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Single Sex Education |
| “As a
college professor I could identify students from
girls’ schools with a 90 percent accuracy on the
first day of class. They were the young women
whose hands shot up in the air, who were not
afraid to defend their positions, and who
assumed I would be interested in their
perspective.”
- Robin Robertson |
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 Mount de Chantal Visitation Academy is the only
all-girls secondary school in the state of West Virginia. At
the Mount, girls don’t just have some opportunities, they have
every opportunity. Girls hold all the leadership
positions in student government, clubs, and organizations.
What's So Special about Single Sex
Education?
As a parent, be sure to investigate the SAT
and ACT scores for schools you are considering. Ask what the
average scores are for girls. A study by the American
Association of University Women found that as girls reach
adolescence, their academic confidence plummets. That report and
a growing body of research indicate that girls are systemically,
if unintentionally, discouraged from pursuing some academic
pursuits, particularly science and math. But according to the
National Coalition of Girls’ Schools, 22.4% of eighth grade
girls in private, single sex environments scored in the highest
quartile for math and science compared to just 0.7% in coed
public institutions. Same-sex education puts girls on an even
playing field, where they have every chance to lead
academically, athletically, and in the community.
Mount de Chantal recently hosted Illana DeBare, author of “Where
Girls Come First: the Rise, Fall, and Surprising Revival of
Girls’ Schools”. Ms. DeBare cites these benefits of girls'
schools:
- Girls are freed from the constant pressure
to please boys
- They are valued for brains and heart, not
just looks
- Girls’ schools allow their students to stay
girls a little longer
- Girls can build strong female friendships,
free from competition over boys
The National Coalition of Girls’ Schools
provides additional compelling arguments about why you should
consider an all-girls school for your daughter.
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