Research brief
Boys regain the advantage in middle school STEM skills: Post-COVID trends in gender achievement gaps
May 2025
Description
Building on NWEAās previous research series examining the impacts of COVID-19 related disruptions to learning, this study investigates how boysā and girlsā achievement levels in STEM skills were affected. It starts by analyzing five years of data from three national assessments ā TIMMS, NAEP, and NWEAās MAP Growth ā to estimate trends in gender gaps in 8th grade throughout the pandemic. The study then examines a sample of MAP Growth data from two million students to determine whether gender gaps widened among low- and high-achieving students. Finally, it explores whether enrollment in 8th grade Algebra varied by gender during and after the pandemic.
See MoreTopics: COVID-19 & schools, Equity, Growth, Math & STEM