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draft Single Sex Education The American Association of University Women (AAUW) is committed to attaining an equitable learning environment for all students in our nation[]s coeducational public schools. In 1992, the AAUW Educational Foundation released How Schools Shortchange Girls: The AAUW Report, presenting compelling evidence that girls do AMERICAN not receive the same quality, or even quantity, of education as their male peers. In 1993, Hostile Hallways raised awareness about the extent and severity of student-to- ASSOCIATION OF student sexual harassment in schools. Although these reports suggested a range of UNIVERSITY strategies for addressing the issues raised, neither called for single-sex education as a WOMEN remedy. The issue of single-sex education is still very much in question and what, if anything, can be learned from it to strengthen public co-ed education. AAUW does not advocate the creation of single-sex education, but would not oppose pilot single-sex schools that: comply with relevant civil rights law, such as Title IX and any applicable state laws; are initiated in response to demonstrated need; expand the research base; are designed to inform and improve the coeducational school system where the majority of students continue to learn. AAUW Research Separated by Sex: A Critical Look at Single-Sex Education for Girls was released by the AAUW Educational Foundation in 1998, and included a comprehensive review of research to date on the subject. Although the report found that, in general, there is Ono evidence that single-sex education is Obetter[] than coeducation, 0 the existing research is still inconclusive. Several of the studies within the report have found that, although single-sex schools seem to have positive effects on girls[] achievement (compared with co-ed schools), once the findings were adjusted for student socioeconomic status, pre-enrollment ability, selectivity of the school, or other variables, the differences diminished or disappeared. The report s authors stress that the long-term impact of single-sex education on girls or boys is unknown, and that more research is needed. Meanwhile, however, the research presented suggests that some successful practices and qualities common to single-sex education may be translatable to coeducational environments. Title IX and the Constitution Both decisions by the Supreme Court and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 recognize that single-sex educational opportunities may be justified in very 1111 SIXTEENTH STREET NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 202/785-7700 FAX: 202/872-1425 TDD: 202/785-7777 e-mail: [email protected] http://www.aauw.org