkertoys cast aside became mine. The first
thing I built was a windmill. All these years later, when I see
the wind turbines dotting the landscape in rural areas, I have
wondered how many of the engineers who have designed or built
wind turbines had their interests sparked in their youth by a
simple set of Tinkertoys.
Throughout my academic career, I was always interested in
the sciences, and I was encouraged to think about or pursue the
biological sciences. In high school, I demonstrated an aptitude
for chemistry. My career path was set. I would concentrate on
biology and chemistry, and think about medicine or scientific
research. I received awards for participating in science fairs
all four years of high school. One Saturday a month, I went to
the Science Academy in Lincoln Park, and every other Sunday, to
the Museum of Science and Industry close to where I lived in
Hyde Park.
Armed with this foundation, I went off to university
prepared to major in biology and chemistry. I completed my
undergraduate studies, and went to work for the Department of
Water and Sewers in the city of Chicago as a research chemist.
I was quite content in this role. I completed a master's degree
while working for the city, and began course work for a
doctorate.
The latter was interrupted when I was chosen as the first
woman to participate in a program of sending young people, up
until this point in time, young male engineers, to work in
various units of the Department of Water and Sewers, to
cultivate an understanding of how not only the units worked,
but how the Department worked in total.
It is very important to note that this decision was made by
the Commissioner of the Department. I was assigned to the Chief
Engineer in the Commissioner's office. The time period was the
early '70s. This was not a simple or easy decision to make. To
complicate matters, I was not a degreed engineer. Instead, I
was learning on the job. To his credit, and I thank him always,
the Chief Engineer convinced me to go back to school and take
engineering courses.
That was the end of the biological sciences and the
beginning of a new endeavor. I was the first woman to work in
the field on a shutoff crew for the Department of Water.
Eventually, I ended up running that crew.
What were the barriers I faced? This was unusual. Women
were not supposed to work shifts. There were no facilities for
women, and quite frankly, women would interfere with the way
men talked and worked. Of course, over a short period of time,
their fears and mine were assuaged. We were all there to do a
job. In hindsight, what a great opportunity and what a great
experience.
I worked many years for the Water Department before going
on to work in various other infrastructure departments, which
culminated in my overseeing all of the infrastructure
departments, when I went to work in Mayor Daley's office as his
Deputy Chief of Staff.
In 1994, the Mayor appointed me as Commissioner of the
Department of Buildings. I was the first woman to hold this
position. In this role, my field experience and practical side
of engineering would have to get me through learning and
understanding the design side. I do credit the discipline of
being involved in the sciences as preparation for this
demanding role, and as preparation for successful completion of
any daunting task.
The biggest challenges to attracting and retaining women
and girls in the STEM fields, I think, are exposure at an early
age, encouragement and nurturing of ideas, and the pervasive
tendency to promote the sciences as career fields for boys and
men, although medicine is the exception to this rule.
The most promising solutions continue to work, as a
committee such as this, to study and lend credence to the
problem. Funding to add programs with mathematics, chemistry,
and physics to primary as well as secondary education. Exposing
girls and young women to other women who are pursuing these
fields.
In a humble way, I do think drawing attention to women like
myself, who have come through the ranks, who have persevered,
and who are now Presidents and CEOs of their own engineering
firms, helps to promote the value of being smart girls and
women with STEM field aptitudes.
In closing, I would like to thank you again for inviting me
to testify before you today. I am committed, through various
organizations and academic institutions, to promoting not only
women and minorities in sciences, but also, to developing
interests and skills, and expanding STEM opportunities to
people as a whole.
I heard a very disturbing statistic, that only about four
percent of our young people in this country seek to have
careers in the sciences. Those seeking these careers in other
countries are as high as 40 percent. If we do not address this
issue, who will build our roads and bridges? It is a question
we must answer.
Thank you.
[The prepared statement of Ms. Thomas follows:]
Prepared Statement of Cherryl T. Thomas
Good morning distinguished Members of Congress, colleagues, and all
in attendance. I am both humbled and pleased that I have been asked to
testify before you today in such august company as the other witnesses.
Rather than a direct academic pursuit of engineering, I came to the
field by quite a circuitous route. Although I always had a curiosity at
a very young age of building objects, I really did not know anyone
personally who was an engineer. However, through the encouragement and
development of my scientific and mathematical aptitudes, and the
forward thinking of the leaders in my life, my mother, teachers and
mentors, I became what you now know as a leader in the Science,
Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics industry.
I hope you can bear with me while I give you a brief synopsis of my
career path.
What influenced your decision to pursue a career in engineering, and
what were some of the greatest barriers you faced as a woman in a STEM
field?
My earliest recollection of building materials was a Christmas
morning when I spied a very large box of Tinker Toys. These were for my
oldest brother. He admonished me `not to put my sticky paws on his
Tinker Toys. They were special for him to build things.' Of course, I
couldn't wait to set the Big Ben alarm clock to get up in the middle of
the night and play with that set. As fortune would intervene,
eventually my brothers got an Erector Set. The Tinker Toys cast aside
became mine. The first thing I built was a windmill. All these years
later when I see the wind turbines doting the landscape in rural areas,
I have wondered how many of the engineers, who have designed or built
wind turbines, had their interests sparked, in their youth, by a simple
set of Tinker Toys.
Throughout my academic career, I was always interested in the
sciences and I was encouraged to think about or pursue the biological
sciences. In high school, I demonstrated an aptitude for Chemistry. My
career path was set: I would concentrate on Biology and Chemistry and
think about medicine or scientific research. I received awards for
participating in science fairs all four years of high school. One
Saturday a month, I went to the Science Academy in Lincoln Park. And
every other Sunday to the Museum of Science and Industry, close to
where I lived.
Armed with this foundation, I went off to university prepared to
major in biology and chemistry.
I completed my undergraduate studies and went to work for the
Department of Water and Sewers in the city of Chicago as a Research
Chemist. I was quite content in this role. I completed a Master's
degree while working for the city; and began course work for a
doctorate. The latter was interrupted when I was chosen as the first
woman to participate in a program of sending young people (up until
this point in time young male engineers) to work in various units of
the Department of Water and Sewers to cultivate an understanding of how
the Department worked, not as units, but in total. It is very important
to note that this decision was made by the Commissioner of the
Department. I was assigned to the Chief Engineer in the Commissioner's
office. The time period was the early seventies; this was not a simple
or easy decision to make. To complicate matters I was not a degreed
engineer. Instead, I was learning on the job. To his credit, and I
thank him always, the Chief Engineer convinced me to go back to school
and to take engineering courses. That was the end of the biological
sciences and the beginning of a new endeavor.
I was the first woman to work in the field on a shut-off crew for
the Bureau of Water. The barriers I faced were:
1. This was unusual.
2. Women were not supposed to work shifts.
3. There were no facilities for women.
And quite frankly,
4. Women would interfere with the way men talked and worked.
Of course, over a short period of time, their fears and mine were
assuaged. We were all there to do a job. In hind sight: what a great
experience!
I worked many years for the Water Department before going on to
work in various other Infrastructure Departments which culminated in my
overseeing all of the Infrastructure Departments when I went to work in
Mayor Daley's Office as his Deputy Chief of Staff.
In 1994 the Mayor appointed me as Commissioner of the Department of
Buildings. I was the first woman to hold this position. In this role,
my field experience and practical side of engineering would have to get
me through learning and understanding the design side. I do credit the
discipline of being involved in the sciences as preparation for this
demanding role, and as preparation for successful completion of any
daunting task.
What are the biggest challenges to attracting and retaining young women
and girls in STEM fields, and what are the most promising solutions to
these challenges?
The biggest challenges to attracting and retaining young women and
girls to STEM fields are:
1. Exposure at an early age
2. Encouragement and nurturing of ideas
3. The pervasive tendency to promote the sciences as career
fields for boys and men. (Although medicine is the exception to
this rule.)
The most promising solutions are:
1. Continuing to work as a committee such as this to study and
lend credence to the problem.
2. Funding to add programs of mathematics, chemistry and
physics to primary as well as secondary education.
3. Exposing girls and young women to other women who are
pursuing these fields.
4. Adding an academic standard to the national curriculum of
teachers and counselors that trains them to identify and value
STEM aptitudes in girls and young women; and provides them with
academic and career path tools to develop STEM aptitudes in
those girls and young women.
5. In a humble way I do think drawing attention to women like
myself who have come through the ranks, who have persevered and
now are Presidents and CEOs of their own engineering firms,
helps to promote the value of being smart girls and women with
STEM field aptitudes.
In closing, I would like to thank you again for inviting me to
testify before you today. I am committed through various organizations
and academic institutions to promoting not only women and minorities in
the sciences, but also to developing interest and skills and expanding
STEM opportunities to people as a whole. I heard a very disturbing
statistic: that only about four (4) percent of our young people in this
country seek to have careers in the sciences. Those seeking to have
careers in the sciences in some other countries are as high as forty
(40) percent. If we do not address this issue, who will build our roads
and bridges? It is a question that we must answer.
Thank you.
