Mind the Gap: The Role of Gender and Social Capital in STEM Choice

Background/Context:As states implement policies to expand STEM pathways, addressing persistent gender gaps in STEM education and careers remains a critical concern. In 2014–2015, Texas introduced a high-school graduation policy requiring students to declare an academic endorsement, similar to a high school major, including a STEM option. Beginning with the class of 2018, students in the Houston Independent School District (HISD) were subject to this policy. In 2019, HISD added a personalized intervention: high-school guidance counselors conducted Personal Graduation Plan (PGP) check-ins with seniors to assess progress toward endorsement completion. These check-ins may have served as a form of social capital, influencing students’ endorsement decisions, including girls’ persistence in STEM pathways.Purpose:This study examines whether personalized guidance counseling can affect gender gaps in STEM choice. We examine whether a district-wide policy requiring senior-year check-ins might have influenced girls’ persistence in STEM, with particular attention to students from low-income backgrounds and underserved neighborhoods.Research Design:We use HISD administrative data to analyze endorsement selections and changes over time for the 2018 and 2019 cohorts. We begin by assessing gender gaps in ninth-grade STEM endorsement selection using binary logistic regression. We then use multinomial logistic regression to examine whether the PGP check-ins are associated with differential persistence patterns by gender and cohort.Results:We find persistent gender gaps in STEM endorsement selection beginning in ninth grade, with girls less likely than boys to choose STEM. Without personalized counseling, these gaps persisted through graduation. However, the PGP check-in was associated with a disproportionate reduction in girls dropping the STEM endorsement and a greater likelihood of adding STEM, especially among girls from low-income backgrounds and underserved neighborhoods.Conclusions:These findings suggest that relational interventions like personalized guidance counseling may help mitigate gender disparities in STEM pathways. Expanding access to such interventions may promote greater equity in STEM education and beyond.