Trends in Gender and Attainment in Scotland. SCRE Spotlights 64.

Questions are repeatedly raised about equality and equity in the education system. Teachers, policymakers, and parents have an interest in monitoring educational provision and outcomes in relation to various pupil groups, one of the most obvious being gender. To identify recent trends in the relationships between gender and attainment in Scotland, the Scottish Office Education and Industry Department commissioned a review of research and statistics about pupils' attainment by the time they leave school. The period covered was 1985-1995. This report comments on three factors connected with gender differences in attainment: (1) the effects of bias in assessment and teaching; (2) influences of home and society; and (3) the interaction between class, ethnicity, and gender in achievement. Offers suggestions for teaching that take into account differences in social class, ethnicity, and gender. Contains 24 references. (BT)