Failing at Fairness: How America's Schools Cheat Girls

Gender bias in the classroom from elementary to graduate school is the subject of this comprehensive examination by two professors of education at American University in Washington, D.C. As educators and parents, the Sadkers argue that ``sexism sabotages girls at school,'' using studies, statistics and anecdotal histories of female students to demonstrate how girls and women are cheated out of opportunities to excel academically and deprived of chances to build self-esteem. While the Sadkers emphasize the educational shortchanging of girls, they see boys paying a price also, particularly those who do not fit gender stereotyping. This important study is a timely resource, since gender equity is currently an issue in fair-testing concerns of such standardized tests as the SAT for college admissions and scholarships. (Feb.)