The Boy Problem: Educating Boys in Urban America, 1870-1970

A historical perspective on the factors affecting boys’ relationships with school and the criminal justice system.

Outstanding Academic Title, Choice

America’s educational system has a problem with boys, and it’s nothing new.

The question of what to do with boys—the “boy problem”—has vexed educators and social commentators for more than a century. Contemporary debates about poor academic performance of boys, especially those of color, point to a myriad of reasons: inadequate and punitive schoo...