Gender Bias and Inclusion

1
Gender Bias and Inclusion

• Do we value all children equally?
• Is anyone more or less valuable?
• Gender Bias and Inclusion are controversial
  topics in education because both topics relate to
  our moral and intellectual virtues. Therefore,
  we thought both sides of these topics would be
  relevant to future educators.

2
Gender Bias and Inclusion

3
Gender Bias in Education Are Girls Being
Shortchanged?
Gender bias in education has received much
attention for several years, especially in 1992
after the American Association of University
Women (AAUW) published the report How Schools
Shortchange Girls. Our group examined the topic
of Gender Bias in Education. The areas of this
topic that will be presented are

• Teacher-Student Interaction
• Instructional Materials
• Single Sex Education
• Possible Solutions (which will be discussed
  at the end of the topics Gender Bias favoring
  girls and boys)

4
Teacher-Student Interaction
More than 20 years of research on teachers
interactions withchildren show that teachers do
treat girls and boys differently andthat those
differences have a startling effect on the
children.Adolescence is when the effects of
long-term gender bias become mostapparent
(Wellhousen, Childhood Education).

• Ways in which teachers treat girls and boys
  differently are as follows (Sadker Sadker)
• Teachers call on and interact with boys more
  than girls.
• Teachers give boys more wait time in class
  discussions.
• Teachers often extend boys answers by asking a
  follow-up question or by asking
  them to support their answer. Girls are more
  likely to receive an accepted answer.
  (Wellhousen, Childhood Education)

• Teachers do not apply the same rules to both
  boys and girls. Boys call out answers (when the
  teacher does not call on them) eight times more
  often than girls do.

5

• Teacher-Student Interaction (continued)
• Teachers assign classroom duties based on gender
  differences. Even at young stages (when both
  males and females have similar physical
  abilities), teachers assign more physically
  demanding duties to males. (Wellhousen)
• Teachers often divide the class based on gender
  for competitive games and activities.
• Girls receive fewer compliments based on ability
  than do boys. Girls are more likely to be
  complimented on neatness or appearance, whereas,
  boys are more likely to be complimented on their
  educational accomplishments.
• Teachers promote learned helplessness in girls.
  
• Teachers often use biased language using the
  word he when referring to inanimate objects or
  unspecified persons. (Wellhousen)
• Teachers do not promote a wide variety of
  activities throughout the day.

• Teachers sometimes refer to topics as a guy or
  girl thing.

6
Instructional Materials

• For teachers, deciding what instructional
  materials to use for a class is often difficult.
  In subjects such as history, women are not
  represented as well as men. (Spring, 80)
• Spring states
• The Sadkers found in 1989 elementary schools
  language arts textbooks that there were from two
  to three times as many pictures of men as women.
• In one 1992 world history textbook, of 621 pages
  they found only 7 pages related to women.

7
Instructional Materials (continued)
Two other authors, Karyn Wellhousen and Zenong
Yin, in an article entitled Peter Pan isnt a
girls part agree with Spring that women are not
fairly represented in instructional materials.
The authors state Examples of bias in
instructional resources include an absence or
exclusion of females from books, stereotyping
both sexes, degradation of girls, and isolation
of materials which related to women. Gender
biased language,which distorts students'
perceptions of reality,continues to be used in
published materials. Even though textbook
publishers have authors' guidelines for using
non-sexist language, the guidelines are not
enforced.
8
Single Sex Education as a Means for Eliminating
Gender Bias

• There are several strategies that teachers can
  use to help eliminate gender bias in education,
  however, it is very difficult for teachers to
  even realize that they are using biased
  techniques. Another possible solution to
  eliminated gender bias is discussed in our
  textbook, American Education. This solution is
  single-sex education.
• According to Spring, single-sex education would
  (Spring, 81-82)
• Eliminate the problem of female students having
  to compete with male students for teachers
  attention.
• Teachers would not be able to push girls aside
  to focus their instructional efforts on boys.
• Female students might receive the equal
  opportunity denied to them in a coed classroom.

