In the largest study of its kind, girls measured up to boys in every grade, from second through 11th. The research was released Thursday in the journal Science http://www.sciencemag.org/index.dtl .
Parents and teachers persist in thinking boys are simply better at math, said Janet Hyde, the University of Wisconsin-Madison researcher who led the study. And girls who grow up believing it wind up avoiding harder math classes.
"It keeps girls and women out of a lot of careers, particularly high-prestige, lucrative careers in science and technology," Hyde said.
By Libby Quaid, USA TODAY