Virginia’s Boys Are Falling Behind: New Data Reveals Alarming School Performance Gap
New data indicate that Virginia’s boys are starting to lag behind their female peers in literacy from the start of school, and the disparity is growing, which has education leaders and child development experts worried.
The results shared with the Virginia Boys and Men Advisory Commission indicate that boys are not doing as well as girls in reading. Overall, 56% of girls and 48% of boys in kindergarten met fall 2024 learning benchmarks.
The difference is even more apparent by 4th grade, when Virginia boys are said to score approximately 13.5 points lower than girls in literacy. If not addressed, early reading challenges can impact children’s confidence, participation in the classroom and future academic success, education leaders say.
Among the factors contributing to the challenge are attention, engagement and changes in children’s learning environments, said Delegate Josh Thomas, chair of the commission. He cited the impact of online culture and social media as potential contributing factors to boys’ lack of focus in the classroom.
In addition to literacy, the data revealed that boys in Virginia are 1.5 times more likely to drop out than girls. The experts say that if children continue to have educational problems, they can impact future opportunities, such as employment and personal growth.
The commission is looking at ways to better support boys’ learning, such as more male teachers in primary and elementary schools who can be positive role models for boys.
Members will be making recommendations in October, which may include legislative, budget and policy recommendations to address the needs of boys and ensure that all children have the supports necessary to succeed.
