...The Gender Achievement Gap Rena Godfrey Capella University ED5540 Strategies for Eliminating the Achievement Gap Quarter & Year: Fall 2013 Email: godfreyrena@gmail.com Instructor: Marge Zuba, Ed.D. Gender Achievement Gap One of the most interesting and actively debated areas in educational research concerns the gender-based achievement gaps in math and science. Despite research efforts and statistical data backing up the notion that girls are falling behind in math and science, there still continues to be significant gender-based achievement gaps that are perpetuated by “insidious gender lessons, micro-inequities…that chip away at girls’ achievement and self-esteem” (Sadker & Sadker, 1994). Research studies shed light on significant decreases in girls’ achievement rates in math and science as early as middle school that continues to decrease into high school. Although the achievement gap in math has declined in recent years (AAUW, 1999), girls consistently score lower on the SAT and ACT than boys do, and the gap does not narrow in college. Researchers struggling to identify the origins of gender differences have examined a range of theories, including biological, environmental, cultural, and cognitive developmental approaches to gender differences. What is Gender Equity? Gender equity implies being treated equally fair for both male and female. Gender refers to the social roles of men and women, and boys and girls, as well as the relationships...
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...Eliminating the Gender Achievement Gap ELIMINATING THE GENDER ACHIEVEMENT GAP Preconceived notions of what boys and girls can and cannot do will have negative effects on both genders. Parents who allow their sons to misbehave and say “boys will be boys” not only damage their view of themselves but it does not teach them the consequences of right and wrong. Telling a boy “big boys do not cry” may create an emotionally stunted boy. Society allows girls to express their emotions but boys must keep them inside. While society does not blink an eye when a boy aspires to becoming an auto mechanic or a girl a stay at home mom, the converse brings discomfort, ridicule, much discussion and even embarrassment for the families. Research shows women have made tremendous gains in the last few decades; however, it is still difficult for them to obtain equality. According to an article from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, women make up almost half of all actively employed people in the work force yet; they earn, on average, 23% less than their male counterparts holding the same position (Hegewisch & Hudiburg, 2013, para.1). The pace has been so slow that if it continues at this same rate, it will take over 40 years before women will earn the same salary as men in the same positions (Hegewisch & Hudiburg, 2013, para. 2). What causes this phenomenon? Is it nature or nurture? Is it something that begins in the womb or the formative years...
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...Gender Gap 1 The Elementary Gender Achievement Gap ED5504 Gender Gap 2 Abstract The gender achievement gap has been written about, studied, and defined. This gap exists. It exists in the educational system and in the workplace. It begins in elementary school and continues through higher education. The gender gap can be attributed to many problems. These problems include cultural, socioeconomic, educator expectations, and student environment. Gender Gap 3 Gender equity happens when there is no difference in student achievement in relation to classroom teaching and school environment. Many factors play into the gender achievement gap. Cultural factors, race, and discrimination are part of...
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...Men and Women are Insolvent By understanding unconditional love, it would make one to realize the true meaning of love. Two people who are madly in love may become enemies over night because they are different creatures. Men and women believe that they have and show immense affection to the person who they care for. Men of misconception are women only need their attention and nurturing. However, men do not realize women’s desires which are important in order for women to interact with men. Women just want to have random conversations and an attentive listener. Also, they possess different thoughts, behaviors and feelings these little gaps in personal view results in men and women to dissociate from each other. They both demand their opposite sexes to change without willing to change him or her. The egoistic behavior cause disappoint and less affection between the two sexes. Men’s instinct forces men to seek reality than fantasy. They seek capability, efficiency and achievement to gain satisfaction and identify their own self-inversion. Men obsess over cars, computers, high-technology and new machines which help them to achieve success. Men are more realistic than women and consider what is more useful for them. To save time, men eat out to avoid all the chores that come from cooking. But women’s reason to eat out is for relationship and conversation. Men desire to show their ability and lead other peers because men desire respect. Women value friendship, conversation and beauty...
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...Book Analysis: Pinstripes and Pearls "We didn't fully understand what we were getting into -- what obstacles we would encounter, what trails we would blaze....We just knew, from an early age, that we wanted both to serve our country, help make our world a little better and a little safer -- just like our fathers and our brothers -- and to marry; rear honest, happy children; and lead fulfilling personal lives -- just like our mothers." “Pinstripes and Pearls” is a book which shows the challenges of the lives and careers of the women of Harvard Law School’s class of 1964 as told by Judith Richards Hope. This was a time when women were not considered desirable candidates for most professional jobs or admission to elite colleges and programs. There was lots of discrimination against women in the workplace as well as colleges, specifically Harvard Law School. This book showed the successes of the 15 women who graduated in Harvard Law School’s class of 1964 and the great struggles and obstacles they were faced with as they went through college and their careers. The focus of this analysis will be on how far women have come in the past 50 years, why it is so much harder for women to rise through the ranks of successful careers and be considered equals once they do, and if there ever can truly be a perfect balance between a women’s work life and home life. Although women I don’t believe that women are viewed as completely equal to men in society yet, thankfully they have come a long...
