Women's History Round Tables - Open Windows for Girls
National Girls & Women Sports Day - Education and Equity News
The Branch won the 1998 Action for Equity Award from New York State AAUW for the Women's History Round Tables we co-sponsor with the St. Lawrence County Historical Association.
Many of the Women's History Round Tables have resulted in Women of Courage Profiles which you can read on this website.
Since 1989 the Branch has sponsored OPEN WINDOWS For GIRLS, a series of educational enrichment grants for low-income girls from St. Lawrence County to attend a summer camping experience to broaden their horizons and provide an open window to the future.
Many well-established girls' schools across the nation are improving their science, math and technology curriculums and adding new science buildings and summer programs. The new focus on science and technology at girl's schools comes at a time when high school girls are catching up to boys in math and science. But there remains a serious gap between the sexes in technology. In 1998, girls made up only 17 percent of the high school students who took the advanced placement exam in computer science. The gap persists through higher education and into the workplace. Women earn 18 percent of the doctorates in computer science in the United States and only 12 percent of all engineering Ph.D.'s. Women make up nearly half the nation's work force, yet they account for just 22 percent of employed scientists and engineers.
Katie Hafner, "Girls Soak Up Technology in Schools of Their Own" The New York Times, September 23, 1999, D7
Tamara Henry, "Sex is No. 1 struggle, teen girls say" USA Today, September 15, 1999, D9
Dr. Rita Nakashima Brock, director of the Bunting Institute, a center for advanced studies for women at Radcliffe College, is leading efforts to create a list of the 1,000 greatest women of the millennium. The list will be weighted toward the 19th and 20th centuries, but there should be at least 50 women from each century. The list is being revised by historians, with each name going to at least two experts. The list will be announced by January and will be available on the institute's website.
Michael Pollak, "Millennium's Great Women" The New York Times, March 10, 1999, A16
WHAT MAGAZINES TEACH TEEN GIRLS
Photos and articles in young women's magazines help convince many teen girls that they are fat and must diet, according to a study published in "Pediatrics." On the positive side, however, these magazines also encourage girls to exercise, says Alison Field of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. Field's study is believed to be the first to go directly to adolescent girls (548 in grades 5-12) and find out how much magazines influence their body images. About seven in ten say magazine pictures influence their ideas of the perfect body shape and nearly half report wanting to lose weight because of a magazine picture. But only 29 percent are actually overweight. The more frequently girls read magazines, the more likely they are to say they had dieted and exercised because of an article and to feel that magazines influence their ideal body shape.
Marilyn Elias, "Study sizes up teen girls, magazines" USA Today, March 2, 1999, D1
SUPREME COURT TO RULE ON HARASSMENT LIABILITY
The Supreme Court will decide whether schools can be held legally responsible when teachers ignore the sexual harassment of one student by another. Surveys of students suggest that more than 80 percent of female public school students experience verbal or physical abuse from other students, and nearly 40 percent say it is persistent. A lower court said the school district could not be held liable under the federal law known as Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination in schools receiving federal funds. The scope of the law does not extend to peer harassment, the court said. Other courts nationwide have split on the issue. Earlier this year, the Supreme Court made it more difficult for students who are harassed by teachers to sue under Title IX, but it has never dealt with harassment of students by their peers.
Tony Mauro, "High court to hear schools case" USA Today, September 30, 1998, A3
EDUCATION BRINGS A LIFETIME OF BIGGER PAYCHECKS
The more education you have, the more money you will make, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Other findings published in the U.S. Department of Labor's "Monthly Labor Review" include:
Carol Kleiman, "Education pays for itself in lifetime of fatter checks" Working, The Seattle Times, September 27, 1998, I1
E-MAIL MENTOR SYSTEM INSPIRES GIRLS IN ENGINEERING
A new program called "MentorNet" aims to link female students with experienced male and female professionals to provide hands-on, real-life feedback and advice. A lot of the relationship takes place over e-mail, overcoming geographical, time and scheduling constraints. Mentors are asked to volunteer for an academic year (September-June) and conduct e-mail exchanges at least once a week. MentorNet provides initial set-up and training information as well as ongoing resources if problems or questions arise. MentorNet can be reached online at their website or via e-mail () or by phone (408.924.4070). A similar program focused largely at 10th grade girls and students of color is beginning at the University of Washington Women's Center. For more information about that program call 206.685.1090.
Paul Andrews, "E-mail mentor system strives to inspire girls in engineering" The Seattle Times, September 20, 1998, C1
UW WOMEN IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING MENTORS PROGRAM
The University of Washington's Women in Science and Engineering center has developed the first comprehensive curriculum for training mentors for women in the sciences. Suzanne Brainard, director of the center, accepted the 1998 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring in a White House ceremony. One reason there are fewer women in the hard sciences and engineering is that they have fewer role models and fewer opportunities to experience those jobs firsthand. Having a mentor who is already working in the field can be a critical link for women pursuing careers in science and engineering.
