IN SEARCH OF MATH-SMART GIRLS IN NEW YORK: WHERE SHOULD WE BE LOOKING?

As some children seem to be born ready to eat food— arriving with natal teeth — others are undoubtedly born smarter than their peers. The early teethers may give their mothers a hard time during breastfeeding, while the "smarties" appear to sense when their mothers were in distress during pregnancy, and later always asking "why". Some children, indeed, later recounted that they heard their mothers crying while developing in the womb.

Such children could be "Baby Brain," the character outlined by Phelan (2004). There in,

Mr. and Mrs. Brains stimulate their unborn infant's intelligence by reading aloud, playing music, and turning up the volume for the news. Their plan succeeds so brilliantly that, only days after his birth, Baby Brains is reading the newspaper, fixing the car, and noting, "I'd like to go to school tomorrow. (p. 1)

Although the idea that some children are naturally more intelligent than others often sparks debate — reviving the age-old argument of nature (genetics) versus nurture (environment) — my focus lies elsewhere. I seek to know where, at the earliest stage, to find the most mathematically gifted female students in New York State.

This aim is an important task. Just as early Americans were urged to "Go West" in search of fortune, America's future — framed in calls like President Trump's "Make America Great Again" — demands a new direction: preparing knowledgeable workers for rapidly advancing high-tech industries. Because females are the majority population and remain underrepresented in mathematics, identifying and nurturing this talent is critical for the nation’s future.

Math-Smart

For this analysis, New York State's "math-smartest" third-grade students are defined as those who achieved a Level 4 score on the 2019 state math test. These data are publicly available. To simplify interpretation, New York's 62 counties were divided into two groups:

• Table 1 contains the top 31 counties with the highest level 4 scores.
• Table 2 contains the bottom 31 counties.

Findings

Brooklyn, New York's most populated county, had the highest number of math-smart third graders (n = 3,252). Queens, the second most populated, ranked second; Manhattan (New York County, third in population), third; Nassau (sixth in population), fourth; Westchester (seventh in population), fifth; and the Bronx (fourth in population), sixth.

Thus, the number of math-smart third-grade girls correlated with county population size — higher populated counties produced more math-smart girls.

New York State is geographically divided into three regions:

• Downstate (most populated, wealthiest, and best educated),
• Upstate, and
• Western New York (least populated and poorest).

Given this distribution, investors looking to build high-tech plants might be tempted to focus solely on Downstate, given its apparent concentration of math talent. But this approach would be a mistake — a failure of vision that would shortchange the potential of other regions and our state's future workforce.

Percentage Passing Rate: A Better Measure

While raw numbers suggest where math talent is concentrated, a better measure of a county’s educational success is its percentage of students achieving Level 4.

Before pregnant mothers rush to register their unborn children in Brooklyn schools — or investors stampede to build plants there — consider this:

• Manhattan (38%),
• Nassau (32%), and
• Saratoga (31%)

all had higher percentages of math-smart third graders than Brooklyn, which had a 28% rate.

Richmond (Staten Island) ranked 10th, with a 23% rate, and the Bronx ranked 38th out of 62 counties, with a 16% rate.

Notably, except for Saratoga, all these counties are Downstate.

A Case for Upstate and Western New York

However, several upstate and western counties also demonstrated strong percentage performances, including:

• Warren County,
• Tioga,
• Saratoga,
• Rensselaer, and
• Cattaraugus (Western NY).

Key Questions for Researchers and Policymakers

The critical question for educational researchers is this:

Would teachers in these high-performing Upstate and Western NY counties achieve similar outcomes if tasked with teaching larger, more multicultural classes, as in Downstate?

An affirmative answer would have powerful implications: If these regions can scale their success, companies could confidently build plants Upstate or in Western NY, knowing they could draw from a pipeline of talented, diverse workers willing to relocate for good schools and jobs.

Conclusion

New York’s math-smart girls are not confined to Downstate. Focusing only on population centers risks overlooking pockets of excellence in smaller counties. A balanced, statewide approach to identifying and nurturing mathematical talent — especially among girls — is essential to prepare for a future driven by technology and innovation. Still, being originally from Bronx and having children who succeeded in its schools, I am concerned with the low passing rate. Something must be done.

Table 1

Top 31 NY Counties by Level 4 scores

Note. Digits on top of bars represent % passing rate.

Source: Green (2025) Analysis of NYSED (2019) Report Card

Table 2

Bottom 31 NY Counties by Level 4 scores

Note. Digits on top of bars represent % passing rate.

Note No of passing rate lower rating score scales.

Source: Green (2025) Analysis of NYSED (2019) Report Card

Reference

Phelan, C. (2004). Baby brains: The smartest baby in the whole world.?The Booklist,?101(6), 584. Available at ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. (Order No. 235580429)