2008 Woodie Awards
Single-sex classrooms could offer benefits
Kathleen Radebaugh '08
Issue date: 4/2/08 Section: Opinion
With educators shifting toward creating single-sex public schools and classrooms modeled after many private and parochial schools, the question of the impact of such changes on students arises. Academic performance in single-sex settings at various grade levels is being discussed more frequently.
All-female or all-male schools have long been part of private and parochial school systems. This shift toward single-sex education in public schools is the result of parents wanting more options in their children's educations and concern for their children's mental and social development.
These concerns are partially based on new studies showing that females' self esteem drops during puberty, and other studies showing males' reading and writing test scores lagging significantly behind female test scores.
In 1995, there were only two single-sex classrooms in American public schools. Currently, there are 49 such classrooms, 65 percent of which opened in the last three years. According to Leonard Sax, a family physician and author, 360 single-sex schools have been established in Cleveland, Detroit, Albany, Philadelphia, and many other cities.
Sax's book "Why Gender Matters: What Parents and Teachers Need to Know About the Emerging Science of Sex Differences" examines the neurological, motor, and auditory differences between males and females, and how they can be best used to improve classroom instruction.
Outside the classroom, there are many things beyond students' and teachers' control, especially in high school when after-school hours can be filled with complicated social situations.
Maybe by segregating classrooms by gender, the classroom can be one less complication in students' lives, especially during high school when social drama skews priorities.
While it is almost impossible for a single-sex classroom to ignore social situations, segregating classrooms by gender would enable them to be a place with structure, focus, and opportunity for students despite their gender or cerebral volume.
There are single-sex schools that report progress in test scores and behavioral reports, and there are schools not showing progress, but more time is needed for further analysis.
There are going to be some great moments discussing Chaucer and Oedipus with students, and there are going to be days when administrators threaten to cancel prom.
It is not just up to the school whether those test scores rise or fall. It's the students. Ultimately, it is up to them, male or female.
All-female or all-male schools have long been part of private and parochial school systems. This shift toward single-sex education in public schools is the result of parents wanting more options in their children's educations and concern for their children's mental and social development.
These concerns are partially based on new studies showing that females' self esteem drops during puberty, and other studies showing males' reading and writing test scores lagging significantly behind female test scores.
In 1995, there were only two single-sex classrooms in American public schools. Currently, there are 49 such classrooms, 65 percent of which opened in the last three years. According to Leonard Sax, a family physician and author, 360 single-sex schools have been established in Cleveland, Detroit, Albany, Philadelphia, and many other cities.
Sax's book "Why Gender Matters: What Parents and Teachers Need to Know About the Emerging Science of Sex Differences" examines the neurological, motor, and auditory differences between males and females, and how they can be best used to improve classroom instruction.
Outside the classroom, there are many things beyond students' and teachers' control, especially in high school when after-school hours can be filled with complicated social situations.
Maybe by segregating classrooms by gender, the classroom can be one less complication in students' lives, especially during high school when social drama skews priorities.
While it is almost impossible for a single-sex classroom to ignore social situations, segregating classrooms by gender would enable them to be a place with structure, focus, and opportunity for students despite their gender or cerebral volume.
There are single-sex schools that report progress in test scores and behavioral reports, and there are schools not showing progress, but more time is needed for further analysis.
There are going to be some great moments discussing Chaucer and Oedipus with students, and there are going to be days when administrators threaten to cancel prom.
It is not just up to the school whether those test scores rise or fall. It's the students. Ultimately, it is up to them, male or female.
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