Saturday, April 11, 1998

It’s not simply pass or fail
for single-sex schools

New study of all-girls schools provides
a lesson in confusion

By Betty White

With four private all-girls schools in Ha-waii, many local residents were interested in the latest report issued by the American Association of University Women (AAUW), "Separated by Sex: A Critical Look at Single-Sex Education for Girls."

This study was preceded by two earlier reports in 1992 and 1995, suggesting that girls in elementary and secondary schools were not receiving the same quality of education as boys. Both stimulated widespread discussion about equitable schooling for America's girls.

However, this latest AAUW report proffered an ambivalence about girls' schools, suggesting that such schools haven't shown much benefit in comparison to coed schools.

Why the flip-flop from the AAUW's earlier research? Who knows? Some believe it is politically motivated -- to stop public school single-sex experimentation, especially in states like California, where $3 million was spent last year on single-sex education for both sexes.

For whatever reasons this report has been generated, it is important that the confusion not distract us from the many real contributions of all-girls schools. And, of course, it is simply too bold and simplistic to state that these schools convey no real benefits at all.

In this regard, at least the AAUW report recognized that girls' self-esteem and confidence is bolstered in girls' schools. Quite often, in girls' schools, academic achievement is only one of the areas of a girl's development to receive attention. But if she survives this at-risk period, especially in grades 6-9, her sense of self-identity and confidence will be more firmly grounded for further education.

This report comes in the wake of a surge in the popularity of girls' schools in this country. Inquiries to girls' schools have risen by 35 percent, applications by 21 percent and enrollment by 19 percent since 1991; the percentage of schools at full enrollment has more than doubled over the past seven years.

Students at girls' schools score almost 100 points above the national mean on the SAT, receiving an average of 594 verbal and 575 math, while national averages for girls in 1997 were 503 verbal and 494 math.

The AAUW, in its latest report, tells us nothing profound or complex when it concludes that the success of our girls' schools is based on several variables such as a clear mission, high standards, small classes, a sense of community, quality teachers and strong parental support.

And, if AAUW's executive director is looking for what she calls the "silver bullet to effective education," she will be hard-pressed to prioritize these standards. Girls' schools understand that it is these characteristics that build their foundation for success. Segregation by sex is merely a catalyst.

The AAUW report raises the question of whether boys and girls need different things in order to learn. The answer is unequivocally yes. Research in the last two decades clearly show girls learn differently than boys. The entire March 27, 1995, issue of Newsweek was devoted to the topic of cognitive differences between males and females.

Although there is much to be done to refine the data and our understanding of these differences, it is clear that there are physiological differences resulting in gender differences in behavior and cognition.

Here are further observations which the AAUW's recent report fails to mention:

Single-sex education is a complex issue, with no set solutions. When one is asked whether or not single-sex education is preferable, we must refrain from making such judgments and instead concentrate on finding answers to questions such as: What is the girl like? How old is she? What is the school like? What are the alternatives? Often, the answers cannot be divided into one neat list of advantages and disadvantages.

Single-sex schools are merely an option to which parents and students are entitled. There is no one-size-fits-all solution to the challenge of providing quality education to everyone. But one should not confuse private schools' long tradition with public schools' recent experimentation in the area of single-sex education.

Parents are the catalyst in American education. If there is no parental support behind daughters, a nurturing of a can-do attitude for daughters in whatever they do, no amount of enlightened teaching in any type of school is going to make a difference. It begins at home. What young girls, and even young boys, see their parents doing either opens or closes doors for them.

The bias in our culture is so pervasive that it is often not even recognized. There is a long way to go before real gender balance pervades our educational system. As solutions continue to be sought, continued efforts must be made to meet the challenge of thinking creatively about how to foster girls' and women's successes.

There are no definitive answers for parents about their individual daughters. It is too private a decision to be made via public policy. What is best for the general good of society might be disastrous for one's own daughter.

The issue of single-sex education cannot always be studied scientifically. Rather, it must be pondered and discussed with open hearts and minds. And, as long as there are girls and boys, the debate will continue.

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Betty White is principal at Sacred Hearts Academy,
an all-girls school in Kaimuki.