Reversing underachievement in the classroom.

• Author: Bullock, Mary Brown

A $375,000,000 ad campaign by the Women's College Coalition and the Advertising Council is designed to boost girls' self-esteem and put them on equal footing with boys in school.

THE ADVERTISING council has a memorable way of reminding Americans of their shortcomings. It created "Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Drunk" and "A Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Waste." Now it has targeted parents and educators with a new slogan: "Expect the Best from a Girl. That's What You'll Get." Joining with the Women's College Coalition, this national public service campaign takes aim at the persistence of underachievement in girls, a condition often manifested throughout their lives.

American girls are privileged when compared with their peers in developing countries, and much progress has been made in providing equal opportunity for women. Yet, while India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Israel, Turkey, Canada, Ireland, and Great Britain all have elected women as president or prime minister, the U.S. has failed to elect a female president and only one woman has run for vice president. Is the American dream only for sons? What are the expectations for daughters?

Americans are beginning to understand that something happens during adolescence that sets many girls back. Their life expectations falter and their performance drops. We all know girls who fit this pattern and we've read articles, editorials, and books on the subject. Titles of some tell the story, such as Failing at Fairness: How Our Schools Cheat Girls and How Schools Shortchange Girls. Academic debate questions some of the methodology of these studies, but the supporting data is increasing and most of it is convincing.

Girls score higher than boys on standardized tests in elementary school, but lower during junior and senior high. Early aptitude in math often disappears, and interest in science appears to be discouraged. Teachers recognize boys more frequently in class than girls, even when the girls' hands are raised. The put-downs, subtle and unintended, begin in grade school and continue through college and graduate training. Too often overlooked in the classroom, girls are expected just to look good and behave nicely. As a result, their self-esteem falls. The results have implications for society as well as women's lives, including poverty, job segregation in lower-paying positions, and limited participation by women in such important fields as science, politics, international relations, the trades, and...