As part of the Nation’s Report Card body of tests, eighth grade girls beat their male peers on a technology and engineering literacy test.
The test covers three content areas. Girls and boys were virtually equal in technology and society, as well as design and systems. Girls beat boys by enough on the information and communication technology portion of the test for their average overall scores to come out in favor of girls.
Female black or white students outperformed males of their respective races, while female Hispanic or Asian students were basically equal with their male counterparts.
Females whose parents graduated from college or had some education after high school also scored better than males in the same category.
Overall, the test found that only 43 percent of eighth graders were proficient in technology and engineering literacy. About 83 percent had a basic understanding or better.
The test, completely computer-based, asked students to complete tasks like designing a safe bike lane “that meets specific requirements while accounting for trade-offs between options including cost and safety,” according to the Nation’s Report Card. Other possible tasks included creating website content and fixing a small ecological environment.
The information and communication technology content covers “software and systems used for accessing, creating, and communicating information, and for facilitating creating expression.” Design and systems covers “the nature of technology” while technology and society covers “the effects that technology has on society and the environment as well as the ethical questions raise by those effects.”
Jason Russell is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.
