Motivation & Engagement in Schools

Though boys continue to outnumber girls when it comes to participation in high school sports, they are greatly outnumbered in every other extracurricular activity, from student government to student newspapers and academic clubs, suggesting that boys are not as fully engaged in their high school experience.
Boys are more likely than girls to express a strong dislike of school or state that they find their courses dull or very dull.
More than a third of male high school seniors say that they seldom (or never) find their schoolwork to be, "meaningful and important."
Approximately a third of male high school seniors believe that the things that they are learning in school will be of little or no importance for them later in life.
The number of high school females taking Advanced Placement (AP) exams outstripped the number of males in 1987-women now account for more than 54% of those taking the AP exam, and the gap continues to grow.
More than 82% of female high school seniors say that they will "definitely" graduate from either a 2 or 4-year college program, compared to only about 2/3 of males.
Approximately 25% of female high school seniors say that they will "definitely" attend graduate or professional school after college, compared to only about 16% of males.
By the end of the sophomore year of college, women are more likely than men to have a GPA greater than 3.00 or higher, while men are more likely to have a GPA of less than 2.50.