BY KRISTA RAMSEY The Cincinnati Enquirer Thoughtful questions are worth more than smug answers. That's one of the things to keep in mind when reading Separated by Sex, the newest study by the American Association of University Women. AAUW studies are always good reads. Shortchanging Girls, SchoolGirls and Hostile Hallways have opened the door and turned the lights on educational inequality, female under-achievement, sexual harassment. This time AAUW turns its attention to all-girls' schools, a topic of keen interest to parents who worry their daughters will be overlooked and under-educated in the company of boys. But that's not the finding of Separated by Sex, which says that separate is not necessarily better. Its study of the research on single-sex schools and reports by top gender experts turned up no definitive benefits from all-girls' schools.
Many will protestThe report said when higher female achievement did occur, it could be attributed to a host of variables, such as a school's strong academic focus, small school and class size, socioeconomic status, female role models and strong discipline. Those things could occur in coed institutions as well, the study said.This will not sit well with families whose daughters attend girls' schools. Many will say they've watched their daughters become more confident, vocal, assertive and ambitious in the company of other girls. The Tristate, in particular, is blessed with a number of strong all-girls' schools. They are quality institutions and happy, vibrant places for females. Which is not to say they are the right spot for every girl, or that they are the only place for girls to excel academically. The question of how to raise confident, successful girls is a complex one. While it's good to study individual pieces of the puzzle - like same-sex schools - it's maddening how we drag our feet on the things we already know girls need.
Some factors undebatedThe jury may still be out on girls' schools, but it's in on other crucial factors. If you're the parent of a girl, here are things experts know your daughter will need to grow up confident and competent: Professional female role models. By opting out of certain classes and thinking themselves incapable of some careers, girls limit their career options early. They desperately need to meet women in a variety of career paths, and to find out how they got their jobs, how they balance their private and professional lives, and what they actually do every day. The problem is that relatively few women become mentors to teen-age girls (even in their own families). What an enormous difference it would make in the lives and ambitions of girls if every woman would devote herself to helping one girl into her profession.Life skills. The biggest obstacle to female fulfillment is dependence. It leads females to give their lives away early, to young marriages, early children, dead-end jobs, low career expectations. Gender researcher Myra Sadker has said boys are raised to shape their world, and girls to be shaped by it. We can change that by helping girls take control of their everyday lives. Girls need to learn to take care of their own finances, daily itineraries, appliances, vehicles. Studies show adults are much more willing to do things for girls than for boys. Girls do better when they take care of themselves. Information on safety and health. Females are at greater risk for some things - osteoporosis, for example - and put themselves at risk of others by unhealthy eating habits, unrealistic beauty standards and risky behaviors. Girls need information to move through the world with confidence, self-possession and safety. Encouragement - to try, risk, fail, try again, succeed. Girls are raised to go for sure bets. They have been taught there is only one right answer. It's time to stop mumbling, cautioning and qualifying. Tell your daughter to go for it, set her heart on it, bet it all. That's how strong, smart girls are made and why they'll succeed - in whatever school they choose. Krista Ramsey's column appears on Saturdays. Write her at the Enquirer, 312 Elm St. Cincinnati 45202.
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