9
Single-Sex Education as a Solution to Gender
Bias in Education

• In American Education Spring devotes attention to
  Susan Estrich, who is an advocate of single-sex
  education.
• According to Spring, Estrich notes that 60
  percent of the National Merit Scholarship
  finalists are boys. (Spring, 81)
• Estrich says that single-sex schools are
  working. Here is the evidence she has to prove
  it - In all-girls schools 80 percent of girls
  take four years of math and science. In
  coed schools, the average is two years of these
  two subjects.
• - In Fortune 1000 companies, one-third of the
  female board members are graduates of
  womens colleges even though graduates of womens
  colleges represent only 4 percent of all
  female college graduates.

- Graduates of womens colleges earn 43 percent
more math and
50 percent of engineering doctorates by all
women, and they outnumber all other females in
Whos Who.
10
Single-Sex Education as a Solution to Gender
Bias in Education (continued)

• Although benefits can be seen for single sex
  schools, there are several negative effects that
  these classrooms/schools can have
• According to Valerie Lee, a University of
  Michigan researcher, in many all girl
  classrooms still contained high levels of sexist
  behavior. (Spring, 82)
• Valerie Lee also found that male bashing was
  taking place in some all-female schools.
• Lee found that boys in all-male schools engage
  in serious sexist conversations about women.
• In other words, all-female schools do not do
  anything about the sexist attitudes of men. In
  fact, all-male schools might reinforce male
  sexist behavior. (Spring, 82)
• According to Spring, there is the possibility
  that single-sex schooling might result in greater
  academic achievement for girls while doing
  nothing about sexist attitudes among men.

11
Gender Bias - Are only girls being shortchanged?

• Although opinions and research has shown gender
  bias shortchanging women, men are shortchanged in
  the classroom as well.
• The following are areas in education in which men
  are shortchanged
• Academic and Professional Achievement
• Teacher Student Interaction

12
Are boys being shortchanged?

• Sitting in the same classroom, reading the
  same textbook, listening to the same teacher,
  boys and girls receive very different
  educations." (Sadker, 1994)
• In fact, upon entering school, girls perform
  equal to or better than boys on nearly every
  measure of achievement, but by the time they
  graduate high school or college, they have fallen
  behind. (Sadker, 1994)
• Across the country, boys have never been in more
  trouble They earn 70 percent of the D's and F's
  that teachers dole out. They make up two thirds
  of students labeled "learning disabled." They are
  the culprits in a whopping 9 of 10 alcohol and
  drug violations and the suspected perpetrators in
  4 out of 5 crimes that end up in juvenile court.
  They account for 80 percent of high school
  dropouts and attention deficit disorder
  diagnoses. (Mulrine, 2001)

13
Are boys being shortchanged? (continued)

• Research shows that boys are referred for testing
  for gifted programs twice as often as girls,
  which may be because, "...giftedness is seen as
  aberrant, and girls strive to conform."
  (Orenstein, 1994)
• Boys represent more than two-thirds of all
  students in special education programs and there
  is a higher the proportion of male students
  receiving diagnoses that are considered to be
  subjective (Chapman, n.d.). this statement ties
  in with our other topic, Inclusion.
• While medical reports indicate that learning
  disabilities occur in nearly equal numbers of in
  boys and girls, it may be the case that, "Rather
  than identifying learning problems, school
  personnel may be mislabeling behavioral problems.
  Girls who sit quietly are ignored boys who act
  out are placed in special programs that may not
  meet their needs." (Bailey, 1992)
• David Sadker, a professor at American University
  in Washington, DC says although much research has
  been conducted on the topic of how girls perform
  in math and science, it is actually boys who
  suffer more from gender bias.

14
Are boys the ones being shortchanged? (continued)

• In his article entitled "Gender Equity Still
  Knocking at the Classroom Door," Sadker concludes
  that more understanding is needed in order to
  eliminate the gender bias that impacts males.
  "Boys are stereotyped into their gender roles
  earlier and more harshly than females (Chapman,
  n.d.).
• " In his book Real Boys, author William Pollack,
  Ph.D., concurs with Sadker. He states that many
  schools are not suited to the educational and
  behavioral needs of today's boys. He identifies
  "different tempos" of learning between the
  genders, and says girls prefer to learn by
  watching or listening, while boys tend to learn
  by doing. As a result, Pollack says, boys tend to
  act up out of boredom, and therefore be labeled
  as having a behavioral problem, such as
  hyperactivity or Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
  (Chapman, n.d.).

