The efficacy of single-sex education for boys has been a focus of scholarly inquiry for decades. The consensus has been that the all-boys format does not boost academic achievement for boys, on average. In this article, I suggest that the scholarly consensus may be mistaken or at least misleading. I argue that while some boys’ schools are successful and others are not, the all-boys format creates opportunities to educate differently. But when teachers are not trained in boy-friendly instructional strategies, nothing good happens and bad outcomes are likely. I consider some characteristics of a successful boys’ school and the prospects for boys’ public schools in the United States.
DatnowAmandaHubbardLeaWoodyElisabeth. 2001. Is single-gender schooling viable in the public sector? Lessons from California’s pilot program. Ford Foundation/Spencer Foundation. Available from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED471051.
GalambosNancy L.AlmeidaDavid M.PetersenAnne C.1990. Masculinity, femininity, and sex role attitudes in early adolescence: Exploring gender intensification. Child Development61 (6): 1905–1914.
6.
HankinsNina. 2025. Promises and pitfalls of single-sex education: A study conducted for the American Institute of Boys and Men. American Institute for Boys and Men. Available from aibm.org.
7.
HibbardDavid R.BuhrmesterDuane. 2010. Competitiveness, gender, and adjustment among adolescents. Sex Roles63 (5–6): 412–424.
8.
JamesAbigail NorfleetRichardsHerbert C.2003. Escaping stereotypes: Educational attitudes of male alumni of single-sex and coed schools. Psychology of Men & Masculinity4 (2): 136–148.
9.
KarpiakChristie P.BuchananJames P.HoseyMeganSmithAllison. 2007. University students from single-sex and coeducational high schools: Differences in majors and attitudes at a Catholic university. Psychology of Women Quarterly31 (3): 282–289.
10.
KesebirSelinLeeSun YoungElliottAndrew J.PillutlaMadan M.2019. Lay beliefs about competition: Scale development and gender differences. Motivation and Emotion43 (5): 719–739.
OwensAnne Marie. 1March2001. Boys should start kindergarten a year later than girls, report advises. National Post.
13.
ReevesRichard V.2022. Of boys and men: Why the modern male is struggling, why it matters, and what to do about it. Brookings Institution Press/Bloomsbury Publishing USA.
14.
RothsteinRichard. 21March2001. Ambitious but misguided: Kindergarten academics. New York Times.
15.
RubleDiane N.MartinCarol LynnBerenbaumSheri A.2006. Gender development. In Social, emotional, and personality development, edited by EisenbergNancy. Handbook of Child Psychology, 6th edition, vol. III. John Wiley & Sons.
16.
SaxLeonard. 2001. Reclaiming kindergarten: Making kindergarten less harmful to boys. Psychology of Men & Masculinity2 (1): 3–12.
17.
SaxLeonard. 2002. The odd couple: Hillary Clinton & Kay Bailey Hutchison. Women’s Quarterly, Summer, 14–16.
18.
SaxLeonard. 1March2005a. The promise and peril of single-sex public education. Education Week. Available from www.edweek.org.
19.
SaxLeonard. 2005b. Why gender matters: What parents and teachers need to know about the emerging science of sex differences. Doubleday.
20.
SaxLeonard. 2007. Boys adrift: The five factors driving the growing epidemic of unmotivated boys and underachieving young men, 1st edition. Basic Books.
21.
SaxLeonard. 5June2012. Single-sex education can work. Charleston Gazette-Mail. Available from www.wvgazettemail.com.
22.
SaxLeonard. 2016. Boys adrift: The five factors driving the growing epidemic of unmotivated boys and underachieving young men, revised edition. Basic Books.
23.
SchneiderBarry H.WoodburnSharondel ToroMaria del Pilar SoterasUdvariStephen J.2005. Cultural and gender differences in the implications of competition for early adolescent friendship. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly51 (2): 163–191.
24.
SpielhoferThomasO’DonnellLisaBentonTomSchagenSandieSchagenIan. 2002. The impact of school size and single-sex education on performance. Report 33. National Foundation for Educational Research. Available from www.nfer.ac.uk.
TimpfKatherine. 8October2014. School told to call kids “purple penguins” because “boys and girls” is not inclusive to transgender. National Review. Available from www.nationalreview.com.
