Suit up for another (data) dumpster dive!
Today’s sporting event: Minnesota, which is an interesting state regarding gender – the first state (in 2003-4) where women outnumbered men at all degree-earning levels, from associates through PhD. This chart is from that year. Btw: I just checked the updated figures for 2006, and nothing much has changed.
What’s new are the state K-12 test numbers released Monday, which in theory might offer clues as to why Minnesota leads the nation in university gender gaps. Appropriately, the Star Tribune focused on the racial gap numbers from the report.
Neither the press nor the Minnesota Education Department had anything to say about gender gaps, which is not surprising. You never find what you’re not looking for. But the gender numbers are there, buried deep in the state data (OK, I had some help from a state education department official to complete the dumpster dive … one doesn’t learn the dolphin kick in a day).
What I discovered roughly mirrors what was unearthed in last week’s New York dumpster dive. Girls are outperforming boys in both reading and math (an all-grades average). The math numbers are a near tie, with girls ahead by a single point. But the reading scores are eight points apart. In a new economic world where even police departments require college degrees at some level – and literacy skills are the currency of any college degree – that matters.
These gender gaps in Minnesota, however, strike me as typical, leaving this question unanswered: Why does Minnesota lead the nation in women outdoing men in higher education? I have no idea. Perhaps Garrison Keillor has some insights here.
As for what Minnesota women are majoring in compared to men (I make the argument that the college gender gaps mean that for economic reasons we need to start caring about that) here’s the comparison from 2004. You can draw your own conclusions.
Tags: minnesota
July 1st, 2008 at 8:51 am
[...] Ian Casselberry wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptGirls are outperforming boys in both reading and math (an all-grades average). The math numbers are a near tie, with girls ahead by a single point. But the reading scores are eight points apart. In a new economic world where even police … Read the rest of this great post here [...]