But increasingly, attention is turning to what happens well before a boy thinks about dorm life or the ideal major. The K-12 school environment is coming under scrutiny as educators try to figure out why boys are often not as well prepared as girls are for the hurdle of applying to college. The roots of the problem, they're realizing, may develop far earlier than junior year, when applications get under way. It has the potential to be a national calamity. Teachers have noted differences in behavioral patterns for generations.
Girls tend to print neatly and follow directions.
Boys may settle for illegible work. Girls often sit nicely in their seats, while boys are more likely to move about. Until quite recently, concern was focused on the educational progress of girls. They lagged behind boys in all measures of science and math achievement, and often lacked confidence academically. Educators and feminists alike devoted considerable effort from the 1970s through the '90s to the question of building girls' self-esteem as learners.