Where the Girls Are: The Facts About Gender Equity in Education

Transcription

1 Where the Girls Are: The Facts Abut Gender Equity in Educatin Prgramming Guide The findings f the new AAUW research reprt Where the Girls Are: the Facts abut Gender Equity in Educatin refute the ntin f a bys crisis in schls. Girls successes d nt cme at bys expense. Rather, when girls d better in schl, s d bys. While Where the Girls Are finds n evidence f a bys crisis, it des uncver large disparities in educatinal achievement by race/ethnicity and family incme. AAUW member leaders at the state and branch level can play a key rle in raising awareness abut AAUW s latest reprt and its implicatins fr educatinal equity. Sme ideas abut hw t d this are included in this Prgramming Guide. Members can dwnlad a free cpy f Where the Girls Are: The Facts Abut Gender Equity in Educatin at r purchase cpies f the reprt thrugh ShpAAUW (800/ ). Branch Prgramming Familiarize AAUW members with the cnclusins and implicatins f Where the Girls Are by hlding a branch prgram. Once educated abut the reprt, ur membership will be well equipped t reach ut t larger audiences and spread the wrd in their cmmunities. Branch prgramming culd take the frm f a study grup discussin, where AAUW members read the reprt and gather t discuss what they ve read. The reprt wuld als make an ideal selectin fr yur branch s bk club. AAUW will prduce a PwerPint presentatin that will summarize the cnclusins and implicatins f Where the Girls Are. The PwerPint, tgether with its discussin questins, culd be used as a presentatin at a branch r state meeting; it will be available n the AAUW web site by late summer. TIP: A branch prgram abut the reprt and its findings wuld make a great back t schl prgram in the fall. Include infrmatin abut the reprt in state and branch newsletters. See the AAUW website fr the reprt press release, executive summary and talking pints. The press release culd be used in whle r in part as a newsletter r blg article. Als, include annuncements abut the reprt n yur state and branch web sites, with links back t the AAUW site s visitrs can find the reprt. ACTIVITY: Once branch members understand the findings f the reprt, cnsider taking part in an elevatr speech exercise. Using the reprt s talking pints (attached), ask members t break up int grups f 3 5 peple, and urge them t cme up with 3 5 sentences that describe the heart f the reprt s findings. The AAUW Public Plicy and Gvernment Relatins Department th St. NW Washingtn, DC / VterEd@aauw.rg

2 result shuld be a shrt paragraph that can be spken in abut secnds. Cme back tgether as a whle, and have each grup share their elevatr speech. Then cmbine the best elements f each grup s wrk t cme up with yur branch s elevatr speech abut the reprt. This useful cnversatin tl gives members a quick way t share the infrmatin because yu never knw when yu ll have a mment t educate smene abut the facts n gender equity in educatin. Cmmunity Outreach Equity in educatin is a serius issue. Educatin stakehlders will likely be receptive t knwing mre abut hw t better serve their students, and new ways t lk at the achievement gap. Where the Girls Are presents a cmprehensive lk at girls educatinal achievement during the past 35 years, paying special attentin t the relatinship between girls and bys prgress. Analyses f results frm natinal standardized tests, such as the Natinal Assessment f Educatinal Prgress (NAEP) and the SAT and ACT cllege entrance examinatins, as well as ther measures f educatinal achievement, prvide an verall picture f trends in gender equity frm elementary schl t cllege and beynd. Use Where the Girls Are t reach ut t the educatin cmmunity and infrm the public s understanding f the state f equity in educatin. Plan jint prgramming with ther educatin stakehlders in yur cmmunity such as parent teacher rganizatins and the lcal teachers unin. The PwerPint presentatin, cming frm AAUW late this summer, wuld be ideal fr this purpse as well. Share Where the Girls Are directly with principals, schl superintendents, and schl bard members. Make the PwerPint presentatin available t them, and remind them that the reprt is available as a free dwnlad n the web, in case they wuld like t use the infrmatin fr a teacher in service r ther prfessinal develpment prgram. Give a cpy f the reprt t yur public library, yur schl libraries, and the cllege libraries in yur area. Clleges f Educatin shuld find Where the Girls Are a particularly imprtant resurce fr faculty and future teachers alike. Set up a meeting with the dean f the Cllege f Educatin r a receptive prfessr at a nearby university, present them with a cpy f the reprt, and discuss the cnclusins and implicatins. Invite the cllege t becme an AAUW C/U partner if it isn t already. TIP: Remind prfessrs that the reprt is available as a free dwnlad n the web, and wuld make a great class text. As yu cme tgether with ther educatin stakehlders t discuss the reprt, r as a tpic fr a branch activity, take advantage f the pprtunity t discuss the many ptentially replicable girl centered prjects that AAUW supprts thrugh ur Cmmunity Actin Grants prgram. It's a great pprtunity t facilitate the develpment f partnerships and cllabratin with ther rganizatins t engage in AAUW Public Plicy and Gvernment Relatins Department th St. NW Washingtn, DC / VterEd@aauw.rg 2

