The role of gender in curriculum development and the relationship between gender and learning in the female independent secondary schools are examined in this report. Historical methods focused on the years 1945-90. The research was based on an examination of the secondary literature as well as intensive archival research and indepth interviews with school heads and curriculum policymakers at seven New England and Ohio female independent secondary schools. The research also made use of the responses of a questionnaire sent to 117 such schools in New England and the Northeast central states. Findings suggest that the female independent schools, with few exceptions, did not develop gender-specific curricula to enhance young women's learning styles or provide courses of study that would create gender equality for all students. Following a discussion of biological and sociocultural learning differences between the genders, recommendations are made for: (1) inclusion of the feminine approach to problem solving for males and females in all schools; and (2) reconstruction of coursework content to integrate the experiences of both genders. (42 footnotes) (LMI)