Jane Edwards
A new report from Raytheon and U.S. News & World Report says high school girls had lower scores than their male counterparts in science, technology, engineering and mathematics test scores and interest to pursue STEM courses.
The 2015 U.S. News/Raytheon STEM Index projects that gender gap to continue at the college and graduate levels, U.S. News said Monday.
According to the index, STEM-related courses comprised 24 percent of graduate degrees earned by male students in 2014 compared with 10 percent granted to their female counterparts.
The report also notes that white and Asian students are more likely to show higher scores in math and science areas of SAT and the American College Testing than black, American Indian and Hispanic students.
White students with completed STEM college degrees between 2009 and 2014 outnumbered black students during that same time frame, U.S. News reported.
“It’s clear that we need to focus our efforts on engaging the majority of the future labor pool – young women, Latinos and African-Americans – in STEM,†said Brian Kelly, editor and chief content officer of U.S. News.
Mark Russell, vice president of engineering, technology and mission assurance at Raytheon, highlighted the roles of the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering, Engineering is Elementary and Boys & Girls Clubs of America in promoting STEM among minority groups.
“It’s our collective responsibility to identify, support and scale programs like these and the vital service they provide,” Russell added.
