Position on Single-Sex Education

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits sex discrimination in public and private institutions that receive federal financial assistance. The American Association of University Women strongly supports Title IX and opposes any efforts that would weaken its effectiveness. AAUW’s 2011-2013 Public Policy Program commits AAUW to the “… vigorous enforcement of Title IX and all other civil rights laws pertaining to education.”¹

AAUW has long been a proponent of public education and believes that a strong, free public education system is the foundation of a democratic society. AAUW also believes that the principles of nondiscrimination and applicable civil rights laws should be strictly adhered to in that education. Unfortunately, some policies that purport to improve student performance—such as private school vouchers and single-sex education in public schools—skirt critical civil rights protections. Steps should be taken to improve student performance and educational outcomes, but the rights of students should not be trampled in the process.

In November 2006, the U.S. Department of Education issued Title IX regulations to ease limits on single-sex education, which allow the exclusion of students from classes based on gender. AAUW believes single-sex education without proper attention to civil rights protections can reinforce problematic gender stereotypes, increase discrimination, and restrict the educational opportunities open to both girls and boys. Even where programs are established for both boys and girls separately, they have tended to be distinctly unequal, with fewer resources allocated for girls programs. As a result, both the Constitution and Title IX have placed strict limits on the availability of single-sex education, while at the same time explicitly allowing for single-sex programs that are carefully constructed to remedy existing or past discrimination.

As girls and women continue to make gains in education, it is important to remember that these successes do not come at the expense of boys and men. Unfortunately, that is the insidious implication underlying much of the recent assaults on Title IX that are in turn fueling erroneous notions of a "boy crisis." AAUW is proud of women and girl's achievements and believes policies and reforms that allow women and men to excel are beneficial for society as a whole.

AAUW is particularly concerned that the new single sex education regulations may cross a constitutional line when it comes to Title IX. These civil rights protections have been hugely successful, and now is not the time to roll back the clock. AAUW is concerned about the future of education for our nation's girls and boys – both sexes must thrive for our country to compete in the global marketplace. But stripping girls of civil rights protections that provide them with opportunities to excel is not a solution to helping improve educational opportunities for all our children. While important advancements for women and girls have been made, inequity and the necessity to fight it still exist today.

For more information, call 202/785-7793 or e-mail VoterEd@aauw.org.

¹American Association of University Women. (June 2011). 2011-13 AAUW Public Policy Program. Retrieved August 16, 2011, from www.aauw.org/advocacy/issue_advocacy/principles_priorities.cfm.