Schooling by Gender : Some teen-agers thrive in girls-and boys-only institutions. Others say they’d go crazy in such a situation. Are there social or academic advantages?

Do students at single-sex schools fare better than those at coeducational schools? And by what measure: Academically? Socially?

The debate over the merits of boys-only, girls-only and integrated schools has been going on for decades and seems no closer to resolution than it’s ever been.

Opponents of single-sex schools argue they violate federal law prohibiting sexual discrimination in federally subsidized school programs. As a result, a number of previously single-sex schools have converted to co-educational facilities or merged with opposite-sex schools, and others are considering similar moves.

On the other hand, some co-educational schools are experimenting with single-sex classes as a way to bolster students’ self-esteem and academic performance.

Advocates of all-girls schools cite studies showing that in the classroom, boys seem to be called on more frequently than girls, and boys are praised or criticized more often. Some boys also tend to interrupt girls, making fun of them and their contributions.

Studies show that upon entering first grade, girls score higher on virtually every standardized achievement test and for years after remain superior in verbal skills. By the time they graduate from high school, however, girls are well behind boys in every area, including verbal.

Among factors cited as possible reasons for the shift in performance are subtle differences in the way teachers respond to male and female students, attitudes on the part of students about sexual roles and sexual harassment.

In a study last year of conversations with 150 high school and middle school students in California, nearly all had seen, experienced or participated in some form of sexual harassment, according to Elizabeth Kennan, president of Mount Holyoke College. School has become a threatening place for many girls, who have become afraid to call attention to themselves, she said.

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With the removal of males as distracters and harassers, many girls believe they are at an advantage.

“Single-sex schools give girls a chance to discover their capabilities without the neglect that they receive in the presence of the opposite sex. The temporary segregation disallows the many outside influences that have interfered with female advancement for years,” said Katie Gibson, a senior at Rosary, an all-girls high school in Fullerton.

Rosary sophomore Shilpa Balan thinks “single-sex schools give girls a chance to express themselves and feel good about who they are. These girls can become assertive women.”

Other girls believe in a different advantage.

“I think that being in an all-girls school is more comfortable than in a co-ed school because you don’t have to worry about what you’re going to wear or what the boys will think of you. You compete against other girls and you don’t have to worry about the competitive obstacles males put up to be better than you,” said Lorrie Waldle, a junior at Rosary.

During adolescence, boys and girls are under tremendous pressure from society, friends, family--you name it. Single-sex schools can serve as a refuge.

Rosary junior Selene Macias believes this kind of advantage is more important than others.

“I prefer being in an all-girls school, not because I can come to school everyday looking like a monster--I dress nicely for myself. I like being in an all-girls school because I can raise my hand and answer a question without worrying about some guy yelling it out first.”

Brendan Powers, a Rosary English teacher and co-ed high school graduate observed, “When girls leave Rosary, they seem more confident and well-spoken than students at co-ed schools.”

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Is the improved academic environment for girls seen in female-only schools also found to exist for boys in male-only schools?

Two Michigan educational researchers found that all-boys Catholic schools are at least as academically strict as the girls’ schools. Yet boys in the single-sex schools had no comparable advantage over boys in co-ed schools, they said. This does not mean boys’ schools have no advantage; it shows that the advantages are less tangible.

Some graduates of boys’ schools claim the importance of tradition--a tradition that even boys at first doubtful of the system come to cherish.

Boys’ schools share many of the advantages of girls schools: you can remove the opposite-sex distraction factor and have fewer boys worrying about being “Joe Cool.”

All-male schools are also credited with providing an environment that helps form enduring friendships. And boys in this environment can develop a deeper “care factor,” learning to listen and care for one another in the absence of females, who are stereotypically the comforters.

Some argue that if girls’ schools encourage females to get involved in traditionally “male” interests, such as math and science, then boys’ schools encourage males to get involved in traditionally “female” interests, such as theater and art.

Rudy Salo, a junior at Servite, an all-boys Catholic school in Anaheim, believes “single-sex schools are more beneficial than co-ed schools because there are no distractions from the opposite sex and less gossip.”

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Students at all three types of schools point to differences in socialization opportunities--which some see as important to well-being as academic opportunities.

“Single-sex schools are bad because they hinder one’s confidence in being with members of the opposite sex,” said Tony Cardenas, a junior at Servite.

Rosary junior Gretchen Adams expressed a similar opinion. “People don’t know how to act around people of the opposite sex when they get together in groups and (they) come across as really immature.”

In addition, some students feel the transition from a single-sex high school to a co-ed college can be difficult.

“At a single-sex school, you can only hear from the view point of that sex, and you are not aware of the other sex’s viewpoint. I think that being able to see two sides of an issue on an everyday basis is something a co-ed school offers,” said Jessica Alaniz, a sophomore at Rosary.

Thomas Lee, a sophomore at Brea Olinda, a co-ed high school in Brea, simply says: “Co-ed schools are better because there are males and females and they all live in the same world.”

For others, it is just personal preference. Amber Mooney, a sophomore at Brea Olinda, said that “being in a school where there is nothing but girls would drive me nuts. I also believe it is important for the two sexes to intermingle so they will know how to relate to each other later in life.”

Angela Armen, a junior at Rosary admits, “At co-ed schools, the guys are fun to have around. Like in class, they tend to add humor and jokes.”

Preston Turno, who attended all-male Servite and is now a junior at Brea Olinda, said he likes co-ed better because he’d rather look at girls all day than boys.

Brea Olinda senior Cara Henson believes there are definite disadvantages to single-sex education. “If a group of kids are in a single-sex school, they might be inclined to do their work more. But after a while, they might begin to be upset that the other sex isn’t around and resent their school and spend more time out of school with the opposite sex.”

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Most students interviewed seem to believe in their school’s system, whether it be coeducational or single sex, which suggests both types of students are benefiting from their particular system.

There is no one answer in the debate over the merits of the types of schools, except perhaps that different students benefit from different environments, and for that reason there should be a variety of educational paths available.