Biography for Cherryl T. Thomas
Cherryl Thomas is President and Chief Executive Officer of Ardmore
Associates, a full-service engineering, land surveying, program,
project and construction management firm.
From 1998-2003, she was appointed by President William J. Clinton
as Chairman of the United States Railroad Retirement Board. She was
responsible for the $18 billion comprehensive retirement, survivor and
unemployment/sickness insurance benefit program for the Nation's
railroad workers and their families.
Ms. Thomas was appointed Commissioner of Chicago's Department of
Buildings by Mayor Richard M. Daley where she served from 1994 to 1998.
She was responsible for the operation and management of the Department
of Buildings with a $28 million budget, the second largest building
department in the country. She interfaced with developers, architects
and engineers relative to building code issues. Ms. Thomas oversaw the
review of architectural plans prior to permit issuance for new
construction, rehabilitation and conservation of approximately 450,000
buildings. This department also conducted examinations and issued
licenses and/or certificates for multiple building trade disciplines.
Prior to service as Commissioner of the Department of Buildings,
Ms. Thomas served as Deputy Chief of Staff in Chicago's Office of the
Mayor from 1991 to 1994. She was responsible for the day-to-day
interaction with commissioners of city departments and State and local
governmental officials. Her primary focus was on infrastructure
departments. She initiated the timeline reporting system for all City
departments. She served as Chairperson assisting in the development of
the Information Technology Steering Committee including geographic
information systems, monitored infrastructure construction projects,
and worked with various boards, associations and commissions.
Ms. Thomas' career with the city of Chicago began as an engineer-
in-training with the old Department of Public Works. During her career,
she held various technical and management positions in the departments
of Public Works, Water, Sewers and Aviation.
She has an honorary Doctorate Degree from Boston College, a
Master's of Science Degree in Physiology from the University of
Illinois and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemistry and Biology from
Marquette University. Ms. Thomas enhanced her career by taking
engineering courses at the Illinois Institute of Technology as a non-
degree student.
Discussion
Chairman Lipinski. Thank you, Ms. Thomas, and thank all of
our witnesses for their testimony. Now, we will move on to the
Q&A, and the Chair will begin by recognizing Ms. Fudge for five
minutes.
Ms. Fudge. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, and thank all
of you for being here today.
We know that research has shown us that certainly, female
STEM role models are the best way to encourage young people--
young women--to become involved in this area. And no offense,
Mr. Leshner, but I just would love for some of the young people
in our urban schools, in particular, to see you here today, and
to be encouraged by what you have done in your careers. And I
thank you for being here. And I thank you for your testimony as
well.
The question I have, because I am keenly aware that in our
urban schools in particular, which I represent primarily, there
are very few role models in our schools, whether they be
counselors or science teachers or engineers, and that is the
unfortunate part of this. So, my question becomes how do we
incorporate, in an informal education way, dealing with the
under-represented groups in the STEM fields, and how do we get
the young women, especially African-American women, in our
communities? And what best practices can we use, that can be
transferred from an informal setting to the classroom setting?
Anyone or everyone.
Dr. Kropf. Okay. Well, I agree with you completely about
your issue about role models and role models for girls of
color. Three quarters of the girls served by Girls Incorporated
are girls of color. Our Operation Smart program includes the
whole concept of bringing in adult women scientists, engineers,
and mathematicians, architects, archaeologists, to work on
projects with the girls. It is not just a career day, where a
woman comes in and talks about her career, but the girls
actually see adult women making mistakes, because making
mistakes in science is important. It is how you learn. And they
see adult women scientists getting their hands dirty, and they
can talk casually with them about what it is like to have a
scientific career.
Dr. Hanson. I just recently finished a study on young
African-American women in science. It is ``Swimming Against the
Tide.'' And when I talked to them, surveyed them, they don't
see their schools as having good resources. They don't see
people as thinking much of them becoming scientists. One of the
young girls said ``they look at us like we are not supposed to
be scientists.''
And so, what they want is people who think they can do it.
They want more resources in their schools. They can see that
their schools have fewer resources, especially science. Their
labs are not good labs. They want field trips. They want hands-
on labs, and I think we need to figure out a way to
redistribute our resources so that if you are unlucky enough to
be going to school in a poorer school district, you shouldn't
be punished with poorer science labs.
Ms. Fudge. Dr. Hanson, if I could just say one thing about
your comments, well, two. I think you are right about athletes,
not because I was an athlete, but--because I don't know
anything about science. I am learning as I sit on this
committee every day. But I love the concept of what you said,
because it does encourage you, and it makes you believe that
there are things you can do.
As well, I want to say that as I leave here, and I am going
to be doing that shortly because we have a markup in our
Education and Labor Committee, we are going to be talking about
exactly what you said. We are going to be finding ways to bring
more resources into our schools, especially our urban cores,
for labs, for computer technology, for things that we think are
going to make young people more able to actually understand, to
get excited about what is out there, because they can do hands-
on.
So, I thank you as well.
Dr. Hanson. Thank you.
Ms. Bogue. I would like to add a couple of things to that.
One is the intentionality of role modeling. I think the idea of
bringing them in informally, not specifically as role models,
is an excellent idea. But it is very, very important to assess
the process, and look at whether those role models have, in
fact, done the work that you want them to do.
It is very possible to have people who look like they are
going to be perfect role models to come in, and they end up
discouraging the children from going on. So, that is an
important thing.
And I think another thing is that when we do bring these
people in, it can be informal, but it also has to be very
intentional. They have to understand why they are there, and
what they should be doing, to make sure that these girls and
boys make the connection between them being there and working
with them, and what they can do in their lives.
Ms. Thomas. You are absolutely right. Athletics does help.
I was an athlete, and it does help. And you also have to be
able to step outside your comfort zone, to be the first woman
to go out on the street with a crew. I can't even impress upon
you how difficult that was. But the fact is, you have to stay
with it. You can't be easily discouraged, and I was armed with
the knowledge that I probably knew as much as they did, and
once we both became comfortable, it was fine.
I think that we really do have to nurture young girls, to
realize that they have ideas, that it is okay. You don't have
to be channeled somewhere, and that is kind of what happened to
me. I was channeled to think of research rather than the hard
sciences, which I went back and took just fine, because I could
persevere in those fields. So, I think nurturing and sticking
with it is very important.
Ms. Fudge. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back.
Chairman Lipinski. And Ms. Fudge, I have to say, I am an
engineer, and I have been on this committee for these terms,
and certainly, I learn more and more every day, too. So, you
are not the only one. We all go through that.
The Chair now recognizes Mr. Ehlers.
Mr. Ehlers. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. So many questions and
so little time. We all really appreciate your testimony and
your comments.
I was struck by several things. Ms. Thomas, you mentioned
you didn't know any engineers when you were young and growing
up. I think that is a good deal of the problem. A lot of both
boys and girls don't get exposure these days.
In the old days, growing up on the farm, the boys got a lot
of exposure to mechanical things, chemistry, et cetera. The
girls didn't. Today, neither one often does. When I give
speeches to societies of engineers and scientists, I ask them,
go to their nearest school, go to your kids' school. Talk to
the teachers. Ask if you can go in and talk to the class, and
just tell them what you do in your work. And perhaps arrange a
field trip to your lab or your office, or if you are a civil
engineer, take them out on the job. Help them learn how bridges
are designed and made.
And I think that is a very important activity. The
discouraging part is some of these people who have done that
have been turned down by the teachers who say, ``we don't have
time for that,'' which is very unfortunate.
I was amused by your comment, Ms. Thomas, that when you
joined the crew, it seemed to affect the way men talked. And
having served on a construction crew myself in my college
years, I can say you probably only improved their language. It
is not a pretty picture.
Another comment was made, I think Dr. Kropf said something
about girls feel ostracized by others when they study the
sciences and math, and particularly when they do well. That is
not uncommon, and in fact, I experienced the same thing, even
though obviously, I am male.
But I still remember, even at the college level, getting a
paper back in class, a test paper, and immediately slapping it
on the desk face down, so that my colleagues couldn't see what
grade I got. And it is incredible that someone who did well has
to be ashamed of what they did, but yet, that is part of what
goes on in society at times. It is the way for the less
competent to get even with you, I suppose.
But what I do, when I speak in high schools, I make a big
deal out of this. And first of all, I am a nerd, and I am proud
of it, which shocks them a little bit. They don't believe it
until I show them my pocket protector. But then I talk a bit
about that. `Who is the richest man in the world? You all know
that. He is a nerd.'
I said, `I can predict that when you get out of school,
that is why choosing the right courses is so important in high
school. When you get out of school, and you start looking for a
job, your choices are pretty simple. You will either be a nerd,
or you are going to work for a nerd. Now, which of those do you
want?' And it really sort of wakes them up. You know, they just
don't have that much contact with the real world, and it does
make them think.
Some of this, I think, applies very well to girls and women
as well, just to say, `Hey, lots of opportunities out there.
You may not have heard about them. They may not even appeal to
you at this point, but think about it. Just think about it. And
what you can do.' I am just delighted with what you have done,
and you are living examples to a lot of the women and the girls
in the schools today, and that has to be multiplied over and
over again.
