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but, irrelevant.These are the very ones that have focused on the aspects of learning and development identified by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills — and have been doing so for years, far ahead of the overwhelming majority of their peers. Why have girls’ schools done this? Because everything they do reflects and supports how girls learn best and what girls need to be competitive themselves.
Educating the Individual Girl So how do you educate the individual girl? The answer is that you take the 21st century skill identifiers and create environments in which girls can thrive. In terms of pedagogy and methods, that means building a learning environment that supports girls’ inherent preferences towards collaboration, oral and written communication, and interpersonal and relationship skills. It may mean reconfiguring classrooms and social spaces to encourage and pro-
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mote creative thinking and collaboration. For example, some girls’ schools have even created “tinkering” stations in their hallways to engage girls’ interest in design and spatial abilities. Or, it may mean, as educational institutions, we emphasize certain fields and related career paths where women have been grossly underrepresented — areas like STEM, business, and finance.
Record of Success The good news is that there is clear evidence that girls’ schools are making a difference, closing the gap and creating a highly effective bridge to the 21st century.The National Coalition of Girls’ Schools sees first hand — and has research to prove — that girls’ school graduates have an edge when it comes to STEM. A peer-reviewed 2009 UCLA and National Coalition of Girls’ Schools research study identified the effectiveness of girls’ schools.The results showed the statistically significant edge girls’ school graduates have over their coed peers. Compared to their coed peers, the
study proved that graduates of girls’ schools have more confidence in their math and computer abilities and study longer hours.They are more likely to pursue careers in engineering, engage in political discussions, keep current with political affairs, and see college as a stepping-stone to graduate school. What is particularly striking are the results related to 21st century skills: • Ten percent more girls’ school graduates rate their confidence in math and computer abilities high at the start of college compared to their peers from coed schools. • Girls’ school graduates are three times more likely than their coed peers to consider pursuing a career in engineering • Female graduates of girls’ schools are more likely than their coed counterparts to report that they frequently discuss politics in class and with friends; 58 percent compared to 48 percent in coed schools. • As the UCLA study points out, girls’ see RECORD OF SUCCESS page 96