Girls continue to lag behind boys in U.S. science scores as gender gap widens

The most recent results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), often called the nation's "report card," indicate that girls in the United States are once again performing worse than boys in science. This gender gap, which had narrowed in previous years, has reemerged alongside a similar trend in math.

Experts point out that this is not only an American issue. Studies have found significant gender gaps in science and math achievement in countries such as Canada, France, Italy, Portugal, the Slovak Republic, and Spain. In France, for example, research suggests these disparities begin early in students' academic journeys.

Christy Hovanetz, a senior policy analyst at ExcelinEd, emphasizes that there is no single cause for these differences. She notes that while some states show a smaller performance gap—or even one favoring girls—in eighth-grade math, the overall trend remains concerning. Hovanetz says: “Even though there might be gaps, it doesn't mean that the group that is performing better is knocking it out of the park.”

Hovanetz also highlights that closing the gender gap has sometimes been due to declining scores among boys rather than improvements by girls. The latest assessment shows both boys’ and girls’ scores falling in eighth-grade science, with girls’ scores declining more rapidly.

Other factors beyond gender contribute to these trends. Research by Sean Reardon at Stanford University indicates that race and income also play a role; for instance, white affluent boys tend to outperform their female counterparts in math, while girls may surpass boys in diverse low-income districts.

Hovanetz advocates for stronger accountability policies tailored to each subject area. For math education specifically, she recommends early identification of learning deficiencies and individualized support before students reach algebra—a critical juncture for future success in STEM fields. She notes few states have gender-specific initiatives but points to programs like Black Girls Love Math as examples of targeted interventions outside traditional school systems.

Schools face additional challenges amid teacher shortages—especially acute in math and science—and declining enrollment numbers nationwide. According to a report from the Conference Board of the Mathematical Sciences (CBMS), 47 states reported shortages of qualified math teachers during the 2022-2023 school year across elementary through high school levels.

Alicia Conerly, federal programs coordinator for Marion County School District in Mississippi and outgoing president of the National Science Teaching Association, believes gains made by girls were supported by increased early exposure to STEM concepts and greater emphasis on related careers. She credits after-school initiatives like Girls Who Code and curriculum changes integrating science into other subjects as contributing factors.

However, much of this progress relied on federal pandemic relief funding—which has now ended. Conerly describes how her former district used relief funds to subscribe to an English-Language Arts curriculum embedded with science content but now faces uncertainty about continuing those resources as funds run out.

To adapt to limited budgets, districts are pooling resources with neighboring schools via platforms like Google Drive and turning to free or lower-cost materials for hands-on science experiences.

Whether these efforts will be enough to reverse declines or address persistent cultural challenges remains uncertain.