Award Abstract # 2213917
The Long-Run Causal Effects of Single-Sex High Schools on Adult Outcomes: Survey and Experiments

NSF Org: SES
Division of Social and Economic Sciences
Recipient: TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA, THE
Initial Amendment Date: June 30, 2022
Latest Amendment Date: June 30, 2022
Award Number: 2213917
Award Instrument: Standard Grant
Program Manager: Joseph Whitmeyer
jwhitmey@nsf.gov
 (703)292-7808
SES
 Division of Social and Economic Sciences
SBE
 Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences
Start Date: September 1, 2022
End Date: August 31, 2026 (Estimated)
Total Intended Award Amount: $453,000.00
Total Awarded Amount to Date: $453,000.00
Funds Obligated to Date: FY 2022 = $453,000.00
History of Investigator:
  • Hyunjoon Park (Principal Investigator)
    hypark@sas.upenn.edu
  • Jere Behrman (Co-Principal Investigator)
  • Diana Mutz (Co-Principal Investigator)
  • Emily Hannum (Co-Principal Investigator)
  • Eugen Dimant (Co-Principal Investigator)
Recipient Sponsored Research Office: University of Pennsylvania
3451 WALNUT ST STE 440A
PHILADELPHIA
PA  US  19104-6205
(215)898-7293
Sponsor Congressional District: 03
Primary Place of Performance: University of Pennsylvania
PA  US  19104-6205
Primary Place of Performance
Congressional District:
03
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): GM1XX56LEP58
Parent UEI: GM1XX56LEP58
NSF Program(s): SBP-Science of Broadening Part,
Sociology
Primary Program Source: 01002223DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
Program Reference Code(s): 8050, 9179
Program Element Code(s): 110Y00, 133100
Award Agency Code: 4900
Fund Agency Code: 4900
Assistance Listing Number(s): 47.075

ABSTRACT

The proposed research focuses on the roles of an educational institution ? single-sex schools (vs. coeducational schools)? in affecting gender differences in adult attitudes toward gender and family as well as demographic and socioeconomic life-course outcomes. A unique policy in a large city until 2009 required random assignment of middle-school graduates to high schools regardless of whether schools were single-sex or coeducational, and public or private. This policy provides an excellent opportunity to estimate causal effects of single-sex schools, compared to most other contexts where students or their families typically select single-sex vs. coeducational schools and thus it is challenging to draw causal inferences on the impacts of single-sex schools. Establishing whether single-sex schooling experiences affect gender-related attitudes and life-course outcomes can inform the design of school environments conducive to gender equality in the broader society. This project is supported by the Sociology Program and the Science of Broadening Participation Program.

The project assesses whether single-sex high school experiences have long-run effects on individuals? gender and family attitudes, attitudes toward competition, trust, and reciprocity, and major demographic and socioeconomic outcomes in their 30s and 40s. Previous studies by the research team and others have examined the impact of the random high-school assignment on short-term educational outcomes. This extends the research to longer-run effects into middle adulthood. In order to have data to assess long-run causal effects of single-sex schools on three sets of outcomes (attitudes, demographic, and socioeconomic outcomes), an online survey is conducted to collect a variety of information on men and women in the ages 33-52 at the time of the survey in 2023-24 who graduated from high schools during the random assignment regime. In addition to traditional survey questions to measure individuals? attitudes toward gender, family, competition, trust, and reciprocity, vignettes and behavioral experiments also are included in the online survey. This design allows the team to capture attitudinal dimensions that are considered difficult to measure with traditional survey questions and to compare insights from survey experiments and traditional survey questions.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

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