Increasing Girls Enrollment Boosts School Performance

A new paper on the Mechanisms and Impacts of Gender Peer Effects in Schools indicates that "a higher proportion of girls in the classroom lowers the level of classroom disruption and violence, and improves inter-student and teacher-student relationships as well as students’ satisfaction with school. It also significantly alters teaching methods and lessens teachers’ fatigue and feelings of burnout..."

The improvements are measurable when the proportion of girls enrolled is above 55% and positively affects male student attitudes and performance at all levels at much higher rates than female achievement.

The data on school environment was based on self-reporting panel data.

On the subject of female v. male individual achievement, female students on average matriculated at a 22% higher rate and earned 10% more credits. Although in the early years covered in the study male students were more likely to enroll in advanced courses, after four years female enrollment eclipsed the number of males in difficult courses.

Thanks to Michael for finding this paper.