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You may have heard of the GEMS (Girls in Engineering, Math, and Science) and GISE (Guys In Science and Engineering) organization, but have you heard how beneficial the organization is to students? A recent study has found that girls who participate in GEMS sessions score higher on national tests, are more likely to be on track to graduate, have a higher attendance rate, and complete more graduation requirements than girls who have not taken any GEMS sessions. GEMS and GISE sessions occur after-school or during the summer in the Minneapolis Public School District in Minnesota. The study is based on the 2006-2007 school year, and has shown that not only do current and former GEMS show stronger performance, 100% of them in the 12th grade completed ALL graduation requirements.
The study used scores on the NALT (Northwest Achievement Levels Test) to weigh the impact of the GEMS organization against those who have not participated in GEMS. On the reading portion of the NALT, GEMS had a mean score of 58, while non-GEMS had a mean score of 46. GEMS also scored better on the math portion, with a mean score of 59, and non-GEMS with a mean score of 48.
The study also reported that the more GEMS sessions a student took, the higher her test scores are likely to be. Following is a breakdown of mean scores on the NALT on the reading portion:
This was also true on the math portion of the NALT, as shown here by the mean scores:
GEMS in grades 9-12 are more likely to pass graduation tests than non-GEMS. Overall, GEMS have an 85.5% passing rate, while non-GEMS have only a 61.7% passing rate. African American GEMS are almost twice as likely to pass graduation tests with a rate of 75.6% than African American non-GEMS, with a rate of 48%. You can also see some big impacts if you compare the passing rate of all students by grade level:
GEMS are more likely to be on track to graduate. In fact, 78.7% of GEMS are on track, compared to only 54.4% of non-GEMS. GEMS also have a slighly higher attendance record, with the average attendance percentage at 95.2% for GEMS and 92.8% for non-GEMS.
The bottom line is it pays for girls to get involved in engineering, mathematics, and science! For more information on the GEMS-GISE organization, you can visit their website at http://www.gems-gise.org. If you are interested in complete breakdown of the study, including test scores, attendance rates, and graduation rates all broken down by grade level, sessions attended, race, and eligibilty for Free/Reduced lunches, please email me at spainter@pitsco.com. You can also view a slideshow with the results of the study, complete with charts, at: http://www.gems-gise.org/GEMS Data 2007.pdf