Are Single Sex Schools Good for Girls?

I was rejected from all girls' schools, twice. The first time was when my parents applied, on my behalf, to kindergarten and later, when I applied to college. Of course, there's no turning back. But having met a number of genuinely confident and accomplished women who are of the all-girls school ilk, I think, in my case, I would have benefited. It turns out that graduates of all-girls high schools show stronger academic orientations and higher levels of confidence in their math and computer abilities than their coed peers according to a national study issued last month by UCLA's Graduate School of Education & Information Studies.Instinctively this is not news to many of us who may have squelched our intelligence and voices in the company of guys back in the day, but the report shows that not everything is sugar and spice.

In an effort to contribute something new to the existing knowledge on single-sex education, researchers looked at the achievements, aspirations and attitudes of women entering college and the "net effects" of single-sex secondary schooling after controlling for students' demographic background and other high school characteristics.

The results of the study, carried out by Linda J. Sax and her colleagues with funding from The National Coalition for Girls' Schools, compares the achievements, aspirations and behaviors of 6,552 graduates of 225 independent girls' schools and 14,684 of their peers from 1,169 coeducational independent schools.

Academics: Good News
The report's findings reveal that girls' school graduates consistently assess their abilities, engagement and ambition as either above average or in the top 10 percent. Compared to their co-ed counterparts, they are more likely to pursue careers in engineering, (typically male dominated), engage in political discussions (switch from being seen and not heard), keep current with political affairs, and see college as a steppingstone to graduate school (we're talking schools here).

We also learn from the report that independent single-sex school girls interact more with their teachers, they study longer hours and the mean SAT composite scores (verbal plus math) were 43 points higher for female single-sex graduates in the independent school sector than their co-ed counterparts.

Self-Esteem: Not-So-Good News
There were few distinctions between these groups when it came to psychological and physical well-being. Self-ratings of emotional and physical health were virtually identical for single-sex and coeducational graduates, and both groups are equally likely to anticipate seeking personal counseling in college. Face it, being a girl is tough, especially when it comes to being in the company of other girls. The sad thing is that for many, this doesn't improve with age. The exception in the little distinction category is that 42.8 percent of independent single-sex attendees reported frequently feeling overwhelmed by their responsibilities compared to 38.0 percent of women from independent coeducational schools. Hmm. Think this has anything to do with 43 point SAT differentiation?

Girl Power
Supporters of single-sex education often champion the leadership opportunities existing at schools where student governments, yearbooks, and other extra-curricular activities are led exclusively by young women (or men in the case of all boys' schools). But, 44.6 percent of single-sex alumnae rate their public speaking abilities highly, relative to 38.5 percent from coeducational independent schools. The numbers suggest a potential advantage of the single-sex environment: the opportunity for women to express themselves publicly without the level of self-consciousness that may exist in mixed-sex settings.

But the question remains, however, if these seemingly confident public-speaking women will be able to express themselves in the workforce, in the company of men and around the boardroom table. First they have to get there. This leaves room for further studies that look at women's aspirations and accomplishments after they complete college or graduate school. It would be good to generate some numbers for women twenty or thirty years out of high school. You go girls, no matter where you are, we are cheering for you.

The findings of the report can be found here.

Comments

[Klove]

PART 2:Being smart is social death sentence. I had a friend from high school who transferred to a coed public high school b/c her parents couldn’t afford private-school tuition anymore. While her new classmates begged her for help on the assignments, these same classmates ended up vandalizing her leather jacket w/ a black permanent marker. Can you see why it is so hard for young women to excel in that hostile environment? Why bother excelling if you are just going to face social ridicule? As a woman, when someone is verbally hostile and abusive towards you, I could see the impetus of my friend to hide her intelligent beauty. I’m not saying that private schools are better than public ones. But she told me that she missed the love and support that she got from us. A bond of sisterhood encouraged her to reach for things, when the world ridiculed her. We understood her, cheered her victories and loved her as she was. We loved her as women do, and men simply can not.

[kaaramel]

Ha! I was kinda like your friend. When boys "sweet-talked" me or surrounded me in high school it was always because they wanted help with some home work. I was tagged as the smart one and not the pretty, sexy, cool or fun one from early on. I just resigned myself to the role so there was not really any trying to get boys attention for me, it was very obvious that I wouldn't get it. Then again, in my co-ed high school I had many guy acquaintances that told me that I was very smart, while ridiculing my appearance etc. but I also got an inside look into how guys thought that other girls didn't get. They would say things in my presence that they wouldn't say in front of other girls, specifically because they were trying to hit on them and not me. They also gave me useful advice about dealing with men and protecting myself from sexual predators.

