Title IX has a broader impact beyond women's participation in sports, influencing various aspects of education. A key observation is the difference in cognitive development rates between genders, with girls generally exhibiting earlier maturation, particularly in executive functioning skills. This maturation advantage affects academic performance metrics like GPA and homework completion, where organizational skills and task persistence are crucial. There is no established intelligence gap favoring either gender; however, girls are often more adept at managing their responsibilities in school due to their developmental pace. This discrepancy suggests an inherent advantage for girls within the current educational framework. As the barriers to girls' performance have diminished, their developmental strengths are increasingly evident, revealing a significant challenge for boys, who, on average, lag in organizing skills and task completion. To address this, considering adjustments such as starting boys in school later could help balance developmental disparities. Teachers are already aware of these dynamics, indicating a societal recognition of the issue.
Many boys and men in America are doing worse than girls and women in education while struggling with a culture that struggles to define what masculinity is in the 21st century. Is this a problem? Richard Reeves thinks so which is why he started the American Institute for Boys and Men. Listen as Reeves discusses the state of boys and men and what might be done about it with EconTalk's Russ Roberts.