Comparison of Achievement Levels
The achievement levels of students attending single-sex schools compared to that of students attending coeducational schools is often a hotly debated aspect in the debate of single-sex versus coeducational schools. There are studies that demonstrate that single-sex schools are better at achieving higher academic levels; there are also studies that demonstrate that coeducational schools are better at achieving higher academic levels. Many of the results reported come from studies that were conducted overseas in countries such as England, Sweden and Australia. Very few research studies addressing achievement levels have been carried out in the United States. However, the lack of work in the United States does not decrease the validity of the work elsewhere. The goal of this section is to provide a comparative analysis of the achievement levels in single-sex schools with the achievement levels in co-educational schools.
There is no shortage of studies that report the academic achievement benefits of single-sex schools and classrooms. Many of these studies are comparison type studies that compare the results of single-sex schools or classrooms with the results of coeducational schools or classrooms in regard to a standardized assessment. A typical study reports on the higher achievement of males in single-sex schools as compared to males in co-educational classrooms in regard to science scores. Dhindsa, and Chung (2003) report:
Similarly, the mean achievement scores in science for boys in the single-sex school were significantly better (p= 0.005, ES= 0.30) than of those in coeducational schools. These results demonstrate that, on an average, the science achievements of male as well as female students in single-sex schools were moderately better than that of students in coeducational schools. (p. 916)
Other researchers report similar findings. Pollard (1999), reviewing studies on single-sex education, reinforces the benefit of achievement at single-sex schools: "Perry reported that grade point averages were higher for both girls and boys in single-sex math and science classes than in mixed-sex classes."(p. 1)
The National Association For Single Sex Public Education (NASSPE, 2005) refers to several studies that demonstrate the superior achievement levels of single-sex schools over co-educational schools. A study offered on the NASSPE (2005) website found: "Even after controlling for students' academic ability and other background factors, both girls and boys did significantly better in single-sex schools than in coed schools."( 4) The foundation that conducted the study concluded, "It would be possible to infer from the findings that, in order to maximize their performance, [public] schools should [have] about 180 pupils per cohort, or year, and be single-sex." (NASSPE, 6)
Another research study reviewed on the NASSPE website came to the same conclusions:
A large Australian study, 2001: The Australian Council for Educational Research compared performances of students at single-sex and coeducational schools. Their analysis, based on six years of study of over 270,000 students, in 53 academic subjects, demonstrated that both boys and girls who were educated in single-sex classrooms scored an average of 15 to 22 percentile ranks higher than did boys and girls in coeducational settings. (NASSPE, 7)
Citing a study from Jamaica, the NASSPE (2005) website discusses how girls in single-sex schools are the highest achievers, followed by boys at single-sex schools, then boys at coed schools with girls at coed schools rounding out the bottom of the list.
Perhaps the strongest evidence for the higher achievement levels of single-sex schools comes from "before and after" studies. These are studies that look at the effects of a co-educational school transitioning into a single-sex school. The data on achievement levels from before the switch to single-sex education are compared to the data on achievement levels from after the switch to single-sex education. O'Reilly (2000) states:
Critics of single-sex education sometimes object that studies at single-sex schools with students at coed schools are intrinsically untrustworthy, because (they say) one can never control for a lot of confounding variables. "Before and after" studies are done at just one school, before and after its transformation to a single-sex school. Same students, same teachers, same facilities. These studies offer another compelling proof of the superiority of single-sex education. (Sunday Times (London) p. 1, August 20, 2000)
An additional study, involving the Thurgood Marshall Elementary School in Washington, was mentioned earlier. O'Reilly (2000) reports the results detailed by Benjamin Wright, the school principal:
But once we made the switch, the boys were able to focus on academics, and so were the girls. The boys, remarkably, shocked the state with what they did on the Washington State Assessment of Student Learning. Our boys went from being in the 10 to 30 percent listing to 73 percent. They went from a reading average of about 20 percent to 66 percent. Our boys outperformed the entire state in writing. They went from being in a low percentile of 20-something to 53 percent in writing. (Sunday Times (London) p. 1, August 20, 2000)
These results are not limited to elementary level schools. O'Reilly (2000) points to the results of an inner-city school in Montreal after switching to single-sex education: "About 80 percent of students pass their final exams, compared to 65 percent before the switch. And, the rate of students going on to college has nearly doubled." (Sunday Times (London) August 20, 2000) The successes in the switch to single-sex education can also be found overseas. O'Reilly (2000) offers more positive results from a school in the United Kingdom:
...decided to reinvent his school into two single-sex academies under one roof. The students would take the same courses from the same teachers, but boys and girls would attend separate classes. Three years after making the change, the proportion of Shenfield boys achieving high scores on standardized tests has risen by 26%. The girls performance improved only slightly less, by 22%, and they still out performed the boys. (Sunday Times (London) p. 1, August 20, 2000)
The research had shown single-sex classrooms to be so successful that major leaders in education in Britain requested official investigation. Pyke (2000) stated:
The "before and after" experience of schools undertaking this transformation has been so consistent, and so impressive, that British Secretary of Education (then David Blunkett) asked the Office for Standardized Testing in Education (OFSTED) to investigate whether this model should be applied widely throughout Britain, a wholesale conversion of coed to single-sex academies. (The Independent (London) p. 1, August 20, 2000)
Not all researchers support the conclusion that single-sex schools are responsible for higher academic levels. Some researchers would argue that there are factors, other than that of the sex of the students, which have an impact on the successes of single-sex schools. One frequent hypothesis is that single-sex schools perform better because most are private and can select their students from the cream of the crop. Robinson, & Smithers (1999) state: "The outstanding performance of the single-sex schools in the examination league tables has much more to do with academic selection, socioeconomic background and the standing of the school itself than with the segregation of the sexes."(p. 23)
Another study, published on the National Literacy Trust (n.d.) website (literacytrust.org.uk/Research/ressinglesex.html) concludes: "Girls' schools do well in exam league tables because they have clever pupils, not because they are single-sex, according to a new review of research evidence."( 6) The article concludes with study results stating: "But researchers Janette Elwood and Caroline Gipps found that social class, ability and the history and tradition of the schools had much greater impact on the results girls achieve." (How Effective, 2005, 8) Datnow, et al. (2001) concur when they state: "The conflicting evidence regarding the benefits of single gender schools has led some researchers to suggest that school factors (for example, climate, school size) contribute more to positive outcomes than school type (Lee, 1997)."(p. 186)
Bronski (2002) reinforces this idea that it is not sex separation that is responsible for these successes; he finds:
A survey of several international studies of single-sex schooling from kindergarten through 12th grade published by the Educational Resources Information Center's Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education showed that while there were some differences in how girls and boys performed, almost all were explained factors other than gender, such as classroom size, economic discrepancies, and cultural differences. ( 2)
The factor that seems to be the most influential according to the researchers is socioeconomic status. Researchers argue that students from families that are affluent are more likely to value a quality education. The fact that these students receive more family support when it comes to education seems to be a more important influence to these researchers than the type of school attended.
In regard to achievement levels, there is no clear-cut winner. For every study that shows single-sex education to be more effective, there is one that shows co-education to be more effective. One thing is clear; much more research is needed, especially to determine the impact of single-sex education on male achievement levels.