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Why a Girls' School?
University professors say they can recognize a student from a girls' school by her willingness to answer questions and engage in active learning.
Today there is a wide array of private and independent elementary and secondary school options, and deciding which school your daughter will attend is among the most important decisions your family will face.
For generations, girls' schools have served students of many abilities, interests, talents, and backgrounds. What unites us is a long-standing commitment to learning environments that place girls first and foremost. What sets us apart from other educational settings is an in-depth understanding of how girls learn and succeed.
Studies show that boys and girls learn differently.
A recent study by the National Coalition of Girls' Schools (NCGS) found:
- Across multiple categories, including self-confidence, political and social activism, life goals, and career orientation, most findings are favourable to women graduates of independent single-gender schools.
- Women from single-gender independent schools score higher across the board academically. For example, women who attended single-gender independent schools scored 40 points higher on the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Tests) than their co-ed counterparts.
- Overall, these students spend more time studying, completing their homework, talking with their teachers and preparing for post-secondary education and more of these women plan to go on to grad school before they leave high school.
A new study released by UCLA's Graduate School of Education and Information Studies shows that students in an all girls' school environment enjoy higher rates of self-esteem and are more inclined to pursue graduate studies, among other benefits. These findings fall in line with the success of students who currently attend SMLS and have graduated from the school. Find out more by reading the Head of School's April 2009 White Paper.