Trends in Advanced Placement Science and Mathematics Test-Taking Among Female Students in California: A Latent Variable Approach

Abstract

This study compares trends in participation and performance on all science and
mathematics Advanced Placement exams for female and male students in California high
schools over a six-year period. Results indicate that while more females are participating
in Advanced Placement science and mathematics they are not performing to the levels of
their male counterparts. This performance gap presents a real obstacle for females as they
prepare to enter college and later compete for jobs in these fields after graduation. As
such, these findings signal the need for additional research that identifies means of
reducing the performance gap between males and females in Advanced Placement
examinations.