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Dr. T said...

Here are the perfect scores per 100,000 SAT takers:

Math: 11.2 - boys, 4.7 - girls
Reading: 5.8 - boys, 5.4 - girls
Writing: 4.0 - boys, 4.7 - girls

Ratios (boys to girls):
Math: 2.4:1
Reading: 1.1:1
Writing: 1:1.2

Thus, among SAT takers, boys clearly outperform girls at the highest level in mathematics. The differences between boys and girls in reading and writing at the highest levels are small.

The biological, neurological, and performance-based findings overwhelmingly support the theory that, on average, males are better than females at mathematics, spacial relationships, and fields that apply those concepts such as physics and engineering. It is well-known that males have wider intelligence-related variances than females. Combining these two factors explains why the most brilliant mathematicians, physicists, chemists, engineers, and chess players are almost exclusively men: the uppermost (and lowermost) tails of intelligence distribution have few women.

Note: The best theory on the cause of the differences between male and female brains is the effect of higher levels of testosterone on early brain development. Experiments on animals with sex-based ability differences have shown that adding testosterone during the gestation and infancy of females produces male-pattern brains. Depriving male animals of testosterone in utero and during infancy produces female-pattern brains.

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PeakTrader said...

High school dropout rates are relevant:

High School Dropout Rates by Sex
Percentage of Dropouts from 1960–2006

The percentage of high school dropouts, ages 16-24, has declined since 1960. The percentage of male students who dropped out of high school has decreased from 27.8% in 1960 to 10.3% in 2006. The percentage of female dropouts has decreased from 26.7% to 8.3%.

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Hydra said...

Speaking of standardized tests:

With China’s debut in international standardized testing, students in Shanghai have surprised experts by outscoring their counterparts in dozens of other countries, in reading as well as in math and science, according to the results of a respected exam.

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PeakTrader said...

Hydra, what about if the top 50% of U.S. students are ranked higher than the top 20% of students in any other country?

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PeakTrader said...

Minnesota Office of Higher Education
ACT Scores

In Minnesota, the most commonly taken standardized college entrance exam is the ACT. Seventy percent of Minnesota high school graduates in 2010 took the assessment.

Minnesota's average composite score of 22.9 was the highest in the nation...Minnesota has led the nation in average composite ACT scores for six consecutive years. The national composite score was 21.0.

The data indicate that:

Students who take rigorous high school courses consistently perform better on the ACT.

Some states, including Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Tennessee and Wyoming require all (or nearly all) of their high school seniors to take the assessment.

The ACT results are more representative of Minnesota than the SAT. Only about 10 percent of Minnesota college bound seniors take the SAT, compared to 46 percent nationally. Minnesota students taking the SAT are typically applying to selective out-of-state colleges.

"Some states, including Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Tennessee and Wyoming require all (or nearly all) of their high school seniors to take the (ACT) assessment."

ACT Profile Report-State
Graduating Class 2009

Average ACT Score-Mathematics

National

Male 21.6
Female 20.4

By State

Colorado

Male 20.9
Female 20.1

Michigan

Male 20.1
Female 19.1

Illinois

Male 21.3
Female 20.3

Kentucky

Male 19.4
Female 18.7

Louisiana

Male 20.1
Female 19.1

Mississippi

Male 18.7
Female 17.9

Tennessee

Male 20.5
Female 19.3

Wyoming

Male 20.3
Female 19.4

Here's a link to all the ACT 2009 state data:

http://www.act.org/news/data/09/states.html