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As technical and scientific innovation continue to drive the global economy, educators, policymakers, and scientists seek to promote students' interest and achievement in the STEM fields to maintain the nation's competitive position (National Academy of Sciences 2006; National Science Board 2007; President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology 2012). Many researchers have studied differences in male and female students' attitudes toward and performance in STEM courses and assessments. While some research shows that gaps in male and female performance on STEM-related assessments have narrowed or even closed (Lindberg et al. 2010), other research continues to report gender differences in student affective dispositions (i.e., interest) toward mathematics and science, as well as differences in student performance in mathematics and science, especially in math-intensive science fields (Ceci et al. 2014; White House Council on Women and Girls 2011). This "Statistics in Brief" describes high school graduates' attitudes toward STEM courses (specifically, mathematics and science), credits earned in STEM fields, and performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) mathematics and science assessments in 2009. This brief uses data from two sources to investigate the research questions. The first is the 2009 NAEP High School Transcript Study (HSTS), conducted in conjunction with the 2009 NAEP assessment administration. Data for this brief also come from the 2009 NAEP Grade 12 Mathematics and Science Student Questionnaires, which collected information from students on their classroom experiences and educational support. The following are appended: (1) Data Tables; and (2) Standard Error Tables.

1Boy Crusoe

By Allan Eric

Also published as" A Yankee Crusoe" . A 15 year old hard working and studious farm boy finds the lure of adventure on the seas as a merchant seaman more than he can resist. This is his story. " I was born in a little town in the State of Maine, near the close of the Civil War. My boyhood life did not differ materially from that of the average farmer's son in the remote country districts of New England--except, perhaps, that I read more and thought more. Hard work on the rugged soil, two terms each year in the little yellow country schoolhouse, a day's fishing now and then filled the early years of my life full to over-flowing. " What he gets is enough excitement and adventure to overflow his wildest dreams. How he experiences disaster and uses his wits and knowledge to overcome every problem makes for a great read. - Summary by Phil Chenevert