15
Academic and Professional Achievement

• Girls consistently receive better grades than
  boys in elementary school all the way through
  college
• More women attend college than men.
• Boys outnumber girls in special education
  classrooms five to one (Heller, 2000). We will
  explain this further later on.
• Boys drop out of school at alarming rates far in
  excess of girls, and, as the Sadkers' study
  actually demonstrated, young boys are reprimanded
  far more often than young girls (Heller, 2000).
• Girls stay in school longer, cut classes less
  than boys, and on average earn better grades than
  boys (Woodard, 1998).
• Though boys, on average, outperform girls on
  standardized math and science tests, girls score
  higher than boys on standardized reading and
  writing tests (Woodard, 1998).
• Girls, on average, take more academic courses
  than boys, are more likely than boys to finish
  high school, and are more likely to go to college
  (Woodard, 1998).

16
Academic and Professional Achievement (continued)

• It is girls who get higher grades in school, who
  do better than boys on standardized tests of
  reading and writing, and who get higher class
  rank and more school honors (Kleinfeld, 1998).
• It is young women who enter and graduate from
  college far more frequently than young men
  (Kleinfeld, 1998).
• It is women who have made dramatic progress in
  obtaining professional, business, and doctoral
  degrees (Kleinfeld, 1998).
• Females lag behind in two academic areas
  mathematics and science achievement. Females also
  lag slightly behind males in attaining
  professional, business, and doctoral degrees
  (Kleinfeld, 1998).
• But males lag behind females in two other
  academic areas and by far wider margins reading
  achievement and writing skills (Kleinfeld, 1998).

17
Academic and Professional Achievement (continued)

• The percentage of female students in medical
  school continues to rise--to nearly 50--which
  seems to contradict the idea that girls are
  discouraged from pursuing scientific careers
  (Woodard, 1998)
• Men represent a very small percentage of nurses,
  elementary teachers, and primary parents, and/or
  homemakers (Streitmatter, 1994).
• There are virtually no male preschool teachers.
• Women are more likely to opt for a male
  occupation than a man for a female occupation.
• From grade school through college, females
  receive higher grades and obtain higher class
  ranks. They also receive more honors in every
  field except science and sports. (Kleinfeld,
  1998)

18
Teacher/Student Interaction

• In a longitudinal study by the Department of
  Education, evaluating 25,000 8th to 10th graders,
  more girls than boys consistently expressed a
  sense of teachers being interested in them and
  listening to what they had to say (Heller, 2000).
• The elementary school boys that I have seen in my
  practice for more than two decades have
  complained of their female teachers favoring
  their female students (Heller, 2000).
• A study in New York City that showed a sharp
  reduction in the number of referrals for special
  education and in increase in grades for young
  boys when they had male teachers (Heller, 2000)
• School systems are very definitely not designed
  for young male children (Heller, 2000).

19
Teacher/Student Interaction (continued)

• As for additional survey research that has been
  done to support the original claim that teachers
  ignore girls and hurt their self-esteem, we need
  to recognize the very limited value of survey
  data plus well-established gender trends for
  females to blame themselves and males to blame
  others along with the likelihood that males are
  going to make themselves look better on any
  survey of self-assessment (Heller, 2000).
• African-American boys scored near the top on
  self-esteem tests, despite well-documented
  academic problems (Heller, 2000)
• Teachers tend to give boys more attention, both
  positive and negative
• Boys were likely to be told how to solve
  dilemmas, while girls were more likely to have
  the teacher provide the solution or do the task
  for them.
• Teachers tended to criticize boys performance on
  an academic task for lack of trying hard enough

20
Teacher/Student Interaction (continued)

• Research on gender differences in class
  participation, school climate, and self
  confidence provides a welter of conflicting
  findings, sometimes favoring girls, sometimes
  favoring boys, and sometimes showing no gender
  differences at all (Kleinfeld, 1998).
• In the view of elementary and high school
  students, the young people who sit in the
  classroom year after year and observe what is
  going on, both boys and girls agree Schools
  favor girls. Teacher think girls are smarter,
  like being around them more, and hold higher
  expectations for them (Kleinfeld, 1998).
• As recent survey research shows, it is boys ,
  especially minority boys, who believe that
  teachers are not as apt to encourage them to
  achieve their goals or do their best (Kleinfeld,
  1998).

