Effects of Single-Sex Schooling on Academic Performance: An Evaluation of All-Girls Public Schools in Texas

• In Event: 47.038 - Beyond Classroom Walls: Community Innovations to Support Education

Abstract

Although there is an extensive literature comparing single-sex schools to co-educational schools, existing research is limited by small samples, lack of adequate controls, short follow-up times, or limited generalizability to US public schools. Using data from Texas public schools, we evaluated the effects of attending schools in the Young Women’s Preparatory Network, a network of seven all-girls public schools in cities throughout central Texas. YWPN students were compared to female students attending co-educational schools, matched on 39 baseline covariates, including demographic characteristics, behavioral history, educational service receipt, and prior academic performance. We assessed impacts on standardized test performance in middle school. We find modest positive effects of attending YPWN schools for the population of students who choose to attend them.

Authors

• James Eric Pustejovsky, The University of Texas at Austin

• Kyle Warren English, The University of Texas at Austin