The innate prejudices that we have in society are still
there, and there are many types of them. And we have to break
through the mold on that. So, I just want to thank you for what
you have done. I learned a great deal from your comments here,
and I hope we can all work together, continue to illuminate
this problem, because illumination is half the battle.
And some of the things we have done, in this committee,
about publicizing opportunities for women in science, and the
Commission on Women in Science, and some of these things are
really beginning to have an impact, but you are the leaders in
having this impact, and I thank you for it.
With that, I will yield back.
Chairman Lipinski. Thank you, Mr. Ehlers, and we have a
Member, not of the Subcommittee, but who has a great interest
in this area. So, I welcome Ms. Woolsey to the Subcommittee and
I recognize you for five minutes.
Ms. Woolsey. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, for letting
me sit in. I, too, have the higher ed markup, which is very
important to women and girls, well, women, particularly, by
higher ed and STEM.
And thank you for being here today. And Dr. Leshner, thank
you for getting it for women and under-represented groups, and
all of you wonderful women, for setting such a good example.
This is an issue that is very important to me. Otherwise, I
wouldn't come to a subcommittee I am not a Member of. Believe
me. Because we have to get more girls involved in STEM
education, to keep them there, not just getting them involved,
but keeping them interested throughout school, so that they can
turn it into a career.
At the very least, what I say is young women and under-
represented minorities don't have to be scientists, engineers,
mathematicians, but they have to have the option by the time
they get to college. And if they cut themselves off, act
disinterested, and don't get involved in the right curriculum
to have it available to them, by the time they get to college,
it is too late.
So, that is why I sponsored the inclusion of the
appropriately named Patsy T. Mink Fellowships in the Higher
Education Reauthorization Act, that passed by Congress, and was
signed into law by President Bush last year. Because the Patsy
T. Mink Fellowships provide funding and fellowships to
encourage women and minorities to go into the graduate programs
where they are under-represented, like the STEM programs, and
then move them into teaching fields. Part of it is having a
female or a minority model as your teacher. That is so
important.
And beyond that, I have introduced many Congresses in a
row, and am preparing to reintroduce a bill I call ``Go Girl,''
which will provide grants to schools to promote STEM education
in under-represented minorities from K-12. I have been working
on this issue, both for elementary education and for graduate
study for many, many years. Because if we don't get more girls
and under-represented minorities into the STEM fields, we are
going to be sending our jobs overseas.
I mean, first of all, we want these groups to have the
advantage that STEM provides them, and we want the advantage,
as a nation, of their great brilliance of, like all of you have
represented up here. But we don't want to be sending these jobs
overseas with the new green industries and green technologies.
We are going to sit here, and not have enough brainpower to
make this happen, when we know we have it.
So, my question to you, and I know I have talked a long
time to be getting answers now, but is, at what point do young
women in particular turn away from knowing that they are good
in science and math, math particularly, in K-12? And how
important is it for their parents and their teachers to step in
and encourage them?
Ms. Bogue. Middle school is a big area that girls come
into, and the popularity begins to play in, the attitudes of
teachers, the access to facilities. So, what we always
encourage girls to do is just kind of be able to go
underground, and be able to make sure that they follow their
interests, and are comfortable with being a little bit odd. And
I think that is where the sports can really come in, too, that
they can be proud of this.
I think you also get another big break when the girls are
in high school, and are deciding, as you point out, on what
kind of curriculum they are going to take. A lot of under-
represented minorities, a lot of the students at that point opt
out of higher level math. That is very hard to make up at the
university level.
Going into the university, you get a lot of students
starting out in STEM fields, and they will start to make the
decision not to. I was speaking with a colleague today, who was
saying that she opted out of engineering because she wanted to
study Russia, and the curriculum didn't accommodate that. That
is changing, but it needs to change more, because of course,
the engineers we need today need to have a broader liberal arts
type education.
Ms. Woolsey. Right. Dr. Hanson.
Dr. Hanson. I agree. In middle school, girls start moving
towards getting status from romantic relationships during that
time, even very talented ones. The status comes more from that
than from academics.
But I might also say that as early as second grade, these
``draw scientists'' tests show that even if they are talented
in science and math, they are drawing pictures of male
scientists.
And just to one of your other points about the science
labor force. I think there is a lot of proof now that we need a
diverse science labor force for better ideas, better
inventions, and better science. And I am so glad that there are
people that have shown that we do better science with more
diversity in science, because we need this to be competitive.
Ms. Woolsey. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, for having
me here.
Dr. Kropf. Can I just speak to the question about the----
Chairman Lipinski. Go ahead, Dr. Kropf.
Ms. Woolsey. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Dr. Kropf. I just wanted to say that the National Council
for Women in IT recently published a report that they conducted
with the Girl Scouts, which showed that women are more likely
than men to say they entered careers in STEM because of
encouragement from a teacher, a family member, or a friend. And
we also, at Girls Inc., find parents extremely important. In
our recent publication, ``Thinking Smart,'' we have a whole
section called ``Smart at Home,'' which we have actually
translated into Spanish for our Latino families, that has
resources and suggestions about things you can do at home to
encourage your children.
Ms. Woolsey. Well, thank you very much. Mr. Chairman, could
I just say, I mentioned Patsy Mink, our colleague that did so
much for us, and was the mother of Title IX. Sports is so
important, because young women learn to work as a team. They
learn to be the captain. They learn, also, to do their
individual best. So, we have gotten started with athletics. We
must not let that stop. And now, we need to have education at
exactly that level or greater.
So, thank you again.
Chairman Lipinski. Thank you, and I will, the Chair will
now recognize himself for five minutes.
As I was listening to all this, I certainly had similar
experiences. Going through my time in college as an engineer I
certainly think that there are a lot of things that could have
been better for everybody.
There are broader issues for everyone in the STEM fields.
Certainly, I don't think that there was enough, in my
education, in terms of really relating what we were doing in
the classroom to the real world. There was not enough
connection between the classroom and the real world, and with
professionals who were out there. So, I certainly understand
those, and I think, then, that there is probably a special
place for women to be involved, and I thank those who are
involved in, for example Ms. Thomas, for being involved in
really encouraging and help mentoring, especially women, in
these areas.
Some of the things we talked about, especially Dr. Kropf
and Ms. Bogue, they had talked about informal science
education, and the importance of family. That is a good
advertisement here for a hearing we are having in the
Subcommittee next week, on a systems approach to STEM ed which
includes some of those areas. Because I think informal science
education is very important, and also, all of the factors that
have an impact on who is going to go into the STEM fields, who
is going to not just go into STEM fields, but getting a STEM
education, which is not just for those who are going to make
that their career. So stay tuned next week for that, for our
next hearing on that. I think this plays very well into that.
One question I wanted to ask is, why are there some fields,
like physics and computer science, that representation of women
is so low, whereas other fields, like 62 percent of biology
degrees go to women? I mean, that was the one area I did not
want to be involved in whatsoever when I was in school. I
remember having to dissect the fetal pig in high school, and
that completely turned me off of biology.
I am amazed that 45 percent of math degrees go to women,
because that certainly was not what I had seen when I was in
school. It seems in some of these fields, that we sort of point
to in STEM, there is much greater female participation, while
others, there is less. What is causing that? What do we know
about it? Who wants to start out? Dr. Leshner.
Dr. Leshner. Maybe I can add a little bit. I think a large
problem, generally, is the absence of highly visible role
models. That is, in some fields that have a history of being
less than fully friendly to women, the absence of very well-
known and very well-respected role models is a problem, and I
think that we need to do a better job of highlighting those
successful role models.
For example, in astronomy, we have people like Vera Rubin,
who is among the most respected scientists in this country, and
she has inspired a large number of young women. We just don't
seem to give recognition to women in some fields as much as we
do in others. The number of role models in the life sciences
who are women far exceeds the percentage in most of these other
fields, so that one feels as if it is a bit of a self-
fulfilling prophecy. And we do know that role models play a
very important role, as do teachers.
The fact that a young woman has a female teacher has a far
greater influence on her willingness to enter STEM fields than
the gender of a young man's teacher. Did that make sense? Was
that in English? I meant it to be.
Chairman Lipinski. I understood what you meant.
Dr. Leshner. Good. Thank you. And that is true for under-
represented minorities as well.
Chairman Lipinski. Ms. Bogue.
Ms. Bogue. Well, I guess my first response is we wish we
knew, because then we could do more about it. And there is a
lot of research in this area, and certainly, the role model is
very important. The critical mass is very important. We were
tossing around the 18 percent number for women who graduated in
engineering. If you look at electrical engineering or
mechanical engineering, we are down to the 11 and 12 percent,
which means that women can go through undergraduate programs,
and literally never see another woman in her class, or never,
importantly, have a woman professor at the head of the class.
And so, this is an important thing, that they don't find
about it. But then, I think the more important thing is
climate. We go back to the climate issue. These are male
professions. They have been developed by males, and so, there
is pretty much generally a male environment in those. And
unless there is some intervention that makes it comfortable for
people who aren't male, who aren't white male, to come into
those environments, it is hard for women to penetrate it.