21
Conclusion

• How is it girls are different from boys? Kevin
  responded, Well, they just are. They look
  different. Their hair is different, their faces
  are different, their teeth are different and
  stuff. -This was a teacher asking a little boy
  in preschool how girls are different
  (Streitmatter, 1994)
• "Until educational sexism is eradicated, more
  than half our children will be shortchanged and
  their gifts lost to society." (Sadker, 1994)
• Until we realize that this is a real problem in
  our society we will never end gender bias in our
  classrooms.
• So the conflict remains, who is being
  shortchanged? The following slides are ways in
  which teachers can help eliminate gender bias in
  their classrooms.

22
Possible Solutions for Eliminating Gender Bias
in Education
Karyn Wellhousen, the author of an article titled
Dos and donts for eliminating bias in
Childhood Education, examines the report by
Sadker Sadker, Failing and Fairness, along side
observations in early education classroom
settings. Through her research and observations
Karyn gives several ideas for teachers to help
eliminate bias in education.

• Give girls and boys equal time and attention.
• - Boys have tendency to respond quickly, wave
  their hands and draw attention to themselves
  more so than females. Therefore, it is
  important to pay attention to and call on
  those who are not as enthusiastic as well as
  those who are. (Sadker Sadker)
• - A good example of this is finding ways in
  which your students can participate
  equally. One method that has been
  implemented in some classrooms is giving
  each student a set number of poker chips.
  Each student is given an equal number of
  opportunities to participate by exchanging a
  poker chip each time he/she participates.

23
Possible Solutions for Eliminating Gender Bias in
Education (continued)

• Give all students equal time to respond in
  discussion.
• - Girls are more likely to think about their
  answers prior to answering, therefore, three
  to five seconds is beneficial. It gives students
  the feeling that their teachers are
  confident that they will have an insightful
  answer. (Sadker Sadker, 57-59)
• Make the same rules apply to both boys and
  girls.
• - As stated previously, boys call out answers
  more frequently than girls do. Boys are
  less likely to be corrected for not following the
  rules. Therefore, if a teacher is going to
  correct the females for calling out answers,
  the boys should be corrected as well. This
  should be applied to all classroom rules.

• Give girls and boys the same opportunities.
• - Teachers sometimes assign classrooms duties
  based on gender. (i.e. boys are more likely
  to be assigned to duties that require
  lifting or moving objects, girls are more
  likely to be assigned to less physical duties.

24
Possible Solutions for Eliminating Gender Bias in
Education (continued)

• Do NOT use gender to divide the class for
  competitive games or activities.
• - As it would be inappropriate to separate the
  class by ethnicity, it is also inappropriate
  based on gender as well. (Wellhousen)
• Praise both girls and boys for their ability.
  Dont praise girls only for their
  appearance.
• - Girls receive compliments more often than boys
  on their clothing, hairstyle and overall
  appearance (Sadker Sadker, 1994). It has
  also been observed that teachers praise females
  for their neatness rather than ability.
  (Wellhousen)
• Do challenge boys and girls.
• - Dont promote learned helplessness in girls.
  (Wellhousen)
• - At school as well as at home, adults challenge
  boys to find solutions to problems while they
  yield to girls' requests for assistance.
  (Sadker Sadker)

25
Possible Solutions for Eliminating Gender Bias in
Education (continued)

• Use non-biased language. Do not use the pronoun
  he when referring to an inanimate object or
  unspecified person. (Wellhousen)
• - Language helps children learn about gender
  roles. The English language, unfortunately,
  presents "maleness" as the norm, and children
  interpret the predominance of male terms to mean
  there are more males than females.
  (Wellhousen)
• - Many teachers, when referring to firefighters,
  use the term firemen. In doing so, many
  students assume that firefighters cannot be
  females.
• Encourage students to take part in a variety of
  activities throughout the day.
• - Legos, blocks, tinker toys, etc promote
  exploration, experimentation and exploration.
  Dramatic play promotes the development of
  language, role playing skills and imagination.
  Therefore, students should become well rounded
  in both of these areas (to obtain the
  education value from both) instead of focusing on
  what is typical of each gender.

