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3 Increasing Women’s Pursuit of STEM Degrees: Selective High Schools and a Challenging Curriculum May Help

Women have made great inroads into a variety of careers and academic fields in the United States in the past century, yet there are still barriers, particularly in regard to pursuing STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields. Selective public high schools help remove some of those barriers by providing female students with opportunities to be in a challenging curriculum with like-minded peers. Out study’s results support the positive relationship between female students attending a selective, specialized public high school in New York City and graduating with a degree in STEM from an honors college. Ultimately, these schools are one factor that can lead to increases in women’s participation in STEM careers and contributions to societal progress.

Author(s):

Pessy Sloan
drpjsloan@hotmail.com
Daemen College
United States

Pessy J. Sloan received her Ph.D. in Clinical and School Psychology from Hofstra University. She is an assistant professor in the Education Department of Daemen College. She has many years of experience as a clinician, school psychologist, and researcher. Her current areas of research are gifted and high-achieving students, women, and STEM.