3 hands n prgramming in yur lcal cmmunity. It's als ne f the ways we put ur research int practice. Visit the AAUW Online Directry f Fellwship and Grant Recipients at which highlights innvative prgrams that prmte educatin and equity fr wmen and girls. Many prgrams target at risk, single parent and lw incme husehlds and girls f clr. TIP: Putting a nameplate printed with Gift f XXX Branch f AAUW in the reprts yu distribute is a great way t get visibility fr yur branch r state. Slipping in a membership brchure is a great idea, t! Infrming the Public Debate There has been a mvement in recent years prpagating the ntin that there is a s called bys crisis in educatin, and sme have even ventured that civil rights laws like Title IX are n lnger needed. Where the Girls Are is the mst cmprehensive analysis t date n trends by gender, race/ethnicity and incme in educatin. This reprt shws that girls and bys frm the furth grade thrugh the end f cllege are making steady educatinal gains. An analysis f all 50 states shws that girls are nt succeeding at the expense f bys, and, in fact, family incme is mre clsely assciated with academics than gender. Use the cnclusins f Where the Girls Are t refute these errneus claims and set the recrd straight. Issue a press release abut the new reprt after the natinal launch. Use the press release template (attached) t lcalize the release with a qute frm yur state r branch president, and send it ut t lcal media utlets. Whenever a newspaper clumnist makes the claim that there is a bys crisis, write yur wn p ed using the cnclusins fund in Where the Girls Are t refute their claims. Save time and stay n message by using language frm the attached talking pints and the press release template fr these purpses. When an elected fficial makes a claim f a s called bys crisis, write an pen letter using the cnclusins fund in Where the Girls Are t recmmend educatin plicies that target the real prblem: the educatinal achievement gap by race/ethnicity and family incme. TIP: Use the verbiage in AAUW s press release template t cnstruct a letter t the editr abut the reprt. Keep it shrt! N mre than wrds, and sign the letter using yur AAUW title. This is a great way t spread the wrd abut the reprt, t stimulate public debate abut the issue, and gain visibility fr yur branch in the prcess. Wrk t Imprve Educatin Plicy While the reprt finds n evidence f a bys crisis, it des uncver large disparities in educatinal achievement by race/ethnicity and family incme. The availability f mre detailed and standardized data wuld prvide an even clearer picture f educatinal effectiveness and prgress in the United States, as well as prmpt mre specific pedaggical and plicy slutins AAUW Public Plicy and Gvernment Relatins Department th St. NW Washingtn, DC / VterEd@aauw.rg 3

