It seems that the long debate over whether boys are naturally better at math than girls can finally be put to rest. Researchers examined the standardized test scores of over 7 million students in grades 2 through 11, and found no difference in performance between girls and boys. They also checked to see if a gender gap appeared in high school, as had been shown in a study 20 years ago. But researchers found no difference in scores among today's students, which they attributed to an increased number of girls taking advanced math classes.
“Now that enrollment in advanced math courses is equalized, we don’t see gender differences in test performance,” said [study coauthor] Marcia C. Linn.... “But people are surprised by these findings, which suggests to me that the stereotypes are still there” [The New York Times].
The study, published in the journal Science [subscription required] seemed to shatter ...
