In a recent announcement, a new all-boys charter school is set to open in Washington D.C., aiming to provide a challenging educational experience for boys of color, particularly those who are academically at risk. The Empowering Males of Color Initiative is investing $20 million into establishing this high school in one of the nation’s most impoverished areas.
This development raises some interesting questions. Can a publicly funded school specifically target students based on race? Not exactly. While the school will focus its admissions outreach on minority boys, Robert Thompson, the district’s Chief of Innovation and Research, emphasizes that applications are open to all boys. Additionally, the legality of single-sex public schools is a bit murky, especially since there aren’t many alternatives for girls in the area. The ACLU has already expressed concerns regarding potential violations of Title IX.
But let’s take a step back and examine whether single-sex education really offers any advantages. A 2011 article in Science reviewed various neurological arguments for single-sex schooling and found them lacking. Furthermore, the effectiveness of charter schools like Urban Prep in Chicago has come under scrutiny. While Urban Prep boasts high college attendance rates, it doesn’t account for students who drop out before graduation, whether voluntarily or otherwise. A comprehensive meta-study by the American Psychological Association analyzed 184 studies on single-sex education. It concluded that only studies without control groups suggested any benefits of single-sex education, and even then, the advantages were marginal. Those studies with control groups frequently found that co-ed schools were more beneficial, particularly for girls.
Despite the allure of a more rigorous curriculum and a college-bound path, single-sex schools can be tempting for parents, especially those with limited educational options. Yet, the real distractions in American education stem not from the presence of the opposite sex but rather from poverty. If a child enters kindergarten already behind their more privileged peers, does it really matter if they’re surrounded by boys or girls?
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In summary, while all-boys schools are being introduced with the intention of helping boys of color succeed, the evidence on the effectiveness of single-sex education remains inconclusive. The underlying issues, such as poverty, have a far greater impact on educational outcomes than the gender of classmates.