26
Possible Solutions for Eliminating Gender Bias in
Education (continued)

• Plan activities that address the issue of
  gender. Talk about fair and unfair treatment.
  Explore the similarities and differences of males
  and females and discuss their capabilities.
  Examine typical stereotypes of each gender.
  (Wellhousen)
• - Do not ignore children when they make sexist
  remarks.
• Provide students with bias-free role models.
• - Role models may include people from the
  community who have nontraditional careers or
  family members who talk with the class about
  the nontraditional responsibilities in the home.
  (Wellhousen)
• - Add books that represent a fair number of male
  and female role models.

27
Gender Bias and Inclusion
These two topics seem as though they are
unrelated, however, they do overlap the
following slides will introduce the topic of
inclusion and then later the two topics will be
tied together.

Relationship?
28
Inclusion

• The positive aspects and effects
• Of inclusion for all.

29
What Is Inclusion?

• The term inclusion is the most frequently used
  word to refer to the integration of children with
  disabilities into regular classrooms.
• The phrase full inclusion refers to the
  inclusion of all children with disabilities.
• (Spring, 86)

30
IDEA

• Individuals with Disabilities Act
• Requires that children with disabilities be
  educated in regular education classrooms unless
  the nature and severity of the disability is
  such that education in the regular classes with
  the use of supplementary aids and services cannot
  be achieved satisfactorily. (www.uni.edu/coe/inc
  lusion/legal/)
• Guaranteed equal educational opportunity for all
  children with disabilities. (Spring, 84)

31
Benefits of Inclusion

• All students are part of a learning community.
• Diversity becomes a tangible concept.
• All children are treated and viewed as being
  equal.
• There is an improvement in self-concept of all
  students.

• Development of personal principles.
• Reduced fear of human differences.
• Inclusive classroom may reduce the cost of
  special education.
• (www.coe.ilstu.edu/jabraun/students/laodonn/Pros.h
  tml)

32
Disadvantages of Inclusion

• School administrations and boards are not always
  actively aware and educated about the inclusion
  process and do not make informed decisions about
  the program in their school districts.
• School districts are not employing enough
  sufficiently licensed counselors to address the
  emotional, social, and cognitive needs of all
  students.
• (http//www.termpapers-termpapers.com/dbs/b4/ems64
  .shtml)

• Resources are often inadequate for many of the
  students with disabilities.
• Classroom sizes are too big for the adequate
  management of an inclusive classroom.
• Preparing the other students in a classroom for
  the needs of the student is not always
  implemented, creating a stressful situation for
  the general classroom.

33
Inclusion

• Isolation of children with disabilities often
  deprives them of contact with other students.
• It denies them access to equipment found in
  regular classrooms.
• Full inclusion, it is believed, will improve the
  educational achievement and social development of
  children with disabilities.
• (Spring, 86)

34
Benefits for Children with Special Needs

• affords a sense of belonging to the diverse human
  family
• provides a diverse stimulating environment in
  which to grow and learn
• evolves in feelings of being a member of a
  diverse community
• enables development of friendships
• provides opportunities to develop neighborhood
  friends
• enhances self-respect
• provides affirmations of individuality
• provides peer models
• provides opportunities to be educated with
  same-age peers
• (www.uni.edu/coe/inclusion/philosophy/benefits.htm
  l)