Carol Smith, "Mentors give women a boost in science and engineering" Seattle Post-Intelligencer, September 11, 1998, B1
LOW INCOME HOMES WILL LEAD COMPUTER BUYERS
A new survey by Forrester Research of Cambridge, Mass., indicates that 1999 will bring a significant shift in who first-time home computer buyers will be. The study found that low income households, defined as those earning less than $35,000 a year, would become the leading source of first-time home computer purchasers. Among those first time buyers, only 37 percent will have attended college and 59 percent will be women.
Matt Richtel, News Watch "Computer Buyers' Ranks Keep Getting Broader" The New York Times, September 17, 1998, D3
SINGLE-SEX SCHOOLING PROVIDES NO SIGNIFICANT ADVANTAGE
Small classes, good teaching and a focused curriculum foster achievement in girls, regardless of whether they are in single-sex schools, according to a report released March 12 by the American Association of University Women (AAUW). A 1992 report by the AAUW led many researchers and educators to conclude that single-sex schools and classes were the best way to educate girls. That report found that girls in elementary and secondary schools were not receiving the same quantity or quality of education as boys. However, in its latest report, Separated by Sex: A critical look at single-sex education for girls, the AAUW found that, in general, there is no research that shows that single-sex education is better. "Overall, we have found that good education is what helps girls and boys succeed," said Janice Weinman, executive director of the AAUW. "Separating by sex is not necessarily the solution to gender equity." The AAUW included studies of independent and Catholic single-sex schools in the United States, as well as single-sex schools and classes in Australia, Ireland and Britain.
Nicole L. Gill, Gannett News Service, "Women's group says single-sex schooling provides no particular advantage for girls" as published in The Seattle Times, March 12, 1998, A8
LESS COMPUTER USE AND EDUCATION FOR GIRLS
Girls interested in computers encounter subtle messages- home computers in their brothers' rooms, video games with violent and sports themes aimed at boys- that act as a barrier to technology. The gap is clear:
Glenn O'Neal, "Girls often dropped from computer equation" USA Today, March 10, 1998, D4
WOMEN ACCOUNT FOR ALMOST HALF OF U.S. INTERNET USERS
Women account for almost half, about 45 percent, of the more than 50 million U.S. regular Internet users. On America Online, women now outnumber men 52 percent to 48 percent, overtaking them in the last six months. AOL's female focus includes a women's area, Electra. Web sites now court women, and "women are going online faster," says Candice Carpenter.
Mike Snider, "Gender gap in cyberspace has virtually disappeared" Published in the Lifeline column, USA Today, March 9, 1998, D1
UNHEALTHY BEHAVIOR STATISTICS FOR GIRLS
Unhealthy behaviors carry long-term consequences girls may not consider as they become sexually active, start smoking and drinking or are too trusting of others. A few statistics illustrate the issues girls face today: 30 percent smoke cigarettes by 10th grade; By the time they are high school seniors, two-thirds have had sex and 50 percent say they have drunk alcohol in the last month; One in five have been sexually abused, many of these due to date-rape; One in four are depressed, twice as often as boys. A major new study of 6,748 boys and girls in grades 5-12 found high rates of depressive symptoms, physical abuse and behaviors that put girls at risk of lifelong consequences. The survey was conducted between December 1996 and June 1997 by the Louis Harris polling firm for the Commonwealth Fund. One in seven older girls reported low self-confidence. While self-confidence improves as boys age, it worsens among girls.
Patricia Anstett, Knight-Ridder Newspapers, "Mature girls, a tangle of unhealthy behaviors" as published in The Seattle Times, February 4, 1998, D1
GENDER GAP NARROWING AMONG WEB USERS
The gender gap among Web users is narrowing according to Georgia Tech's eighth survey of Web users. Nearly 40 percent of the 10,000 Web users polled were women, up from 31 percent last year. Just four years ago, only 5 percent of the respondents were women. The study also found that privacy was the issue about which most were concerned. E-mail and the Web were considered the most "indispensable technology" by more than 80 percent of respondents, and almost half said they have created a Web page.
"Info Chips" column, The Seattle Times, February 1, 1998, C1
Internet Stops column, "Web information can help parents prepare for college" by the staff of Excite, Special to The Seattle Times, February 1, 1998, C2
GIRLS OUTSCORE BOYS ON NEW WRITING PART OF PSAT
Girls scored higher than boys on a new writing portion of the Preliminary SAT in 1997, but boys continued to outscore girls on verbal and math sections. The writing portion of the test helped girls narrow the gap between boys on overall scores, which suggests more of them have a better chance at winning the prestigious National Merit Scholarships. The College Board, which sponsors the PSAT, added a 30-minute multiple-choice test for writing skills in October as part of an agreement with the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights. The department was responding to charges that the College Board and the Educational Testing Service, which administers the tests, assisted gender discrimination because PSAT scores were the sole factor determining National Merit Scholarship semifinalists.