And we hear this all the time. It is not anecdotal. We see
it in research, and the way that women respond in their
decisions, and why they go into particular disciplines.
And finally, I think it is very important to look at how
they are recruited into these, what they see when they look at
it. The recent National Academies report ``Changing the
Conversation'' touched on this. There is a lot of things that
are controversial about that report, but it is really important
to remember that when we talk about mechanical engineering, we
shouldn't just talk about motors. We should talk about all of
the other things that mechanical engineering does.
And then, we note that medical is the one exception to
where girls are encouraged to go on, to become doctors now and
nurses and nurse practitioners, that they are encouraged to go
ahead. And you see, in some of the engineering disciplines that
have larger proportions of women, chemical engineering,
bioengineering, environmental engineering, have that kind of
component. I think we see some beneficial bleed-off from girls
understanding that they can be interested in these areas.
Chairman Lipinski. Dr. Hanson.
Dr. Hanson. Thank you. Cherryl touched on the issue of
toys. I don't think we can stress toys and games enough.
Computer science is something that boys have such an advantage
in, because they do play computer games so much more than young
girls do. They just feel that they are naturally suited to it.
So, I think the issues of toys and games and parents is
also very important. Thank you.
Chairman Lipinski. Ms. Thomas.
Ms. Thomas. I think that it is quite interesting, and I
certainly don't know the psychology of it, but it seems to be
that if you are interested in the sciences or in math or
physics, that for some reason, for young women, it is a natural
track to go into medicine. And certainly, we need good doctors,
and biomechanical engineering is becoming a field that is huge,
and a lot of women now feel it is comfortable for them to go
into that. As I said, I think you have to step outside your
comfort zone. And I neglected to mention, as well, that when I
was a young person, toys are important, but I did get many
medical kits. You know, those were given to me, and I could
play doctor and operate on my doll, and that was the last time
I got a doll, when I operated on the doll, and you know, you
take all the candy little pills, and all that sort of thing,
and it is okay, and it is fine for you to play with those sorts
of things.
So, I think that there has to be somewhat of a
psychological and an attitude change, and that it's okay if
girls want to play with Erector Sets, and if they want to go
into engineering. I took physics, and certainly enjoyed it, but
it was just one of those core sorts of courses I was taking to
pursue medical research.
Chairman Lipinski. Thank you. I have run way over my time
here. Now, we will go to a second round of questions, and the
Chair will recognize Mr. Ehlers.
Mr. Ehlers. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I will try to be
brief, because I am also supposed to be at the Education and
Labor Committee meeting. I decided this was more important.
Just for interest, my assistant LA here, she has, after
reading your testimony, got this idea and to her colleagues on
the staff, she asked them to draw pictures, and that they were
all male except one.
Staff. Three women scientists. The rest were all male.
Mr. Ehlers. Three women scientists. The rest were all male.
So, the problem goes on and on and on.
Role models, and there has been some discussion on that. It
is a very tricky business, and I have been fascinated by that
over the years, even in my own experience with my family. I am
a scientist, nuclear physicist, and I deliberately did not try
to encourage any of my children to go on to math and science. I
did, however, almost require them to take some math and
science, so they would know what it is, and so they would make
an intelligent decision about whether or not they wanted it.
And so, one of my sons is an engineer and just loves it. My
daughters make heavy use of their technical knowledge, but they
are not in technical fields. It is just very useful to them,
and they have advanced because of that. My youngest son, who
informed me at a very early age, that he was never going to
study math, and he was never going to be a scientist, and was
vehement about it, and hated math in high school and so forth,
and just rebelled all the way through, and today is a professor
of geophysics. The point is, simply, you never know what is
going to happen that is going to affect their lives.
My last question and comment. Dr. Hanson, you mentioned
that several countries: New Zealand, Iceland, Finland, Albania,
and Thailand, have made great progress in creating gender
equity. How did they do this? Was this intentional, or is it
cultural within their culture, or did they find some magic way
to do this?
Dr. Hanson. I think it is some of both. If you look at all
equity issues on gender in those countries, they tend to be
ahead, not just women in science. I think part of it is equity
in the larger education system, with the socialized education
and medicine. The problem that we were talking about earlier,
with unequal access to good education, doesn't happen to the
same extent there.
The climate of gender is different in those countries.
Women are a larger number of scientists, larger number of
professionals. Women don't see being a professional as being in
conflict with being a mother, a family member. This is a big
problem for keeping girls out of science. They think they have
to be married to science, can't be married to anybody else.
So, as you get into gender climates where people don't
believe that any more, in some of these countries, they pay
people to stay home and be with their kids. So you can have
status and access from being both in these countries.
So, I think when we make better education, and have more
equitable gender climates, we will also improve science.
Although they have been working, in particular on smaller
classes, more accessibility, better trained teachers. But I
think it is the larger issue that is as important.
Thank you.
Mr. Ehlers. Any other comments on that? Ms. Bogue.
Ms. Bogue. Yeah, I think, and I appreciate your comments.
My husband was also a mechanical engineer, and our daughter
spent a lot of time telling us she would never go into
engineering, and if she did, she would never go into
mechanical. Well, she is a mechanical engineer, so they can't
get past us sometimes.
But I think that with role models, it is very, very
important to understand that there are very negative role
models out there, too. That if you have people in science and
engineering and mathematics who are demonstrating to people
that there is no life outside of those fields, or who are
representing it in that way, then that really is a big
discouragement factor for students.
Or, as I mentioned earlier, if you set up your curricula so
that there isn't room to go and pursue your music, or pursue
other interests, that is a clear message to students that they
shouldn't go on to study this, because they would have to give
up too many other parts of your lives.
But I think that, going back to the role modeling again,
that it is extremely important. But they do have to remember
that there are negative role models and address that. And to
make these changes, there has to be real intentionality. It has
to be something like what we see with Girls Inc., where they
are really working with those kids, and what is remarkable
about that organization is, it is not just one camp or one
time, they keep going back to the students, and reinforcing
what is important and what they can do, what is valuable in
getting those people out in front of them.
Mr. Ehlers. Ms. Thomas.
Ms. Thomas. Role models are extremely important. I spent a
lot of time in my youth around people who were involved in the
sciences, and my brother majored in physics, so I knew a lot of
people when I was very young, who were involved in the
sciences.
But if I could take just a second to say one thing. How
people react to a situation is very important as well. When I
first went downtown as part of the engineering program, to
introduce people who were going to work for the city of
Chicago, and to different disciplines in the Water Department,
the reason I went was the Chief Filtration Engineer, whom I
worked for, he had daughters, and he believed that girls should
not be working shifts, or be in a plant with men and whatever.
And I was up for a promotion, and the only way to promote me
was to put me out into the filtration, as a control chemist,
and he didn't want to do that.
The person I went downtown to work for, who was the Chief
Engineer for the entire Department, also only had girls, but he
thought that girls should have all the advantages that boys
had, and he was the one that convinced me to go back to school
for engineering. So, you have two people who have a situation,
and one looks at it one way, and the other one looks at it
another way. And I think that is really important, too, is how
somebody reacts to a situation that they are given.
Mr. Ehlers. Well, thank you very much. It is enlightening,
and I really appreciate all of your testimony.
Speaking of jobs where you really have no life outside of
the job, try becoming a Member of Congress sometime. With that,
I yield back.
Chairman Lipinski. And it is hard to disagree with that
one. Thank you, Dr. Ehlers, and one thing that came to mind
that I just wanted to mention. My experience, when I was in
college, I wasn't in SWE, but my friends who were in SWE seemed
to really find it very helpful. And I think the importance of
having support groups, also, I think that is something that is
critical. Whether you are in college or wherever it is, support
groups of people who are doing similar things as what you are
doing, is also something that can be helpful. And I think SWE
certainly serves that role for a lot of women who are
engineering majors.
Well, with that, before I close, I want to thank all the
witnesses for being here today and for testifying before the
Committee. Obviously, this is something that is not going to go
away. There is progress that has been made, obviously, and we
have talked about that, but certainly, more has to be done. And
I think that this has to be considered, not just an issue for
women, but for our country, as we struggle with trying to get
more people into STEM education and into the STEM fields. It is
critical for the future of our country. So, I thank you, all of
you, for the work that you are doing on this.
So, for the official statement here, the record will remain
open for additional statements from Members, and for answers to
any followup questions the Committee may ask the witnesses.
And with that, the witnesses are excused, and the hearing
is now adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 11:30 a.m., the Subcommittee was adjourned.]
Appendix:
----------
Additional Material for the Record
Statement of the American Association of University Women
Subcommittee Chairman Lipinski, Ranking Member Ehlers, and Members
of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to submit a statement
for the hearing ``Encouraging the Participation of Female Students in
STEM Fields.''
