Equity & Diversity Report Roundup

Science Education

By Madeline Will — October 09, 2018 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Over the last two decades, the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics teaching field has become more diverse, finds a new study published by the American Educational Research Association.

Female STEM teachers increased from 43 percent in 1988 to 64 percent in 2012. And while STEM teachers are still mostly white, racial diversity in the field has slightly improved: In 1988, just 2 percent of STEM teachers identified as Hispanic—that increased to 6 percent in 2012. And the percentage of Asian STEM teachers increased from 1 to 3 percent over the same time period.

Related Tags:

A version of this article appeared in the October 10, 2018 edition of Education Week as Science Education

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management Webinar
Stop the Drop: Turn Communication Into an Enrollment Booster
Turn everyday communication with families into powerful PR that builds trust, boosts reputation, and drives enrollment.
Content provided by TalkingPoints
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Special Education Webinar
Integrating and Interpreting MTSS Data: How Districts Are Designing Systems That Identify Student Needs
Discover practical ways to organize MTSS data that enable timely, confident MTSS decisions, ensuring every student is seen and supported.
Content provided by Panorama Education
Artificial Intelligence Live Online Discussion A Seat at the Table: AI Could Be Your Thought Partner
How can educators prepare young people for an AI-powered workplace? Join our discussion on using AI as a cognitive companion.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Equity & Diversity Loan Forgiveness for Teachers of Color Is Discriminatory, Trump Admin. Says
The U.S. Department of Justice says the program meant to boost the ranks of minority teachers discriminates against white educators.
3 min read
A teacher helps two engineering students build a butterfly house.
The Trump administration has sued the Rhode Island Department of Education and the public school district in Providence, saying a program that provides loan forgiveness to teachers of color discriminates against white teachers.
Allison Shelley for All4Ed
Equity & Diversity Opinion Schools Alone Can't Be the Great Equalizer. So What Now?
When I started as a school leader, I thought focusing on factors external to school was just “making excuses.” Not anymore.
Ornella Parker
5 min read
Pencil sketch with graduation hat bridging the gap between wooden blocks for miniature student to cross.
Getty Images + Education Week
Equity & Diversity Educators Just Can’t Agree About Student Dress Codes
Educators debate dress codes’ impact, with some seeing gains for student focus and others citing bias and inequity.
1 min read
In this Sept. 7, 2018 photo, a student at Grant High School in Portland, Ore., waits for a ride after school. Portland Public Schools relaxed its dress code in 2016 after student complaints that the rules unfairly targeted female students and sexualized their fashion choices.
In this Sept. 7, 2018 photo, a student at Grant High School in Portland, Ore., waits for a ride after school. Portland Public Schools relaxed its dress code in 2016 after student complaints that the rules unfairly targeted female students and sexualized their fashion choices. In an unscientific EdWeek LinkedIn poll this August, some educators said dress codes improve focus and prepare students for the workplace, while others argued they promote bias, sexism, and conformity.
Gillian Flaccus/AP
Equity & Diversity Another District Restores a Confederate Name to Its Schools
The district dropped Robert E. Lee's name from two buildings in 2020. The Lee name will be back for the 2026-27 year.
5 min read
A Midland ISD employee walks past the front of Legacy High School on Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025, in Midland.
A Midland ISD employee walks past the front of Legacy High School on Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025, in Midland, Texas. The district's board voted to restore a Confederate general's name to two of its schools.
Eli Hartman for The Texas Tribune