35
Disadvantages for Children with Special Needs

• Resources are often inadequate for many of the
  students with disabilities
• Some students with disabilities are less probable
  to receive an appropriate education.
• Some students with severe disabilities need
  alternative classes and instruction.
• Support and services are in place, but not to the
  appropriate need of many children.
  (http//ericec.org/faq/i-procon.html)
• Appropriate physical accommodations are not
  always in place before a student is integrated
  into a general education classroom
  (http//www.termpapers-termpapers.com/dbs/b4/ems64
  .shtml)
• Many feel that inclusion should be made on an
  individual basis and may not be appropriate for
  every child with special needs.
  (http//www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content3/inclu
  sion.disab.k12.3.1.html)

36
Benefits for the General Education Students

• provides opportunities to experience diversity of
  society on a small scale in a classroom
• develops an appreciation that everyone has unique
  and beautiful characteristics and abilities
• develops respect for others with diverse
  characteristics
• develops sensitivity toward others' limitations
• develops feelings of empowerment and the ability
  to make a difference
• increases abilities to help and teach all
  classmates
• develops empathetic skills
• provides opportunities to vicariously put their
  feet in another child's shoes
• enhances appreciation for the diversity of the
  human family
• (www.uni.edu/coe/inclusion/philosophy/benefits.htm
  l)

37
Disadvantages for General Education Students

• Preparing the other students in a classroom for
  the needs of the student is not always
  implemented, creating a stressful situation for
  the general classroom.
• Regular classroom students are distracted by the
  constant disruptions.
• Regular classroom student may begin acting out
  themselves for attention.
• Placement decisions are not made including the
  needs of the peers in the classroom.
  (http//www.termpapers-termpapers.com/dbs/b4/ems64
  .shtml)

38
Benefits for Teachers

• helps teachers appreciate the diversity of the
  human family
• helps teachers recognize that all students have
  strengths
• creates an awareness of the importance of direct
  individualized instruction
• increases ways of creatively addressing
  challenges
• teaches collaborative problem solving skills
• develops teamwork skills
• acquires different ways of perceiving challenges
  as a result of being on a multi-disciplinary team
  
• enhances accountability skills
• combats monotony
• (www.uni.edu/coe/inclusion/philosophy/benefits.htm
  l)

39
Disadvantages for Teachers

• Classroom sizes are too big for the adequate
  management of an inclusive classroom.
  (http//ericec.org/faq/i-procon.html)
• Entire school staff does not indicate a coherent
  philosophy of inclusion education.
• Staff development is not in place in many
  financially burdened schools.
• Many school districts do not have unified
  programs, making the evaluation
  counter-productive.
• School districts are not employing enough
  sufficiently licensed counselors to address the
  emotional, social, and cognitive needs of all
  students. (http//www.weac.org/resource/june96/spe
  ced.htm)
• There is not enough time for a teacher to plan
  and collaborate for all the students.
  (http//www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content3/inclu
  sion.disab.k12.3.1.html)

40
Benefits for Society

• promotes the civil rights of all individuals
• supports the social value of equality
• teaches socialization and collaborative skills
• builds supportiveness and interdependence
• maximizes social peace
• provides children a miniature model of the
  democratic process
• (www.uni.edu/coe/inclusion/philosophy/benefits.htm
  l)

41
Disadvantages for Society

• Some feel that it is hard for some students to
  adjust using the social skills necessary for the
  appropriate education of other young children.
• School administrations and boards are not always
  actively aware and educated about the inclusion
  process and do not make informed decisions about
  the program in their school districts.
  http//tiger.towson.edu/kjenki5/researchpaper.htm
  Concerns20Regarding20Inclusion

42
Gender Bias Inclusion

• How are they connected?

43
Gender Bias and Inclusion

• Textbooks
• Boys Vs. Girls in the Special Ed. Classroom
• Why more boys in the inclusion program?

