GENDER AND RACIAL ETHNIC DIFFERENCES ON PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENTS IN SCIENCE/

We examined whether the differences in mean scores among gender and ra cial/ethnic groups on science performance assessments are comparable t o the differences that are typically found among these groups on tradi tional multiple-choice tests. To do this, several hands-on science per formance assessments and other measures were administered to over 2,00 0 students in grades five, six, and nine as part of a field test of Ca lifornia's statewide testing program. Girls tended to have higher over all mean scores than boys on the performance measures, but boys tended to score higher than girls on certain types of questions within a per formance task. In contrast, differences in mean scores among racial/et hnic groups on one type of test (or question) were comparable to the d ifferences among these groups on the other measures studied. Overall, the results suggest that the type of science lest used is unlikely to have much effect on gender or racial/ethnic differences in scores.