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...second class citizens in today’s education system and it is not their fault! At the end of the day, its safe to say that generally speaking, girls are much better learners then boys in the classroom. The differences between what boys need and what girls need are often vast, by no means is any way wrong; however, the classroom only caters to one. Its not something we can be upset with or confused by, its just nature that boys and girls are different and one is benefiting from it. Kids generally look different and sound different, so obviously they think different. The difference in brains between males and females is substantial. According to Jantz (2014), “Male brains utilize nearly seven times more gray matter for activity while female brains utilize nearly ten times more white matter” (p3). Gray matter brains are localized and process action and information in a specific location in the brain,...
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...Although the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights consented equal rights for men and women, it was only after the feminist movement in the 1960s that women really started enjoying equality in law, family life and work environment. Nonetheless, gender discrimination still exists in different forms and it is arguably a very sensitive issue in our society. One piece of writing that tackles this subject is an editorial called “Silicon Valley's Gender Pay Gap Is Actually A Gender Segregation Gap” published on Forbes Magazine website on April 2nd 2015. Tim Worstall, the author, is making a rhetorical argument on why the employment of men and women in Silicon Valley is divided into different sets of occupations, in order to find alternatives that might help solving the issue. At first sight the editorial seems persuasive and well written; nonetheless, at a closer look it evinces several flaws (such as unfounded arguments and instances of hasty generalization) that affect the overall credibility and cogency. The first factual argument of the writing, namely a report showing a significant gender pay gap both in general and specifically within the tech companies (para 1) aims at consolidating Worstall’s thesis; however, since he fails to cite the source, the reliability of his claim cannot be proven and the argument loses its strength. This specific, epideictic piece of evidence is then extrapolated into a deliberative argument when Worstall states that the report might actually...
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... such as biological sex, gender identity and roles, sexual orientation, and the relationship between these factors. One would have never assumed that sexuality would be a topic of great conversation and questions. Over time we have became a society made up from a melting pot not only of different ethnic groups but of sexual orientation. Sexual Identity Development Factors There are several factors that influence a person’s sexual identity. The first factor that affects sexual orientation is biological sex. Biological sex is determined by a person’s chromosomal make up along with hormones. Females are typically born with XX chromosomes and males are born with XY chromosomes. Although in some situations there can be a mutation of the Y chromosome, the SRY gene which is the sex determining portion of the Y chromosome can be missing in XY girls’ Y and is present in the XX boys’ X (Offner, 2010). Chromosomes alone cannot determine gender identity hormones also help in determining gender identity. The SRY gene codes on the Y chromosome cause the indifferent gonads to become testicle which then secrete testosterone which then causes the Wolffian duct system to develop which is the male structures (Offner, 2010). So as you can see together with the SRY gene and specific level of testosterone within an embryo helps determine the external gender. The second factor influencing ones sexual identity is their gender identity and roles. “Gender identity is your sense of...
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...Running Head: The Gender Achievement Gap 1 The Gender Achievement Gap Clint Overstreet 2 The No Child Left Behind Act requires that states bring students up to the "proficient" level on state tests and individual schools have to meet state “adequate yearly progress.” This mandate targets not only all “typical” students, but students from all demographics. With this factor of accountability, as well as school success, many researchers have studied the gap in educational achievement and how these gaps can be lessened. The most noted gaps in academic success include the areas of gender, socioeconomic status, race, students with disabilities, and ethnicity (2001). Gender has been one of the areas in which the notable gap in achievement has been studied. Researchers have studied this trend for many years. They attribute this discrepancy in gender achievement to a number of various factors. Possible influences in this gap include: culture, biological factors, theories in gender behavior, and school attitudes and factors (2008). The longtime concern regarding the role gender plays in academic success has been the grounds for numerous studies around the globe. Our culture has strong imbedded ideals on the role of males and females. Although, changes in these roles continue to evolve there continue to be underlying ideals and behaviors, which are often unintentional, which dictate how we view the...
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...Concussions A concussion occurs when the head suddenly stops moving and the brain smashes into the inside of the skull (Goldsmith 4). Concussions are especially an issue in the NFL due to the amount of head-to-head. The main issue is due to the amount of velocity a person has with the contact of one person to another. So, by saying this concussions need to be taken more seriously in the NFL due to the amount of players who have suffered from them. What is a concussion? A concussion is a milder form of a traumatic brain injury in which the brain moves inside the skull due to external force (Goldsmith 7). Concussions are common in sports with any contact that can result in any kind of brain or head injury....