Mary Beth Marklein, "Girls outscore boys on PSAT's new writing portion" - USA Today, January 15, 1998, D8
THE CHALKBOARD: A CLASSROOM CORPORATE CONNECTION WEB SITE
This Web site contains information on corporate education programs, curriculum materials, grants and scholarships, and services. The purpose of The Chalkboard Web site is to make these education materials and services provided by corporations more readily available to teachers, students, parents, and community members. Free to educators, the site is funded through corporate sponsorship. For more information, call (517.631.4010) or e-mail them.
ONE IN FOUR ADULTS IN U.S. AND CANADA USE THE INTERNET
More than one in four adults in the United States and Canada now use the Internet, and they are spending an increasing amount of time and money there, according to a survey from Nielsen Media Research. More than 58 million people are on the Internet, up about 14 percent from a survey in the spring.
Leslie Miller, "1 in 4 now using the Net" - USA Today, December 11, 1997, A1
NATIONAL CENTER FOR COMMUNITY EDUCATION LAUNCHES WEB SITE
The National Center for Community Education (NCCE), a worldwide community education training center, is hosting an Internet Web site to showcase the community education/school movement. At this interactive site, interested visitors can find news and events, legislative updates, models and case studies, networking, resources and funding tips. Visitors can access "Community Schools Across America," a database of 135 exemplary community schools in the United States. Opportunities exist throughout the site for those working in the field to contribute to the site's content, including community education events, news stories, models and case studies. The NCCE, Flint, Michigan, promotes community education by providing leadership training to people who are interested in community schools.
COLLEGES NOT PREPARED TO SERVE OLDER LEARNERS
According to a report by the Commission for a Nation of Lifelong Learners, U.S. higher education is not prepared to meet the needs of adult learners, a fast-growing population on many college campuses. Adults 25 and older make up 44 percent of today's 14.2 million college students. In addition, 75 percent of workers will need retraining within the decade. These older students face such problems as inflexible class schedules, poor instruction practices, lack of support services and little financial aid.
Mary Beth Marklein, "Colleges not prepared to serve older learners" - USA Today, November 17, 1997, D6
MOST KIDS HAVE BELOW GRADE LEVEL SCIENCE KNOWLEDGE
About two-thirds of U.S. students have a basic understanding of earth, physical and life sciences, but only about a third can use that knowledge to do grade-level work, according to a report by The Nation's Report Card, which is administered by the National Assessment of Education Progress. The organization tested about 130,000 students in grades four, eight and 12 at both public and private schools in 1996. Fred Johnson, president of the National Science Teachers Association, said, "It is unacceptable that more than 70 percent of the students in each of the three grades demonstrated an understanding of science below grade level." Johnson also described as an "unconscionable tragedy" that 91-97 percent of poor students (based on free or reduced-price school lunches) performed below their grade level.
Tamara Henry, "Most kids have basic, but not working, science knowledge" - USA Today, October 22, 1997, D9
ADVANCED MATH IS KEY TO FUTURE ACHIEVEMENT
High school students who take algebra, geometry and other rigorous math courses are much more likely to be successful at college or in the workforce according to a U.S. Education Department report. 83 percent of students who take Algebra I and geometry go to college. 71 percent of low income students who take these math courses go to college. Students who enter the workforce with a solid math background earned, on average, 38 percent more per hour than peers without it.
Tamara Henry, "Taking advanced math cited as key to future achievement" - USA Today, October 20, 1997, A1
U.S. EARNS "C" GRADE FOR GENDER EQUITY
According to a recent report card on equity issued by the National Coalition for Women and Girls in Education (NCWGE), the United States earned only a "C" overall for the conditions that girls and women currently face in education. The report was issued during the 25th anniversary year of Title IX, a federal mandate against sex discrimination in education. It examines a number of areas and grades the nation's efforts to implement Title IX based on such indicators as women's participation rates, enforcement actions by the federal government and legal developments. The NCWGE, based in Washington, D.C., is made up of more than 50 national science, math, civil rights and education organizations. The group tracked conditions prior to Title IX, noted progress and cited needed improvements.
The rankings are:
The United States earned its lowest marks in sexual harassment prevention. The report found harassment still affects girls and women from elementary through post-graduate schools and causes them to avoid areas of schools, classes and even whole educational institutions.
Karen Winegar, "U.S. earns 'C' overall on gender equity in education" - Star Tribune, September 3, 1997