9619121 Kerr Talented girls and women drop out of advanced math and science courses more frequently and choose college majors in science, engineering, and mathematics less often than do boys and men. Native American, African American, and Hispanic girls are particularly at risk for not achieving their career goals. The high school counselors, administrators, and math/science educators are the guidance providers who are the missing links in nationwide efforts to change practices which discourage math/science talented girls and women. This project is designed to: (a) teach secondary counselors, administrators and math/science educators specific research-based techniques for guiding and encouraging math/science talented girls and women; (b) to increase these guidance providers' knowledge of and interest in careers in science, engineering, and mathematics; (c) to expand a successful program for providing counseling and encouragement to math/science talented at-risk girls; (d) to involve guidance providers in creating guidance plans and training colleagues in their own schools and colleges; and (e) to disseminate this information throughout the counseling, school administration, and math/science education professions. The techniques taught are based on those developed for the NSF-sponsored project on career development for talented at-risk girls. For three years, during the series of one-week summer seminars each year, counselors, administrators, and science educators in the southwest will be taught the knowledge and skills for guiding career development of math/science talented girls. An experimental component will allow participants to work with talented at-risk girls one-on-one and to experience hands-on science activities together. Three similar winter seminars will be offered to counselors at the nation's leading specialized schools for math, science, and technology, as well as southwest guidance providers. A consulting team and a Handbook for Guiding Girls and Women will further d isseminate this knowledge throughout the counseling, school administration, and math/science education professions.
