SMU SOE Seminar (Mar 22, 2018, 2-3.30pm): Do Single-Sex School Advantages Exist? Evidence from a School Choice Lottery Program in Seoul

In this paper, we estimate the causal effect of single-sex school attendance on student outcomes by exploiting a choice-based lottery program in Seoul, Korea. Administrative records on applications to high schools as well as survey data indicate that middle-school students with better academic preparation and family background are more likely to apply for single-sex schools. After accounting for such positive selection to single-sex schools, we find that girls assigned to girls-only schools score significantly higher on standardized tests than their comparable counterparts assigned to coeducational ones, but there is no single-sex school advantage among boys. Furthermore, we find that some non-test score student outcomes are also affected by whether students attend single-sex or coeducational schools.

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