1. AAUW Annual Conference GIRLS ON TRACK
SARAH B. BERENSON
CRMSE
NC STATE UNIVERSITY
MEREDITH COLLEGE
WAKE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
NC DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
Sponsored in Part by the National Science Foundation

2. INTRODUCTION Prologue: A Fable Research Finding about Girls
Audience: Strategies for Girls from Research Findings
Girls on Track Program
Epilogue: A News Story

3. A FABLE WHO IS RESPONSIBLE? DUKE? DUCHESS? GATE KEEPER?

4. NATIONAL PROBLEM
UNDER-REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS CAREERS.
AMERICAN WORK FORCE
SECURITY ISSUES

5. SOCIAL PROBLEM Women earn 70 - 78% of Male Salaries
Children’s socio-economic status
Waste of human resources

6. ONE SOLUTION
If girls stay on the fast math track into college they will be prepared to major in STEM careers.

7. GIRLS ON TRACK PROGRAM FUNDED BY THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
1-WEEK TEACHER/COUSELORS WORKSHOP
2-WEEK SUMMER CAMP FOR GIRLS
FALL TUTORING
SPRING MENTORING

8. GIRLS’ INTERESTS PEOPLE SOCIAL ISSUES COMMUNICATIONS

9. RESEARCH FINDINGS
Proportional Reasoning is HIGHLY correlated with high test scores in Algebra 1
60 miles in 1 hour and traveling at a constant rate, how many hours to travel 600 miles?

10. RESEARCH FINDINGS Girls have very high expectations for themselves
Girls work hard to achieve expectations
Girls perceive teacher quality as essential to their success
Girls are supported by parents and teachers when learning is difficult

11. RESEARCH FINDINGS
Girls are more confident, interested, and motivated to study math than teachers and counselors think they are.
Tchrs/Counselors Girls
mean sd mean sd
Interest
Motivation
Confidence

12. SUMMER CAMP Teams of 6 : 2 camp counselors Sports Algebra
Group vs Individual Efforts)
Sports Algebra
(Need to have Fun)
Community Problems
Math is Relevant/Useful

13. SUMMER CAMP Computer Lab Time Creative Expression and Useful Tools
Team Presentations
Confidence before Audience
Career Speakers
Information
Peer Assertiveness
Confidence in School

14. A NEWS STORY WHO IS RESPONSIBLE? HUSBAND WIFE FRIEND