Afro-Caribbean women initially construct their science identity outside of the United States in unique sociocultural contexts where Black is the dominant racial group and British-styled instruction remains intact. Afro-Caribbean women often experience the "triple threat" minoritizing effects of being Black, female, and…

Scientific thinking and understanding are essential for all people navigating the world, not just for scientists and other science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) professionals. Knowledge of science and the practice of scientific thinking are essential components of a fully functioning democracy. Science is also crucial for the…

Using the nationally representative High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09), this study documents that rural and small-town students were significantly less likely to enroll in postsecondary STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) degree programs, compared with their suburban peers. This study also shows that schools…

In the last decades, developed economies have witnessed significant declines in wages for low-skill workers, increases in employment in high-skill occupations, rapid diffusion of new technology, and expanding offshoring opportunities. Labor markets in developed countries have reallocated labor from manual to cognitive jobs and from routine to…

Washington employment projections continue to show strong demand for workers with postsecondary education. Nearly 70 percent of all projected job openings require at least some education beyond high school, with two-thirds requiring midlevel education or higher. As businesses, industries, and workplaces become increasingly complex, employers need…

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields are considered catalysts for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Yet, particularly for STEM fields, girls and women, for a multitude of social, cultural and psychological reasons, engage and participate at a lower rate than boys and men. This research…

In rural settings, leaving for college can mean a young person's first step in leaving home forever (Sherman & Sage, 2011). That presents a serious challenge for college recruiters as they ask parents from Indian reservations or close-knit Hispanic or rural farming communities to allow their children to consider postsecondary opportunities. In…

Many schools and programs in low-income neighborhoods lack access to the technological resources, including equipment and Internet service, that those in middle- and upper-income neighborhoods have at their fingertips. This inequity creates a persistent digital divide--not a simple divide in access to technology per se, but a divide in both formal…

With the adoption of substantial changes to Texas high school curricula in 2013 (HB5), a central question for Texas policymakers, education and business leaders, families, and students is whether and how HB5 implementation impacts the state of college readiness and success in Texas. Comprehensive research is needed to understand the implications…

In 1976, the challenges faced by women of color who pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields were first brought to national attention by Shirley M. Malcom, Paula Hall, and Janet Brown in a report titled "The Double Bind: The Price of Being a Minority Woman in Science." In commemoration of the 35th…

This Research-in-Brief is one in a series of publications highlighting the Institute for Women's Policy Research's (IWPR) most significant research contributions to policy issues affecting women across IWPR's twenty-five year history. Recognizing that education is the gateway to opportunity, the IWPR has been a significant source of research on…

The Department of Education Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2018-2022 describes the policy and operational priorities for the agency. The Plan details the Department's strategic goals and objectives over the next four years. The Plan also provides an overview of our Fiscal Year 2018-2019 Agency Priority Goals.

The Department of Education Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2014-2018 describes the key policy and operational priorities for the agency. The Plan details the Department's strategic performance goals, objectives and indicators of success over the next five years. The Plan also provides an overview of our Fiscal Year 2014-2015 agency Priority…

This report, provides detailed analyses and projections of occupations in healthcare fields, and wages earned. In addition, the important skills and work values associated with workers in those fields of healthcare are discussed. Finally, the authors analyze the implications of research findings for the racial, ethnic, and class diversity of the…

This article reports the results of a retrospective survey of participants in an exemplary transition program for college-bound youth with disabilities. The study compared how male and female participants perceived changes in themselves in the areas of academic skills, social skills, Internet skills, levels of preparation for college and…