The Gender Gap in Secondary School Mathematics at High Achievement Levels: Evidence from the American Mathematics Competitions

Glenn Ellison () and Ashley Swanson

No 15238, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: This paper uses a new data source, American Mathematics Competitions, to examine the gender gap among high school students at very high achievement levels. The data bring out several new facts. There is a large gender gap that widens dramatically at percentiles above those that can be examined using standard data sources. An analysis of unobserved heterogeneity indicates that there is only moderate variation in the gender gap across schools. The highest achieving girls in the U.S. are concentrated in a very small set of elite schools, suggesting that almost all girls with the ability to reach high math achievement levels are not doing so.

JEL-codes: I2 J16 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009-08
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Published as Glenn Ellison & Ashley Swanson, 2010. "The Gender Gap in Secondary School Mathematics at High Achievement Levels: Evidence from the American Mathematics Competitions," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 24(2), pages 109-28, Spring.

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Journal Article: The Gender Gap in Secondary School Mathematics at High Achievement Levels: Evidence from the American Mathematics Competitions (2010)
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