The American Association of University Women is a membership
organization founded in 1881 with approximately 100,000 members and
1,300 branches nationwide. AAUW has a proud 127-year history of
breaking through barriers for women and girls. Today, AAUW continues
its mission through education, research, and advocacy. AAUW supports
promoting and strengthening science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics (STEM) education, especially for girls and other under-
represented populations. These efforts will help increase America's
competitiveness by reducing gender barriers that deter women from
pursuing academic and career goals in STEM fields.
Early Barriers and Inconsistent Scoring
Girls' participation rates in STEM courses have unquestionably
increased since the passage of Title IX. Before Title IX, many
opportunities to advance STEM skills were denied to women, inside and
outside of the classroom, including opportunities to participate in
higher-level courses and math and science clubs.\1\ However, barriers
to girls' and women's progress in STEM are still present and begin in
K-12 education, starting with the messages received in the schools
themselves. In a 2006 Girls Inc. survey, 44 percent of girls and 38
percent of boys agreed with the statement, ``the smartest girls in my
school are not popular,'' and 17 percent of girls and 14 percent of
boys thought that it was true that ``teachers think it is not important
for girls to be good at math.'' \2\ A report of the Commission on the
Advancement of Women and Minorities in Science, Engineering and
Technology says that there are four points in life at which girls and
women seem to lose interest in STEM: as they enter middle school, late
high school, college and graduate school, and in their professional
lives.\3\ According to a 2005 report by the National Center for Women
and Information Technology, when high school girls think of computer
scientists, they think of geeks, pocket protectors, isolated cubicles
and a lifetime of staring into a screen writing computer code.\4\ These
pervasive attitudes and messages influence girls' academic paths early,
and future options in STEM may be curtailed for girls because they have
insufficient course foundations.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Roche, Joyce. (June 19, 2007). ``U.S. House Committee on
Education and Labor Hearing, 110th Congress: Building on the Success of
35 Years of Title IX.''
\2\ Girls Inc. (October 2006). The Super Girl Dilemma: Girls Feel
the Pressure to be Perfect, Accomplished, Thin, and Accommodating.
Retrieved December 29, 2008, from http://www.girlsinc.org/
supergirldilemma/
\3\ Congressional Commission on the Advancement of Women and
Minorities in Science, Engineering and Technology Development. (2000).
Land of Plenty: Diversity as America's Competitive Edge in Science,
Engineering and Technology. Retrieved December 29, 2008, from http://
www.nsf.gov/pubs/2000/cawmset0409/cawmset-0409.pdf
\4\ Dean, Cornelia. (April 17, 2006). Computer Science Takes Steps
to Bring Women to the Fold. The New York Times. Retrieved December 29,
2008, from http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/17/science/
17comp.html?-r=1&oref=slogin
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)
2005 High School Transcript Study, the largest gap between boys' and
girls' scores on math and science assessments in grades four, eight,
and twelve was a mere four points, and girls' high school math grades
were higher than boys'. However, despite the fact that on average girls
complete more challenging curricula, earn higher GPAs in high school,
and in 2008 comprised nearly 60 percent of AP test-takers, among AP
physics test-takers, only 31 percent were girls, and girls made up only
17 percent of those taking the AP computer science exam.\5\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ Ibid.
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Another area of concern is the disparity between girls' grades in
high school and college and their scores on the SAT exam. The SAT is
designed to predict the performance of a student in his/her first year
of college and is regularly used as an admissions factor by colleges.
Although girls are achieving higher high school grades in math than
boys, the average SAT math scores for 2008 showed that boys were 33
points ahead of girls, and this trend is consistent as far back as
1972.\6\,\7\ Likewise, the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology found that a woman with the same SAT score as a man was
likely to get better grades. After adjusting its admissions process to
compensate for the SAT's ``under-prediction,'' MIT has found that its
women students earn higher GPAs in more than half of majors even though
their average SAT-math score is 20-25 points lower than that of their
male peers.\8\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\6\ Corbett, Christianne, Catherine Hill & Andresse St. Rose.
(2008). Where the Girls Are: The Facts About Gender Equity in
Education. American Association of University Women. Washington, D.C.
\7\ College Board. (2008). 2008 College-Bound Seniors: Total Group
Profile Report. Retrieved June 29, 2009, from http://
professionals.collegeboard.com/profdownload/
Total-Group- Report.pdf
\8\ Sullivan, Morgen. Sex Bias and the Scholastic Aptitude Test.
Retrieved December 29, 2008, from http://www.dartmouth.edu/?chance/
course/student-projects/morgen/node1.html
Slow Progress in College
Women now make up a majority of college students. In 2006-2007, 57
percent of undergraduate degree recipients were women, up from 42
percent in 1970.\9\ Despite this incredible growth, women earned only
23 percent of all Bachelor's degrees granted in engineering and
engineering technologies in 2006, and a decreasing share of Bachelor's
degrees in mathematics and computer science.\10\ According to the
National Science Foundation, the number of mathematics and computer
science degrees earned by women peaked in 1985 at 39.5 percent of total
mathematics and computer science degrees granted.\11\ By 2006, this
number had decreased to only 26.8 percent of mathematics and computer
science degrees granted.\12\ Between 2000 and 2008, there was a 79
percent decline in the number of incoming undergraduate women
interested in majoring in computer science.\13\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\9\ U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education
Statistics. (2009). The Condition of Education 2009 (NCES 2009-081).
Retrieved June 29, 2009, from http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2009/2009081.pdf
\10\ National Science Foundation, Division of Science Resources
Statistics. (2009). Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in
Science and Engineering: 2009, NSF 09-305. Retrieved July 17, 2009,
from http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/wmpd/pdf/nsf09305.pdf
\11\ National Science Foundation, Division of Science Resources
Statistics. (October 2008). Science and Engineering Degrees: 1966-2006.
(NSF 08-321). Retrieved June 29, 2009, from http://www.nsf.gov/
statistics/nsf08321/pdf/nsf08321.pdf
\12\ Ibid.
\13\ National Center for Women & Information Technology. (2009). By
the Numbers. Retrieved June 29, 2009, from http://www.ncwit.org/pdf/
BytheNumbers09.pdf
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The need for STEM legislation is greatest for female minorities. In
2008, 27 percent of computer scientists were female, while only three
percent were female and African-American and one percent was female and
Hispanic.\14\ With globalization and increased global competitiveness,
it is more important than ever that the United States put in place
policies that encourage study in STEM fields. Of the college-age
population earning science and engineering degrees, the United States
currently ranks 17th, down from third place several decades ago.\15\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\14\ National Center for Women & Information Technology. (2009). By
the Numbers. Retrieved June 29, 2009, from http://www.ncwit.org/pdf/
BytheNumbers09.pdf
\15\ Society of Women Engineers. (February 2006). General Position
Statement on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)
Education and the Need for a U.S. Technologically-Literate Workforce.
Retrieved June 29, 2009, from http://societyofwomen engineers.swe.org/
images/stories/SWE-STEM-Education--Statement.pdf
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
One way to improve this situation is to address challenges that
cause undergraduate women to transfer out of STEM fields before
graduating. Unsupportive classroom environments and outdated pedagogy
inhibit women's participation in STEM, as do a lack of female role
models and a limited peer group.\16\ After college, women scientists
and engineers earn less and advance more slowly than men in both
academia and the private sector. This can, in turn, deter all but the
most persistent women from choosing and staying on these paths. For
example, research by the Society of Women Engineers recently found that
25 percent of women who had earned college degrees in engineering were
not working in engineering or a related field compared to 10 percent of
men.\17\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\16\ Fancsali, Cheri. What We Know About Girls, STEM and
Afterschool Programs. Retrieved December 29, 2008, from http://
gsg.afterschool.org/images/public/Resources/
We-Know- About.pdf
\17\ Society of Women Engineers. (April 26, 2006). Attitudes and
Experiences of Engineering Alumni. Harris Interactive Market Research.
Improving Girls' and Women's Opportunities in STEM
In order to improve upon recent gains in STEM education and provide
much-needed opportunities to girls and women, programs must be
developed that encourage girls and women to pursue STEM studies and
careers. AAUW supports the following efforts to improve girls'
achievement in math and science and increase the number of women who
choose careers in STEM fields.
Improve Teacher Training: AAUW supports efforts that train teachers to
encourage girls and other under-represented groups to pursue math and
science careers. Teachers need to be trained on how to be sensitive to
gender differences when teaching all subjects, especially math and
science. Teacher training would include ways to engage students in the
face of gender-based peer pressure and parental expectations. This is
particularly important because while studies show that all students
start to lose interest in science and math by junior high, the loss is
particularly steep for girls at puberty and likely results from gender-
based social expectations and peer pressure.\18\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\18\ Congressional Commission on the Advancement of Women and
Minorities in Science, Engineering and Technology Development. (2000).