4 aimed at clsing the achievement gap. Belw are tw key plicy recmmendatins tied specifically t the reprt s findings. Crss tabulate Data: AAUW recmmends that data be crss tabulated fr state assessment systems, state reprting requirements, adequate yearly prgress (AYP), and graduatin rate requirements. Having the mst accessible, accurate, and detailed infrmatin will encurage actin specifically tailred t imprve utcmes fr thse falling behind. Currently race/ethnicity, disability, and English language learner status are disaggregated fr determining AYP. Gender, migratry status, and ecnmically disadvantaged status are disaggregated nly fr state reprting requirements. While this is helpful, data als needs t be crss tabulated. This wuld allw fr detailed and accurate cmparisns between varius grups. With crss tabulated data, schls wuld be able t cmpare varius subgrups f children. Fr example, schls culd cmpare the test scres f African American girls t Hispanic girls in rder t understand hw these different grups f students are perfrming. With these data, schls culd then tailr slutins accrdingly t imprve educatinal achievement. Schl districts, educatrs, and plicy makers cannt create the right slutins if they d nt have the right data t truly knw what segments f the ppulatin need help. Standardize Reprting f High Schl Graduatin Rates: AAUW recmmends an accurate and standard methd f calculating graduatin rates. Standardized graduatin rates will prvide a mre cmplete picture f the actual number f students graduating frm different schl districts acrss the cuntry and shine a light n the high schl drput crisis. Currently, there is nt a standard way t calculate graduatin rates. With states using different frmulas, it is unclear hw many students are truly graduating each year. AAUW applauds the Huse Educatin and Labr Cmmittee fr including a high schl gradatin rate definitin and prvisins t address the drput crisis in their N Child Left Behind reauthrizatin discussin draft, released in August AAUW recmmends the unifrm calculatin f graduatin rates that is similar t that prpsed by the Natinal Gvernrs Assciatin and the Department f Educatin s April 2008 prpsed regulatins. The graduatin rate fr a given year wuld be the number f students wh graduate having earned a regular high schl diplma within fur years, divided by the number f students wh entered the high schl fur years earlier. Adjustments wuld be made fr students wh transfer in and ut during that time. AAUW Public Plicy and Gvernment Relatins Department th St. NW Washingtn, DC / VterEd@aauw.rg 4

5 States wuld be able t prpse an alternative t the standard fur year graduatin time frame fr certain grups f students wh typically take lnger than fur years t graduate. The Department f Educatin has prpsed that all states wuld use the new standard definitin f graduatin rates by the schl year. Write yur member f Cngress and ask that these imprvements t N Child Left Behind be made nw that the bill is up fr reauthrizatin. Uses AAUW s Tw Minute Activist, and send an message t yur elected fficials directly frm AAUW s web site. Attend a twn hall meeting with yur members f Cngress, and ask them t state their views n these plicy recmmendatins. Urge them t d what they can t mve these cmmnsense refrms frward. Questins? If yu have any questins r wuld like additinal infrmatin t help raise awareness abut this imprtant new research and the issue f gender equity in educatin, please cntact AAUW at 800/326 AAUW r theme@aauw.rg. AAUW Public Plicy and Gvernment Relatins Department th St. NW Washingtn, DC / VterEd@aauw.rg 5

6 AAUW PRESS RELEASE Embarged fr RELEASE May 20, 2008 Cntact: [AAUW Lcal Cntact Name] [Phne], [E mail] AAUW REPORT DEBUNKS SO CALLED BOYS CRISIS IN EDUCATION Incme Disparity Mre Influential than Gender in Educatinal Achievement, Says Mst Cmprehensive Analysis t Date [City/State] New research released by AAUW prvides the mst cmprehensive analysis t date n trends in educatinal achievement by gender, race, ethnicity, and incme. This reprt shws that girls and bys frm the furth grade thrugh the end f cllege are making steady educatinal gains. An analysis f data frm all 50 states indicates that girls successes d nt cme at the expense f bys. The data shw that family incme is mre clsely assciated with academic success than with gender. The reprt, Where the Girls Are: The Facts Abut Gender Equity in Educatin, presents a cmprehensive lk at girls educatinal achievement during the past 35 years, paying special attentin t the relatinship between girls and bys prgress. Analyses f results frm natinal standardized tests such as the Natinal Assessment f Educatinal Prgress (NAEP) and the SAT and ACT cllege entrance examinatins, as well as ther measures f educatinal achievement, prvide an verall picture f trends in gender equity frm elementary schl t cllege and beynd. Girls Academic Success Des Nt Penalize Bys In states where girls d well n standardized tests, s d bys. On the ther hand, in states where girls d nt d well n standardized tests, neither d bys. Standardized test perfrmance in elementary and secndary schl has imprved r remained stable fr bth sexes acrss the bard. In additin, bth wmen and men are nw mre likely t take cllege entrance examinatins such as the ACT and the SAT, and mre men and wmen graduate frm cllege tday than ever befre. The prprtin f yung men graduating frm high schl and earning cllege degrees is at an all time high. While lder/nntraditinal female cllege students utnumber their male cunterparts in earning cllege degrees, the gender gap is almst absent amng thse entering cllege directly after high schl. Even thugh mre wmen than men are earning cllege degrees, men cntinue t utearn wmen in the wrkplace almst immediately after graduatin. AAUW s reprt Behind the Pay Gap, released last year, fund that ne year after graduatin, wmen earned 80 percent f men s wages; ten years ut f cllege, wmen earned nly 69 percent f men s earnings. A AAUW Public Plicy and Gvernment Relatins Department th St. NW Washingtn, DC / VterEd@aauw.rg 6

