Boys’ K–12 Education: Gaps, Trends, and Outcomes

Boys lag girls on several important measures of educational achievement and engagement. They begin school with weaker early literacy and self-regulation skills, perform worse in reading but not in math, and are more likely to exhibit behavioral problems and to drop out. These patterns are durable, widespread across countries, and largest among students with the greatest learning and behavioral challenges. This article synthesizes findings from major U.S. and international assessments—the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class; the National Assessment of Educational Progress; and the Program for International Student Assessment—to document where gender gaps are largest and how they have changed over time.