Land of Plenty Diversity as America's Competitive Edge in Science,
Engineering and Technology. Retrieved on December 29, 2008, from http:/
/www.nsf.gov/pubs/2000/cawmset0409/cawmset-0409.pdf
Encourage the Inclusion of STEM Subjects and Activities in Co-
curricular Programs: Incorporating STEM subjects and activities in
after-school and summer programs enables students to explore the field
in a supportive atmosphere and enhances student interest in STEM
careers. Research suggests that information about the usefulness of
engineering to everyday human concerns and hands-on experiences with
science, math, and technology may help girls develop an interest in
these fields.\19\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\19\ Jozefowicz, D.M., B.L. Barber, et al. (1993). Adolescent Work-
Related Values and Beliefs: Gender Differences and Relation to
Occupational Aspirations. Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research
on Child Development. New Orleans, LA: 1-22. And Fancsali, Cheri. What
We Know About Girls, STEM and Afterschool Programs. Retrieved December
29, 2008, from http://gsg.afterschool.org/images/public/Resources/
We-Know-About.pdf
Emphasize Math and Science in Early Education, Not Just High School:
Studies show that students begin to lose interest in STEM subjects by
junior high school; this is particularly true for girls.\20\ Teaching
children about math and science in elementary and middle school is
critical to not only improving subject matter competency but also
sparking and maintaining girls' interest in the field. AAUW supports
voluntary content standards that cover mathematics and science for
kindergarten through grade 12 and reflect the knowledge students need
to enter college or the workforce and compete in the global economy.
The America COMPETES Act directs the National Academy of Sciences to
convene an expert panel to identify promising practices and critical
skills in STEM teaching and learning; their work may be helpful in
developing these standards.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\20\ Congressional Commission on the Advancement of Women and
Minorities in Science, Engineering and Technology Development. (2000).
Land of Plenty Diversity as America's Competitive Edge in Science,
Engineering and Technology. Retrieved on December 29, 2008, from http:/
/www.nsf.gov/pubs/2000/cawmset0409/cawmset-0409.pdf
Measure Student Achievement in Science: AAUW supports measuring student
achievement in science. This will provide schools with necessary
information on how well students are progressing and the improvements
that still need to be made. The data gathered from such testing
programs should always be disaggregated by sex, race and socioeconomic
status and cross-tabulated. While testing is an important measure of
success, high stakes testing should not be the sole indicator of
student competency or a school's progress. Additional flexibility in
Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) measures required by the No Child Left
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Behind Act should be explored.
Ask For a Report Responding to ``Rising Above the Gathering Storm'':
The report, commissioned by Congress from the National Academies on
Science, Engineering and Medicine and published in 2007, states that
the United States' advantages in science and technology are eroding and
discusses the need to improve math and science education.
Unfortunately, the report largely ignores the issue of women and under-
represented minorities in STEM fields. AAUW recommends that Congress
request a more specific follow-up study on methods to increase the
number of women in STEM fields and the effect this would have on U.S.
leadership in the global marketplace.
Use Title IX to Improve the Climate for Women in STEM Fields: AAUW
recommends requiring agencies to broadly and proactively conduct Title
IX compliance reviews. Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is
the federal statute prohibiting sex discrimination in education
programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance. The
law states, ``No person in the United States shall, on the basis of
sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or
be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or
activity receiving federal financial assistance.'' \21\ To ensure
compliance with the law, Title IX regulations require recipients of
federal education funding to evaluate their current policies and
practices, and adopt and publish grievance procedures and a policy
against sex discrimination. Title IX does not require quotas or
proportionality. Simply put, Title IX reviews ensure that women are not
being discriminated against.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\21\ Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, 20 U.S.C.
1681-1688 (1972). Retrieved January 6, 2009, from http://www.usdoj.gov/
crt/cor/coord/titleixstat.htm
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Federal agencies and departments such as NASA, Department of
Energy, and Department of Defense should conduct Title IX compliance
reviews at grantee institutions regularly. All agencies are required by
law to ensure they are not violating Title IX, however very few Title
IX reviews are conducted outside of the Department of Education.
However, the Department of Energy and NASA have both conducted Title IX
reviews at grantee institutions. These Title IX reviews could serve as
a model in terms of what factors to consider, how to conduct reviews,
and how to improve reviews, when conducting future reviews. The
Administration should make it a government-wide priority that agencies
use their contracting and grant making authority to ensure that
universities that receive agency funding are complying with Title IX.
In addition, AAUW strongly supports the idea that colleges form an
NCAA-like inter-institutional monitoring organization that shares data,
evaluates progress, and uses Title IX and other civil rights laws to
eliminate gender bias in STEM fields.
STEM Programs and Activities
AAUW branches run many programs that increase girls' interest and
participation in STEM. One example is AAUW California's Tech Trek
Science Camp, which is a one-week residential summer scholarship camp
for rising eighth graders. Founded in 1998, the camp was designed to
encourage young women to continue studying science and math in middle
school. So far, over 5,600 girls have participated in the program.
Activities at Tech Trek include hands-on projects such as designing and
building roller coasters, hot air balloons or rockets, and core classes
including astronomy, crime scene investigation, marine biology,
mathematics, microbiology, physics, and robotics. The history and
achievements of women in math and science is emphasized through
courses, skits, guest speakers, and the excellent example of the
volunteers and staff of the Tech Trek camp itself.
The camp takes place on college campuses, projects are led by
experienced STEM professors and professionals, and AAUW members
organize and run the camp. Several years ago, AAUW began surveying
participants. They indicated much higher levels of science and math
course taking in high school, as well as increased participation in AP
science and math sources. They exceed national norms for college
attendance, with 96 percent enrolled in college. Fifty-three percent
indicated that they were majoring in science and math-oriented fields,
a greater percentage than the national average. All participants
credited Tech Trek for encouraging their interest in science and math-
related careers.\22\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\22\ Wolbach, Marie. (Fall/Winter 2007). Strength in Numbers:
Sustaining Girls' Interest in Math and Science. AAUW Outlook.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Another STEM program AAUW members run is Tech Savvy in Buffalo, NY.
This day-long program for girls in sixth to ninth grade targets
minority and lower-income girls and includes workshops on different
STEM careers and keynote speakers to inspire girls to consider careers
in STEM. The program also includes sessions for parents and teachers
since their feeling towards these careers often influences girls'
decisions to pursue STEM careers. In four years, the program has grown
from approximately 275 students and adults to almost 700 students and
adults. Assessments of the program indicate that students expanded
their view of the career possibilities not previously imagined as well
as the immediate application of concepts from the books and materials
provided in the conference.
AAUW is also a key partner in the National Girls Collaborative
Project (NGCP), which receives funding from the National Science
Foundation. NGCP strengthens the capacity, impact, and sustainability
of existing girl-serving STEM programs. The goal of the project is to
facilitate collaboration among organizations, institutions, and
businesses committed to expanding participation of women in STEM.
Regional collaborative teams across the U.S. bring together
organizations to compare needs and resources, share information, and
strategically plan to expand STEM-related opportunities for girls and
women. To date, 14 regional collaboratives have been established to
bring together local organizations committed to informing and
encouraging girls to pursue STEM careers. These regional teams have
appeared on public TV, offered professional development for teachers,
and held forums demonstrating best practices to encourage girls to
enter STEM fields.
The NGCP, web site www.ngcproject.org, offers a wealth of resources
to serve a growing nationwide community that supports girl-serving STEM
programs. Approximately 1,350 programs across the U.S., representing
more than three million girls, are now listed in the NGCP's Program
Directory. The site also hosts information about the more than 84
competitive mini-grants awarded by regional collaboratives for projects
such as AAUW North Carolina's pilot program to provide IT training for
girls. The web site also provides free access to NGCP-produced
webcasts, statistics about STEM education, and proven strategies,
curricula, and assessment tools that build the capacity of
organizations to provide high-quality learning environments for girls
in STEM. Many NGCP projects use the Assessing Women and Men in
Engineering (AWE) assessments to evaluate their programs.
Research on Girls and STEM
While a large body of research exists on the involvement of girls
and women in STEM fields, most of this research remains inaccessible to
many audiences. In early 2010, AAUW will be releasing a report targeted
towards a general audience that will highlight key findings from recent
academic research on girls and women in STEM. Focusing on top findings,
rather than comprehensive overview, the report will focus on topics
such as gender differences in interest in STEM fields, gender
differences in cognitive abilities, how stereotypes influence girls,
and how mentoring can make a difference. Case studies and personal
stories will be used to illustrate common themes across STEM
disciplines and across stages of educational and work-life progression.
Throughout, reasons behind the persistent gender inequity in STEM will
be explored.
While the report is still in draft form, early findings show that
most differences between boys and girls in terms of math achievement in
elementary and high school have disappeared. However, there is a big
drop-off in women's participation in science and math at the transition
from high school to college. High school girls are as likely as boys to
take advanced math and science classes but are much less likely than
boys to intend to major in a STEM field once they go to college.
College and work environments in certain STEM fields continue to be
unwelcoming to women. Mentoring can help women persist in STEM fields
in both college and the workplace. AAUW looks forward to sharing the
report with the committee once it is completed.
Conclusion
Girls and women continue to face barriers to entering and
persisting in STEM fields. At the same time, the supply of new STEM
workers is not keeping up with the demand, and women remain severely
under-represented.\23\ Women make up half of the population and are a
largely untapped resource that could prove essential in maintaining the
global competitiveness of the United States. With better enforcement of
Title IX and increased investment, the United States can begin to close
the gender divide in STEM fields. Thank you for the opportunity to
submit written testimony.
