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Despite divide, girls narrowing math, science gap

BY CHRISTINA HERNANDEZ | christina.hernandez@newsday.com

12:08 AM EST, December 31, 2007

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When they won the team prize in a national math and science competition earlier this month, Janelle Schlossberger and Amanda Marinoff became instant celebrities -- not only for their tuberculosis research, but because of their gender.

The Plainview girls, both 17, and a Pennsylvania teen who won the individual prize, made history: It was the first time in the nine years of the prestigious Siemens Competition that girls swept the top spots.

Marinoff understood the significance of their victory.

"I hope our success refutes the stereotype that women can't do science," she said.

Experts say the three winners are part of a trend: More girls and women are getting involved -- and succeeding -- in math and science than ever before.

"It's a moment in history when girls can come into their own," said Mary Lou O'Donnell, independent research coordinator for the Plainview-Old Bethpage district, "and not be embarrassed to excel at science."

Gaps in tests, jobs shrinking

Still, persistent gaps between girls and boys in math and science standardized test scores remain, as well as gaps, advocates say, in professional opportunities. The gaps are narrowing, though, in part because of girls' increasing involvement in math and science classes.

"A reason that girls' math scores have gone up faster than boys' is that more girls are taking more challenging math courses," said Brian O'Reilly, executive director of SAT program relations for the College Board.

Achievements by girls can be seen at all levels. Long Island educators say girls generally are just as interested and involved in math and science as boys.

Since Long Beach High School's science research program began six years ago, the number of girls in the program has increased from 25 percent to 60 percent, said science chairwoman Karen Bloom.

Girls outnumber boys in a crime scene investigation program where fourth- and fifth-graders do fingerprint analysis and code breaking at New Lane Elementary in Selden, said Colleen Annicelli, director of math, science and research for the Middle Country school district.

At Rocky Point High School, Kent Tillinghast's advanced placement biology class has more girls than boys, he said.

One student, Nicole Grudier, 17, said the girls are not intimidated by boys in the class -- reversing a long-standing stereotype about girls in science. "We like saying that we know something," she said. "We're not ... quiet about it, especially the girls."

The college continuum

In college, where women outnumber men nationally in general enrollment, women earn a much greater percentage of degrees awarded in engineering, computer science, physical sciences and biology compared with decades ago.

At SUNY Old Westbury, women nearly equaled men in the math and statistics bachelor's degree program last year, according to data supplied by SUNY. At Stony Brook University, the number of women enrolled in undergraduate engineering nearly tripled from 1996 to last year. Women outnumbered men last year in bachelor's and doctoral programs in biological and biomedical sciences, SUNY statistics show.

Stony Brook's Women in Science and Engineering mentoring program has a component at several local high schools, including Comsewogue in Port Jefferson Station. Brittany Barnett, 16, a junior interested in ecology, joined the program last year and said she enjoys studying science in the company of other girls.

"In my AP physics class, I'm the only girl," Barnett said. "It's kind of weird."

Males still dominating