[Klove]

PART 1:During high school, I attended an all-girls school. I ended up going to Northwestern for undergrad and am currently in a graduate program in the sciences. Two of my friends from high school were brilliant African American women. One went onto Duke, and then accepted a full-ride to law school. While the other got her PhD in engineering and went on to be a Professor at a Business School. I feel that my high school taught us that we could do anything. Also, being among other women, we were all so encouraging of one another accomplishments. There was no envy or competition. Most of us were genuinely friends. We used to love the freedom of rolling into class wearing no make-up with our hair all wet in a scrunchy and because there were no boys to impress. As is the case w/ girls at coed high schools who may fear that they boy they like will think that they are a nerd if they answer the question right.

[kaaramel]

"being among other women, we were all so encouraging of one another accomplishments. There was no envy or competition. Most of us were genuinely friends. We used to love the freedom of rolling into class wearing no make-up with our hair all wet in a scrunchy and because there were no boys to impress."

Twas like this at my women's college.

[losangelian1]

There is one problem with all-girls schools. Every girl I knew that went to one was completely obsessed with boys, in a way that those of us at coed schools were not. We were very nonchalant, and didn't make a big deal about being around them.

Just an observation I always remembered from my catholic school days.

[Carrie-On]

PS: I always enjoyed, and respected my academic colleagues, never felt the necessity to compromise person or professional values.

The women I knew had a greater vision for themselves, as individuals. Most were involved in causes at all levels and most of those I still know are doing the same things we did "back then;" however, our passions were from within our selves. Our essence dictated the form around each of us, not vice versa--a trait I noticed appeared more common in students from co-ed 'schools.'

It would be tragic to ignore lower education, Pre K-8, when many traits with groups are crearted, but also the real impacts of families of origin. Who 'moves' the female student to single-sex high schools? Why? Therein lies a far greater missing link. The success of the Pre K-8 co-ed experience has far too many variables that may impact on the 9-12 years than the student sex composition. Studies must define highly limited attributes, indicating esteem enhancement in the higher years of education (9-university), and include those who did not attend college after grade 12.

I'm not certain higher education creates "the person." However, I do believe that single-sex education for women in the Pre K-12 years is critically important to consider, at least partially, and further enhances one's ability to view oneself accurately in relation to those around her, thus avoiding abusive relationships; an asset that must not be ignored.

[Susan Sawyers - Huffpost Blogger]

Thank you for your comments. I didn't mean to suggest that the be all and end all should be to meet the men in the boardroom. My hope for my daughter is that she will find work that is satisfying and rewarding. End of story. From the boardroom perspective, isn't it interesting to note that of all the dasterdly doings in business of late, we haven't seen any women stepping down or fighting to keep their bonuses? I believe that women do bring a lot to the table, whether they were educated in an all girls school or not. I meant to suggest that if a woman has the ability to be part of a decision making process, whatever it may be. and she has the wherewithall, power to her.

In suggesting that it would be interesting to see how the ladies behave and feel about themselves when they are 30 years out of single sex Pre K-12 education, it is only to "quantify" how their education served them. No doubt, based on the many interesting people I've met who attended single sex schools, the results would ring true to the one year out of school group.

Again, thank you for the feedback. It's spot on.

[Carrie-On]

re "if these seemingly confident public-speaking women will be able to express themselves in the workforce, in the company of men and around the boardroom table. First they have to get there."

In my experience in an all-female high school, then rather by 'accident' an all-female university (for further studies post major co-ed university; then an all female university for a later in life course of graduate study, "to get there" did not appear to be a defined goal.

Incidentally, the transition to a co-ed system did not daunt me at all. However, I well remember being one of three females in my graduate major, and the dean telling two of us that (in spite of my 4.0 GPA in sciences) we'd 'probably just get married" and waste the education. (Years later, I sent him 2 ASA taped in a sympathy card after I was the keynote speaker for the national conference in a specialty course of study!)

Please realize, my personal experiences indicated a highly pre-select 'group.' With that reality in mind, I would have to admit that later in life all female education was a sore disappointment compared to earlier, age-typical university. "Times change!"

I'm not sure this study was able, in fact it wasn't so designed, to elicit the earlier mentioned values.

[Carrie-On]

This is old stuff. The studies have been done, and replicated, so why is this one attempting to round things out, without replicated results? Because its a study, only.

AAUW knows, NEA knows, and many other authorities know that single sex education benefits females students, but in truth, it most likely does the males, too.

I can 'spot' a women who has attended an all-girls undergrad or graduate program in a minute. There are few women's universities left in existence, and the ones that caved in to co-ed have slipped into virtual oblivion except those that merely "went co-ed" for graduate studies, like TWU in Denton, Texas (which isn't the top of the line, anyway).