Women remain underrepresented in the sciences--for example, male faculty at top research laboratories tend to employ fewer females than do female faculty.

"To right that imbalance, we must continue to prepare more women to assume leadership positions in the sciences (and math and engineering too, for that matter)," said Caroline Erisman, head of school at a Wellesley, MA, girls' boarding and day school, writing for 90.9 wbur. "I believe that for many women, the starting point is an all-girls education."

Erisman argued that while there are some differences between the brains of boys and girls, the influence of culture far outweighs any biological effects. That, she said, is why it's so important to encourage girls to pursue traditionally male-dominated activities and fields. And in a single-sex school, she suggested, "girls can more easily spend additional time in areas that they may not be hardwired to choose."

"It isn’t about encouraging girls to try classes that are 'different,'" she added. "It’s about teaching our girls to think that those courses aren’t 'different' to begin with, and instilling that mindset at an early age."

Read the full story. And don't miss this related EducationWorld article: Does Single-Sex Education Benefit Students?

Article by Celine Provini, EducationWorld Editor