Single Sex Education

BENEFITS

In 1992, a report issued by the American Association of University Women (AAUW) stated that girls faced widespread bias in classrooms across the United States. In the report, "How Schools Shortchange Women," researchers surveyed more than one thousand previous studies and articles on girls and education. Among the key findings cited in the report were the following:

1. Girls continued to score lower than boys on standardized tests in mathematics and science, even though their grades in the classroom tended to be higher.
2. Teachers called on boys more often, gave them more detailed criticism and allowed them to shout out answers while reprimanding girls for doing the same.
3. Few girls chose to pursue careers in math or science, and few teachers encouraged them to do so.
4. Many textbooks continued to stereotype women and failed to address issues of concern to women, such as discrimination and sexual abuse.

Although the report was designed to encourage a change in behavior in the co-ed classroom, the report was read by many as a mandate to pursue single-sex education.

Court Battles

In the following years, the media focused on how several states, specifically New York and California, experimented with gender-segregated public schools. Both the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the National Organization for Women (NOW) bitterly opposed the concept and began fighting the battle in the courts. Many educators who work in all-girls' schools say that they make a positive difference in the social, intellectual, and academic development of the girls. Studies highlighting the benefits were questioned as to whether the improvement is a result of smaller classes and academic rigor or if the absence of boys truly made a difference.

A New Study

In 1998, the AAUW released another study, "Separated by Sex: A Critical Look at Single-Sex Education for Girls." The report noted that since 1991, the student population of all-girls' schools grew from 29,000 to 38,000. Without conducting new research, but merely reviewing the existing literature, the report essentially concluded that if public schools could become more like private schools, girls would receive a better education without having to be separated from boys.

VMI

Despite the encouraging results, proponents of single sex education found themselves embattled when it came to schools that used public funds. Cries of violations of civil rights in terms of equal protection guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment led many arguments to the courts. The issue extended to the level of higher education. In 1996 the Supreme Court ruled that the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) must begin admitting women after 157 years of a male-only student body. The academy was one of the last remaining single-sex colleges in the country that accepted state funds. Private schools, however, continued to find a market for parents who believed that separating the genders allowed students to focus on their academic needs without the constant distractions of their social desires.