Equity in Science and Mathematics Education

From the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory
Equity in the Reform of Mathematics and Science Education: A Look at Issues and Solutions
by Mary Jo Powell
Available from:
Southwest Educational Development Laboratory
211 East Seventh Street
Austin, Texas 78701
Full report $21,
Executive Summary $2

A review of the literature concerning equity in mathematics and science education, this book is designed as a reference tool for those working to change policy and practices. A 30-page executive summary is available as well as the complete 185-page document.

Equity Materials in Mathematics, Science, and Technology: A Resource Guide
by Marylin A. Hulme
Available from:
Mid-Atlantic Eisenhower
Consortium for Mathematics
and Science Education,
Research for Better Schools
444 North Third
Street Philadelphia, PA 19123
Free

A 35-page annotated bibliography (2nd edition: August 1994) of print and nonprint materials focused on equity in math and science. Also presents resources for career information.

Lifting the Barriers: 600 Strategies that REALLY WORK to Increase Girls' Participation in Science, Mathematics, and Computers
by Jo Sanders
Available from:
Jo Sanders
P.O. Box 483
Port Washington, NY 11050
$13.95 + 15% shipping & handling

This collection of suggestions and tips includes both simple strategies ("Use a sign-up sheet that alternates girls and boys for computer time") and more complicated endeavors ("Set up a summer mentorship program for girls in your school"). Topics include suggestions for fund-raising, field trips, extracurricular activities, curriculum ideas, and participation in contests and competitions.

"Meeting the Challenges of Diversity and Relevance"
by Margaret Schwan Smith and Edward A. Silver
Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School
September-October 1995,
Pages 442Ð448.

This journal article discusses mathematics instruction, relating students' experiences and interests to classroom activities. The journal is published by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM).

Science Equals Success
by Catherine R. Conwell
Available from Women's Education Equity Act Publishing Center
55 Chapel Street, Suite 200
Newton, MA 02158-1060
$16.00

This collection of hands-on, discovery-oriented science activities puts special emphasis on problem-solving, cooperative learning, spatial skills, and career awareness.

The SAVI/SELPH Program (Scientific Activities for the Visually Impaired/Science Enrichment for Learners with Physical Handicaps)
Lawrence Hall of Science
University of California
Berkeley, CA 94720
Telephone (510) 642-1016

The SAVI/SELPH kits, print materials, and video resources from the Center for Multisensory Learning, while originally designed for disabled students, have been found to have "significant application in regular upper-elementary classrooms" (SAVI/SELPH brochure). The reasonably priced packets and videos include activities that focus on communication, environmental energy, kitchen interactions, magnetism and electricity, mixtures and solutions, scientific reasoning, structures of life, and measurement. Materials kits that provide the "stuff" of scientific investigation (basins, water jugs, washers, string, etc.) are available for purchase or rent. Call for a catalog with specific price listings.

Science Teams: Elementary Teachers and Students Discover Environmental Science Through Cooperative Learning
by Aleta You Mastny, Sami Kahn, and Sharon J. Sherman
Available from:
Consortium for Educational Equity
Rutgers University
Bldg. 4090, Livingston Campus
New Brunswick, NJ 08903
$150.00

A teacher's manual accompanies a videotape presenting ideas for using cooperative learning in the elementary science classroom with a particular focus on encouraging girls and minority students.