44
Gender Bias in the Special Ed. Classroom

• Although males and females comprise equal
  proportions of the school-aged population, males
  account for approximately two-thirds of all
  students served in special education In many
  cases, it is not clear if females are under
  identified for special education, if males are
  over-identified, or if real differences exist in
  the prevalence of disability between males and
  females. (http//www.iteachilearn.com/uh/meisgeie
  r/statsgov20gender.htm)

45
The Statistics

•  
•  
•   Gender of Elementary and Secondary-Aged
  Students with Disabilities, by Disability
  Category
• 1994 Elementary and Secondary School Compliance
  Reports.
• 
  
• Male
  Female
• Specific Learning Disability 69.3 30.8
• Mental Retardation 59.0 41.6
• Emotional Disturbance 79.4 21.0
•  Source U.S. Department of Education, Office
  for Civil Rights, 1994 Elementary and Secondary
  School Compliance Reports. (http//www.iteachilear
  n.com/uh/meisgeier/statsgov20gender.htm)

46
Why is this Happening?

• Some researchers cite physiological or
  maturational differences between males and
  females as a cause for some disproportionate
  representation. (http//www.iteachilearn.com/uh/me
  isgeier/statsgov20gender.htm)
• Males maybe referred more because of gender
  differences between female teachers and male
  students. (http//www.iteachilearn.com/uh/meisgeie
  r/statsgov20gender.htm)
• Female teachers may be more likely to identify
  boys behavior and learning styles as indicative
  of a disability, inflating the referral of boys
  for special education evaluation.
  (http//www.iteachilearn.com/uh/meisgeier/statsgov
  20gender.htm)
• Higher expectations for boys then girls. Girls
  maybe overlooked if a boys needs help in the
  classroom. Teachers may have lower expectations
  for girls. (http//www.iteachilearn.com/uh/meisgei
  er/statsgov20gender.htm)
• The disproportionate representation of males in
  programs for students with emotional disturbances
  may reflect a bias in the ways emotional
  disturbance is defined and/or the instruments
  used to identify students as eligible under those
  definitions (http//www.iteachilearn.com/uh/meisge
  ier/statsgov20gender.htm)
• Teachers play a big role as future teachers we
  have to learn to not favor a certain gender
  because in the long run we may be hurting the
  childs education.

47
Why is this happening continued

• According to Glen Young, Learning Disabilities
  and Adult Education Specialist at the U.S.
  Department of Education's Office of Vocational
  and Adult Education,"The issue of gender bias in
  referring children for special education is based
  on two issues the widely held belief that males
  are more likely than females to have learning
  disabilities, and that referrals to special
  education within schools seem to be more based on
  challenging behavior in the classroom rather than
  poor academic achievement or deficits.
  http//www.famlit.org/Publications/Momentum/Februa
  ry2000/ld.cfm
• According to Chris Moran Some say boys are moved
  into special education to manage rambunctious
  behavior. Others say girls who might need special
  education are overlooked because they hide their
  problems by withdrawing.(The San Diego
  Union-Tribune)

48
Gender Bias in Educational Magazines

• According to author Kira Isak Piroski,
  Mainstreaming of 5.8 million disabled children,
  notwithstanding, disability is still not
  adequately presented in the two most popular
  childrens magazines Highlights for Children and
  Sesame Street Magazine sample of all Highlights
  for Children published from 1961 through 1990
  found that only sixty-three disability articles
  were published during a thirty year period of
  time. (http//www.edchange.org/multicultural/pape
  rs/literature2.html)
• Disability narratives in Highlights are gender
  biased. Twenty-five narratives featured a male
  disabled character, eighteen depicted a female
  disabled character, and nineteen were either
  mixed, or non-gender specific. Males names
  dominated titles of stories. (http//www.edchange.
  org/multicultural/papers/literature2.html)

49
Works Cited

• 2000, February). Learning Disabilities and Gender
  Bias inEmployment Context. Retrieved April 14,
  2004 from NationalCenter for Family Literact Web
  sitehttp//www.famlit.org/Publications/Momentum/
  February2000/ld.cfm
• ERIC (2003, March). Inclusion Pros and Cons.
  Retrieved April 18,    2004 from Educational
  Resource Information Center, Web site   
  www.ericec.org/faq/i-procon.html
• Illinois State University (n.d.). The Pros Cons
  of Inclusion.Retrieved April 17, 2004 from
  Illinois State University, College ofEducation
  Web sitehttp//www.coe.ilstu.edu/jabraun/student
  s/laodonn/Pros.html
• Bailey, S. (1992) How Schools
  Shortchange Girls The AAUW Report. New York, NY
  Marlowe Company.
• Brinton, B. (2000, March 20). How to prevent
  gender bias from affecting your child's
  learning. Retrieved April 4, 2004 from , Web
  site www.parentssource.com/article.3.00.html
• Chapman, A. ("n.d."). Gender bias in education.
  Retrieved April 5, 2004 from , Web site
  www.edchange.org/multicultural/papers/genderbias.h
  tml    
• Heller, K.M. (2000). Bias about gender bias in
  schools. Retrieved April 12, 2004 from , Web
  site www.drheller.com/jan95.html 

