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3 Increasing Women’s Pursuit of STEM Degrees: Selective High Schools and a Challenging Curriculum May Help
This study examined gifted female students who graduated from NYC selective specialized public high schools and the impact of attending an academically challenging high school on graduating with a STEM degree from an honors college. A causal-comparative study design was applied. The participant pool consisted of 616 female graduates from seven honors colleges in the northeastern United States. Of the 616 female graduates, 187 students attended NYC selective specialized public high schools and 429 students graduated from other high schools. The study found a significant difference (p<.05) between the two groups. These results support the positive relationship between female students attending a selective specialized public high school and graduating with a degree in STEM from an honors college. The implications of providing an appropriately challenging education for all, especially female gifted students are discussed.