Single-sex classrooms and schools are common in private education and have emerged as popular options in urban public school districts, such as New York City, particularly as a strategy for raising the achievement of African-American boys. South Carolina is at the forefront of implementing such programs statewide. Ninety-seven schools in South Carolina have embraced a new push to spread single-gender education throughout the state's public schools--including to suburban and urban districts, to poor and wealthy areas, and to schools that are mostly white and mostly black. South Carolina's top education official sees a statewide push for single-sex classrooms as a way to boost school choice and achievement, but critics question the effort's pace and wisdom. There is the issue of sustainability, especially when the programs are supported by an elected state superintendent who will leave office someday. It is also too soon to tell if the programs make any long-term difference in student achievement, despite some initial reports of improved test scores. State officials are also trying to figure out how to properly measure improvement on both state tests and the harder-to-measure variables of student engagement and discipline. Meanwhile, women's rights and civil rights groups are concerned that such programs will reinforce sex stereotypes and result in an unequal distribution of resources.