7 sizeable prtin f these pay gaps cannt be explained by chices men and wmen make (such as field f study, chice f jb, and time ut f the wrkfrce t care fr children). [Insert brief qute by state r branch president abut AAUW s Where the Girls Are reprt refuting the myth f the s called bys crisis in educatin.] Incme Mre Influential than Gender Children frm the lwest incme families have the lwest average test scres n standardized tests such as the Natinal Assessment f Educatinal Prgress (NAEP). Cnsistently, a rise in family incme is assciated with a rise in test scres. Differences in educatinal achievement vary by race/ethnicity and family incme level. Fr example, girls ften utperfrm bys within each racial/ethnic grup n the NAEP reading test. When brken dwn within ethnic grups, this gender gap is fund t be mst cnsistent amng white students, less s amng African American students, and least amng Hispanic students. AAUW researchers and many thers agree that part f the achievement gap results frm differences in family incme, but the true extent f the verlap between race/ethnicity and sciecnmic status is masked by limitatins f available federal data surces. Cnclusin This examinatin f gender trends in educatinal achievement since the 1970s, using leading educatinal indicatrs frm furth grade t cllege, shws that girls gains have nt cme at bys expense. Overall, educatinal achievement has imprved r stayed the same, and mre men and wmen are graduating frm cllege than ever befre. Girls have made rapid gains in many areas, but bys are als gaining grund n mst indicatrs f academic achievement. [Include brief paragraph abut hw the AAUW state r branch rganizatin is wrking with girls wh face educatinal barriers (i.e., STEM prgrams n science, technlgy, engineering, and mathematics, educatinal seminars and cnferences fr girls, etc.) in the state r lcal cmmunity.] Lil and Gerard Leeds and the Mneen Lecce Giving Circle prvided generus funding supprt fr Where the Girls Are: The Facts Abut Gender Equity in Educatin. ### AAUW advances equity fr wmen and girls thrugh advcacy, educatin, and research. With its natinwide netwrk f apprximately 100,000 members, 1,000 branches, and 500 cllege and university partners, AAUW has been a leading advcate fr equity and educatin fr wmen and girls since Visit the AAUW website at AAUW Public Plicy and Gvernment Relatins Department th St. NW Washingtn, DC / VterEd@aauw.rg 7

8 Where the Girls Are: The Facts Abut Gender Equity in Educatin Talking Pints 1. Where the Girls Are: The Facts Abut Gender Equity in Educatin is the mst cmprehensive lk t date at girls educatinal achievement during the past 35 years. The reprt lks at student perfrmance n standardized tests in elementary and high schl and the SAT and ACT cllege admissin tests. The data are brken dwn by gender within race and family incme levels. 2. The reprt debunks the myth f the s called bys crisis in educatin. Educatinal achievement is nt a zer sum game. As girls have dne better in schls, s have bys. Overall, bth bys and girls have shwn steady imprvement ver time. 3. The prprtin f yung men graduating frm high schl and earning cllege degrees is at an all time high. While lder/nntraditinal female cllege students utnumber their male cunterparts, the gender gap in enrllment is almst absent amng thse entering cllege directly after high schl. 4. Even thugh mre wmen are earning cllege degrees, men cntinue t utearn wmen in the wrkplace, and the gap in pay is evident almst immediately after graduatin. 5. Understanding disparities by race/ethnicity and family incme level is critical t understanding girls and bys achievement. The trends in academic perfrmance by family incme level and race are fairly cnsistent. On average, white and Asian American students earn higher test scres than African American and Hispanic students d. Als, n average, students frm higher incme families earn higher test scres than students frm lwerincme families earn. But lw perfrmance is NOT inherent t any ne grup. 6. The educatinal prgress made by girls and wmen since the publicatin f AAUW s landmark reprt Hw Schls Shrtchange Girls shws that advcating fr students can make a difference in their educatinal pprtunities and achievements. With the release f Where the Girls Are, AAUW cntinues its rle as a leader in educatinal advcacy. AAUW Public Plicy and Gvernment Relatins Department th St. NW Washingtn, DC / VterEd@aauw.rg 8