An Equation That Subtracts From Inequality

It doesn't take much to see that science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) jobs are essential to the U.S. economy. Look at the sky-high salaries paid in Silicon Valley or in quantitative finance, or listen to company after company say it's hard to hire enough qualified talent. More well-trained STEM professionals from low-income backgrounds would also help address economic inequality, since math skills are so highly correlated with increased incomes. Those who can think quantitatively rise to the top not just in finance and technology, but also advertising and analytics.

To get some idea of the scope of the challenge, though, let’s look at two hypothetical girls who are both interested in math and science. This exercise will also illustrate why doing more to help low-income students excel at math can put a dent in income inequality.