Same sex classrooms statistics

Defenders of same-sex schools hold fast to the belief that girls and boys benefit from separate academic instruction. Same-sex educational settings are also offered as a way to improve lagging achievement for low-income students of color— mainly boys —in urban public schools. And rather than creating more equitable schools for nonwhite students, some critics compare separating boys and girls to racially segregated schooling. The disputes pitting ardent supporters against fervent detractors have done little to dampen popularity, however. The prevalence of single-sex public schools has risen and fallen over the years, yet the last decade has seen a major revival.

The gender gap in academic performance might be explained in part by stereotype threat, or the anxiety or concern that individuals of a certain identity e. If single-sex schooling reduces gender-specific stereotype threat, it is hypothesized that girls in single-sex classes would do better in their mathematics grades than girls in coeducational classes. Single-sex schooling improved the performance of female students in mathematics. This positive effect was particularly large for female students with high academic achievement prior to entering high school. In sum, single-sex schooling improves the performance of female students in mathematics classes but not in language classes, suggesting that reducing gender-based stereotype threat has real effects on academic performance.

Historically, single-sex schools were the purview of private school systems. However, in federal legislation allowed public school districts to create single-gender schools and classrooms for their students. Since there are only about a hundred single-sex schools nationwide, it's too early for long-term studies comparing public coeducational and single-sex schools. Initial reports, though, indicate that single-sex schools may benefit students. In , the government enacted Title IX laws to fight sex discrimination in schools.

Public schools are offering more choices because educators increasingly have come to believe that a broader instructional menu brings positive results for everyone involved. The days of parents simply signing up their children at the neighborhood school for a one-size-fits-all curriculum are nearly over. In South Carolina, parents in high-choice school districts can enroll their children today in academic magnet schools, charter schools, Montessori programs and schools with curricula that emphasize the arts, technology or the environment. To offer even more options, the South Carolina General Assembly is building broad bipartisan support for legislation requiring all districts to develop instructional options for students.