The Impact of Single-Sex Education on the Performance of First and Second Grade PUBLIC School Students

Abstract

In this article, I present the findings of a single-sex public education experiment adapted from a dissertation study. The rationale for conducting this research focuses on the renewed and unprecedented interest in single-sex public education as a strategy for increasing student performance. According to various educational theorists and researchers, single-sex education is an effective instructional strategy for improving student performance. However, little is known about the impact of single-sex public education. This quantitative ex post facto research analyzes the impact of single-sex education on academic achievement, discipline referral and attendance for public school first and second grade students. The findings suggest that single-sex education may be an effective instructional strategy for facilitating math and reading improvement for female students. Also, based upon the findings of this study, single-sex education may have a positive impact on attendance for males and females.