According to a new study done by the American Association of University Women, the "boy crisis" in education isn't actually real. Yes, it turns out that an argument based on hazy gender essentialism (boys are too impatient to raise their hands and turn in their work on time!) is seriously faulty.

The study looked at 40 years of academic achievement between 4th grade and college and found that "academic success is more closely associated with family income than with gender." This doesn't mean, however, that there aren't gender gaps in education. The study found that there is a gap in math scores among 17 year olds (boys do better), a literacy/reading gap across the age spectrum (girls do better) but that among students entering college, these gaps basically dissapear. 

And even though women tend to have higher grade point averages (3.09 to 2.86) and receive 57 percent of all bachelor's degrees, it's still hard to make an argument that the educational system is hurting boys when women still earn 77 cents for every dollar men earn. Also, more men than ever are going to college and getting degrees.

So while it's nice to know that reports of a boy crisis are greatly exaggerated, it's still distressing that there are very real educational gaps that plague our society, and they are based on race and class.