A case study of the impact of single-gender schooling on student achievement, self-esteem, and school climate

In educational circles there exists a widespread assumption that the transmission of knowledge is largely free of gender bias, therefore in co-educational institutions of learning, girls and boys receive equal education (Sommerkorn, 1995). As an answer to the educational crisis facing school children, more and more states are considering adopting single-gender settings. Single-gender schools are becoming more popular because they are seen as the answer to the crisis facing boys in public schools (Vu, 2006). The focus of this study was to determine if single-gender schools are the panacea some proponents describe them to be.;Until recently, it has been difficult to open and research single-gender schools. Opponents of such schools were vehemently opposed to the creation of single-gender schools; therefore research has been scant on the subject (Riordan, 2008). With the reauthorization of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), alternative educational programs such as single-gender schools are being encouraged.;This study examined a large inner-city school district serving the needs of minority, low socio-economic female and male students. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the single-gender method of educating today's youth. The study was conducted over a one-year period in a large urban school district in San Antonio, Texas.;The study was a mixed-methods investigation, utilizing both quantitative and qualitative methods to examine the data. The quantitative portion of the study made use of one instrument and two statistical procedures: the Estes Attitude Scale (EAS), a one-way repeated measure analysis of variance (ANOVA) and a paired-samples t test. The EAS is a quantitative instrument used to measure student attitude toward school subjects. The t test was used to analyze student scores on the EAS. Also, participants were given a math assessment while enrolled in a mixed-gender setting and another assessment one year later when they were enrolled in a single-gender setting. The ANOVA was used to analyze student mathematics test scores over the one-year period. The male students experienced significant gains in their math assessments from one year to the next. The outcomes of this study may prove useful to policymakers and leaders when making decisions concerning schools with similar demographics.