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...workforce is a modern phenomenon, it would not be possible without the pioneers of the Women’s Rights Movement; however there are still challenges women face, such as gender discrimination. Gender discrimination is treating individuals differently in their employment specifically because the individual is a woman or a man. Currently the federal law, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, protects individuals from discrimination based upon sex or gender. This law makes it illegal for an employer to discriminate against individuals because of their gender in the following actions: hiring, firing, and other terms and conditions of employments, such as promotions, raises, and other job opportunities. Title VII covers all private employers, state and local government, and educational institutions that employ more than 15 individuals. Even though gender discrimination is illegal for companies to discriminate against, it seems to still be an issue in the 21st century. The focus of this research paper is on gender discrimination in the technology industry in Silicon Valley as recent news scandals by companies such as Google, Facebook, and Twitter have made mainstream media, the reasons why women are behind in the technology industry and how companies manage or should manage their operations in order to prevent gender discrimination. It is an unfortunate fact of life that much of Silicon Valley and the technology industry is...
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...Gender Differences in Working and Communicating with Others In organizations there are numerous factors that outline the foundation for a strong, successful and smooth operating company. The key is having wonderful communication across the board, it can increase productivity, improve employee satisfaction and help recognize an outstanding leader in an organization. Nonverbal, verbal, written, and any means by which getting one’s point across to another can be categorized as communication. Communicating can be taken for granted since we all do this every day, however, it is important we have the skills to know how to properly communicate with one another. Everyone communicates differently due to their education background, where they were raised, age and gender. The one, which I am going to focus on is gender and what impact that, has on communication. There are clear gender differences in how we communicate and this can even have an affect in the workplace, such as situations can arise where there are misunderstandings between men and women. The way in which men and women communicate stem from the differences in the brain. One major structural difference is that “males generally have more activity in the mechanical centers of the brain, while women have more activity in centers of the brain dedicated to verbal communication and emotion” (Wikninews). In female brains the corpus callosum, the part of the brain that regulates communication within the brain is larger than...
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...by the wealthy. It is argued that this mode of analysis is superior to nationally aggregated figures as it establishes a relationship between population shifts and consumption levels. Part Three explores the theoretical underpinnings of growth-pursuant poverty reduction, namely the ‘trickle-down effect’. Attention is given to the concept of the trickle down and its intersection with Chinese domestic policy. Part Four highlights the notable divide between urban, rural, coastal and inland regards for growth and development and considers both the reasoning and implications of this dichotomy. Part Five looks at gender discrimination and the one-child policy throughout China and highlights how economic growth has in many ways exacerbated this problem. The problem of gender division is considered through the theme of rural-urban difference and how this is contributing to the brain drain effect. In order to frame the inequality debate in China, it is necessary...
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...4. The unemployment rate affects which gender group? a. Men and women equally b. Men only c. Women only d. Men and women, but predominantly men 1. Animal experiments have revealed that females require twice the dosage of morphine as males to experience the same amount of pain relief. a. True b. False 4. Fathers are spending more time with their children compared to three decades ago. a. True b. False 5. In the 2005-2006 academic year, women earned ______ of all bachelor’ s degrees and ______of all master’s degrees. a. 58% and 60% b. 50% and 60% c. 58% and 62% d. 60% and 58% 1. The more TV children watch, the ______ accepting they are of occupational gender stereotypes. a. more b. less c. TV does not influence children’s acceptance of occupational gender stereotypes d. Little research is available on the topic 3. Men’s employment is more likely to be discontinuous than women’s employment. a. True b. False 3. When experiencing pain, what part of the brain is activated more in men than in women? a. the right amygdala b. the left amygdala c. the medulla d. none of the above 4. Why do women seem more sensitive to pain? a. they tend to be more sensitive to threats b. they self-monitor more than men c. they typically experience more depression and anxiety. d. all of the above 4. For women, having children has ______ on wages. a. a positive effect b. a very positive effect c. a negative effect d. no effect 5. When...
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...Gender Differences Michael Grindstaff 11/2/13 Michael Grindstaff Gender Differences 11/2/13 Gender Differences Gender stereotypes are strong in our culture and even put preconceived notions in our minds of what profession we will be when we grow up. The differences in men and women’s brain do show men are better at mathematical jobs than women, however, it should not deter women from wanting to be engineers. Stereotypically, girls are soft spoken, gentle, caregivers, on the other hand, boys are outspoken, direct, and confident. These stereotypes are embedded in our minds from when we are little, even impacting our thoughts of which gender should occupy which profession. We look at specific jobs and correlate them with a certain gender. When children are growing up they often want to be a specific profession such as, girls may want to grow up to be a teacher or nurse, and boys want to be a firefighter or a police officer. Girls are taught that they must relate to others in order to survive, while boys are taught that they must compete with others to survive. Not only is it our brains that are different, but our upbringings and stereotypes of gender roles play an important role in how we communicate with each other. The more in-depth you look at the topic gender differences in working and communicating with others, the more it gets you thinking not only of how co-workers communicate with each other but how the public communicates with a professional due to their...
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