State of the Georgia Girl Report

Self-disclosed data from the Georgia Student Health Survey shows that girls are less likely than boys to report having a federally classified learning condition – a finding consistent with the broader research that girls are systematically under-diagnosed with mental, emotional, and learning differences (Quinn & Madhoo, 2014). Boys self-disclose higher rates of every measured condition: Learning Disability (4.9% vs. 4.6%), Emotional Behavioral Disorder (1.9% vs. 1.8%), Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (5.8% vs. 4.3%), and Physical Disability (1.2% vs. 0.8%). The largest gap appears in ADHD, which research has long shown is meaningfully under identified in girls. Girls with ADHD often present with inattentive, rather than hyperactive impulsive, symptoms which are often less visible to teachers and parents and more likely to be mis-attributed to anxiety, perfectionism, or social struggles (Quinn & Madhoo, 2014). Learning Differences & Advanced Coursework

34% fewer girls than boys self-disclose an ADHD diagnosis; researchers link to under-identified.

ACADEMIC WELLNESS OF GEORGIA GIRLS

High school girls in Georgia self-enroll in more advanced coursework yet are not placed in Gifted programs at the same rate as boys. Georgia Department of Education, Georgia Student Survey, 2023-2024.

On the other end of the academic spectrum, Georgia girls outpace boys on most measures of advanced coursework — more take AP and Honors classes, and more enroll in Dual Enrollment for college credit. Boys lead only in Gifted Placement, by just over a point. The gap is telling: Gifted is the only advanced track that requires adult nomination, while AP and Dual Enrollment are driven by the student herself. Research links advanced coursework to post-secondary success (Ogut, 2021), but a comprehensive AP evaluation surfaced a trade-off: the program builds real scientific and analytic skill while also raising stress and eroding confidence in college and career readiness. For girls already carrying the emotional and social pressures documented elsewhere in this report, that trade-off deserves attention.

Gifted, AP/Honors & Dual Enrollment – Self-Disclosed

17%

Gifted Placement

19%

40%

AP / Honors Courses

36%

13%

Dual Enrollment

11%

Female

Male

66

THE 2026 STATE OF THE GEORGIA GIRL REPORT