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\23\ Society of Women Engineers. (February 2006). General Position
Statement on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)
Education and the Need for a U.S. Technologically-Literate Workforce.
Retrieved December 29, 2008, from http://
societyofwomenengineers.swe.org/images/stories/
SWE-STEM-Education-Statement.pdf
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Statement of the Council on Undergraduate Research
Today, the Nation faces challenges in its efforts to produce a
highly skilled workforce in the science, technology, engineering and
mathematics (STEM) disciplines. There are several undeniable
imperatives, among them: the need for more young people to fulfill
their potential, for more students to study and pursue careers in STEM
and for more research-based solutions to the serious scientific,
economic and social problems facing the Nation.
Undergraduate research is a proven and powerful way to achieve
these goals. Undergraduate research is an inquiry or investigation
conducted by an undergraduate student that makes an original
intellectual or creative contribution to the discipline. High-quality
research and scholarship activities enhance educational outcomes, and
encourage young men and women to pursue STEM-related disciplines and
contribute to the body of knowledge needed to tackle serious problems.
Another equally important imperative is increasing opportunities
for students who have not traditionally been involved in research. The
Nation will not be fully prepared to solve our most difficult
challenges unless we unleash the full potential of all of our best and
brightest students. And that means addressing increased interest and
persistence in STEM fields among females.
There are strategies at community colleges, minority-serving
institutions, four-year colleges, comprehensive universities, and
research universities that successfully expanded opportunities for
undergraduate research, especially for students who are not
traditionally involved in undergraduate research, including young
women. Common to most of these successful programs are practical
strategies for building sustainable programs; engagement of a broad
range of participants, partners, and stakeholders; integration of
programs into the fabric of the institution; advocacy for change and
expanding participation; and alignment of departmental and
institutional goals.
Today, the country's K-12 schools are largely consumed with the
requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act. While the law is one with
many programs and intentions, its requirements, in the simplest terms,
focus on achievement in reading and math. Science teachers lament the
resulting lack of flexibility in the curriculum and the absent
opportunity to include more science, social studies, arts, and
creativity in the offerings. Some argue that the law's goal is to make
sure all students meet minimum expectations, resulting in insufficient
investments of time and effort in challenging young people to reach
their greatest potential. While the law is due for changes via the
reauthorization process, the continued focus on math and reading as the
basis for any common standards initiative and the sentiment that
science is ``next'' is troubling. Science has been ``next'' in terms of
being included in accountability and assessment rubrics for close to a
decade, and any changes to federal law or state adoption of common
standards puts real change off for at least another five years. This
affects all students, but if young ladies are not exposed to focused
instruction in science at the earliest grades, it seems unlikely they
will pursue it past secondary school.
Many have investigated the factors affecting girls' interest and
participation in STEM learning at the K-12 level. At the grade school
level, the teachers are creative, energetic, and overwhelmingly female.
They also are often intimidated by math and often science. In their
college careers, the majority of prospective elementary school teachers
takes only the math and science that is required for graduation and
thus, have little background in these areas to bring to their
classrooms.
The country needs science majors who choose to teach at the K-12
level and science teachers with real content knowledge. The National
Science Foundation's (NSF) Noyce Fellowship Program addresses this very
need. In addition, the NSF Course, Curriculum and Laboratory
Improvement (CCLI) program invests in delivering strong science content
to teachers to be sure they are comfortable learning and teaching the
subject. Further, prospective teachers involved in undergraduate
research learn the processes of science and impart that to their
student when in the classroom. Further, the experience with research
creates a familiarity with data to inform practice, as is encouraged in
teaching today via the No Child Left Behind Act.
Interest in science is something that has to be nurtured early for
both females and males and if K-12 teachers are not strongly versed in
science, this nurturing will not be as strong as it could or should be.
Further, by the time girls get to middle school, there are a number of
complex social issues and puberty that detract their interests. At this
age it is simply ``not cool'' to be smart and if one excels in math and
science, they are immediately labeled as ``geeky.'' This negative peer
pressure is an extremely important issue in terms of attracting girls
to STEM fields, but not one easily addressed.
At the post-secondary level, of those females who pursue science,
it seems they gravitate to the life sciences (biology, biochemistry,
neuroscience, and environmental science) to an extent that is even more
skewed than the overall student body proportion of women. In chemistry
and math, the numbers are more balanced, but a female physics major is
a rarity. Many researchers have investigated this phenomenon, and point
to the absence of nurturing environments in academia, or competition
among fellow students that leaves young ladies searching for a more
collaborative learning environment. Further, some argue the
applications of science (physics, engineering, math, chemistry) to
solving societal problems, such as clean water, environmental sciences,
conservation efforts, of societal poverty, might appeal to female
students more than what are considered typical applications. Young
women need to learn about these applications, and need to see women in
faculty positions at post-secondary institutions of all kinds--
community colleges, predominantly undergraduate institutions, research
universities--if more of them are to be successful in these areas.
The ADVANCE program of the National Science Foundation is an
outstanding example of a vital program that seeks to develop systemic
approaches to increase the representation and advancement of women in
academic STEM careers. It is essential that this program serve all
types of institutions, not just research-intensive universities.
Academic women face gender inequities and challenges at all career
stages and at all types of institutions, including primarily
undergraduate institutions, community colleges, minority-serving
institutions, women's colleges, and institutions primarily serving
persons with disabilities. Continuing and expanding the federal support
for this critical NSF program is essential to enhance the academic
culture and institutional structure to support female science and
engineering professors who serve as key mentors and role models for
female students.
One particular example of an ADVANCE project that aims to enhance
the advancement of academic women in science and engineering careers is
the NSF-ADVANCE-PAID project HRD-0619150 ``Collaborative Research for
Horizontal Mentoring Alliances.'' This project involves women full
professors in chemistry and physics at 20 distinct liberal-arts
colleges. Through the formation of five-member alliances, these senior
women faculty members have tested a ``horizontal mentoring strategy''
to promote the leadership and visibility of women scientists and
engineers on their campuses. The presence of successful and visible
women faculty members, particularly at the full professor level, can
signal a campus-friendly environment for both female students and
faculty. Evidence of the importance of women in academic leadership can
be a powerful means of facilitating both the recruitment and retention
of women students and faculty and enable them to flourish in science
and engineering careers.
A recent tool unveiled by the Business Higher Education Forum
suggests that it is the first year of post-secondary study that is the
point of highest leverage in the STEM pipeline. Undergraduate research
opportunities play a key role in allowing young ladies to ``try on''
being a scientist. This introduces them to scientific research, but
also socializes the students into what a scientist does. The NSF
Research Experiences for Undergraduates program is a key program that
funds these opportunities.
In 2006 the Committee on Women in Science and Engineering of the
National Academies published the report To Recruit and Advance: Women
Students and Faculty in Science and Engineering. The aim of this
publication was to provide a guide to the strategies that have proved
successful in recruiting and retaining women undergraduate, graduate,
and postdoctoral students in science and engineering and recruiting and
advancing women faculty in these fields. The final chapter provides an
extensive list of effective strategies for recruiting, retaining, and
advancing women at each educational and career stage. Two potential
obstacles that are cited as deterring female undergraduates, graduates,
and post-doctoral candidates from remaining in science and engineering
are lack of role models and curricula perceived as less interesting or
less relevant. Three of the important means of retaining women students
in science are establishing mentoring programs, increasing engagement
of students, and increasing professional socialization. Participation
in undergraduate research is specifically discussed as a means of
addressing these three objectives.
Indeed, these specific student benefits are noted in the chapter
``The Benefits of Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and Creative
Activity'' by J.M. Osborn and K.K. Karukstis in Broadening
Participation in Undergraduate Research: Fostering Excellence and
Enhancing the Impact (M.K. Boyd and J.L. Wesemann, eds., Council on
Undergraduate Research, Washington, D. C., 2009, Chapter 4). ``Indeed,
for all students, interactions with faculty members significantly
affect an individual student's cognitive and behavioral development and
directly impact student satisfaction and learning (Astin, 1993). Recent
results of the National Survey of Student Engagement (Lipka, 2007)
corroborate that participation in undergraduate research with a faculty
mentor is a ``high impact'' learning experience. Additional studies
verify that the collegial and collaborative partnership of
undergraduate students and faculty members contributes significantly to
the personal and professional gains reported by students as a result of
their research experience (Seymour, 2004; Hunter, 2006).'' The benefits
with regards to professional growth and advancement are also commonly
acknowledged by students pursuing undergraduate research. Some of the
key benefits of undergraduate research related specifically to career
development include stronger relationships with mentors and other
professionals, deeper integration into the culture and profession of
the discipline, and enhanced ability to identify and make informed
decisions about appropriate career interests. Undergraduate research
also promotes many elements of personal growth, including increased
confidence and an enhanced development of personal initiative. All of
these factors can contribute to retaining women in the STEM
disciplines.
