News
Oak Knoll Shares UCLA Research that Confirms Benefits of All-Girls Schools
Posted April 6, 2009
As a member of the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools (NCGS), Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child is honored to share research commissioned by the NCGS and recently released by UCLA’s Higher Education Research Institute that confirms graduates of girls’ secondary schools, such as Oak Knoll’s all-girls Upper School, have a definite edge over their coed peers.
According to the UCLA report, girls’ school graduates consistently assess their abilities, self-confidence, engagement and ambition as either above average or in the top 10 percent. Compared to their coed peers, they have more confidence in their mathematics 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, the study found.
“This current research validates, and Oak Knoll proves, that young women in a single-sex learning environment are setting high educational goals, breaking gender barriers, and emerging as leaders,” commented Timothy J. Saburn, Oak Knoll’s head of school. “At Oak Knoll, our young women experience rigorous academics, the creative arts, competitive athletics, community service, and social interactions that challenge and encourage them to stand up, speak out, think critically outside the box, and take risks. Our young women graduate with a sense of purpose and much promise - they have found their voices and are committed to making their marks in the world.”
As the UCLA study further points out, girls’ school graduates rate themselves more successful and engaged in precisely those areas in which male students have historically surpassed them — mathematics, computers, engineering, and politics.
About the NCGS: The National Coalition of Girls’ Schools champions single-sex education for girls, representing 55,000 girls in 130 girls’ schools across the United States — public and private, day and boarding. International member affiliate organizations in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and the United Kingdom contribute to a worldwide perspective on girls and their potential.