A few years ago, former Harvard University President Lawrence H. Summers made a remark at an academic conference that caused such an uproar it eventually contributed to his demise as the university's president.

"The innate differences between men and women might be one reason fewer women succeed in science and math careers," he said.

Since that remark, there has been a debate in academic circles about whether the difference in math performance between boys and girls is "nature" or "nurture." The debate may be over. In a recent study published in Science magazine, four researchers found that out of 276,000 15-year-olds in 40 countries who took a math test, girls scored 2 percent lower than boys.

On their surface, the facts are misleading. The researchers found that it was national culture, not innate ability, that caused the lower test scores with girls. Indeed, the difference in girls' performance in math is based on a societal attitude toward women.

In countries that promoted a culture where women were considered subordinate to men, such as Korea and Turkey, the math scores were lower for girls. In Norway, Sweden and Iceland, where women are considered equal to men, there was no difference in test scores between boys and girls. The United States ranked lower than Norway, Sweden, Iceland and the Netherlands for gender inequality, but ranked higher for gender inequality and the gap in math scores when compared to those countries where the subordination of women was extreme.

The findings in this study have profound implications that connect our behavior to learning that takes place in the formal educational setting. If we want our girls to excel in math and science in the classroom, it is the responsibility of each one of us to model the principle of the equality of men and women so that we create a culture that will positively affect those attitudinal attributes that contribute to higher academic performance in math - for girls and boys.

Dr. Kerry Hart is the outgoing dean of Colorado Mountain College's Alpine Campus in Steamboat Springs. He begins as president of Morgan Community College in Fort Morgan on Aug. 1. Until then, contact him at 870-4414 or khart@coloradomtn.edu.