Dive Brief:
- The Young Women’s Leadership School of East Harlem opened in 1996 as the first public all-girls school to be established in New York City in three decades, paving the way for similar schools to open nationwide with its defense of a civil rights complaint.
- The Hechinger Report writes 95% of students at today’s five Young Women’s Leadership Schools in New York City graduate, compared to 64% of their district peers, and the majority of them go to college, earning degrees at four times the rate.
- A rigorous curriculum, college prep atmosphere and focus on leadership have contributed to the success of the original New York schools, which have been replicated by 13 affiliate schools and a number of all-girls public schools established in its image.
Dive Insight:
At the 40th anniversary of Title IX, in 2012, the American Association of University Women expected one of the next major battles the law would inspire would relate to single-sex education. The George W. Bush administration had softened the restrictions against single-sex education, leading to a rise in the number of all-girl or all-boy classrooms around the country, including in New York City. The AAUW joined critics who thought single-sex classrooms reinforce gender stereotypes and lead to the inequity that comes when this country tries to attempt “separate but equal.”
Four years later, sexual assault response and transgender bathroom rights have taken over the national discussion of Title IX, which first became known for mandating women’s access to school sports programs. A handful of all-boys college prep charter schools have gained national attention for their success, and Los Angeles Unified School District just this school year opened a new all-girls school focused on science, technology, engineering and math. It seems the model may be here to stay.