Single-sex education: Many young females leaving males behind

Single-sex education is making a comeback throughout the Lowcountry. Single-gender classes are popping up in public middle schools ever since the U.S. Department of Education added new regulations to Title IX, allowing easier implementation of single-sex programs in public schools.

And South Carolina's only all-girls college preparatory school, Ashley Hall, celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, marking a century of educating girls.

The trend might leave many young women wondering if choosing a school or a class without boys is right for them. Unfortunately, it may not be a simple decision to make. The experiences of those who have attended single-gender schools reveal that what might be a perfect match for some, might not be quite so perfect for others.

The opposite sex

When 18-year-old Kaetlin Collins moved to Charleston in 2005, her parents enrolled her at Ashley Hall, even though she previously had attended a small coed school in Virginia. The ninth-grader had to adjust to a classroom environment surrounded by girls, with not a boy in sight.

"It was a big switch. I was used to being around guys all the time," she said.

Most of Collins' friends at Ashley Hall had grown up around Charleston boys and had known them for years, but Collins said it was difficult for her to meet them because she was new in town. Her friends introduced her to their friends, but she said it wasn't the same as her Virginia experience, attending school with boys.

Nicole Dumouchel, a senior at Converse College, a South Carolina women's college, said she didn't have problems meeting boys outside of campus because of its location. Spartanburg is the home of six colleges and universities, including Wofford College.

"At first, I thought it would hit me in the face that there are no guys. I don't notice it anymore," said Dumouchel.

Even though "sometimes all that estrogen is overwhelming," she said she has had plenty of opportunities to interact with the opposite sex.

Wofford sporting events are free for Converse students, and Converse collaborates with the different colleges to plan activities for the students, like the annual College Fest, which features a live musical guest.

Joy Shapiro said she wasn't so lucky. She graduated from Smith College in Massachusetts in 1975 and was unhappy with how isolated the college felt at times.

"While I was there, the men's colleges, which were very strong in the community, went coed. Women and men didn't travel to visit each other anymore. There was absolutely a dearth of social environment," said Shapiro.

Shapiro helped plan mixers, was a member of the recreational council, and ran the student bar, but could still feel the absence of the opposite sex.

Shapiro said she feels that her years at Smith initially hurt her when she went into the real estate business.

"Men and women who are striving so hard to be equal need to learn in education how to be equal. It's hard when you are 19 to learn how to balance the academic and the social. It's harder when you are 29 and still don't know how to balance it," said Shapiro.

Bonds of sisterhood

Shapiro decided to attend a women's college after attending a coed high school because she had never been to one before and wanted be around a sisterhood-like community after leaving her home in St. Louis, Mo.

Smith College has houses instead of dorms for its students, and Shapiro said these houses were like sororities. The members often developed a very strong bond to their house.

But even with the houses, she said the lack of social opportunities and the rigorous academic drive of the students prevented real sisterhood from occurring.

"What surprised me after senior year and finals were over was I still had friends who went to the library on Saturday. The women were very highly motivated and driven, but not in a good way. They were not well-rounded. They didn't want to mix the academic and the social," said Shapiro.

Collins had a different experience at Ashley Hall. Even though the lack of guys was hard at times, she believes their absence allowed the girls to bond.

"I had better relationships with friends. It was a sister thing. It was like being in a sorority," said Collins. She said that her grade was closer than others because they were a relatively small class. Some of the other grades were worse than others in terms of cliquishness, she said.

Dumouchel said the sisterhood atmosphere made school easier and more enjoyable. The girls would look out for each other and cheer each other on.

"You can get more engaged in class. You don't have to worry about saying silly things and you don't have to dress up for class if you are having a rough day," said Dumouchel.

What the research says

In 2005, the U.S. Department of Education published "Single-Sex Versus Coeducation Schooling: A Systematic Review," which concluded that single-sex schools had a positive effect on all subject achievement tests in most studies.

However, there were no apparent differences in long-term academic accomplishments, like college graduation rates and graduate school attendance rates, between students attending coed and single-sex schools. Females attending single-sex schools had higher educational and career aspirations, and males attending single-sex school had higher career aspirations.

South Carolina leads the nation in the number of single-sex classes offered in public schools. Charleston County has 17 public schools offering single-sex classes.

In July 2008, the S.C. Department of Education surveyed students, parents and teachers who were involved in single-gender classes. Nearly 75 percent of the surveyed students felt that single-sex classes helped improve their desire and ability to succeed. Teachers believed that the classes improved collaboration, participation and self-confidence. Parents believed the classes helped their children become more independent.

Benjamin Bragg, principal at St. Andrew's Middle School, said he can see the difference single-sex classes have made for his school. He said attendance is now as high as 97.5 percent, the achievement gap for math has closed 22 percent, and the school has beat the national average for growth in math.

Unlike at a single-sex school, the boys and girls have chances to interact, like on the buses to and from school and at Club Day, which is every other Friday.

Even if there aren't boys at Ashley Hall, Jill Muti, head of the school, said that the girls' social development is not harmed because of its location.

The school is ingrained in the Charleston community instead of being isolated with no opportunities for the girls to meet students at other schools, said Muti.

"When I tell people from coed schools I go to an all-girls school, they say, 'Oh, my gosh. That's so weird,' " said Collins. "But it doesn't seem weird. You get used to it, even if you are like me and come from a coed school. It's not really apparent that there are no boys here."