50
Works Cited (continued)

• Jenkins, K. (2002, May). Using Information
  Effectively forEducation. Retrieved April 18,
  2004 from Towson University,Department of
  Education Web sitehttp//tiger.towson.edu/kjenk
  i5/researchpaper.htmConcerns20Regarding20Inclus
  ion
• Kleinfeld, J.S. (1998). The myth that
  schools shortchange girls.  Retrieved April 12,
  2004 from , Web site www.menweb.org/kleinful.ht
  m
• Meisgeir (2004, April). Gender as a Factor in
  Special EducationEligibility. Retrieved April
  14, 2004 from , I Teach Learn.com Website
  http//www.iteachilearn.com/uh/meisgeier/statsgov2
  0gender.htm
• Moran, C. (2003, February 10). Gender Gap seen in
  specialeducation. Retrieved April 14, 2004 from
  , San DiegoUnion-Tribune Web sitehttp//www.sig
  nonsandiego.com/news/education/20030210-
  9999_1n10edkids.html
• Mulrine, A. (2001) Are Boys the Weaker Sex? U.S.
  News World Report, 131 (4), 40 48.
• Orenstein, P. (1994) Schoolgirls Young
  Women, Self-Esteem and the Confidence Gap. New
  York, NY Doubleday

51
Works Cited (continued)

• Pirofski,K. (2004, April). Race, Gender and
  Disability in Today'sChildren's Literature.
  Retrieved April 14, 2004 from , EdChangeResearch
  Room Web sitehttp//www.edchange.org/multicultur
  al/papers/literature2.html
• Pros and Cons of Inclusion. Retrieved April 18,
  2004 from Web site http//www.termpapers-termpap
  ers.com/dbs/b4/ems64.shtml
• Ripley, S. (1995, July). Planning for Inclusion.
  Retrieved April 18, 2004 from NICHCI News
  Digest, Academy for Educational Development Web
  site http//www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content3
  /inclusion.disab.k12.3.1.html
• Sadker, M. Sadker, D. (1994). Failing at
  Fairness How Schools Cheat Girls. New York
  Touchstone.
• Schultz Stout, K. (2001, November). Special
  Education Inclusion. Retrieved April 18, 2004
  from , Wisconsin Education Association Council
  Web site http//www.weac.org/resource/june96/spec
  ed.htm
• Spring, J. (2004). American Education (11th ed.).
  New YorkMcGraw-Hill Higher Education.

52
Summary

• Many general considerations need to be in
  place before any classroom can be successful.
  Teachers need to be reflective. Making the
  decision to educate everyone in their classroom,
  being able to make important decisions about
  instruction, ability to make adaptations to the
  general curriculum, and seeking support are all
  characteristics of a reflective teacher. Many
  teachers do not realize that teachers are
  responsible for the emotional needs as well as
  the academic and intellectual needs of their
  students. Flexibility, individualization,
  caring, natural supports, fairness are all
  qualities of an effective teacher in any setting.
  (Bauer, A.M, 2004)
• Careful consideration needs to take place for
  teachers to provide an equal learning
  environment. Schools are a good place for gender
  bias in society to be eliminated. By teachers
  taking the correct approach to teaching (using
  the suggestions for eliminating gender bias
  presented previously), some of the gender bias
  that is present may be decreased.
• Hopefully in the future all classrooms (math,
  science, technology, special education, family
  and consumer sciences, etc) will contain an equal
  representation of both genders.
• It is up to future teachers, all of you, to help
  achieve this goal!