As Congress works to address the country's education and workforce
needs, which must include maximizing the potential of every young man
and woman who does or could have a career in the STEM disciplines ahead
of them, the Council On Undergraduate Research will continue to work to
expand opportunities to expose young people to undergraduate research
that will inform and encourage their academic and professional
pursuits. There are a number of federal investments that support the
endeavor of undergraduate research, and CUR and its members will work
to sustain and grow these investments and educate educators,
researchers, scientists, undergraduates, business and others on its
importance.
About CUR: The Council on Undergraduate Research (www.cur.org)
supports faculty development for high-quality undergraduate student-
faculty collaborative research and scholarship. Nearly 600 institutions
and over 3,000 individuals belong to CUR. CUR believes that the best
way to capture student interest and create enthusiasm for a discipline
is through research in close collaboration with faculty members.
Statement of the Girl Scouts of the USA
Despite improvements in educational equity, girls and women
continue to lag behind men in terms of mathematic and scientific
achievement and advancement toward and attainment of careers in
Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). Girls begin to lose
interest in STEM early in their education; the percentage of girls who
say they would not study math anymore given the choice increases in
4th, 8th, and 12th grade from nine percent to 15 percent to 50 percent
respectively.\1\ While girls consistently match or surpass boys'
achievements in science and math in scholastic aptitude tests,
achievement tests, and classroom grades, high school girls are less
likely than boys to take AP physics or computer science exams.\2\
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\1\ Educational Equity of Girls and Women, National Center for
Education Statistics, 2000.
\2\ The College Board, Advanced Placement Report to the Nation:
2006 (February 2006).
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This weak academic pipeline, along with other factors in and out of
the classroom, is causing fewer women to pursue careers in STEM fields.
According to the National Science Foundation, women represent 46
percent of the total workforce in America, but only 25 percent of the
workforce in the fields of science and engineering.\3\ This gender gap
holds serious consequences--and opportunities--for the future of our
country and its girls. Eighty-nine percent of Fortune 1000 STEM
executives agree that bringing more women and minorities into STEM
fields will help solve U.S. workforce shortages.\4\
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\3\ National Science Foundation, Division of Science Resources
Statistics, Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science
and Engineering: 2004, NSF 04-317 (updated May 2004). Available at
http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/wmpd
\4\ Bayer Facts of Science Education Survey XIII: Fortune 1000 STEM
Executives on STEM Education, STEM Diversity and U.S. Competitiveness.
Bayer Corporation (September 2008). http://www.bayerus.com/MSMS/Survey/
survey-13.aspx
GIRL SCOUTS STEM PROGRAMMING
In 1912, Juliette Gordon Low founded the first Girl Scout troop in
Savannah, GA. In 1913, the first badges in Science, Technology,
Engineering and Math (STEM) fields--the electrician badge and the flyer
badge--were introduced. Today, with 2.7 million girl members and
900,000 adult members in every corner of the United States, Puerto
Rico, the Virgin Islands and ninety-five countries worldwide, Girl
Scouts continues to lead the way in ensuring that girls enjoy a
comprehensive, relevant and robust STEM education. Girl Scouts is
committed to girls' exploration and pursuit of education and careers in
STEM in order to increase the number of girls pursuing careers in STEM-
related fields.
Through more than 70 badges and patches in STEM-related activities
for Girl Scouts ages 5-17, girls are encouraged to explore the many
ways in which STEM fields relate to their lives. Our research-based
programs help girls develop an interest in STEM fields in a safe, fun,
girl-centered environment, and emphasize partnerships, public education
campaigns, mentorship programs, career exploration, traditional badges,
and innovative new programming.
By creating innovative, diverse and supportive learning
environments, Girl Scouts takes a multi-faceted approach to increasing
girls' interest in STEM. A few examples include:
Fair Play: Design & Discovery: A proven, successful
initiative run in partnership with the U.S. Department of
Education and the Intel Corporation that teaches girls about
STEM fields through extracurricular experiences. Program
features include day and resident camp, after-school and
university-based programs, and mentorship programs with women
who are currently experts in physics, math, design, technology
and computer engineering.
NASA Partnership: Allows Girl Scouts to access NASA's
cutting-edge technology and one-of-a-kind internships. Girl
Scouts are able to attend solar science trainings and are given
the opportunity to meet NASA scientists. This program also
highlights the importance of role models for girls, whether
they are astronauts, engineers, teachers, or local businesses
that rely on STEM professionals.
Robotics: Girls learn technology, engineering and
computer programming skills through engagement with robotics
programs offered through a national partnership with FIRST (For
Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology). To
date, in partnership with the Motorola Foundation, we have
supported the startup of nearly 100 all girl First Lego League
teams--and we will collectively support another 100 teams for
the 2009-2010 season.
Public Awareness Campaigns: Research indicates that
girls exhibit early interest and ability in STEM subjects, but
that adults actually tend to discourage girls from persevering.
Girl Scouts partnered with the Ad Council in 2003 to produce an
award winning, three-year public awareness campaign which aimed
to change the cultural cues girls typically receive about STEM.
By targeting girls, educators and parents and caregivers, this
television, radio, online and print media campaign challenged
influencers to ``keep her interest alive.''
WHAT WE'VE LEARNED: RESEARCH AND FUTURE PROGRAMS
In 2008, Girl Scouts of the USA partnered with the Puget Sound
Center for Teaching, Learning, and Technology to identify promising
practices in STEM education for girls. This study reaffirmed many of
the findings from Girl Scout's century of experience in delivering STEM
programming, and firmly established that the most effective STEM
programming for girls includes:
Hands on experiences
Making curriculum relevant, tying it to real-life
issues
Project based learning opportunities
Opportunities to work with STEM-field mentors
Experienced program leadership.
With this research in hand, Girl Scouts developed an exciting new
leadership journey called It's Your Planet--Love It. This innovative
program uses girls' passion for the environment as a way to bolster
their interest in STEM fields, and focuses on career exploration,
hands-on activities, mentoring, and project-based learning in a girl-
centric, supportive environment. The journey presents STEM subjects as
fun, engaging, intimately tied to helping people and communities, and a
natural part of daily life.
These materials were developed in partnership with experts in
engineering, sustainable, agriculture, conservation, energy efficiency,
and green building practices, and reviewed by science education
professionals, engineers, staff at the U.S. Green Building Council,
NASA, Motorola and others.
This journey--like all Girl Scouts programs--will be thoroughly
evaluated, outcomes will be measured, and findings will be used to
ensure that girls are developing the leadership skills they need. As we
move forward with implementation of this program, our experience will
no doubt inform and support public education, informal education,
policy-makers, and other stakeholders on ways we can improve STEM
education.
POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS
Based on our research and experience, Girl Scouts offers the
following policy recommendations to improve both the formal and
informal STEM education sectors. These recommendations reflect the
crucial role played by informal education organizations in the
development and delivery of programs that build the next generation of
the STEM workforce. We support the expansion of programs that help
organizations such as Girl Scouts to promote STEM education and career
exploration, and to partner with and complement formal education,
including:
Diverse Learning Environments: Congress should expand
efforts to teach STEM fields outside the classroom, in diverse
settings. Specifically, expand educational opportunities where
girls can explore, investigate, and experiment without fear of
being teased or the social stigmas tied to girls who are
interested in science. Efforts should be made to increase
availability of ``girl-only'' programming to engage girls in
STEM activities in safe, supportive, girl-centric environments.
Hands-on/Real World Learning: Girls' interest in STEM
significantly increases when it is provided in a hands-on,
experiential student-led environment. Hands-on learning must
also be tied to practical, real world applications. To ensure
that we are engaging students in ways that capture their
imaginations and interests, Congress should support efforts to
expand hands-on, real world, collaborative learning in the
informal educational setting.
Role Models: Access to strong and inspiring role
models and mentors is critical to engaging more girls in STEM
fields. Congress should create and support mentoring programs
to encourage young women to become involved in STEM education
and careers, and should promote the work of non-profit
organizations, collaborations with business and industry, and
partnerships with institutions of higher learning, with a
special emphasis on programs that serve girls and women,
minorities and people with disabilities.
Stigma-busting: Stigma and stereotypes about STEM
fields often keep girls from pursuing these careers. Congress
should promote efforts to combat stigma through public
education campaigns. As a leading authority on girls' interests
and thinking, Girl Scouts is well-positioned to assist the
government in reframing girls' (as well as their peers' and
adults') perception of STEM to encourage more girls to engage
in STEM fields.
CONCLUSION
As gaps in formal education increase, the informal education sector
is ideally suited to work collaborative with schools and federal
agencies to assure that girls' exposure and access to STEM fields are
not lost. With our expertise on girls' development, a historical
commitment to STEM, and a proven ability to deliver programs to girls
in diverse communities across the country, Girl Scouts is uniquely
positioned to help identify best practices and programming that provide
a gateway of interest and active participation in STEM education. We
look forward to working with the Committee to promote policy and
programmatic proposals that address the gaps in STEM education, and
increase the number of girls in this important field.