How Girls' Schools Make a Difference

Single-sex schools have demonstrated repeatedly that girls can achieve academic success in science, technology, engineering and math when opportunities exist, when teaching methods are geared to their strengths, where female role models and mentors abound, and when everyone's expectations are set high. As a result, NCGS graduates tend to pursue college majors and careers in the STEM fields in greater numbers than their peers from other schools, and girls' school graduates represent a significant population of young women who have recently entered the STEM related work force.
 

Over the years NCGS has created a series of symposia and workshops to highlight best practices: Math and Science for Girls (1991); Girls and the Physical Sciences (1993); Girls and Technology (1995); Girls and Engineering (2005-2006). These programs convened experts in the field who offered teaching strategies and lesson plans that work. With funding from the National Science Foundation, NCGS produced a series of publications replete with teaching theories and strategies of immediate value in the classroom. In addition NCGS was able to garner significant media attention for the outcomes of these programs.
 

Dissemination of these materials has been widespread and inclusive, reaching groups such as the Girl Scouts of the USA, Girls Incorporated, Boston Girls' Coalition, YWCA, AAUW, the Women's College Coalition, Sally Ride Science Clubs, and others.
 

Now we seek to update and expand these broadly distributed materials for the next generation of students and teachers. Not only will the best of the teaching tips be retained but also new practices will be added based on innovative initiatives from girls' schools worldwide.