Girls fell behind boys in math post-Covid in the US: Here’s how schools are fighting back

In the years leading up to the Covid-19 pandemic, the gender gap in maths achievement across US school districts had been narrowing steadily. Girls were not only catching up with boys but, in some districts, outperforming them. However, the pandemic brought significant disruptions to education, and girls have since lost the academic ground gained over the previous decade.According to data compiled by the Educational Opportunity Project at Stanford University and analysed by the Associated Press, test scores in maths for girls dropped more sharply than for boys. While both groups experienced setbacks due to school closures and remote learning, boys have recovered faster, resulting in a widened gender gap in maths performance post-pandemic.The gender gap reversed after a decade of progressBefore the pandemic, national-level data showed a promising trend in gender parity in maths across thousands of US school districts. In the 2008-2009 academic year, 2,912 school districts had higher average maths scores for boys, while 2,183 districts had higher scores for girls. By 2019, the balance had shifted — 2,652 districts had girls performing better, compared to 2,443 for boys.However, that parity disappeared in the wake of the pandemic. In 2022, boys scored higher in 3,955 districts, while girls led in only 1,140. This gap continued to widen, with 4,442 districts reporting higher scores for boys in the 2023-2024 school year, compared to just 653 districts for girls.The data, as reported by the Associated Press, includes test scores for pupils from third through eighth grade in over 5,000 school districts across 33 states in the US.Pandemic disrupted support systems for girls in STEMBefore Covid, many US schools had adopted teaching practices that encouraged flexible thinking and problem-solving over rote memorisation — methods that research indicated were particularly effective for engaging girls in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and maths). However, as schools shifted rapidly to remote learning, those strategies were abandoned.As reported by the Associated Press, Michelle Stie of the National Math and Science Initiative stated, “Let’s just call it what it is. When society is disrupted, you fall back into bad patterns.” The shift towards repetition-heavy learning during remote instruction may have favoured boys and disadvantaged girls, according to education experts cited in the report.In addition, special STEM programmes and extracurricular activities tailored to boost girls’ confidence and interest in these subjects were put on hold and were slow to resume. This lack of structured support appears to have significantly impacted girls’ academic engagement in STEM disciplines.Changing the narrative in the classroomSome school districts have taken targeted steps to re-engage girls in STEM education. At De Zavala Middle School in Irving, Texas, for example, a new STEM-focused curriculum has been introduced, with the current sixth-grade class comprising an equal number of girls and boys. Teachers at the school use hands-on learning with Lego Education kits to introduce complex concepts like kinetic energy and genetics.In one such lesson observed by the Associated Press, a group of sixth-grade girls worked collaboratively to troubleshoot a sensor-based machine using coloured cards. After trial and error, they discovered that the machine reacted differently to colour variations — an exercise in persistence and creative problem-solving encouraged by their teacher’s emphasis on iteration over mistakes.“We want to build critical thinkers and problem solvers,” said Erin O’Connor, a STEM and innovation specialist with the district, as quoted by the Associated Press.Biases remain a challenge from an early ageDespite progress in curriculum design, underlying societal biases persist. Teachers report that some girls express a lack of confidence in their maths abilities as early as primary school. Raphael Bonhomme, a third-grade teacher in Washington, D.C., shared that during a classroom identity exercise, some eight-year-old girls already described themselves as “not a math person,” as reported by the Associated Press.Educational researchers, such as Professor Janine Remillard at the University of Pennsylvania, suggest that girls tend to benefit from teaching styles that connect maths to real-world applications. During the pandemic, these teaching methods were among the first to be dropped, according to educators quoted by the Associated Press.Five steps US schools are taking to close the gender gapIntroducing hands-on learning early: Schools are embedding STEM activities into early primary years to develop interest and reduce gender imbalance in later years.Gender-balanced classroom environments: Some districts are adjusting STEM enrolment to ensure equal representation, which encourages participation from girls.Investing in teacher training: Post-pandemic, schools are retraining teachers in student-centred instructional methods, including how to teach girls effectively in STEM.Reviving extracurricular STEM programmes: Initiatives such as coding clubs and robotics competitions specifically target girls to rebuild confidence and interest.Challenging internalised bias: Teachers are actively working to help girls see themselves as capable maths learners from a young age through classroom culture and identity work.Recovery efforts still in progressAlthough schools have started to address the learning loss, recovery is still underway. As quoted by the Associated Press, Megan Kuhfeld, a researcher with education assessment firm NWEA, stated, “It wasn’t something like Covid happened and girls just fell apart.” The data, however, shows that the gender gap in maths, which had nearly closed, has since reopened significantly.Educational institutions across the US are now focusing on rebuilding what was lost — not just in scores, but in confidence, culture, and opportunity.