Gender Equity: Can SingleGender Classes Help Your Child Achieve More

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Gender EquityCan Single-Gender Classes Help
Your Child Achieve More?

• Somerset Middle School
• Grade 5
• 2006-2007
• Brenda Boucher Andre Johnson
• Lytha Lyons Pam Seekel
• Sara Eichten

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Rationale

• WKCE test results show gaps in three areas, one
  of which is the area of gender. Results show
  that in some subjects girls perform better than
  boys while in other subjects the reverse is true.
  A goal of our district is to work to close this
  gender gap. With this in mind, our fifth grade
  team met and decided on the following reasons for
  studying gender differences
• To improve academic rigor in classes, with a
  sub-goal of diminishing the gender gap on WKCE
  and Terra Nova tests.
• To improve student behavior and attitudes through
  increased student competence, confidence and
  class participation.

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Interesting Facts

• Race does not exist on a biological level sex
  does.
• Brain tissue cannot be distinguished by race, but
  can by sex.
• Adulthood in terms of brain development is age 22
  for females and age 30 for males.

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Classroom Dynamics in Mixed Gender Classrooms

• Girls talk less often and say fewer words.
• Girls are interrupted more.
• Teachers dont pause long enough for
  thinkers/less aggressive students.
• Teachers spend more time with boys.
• Boys receive more feedback, and more specific
  feedback, from teachers ( including praise and
  correction).

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As we began our research we discovered some facts
about how boys and girls learn.In single-gender
classrooms

• Boys are less distracted. They are less focused
  on girls and impressing them, therefore boys act
  out less often and concentrate on academics.
• Girls have higher self esteem. The 1
  determinate of a girls confidence in co-ed high
  schools is how she feels about her looks (not her
  academic or athletic ability, or how kind she is,
  or how many offices she has or clubs or jobs or
  volunteer work). In single-gender classrooms,
  girls are less obsessed by clothes, hair, make-up
  and popularity. They concentrate more on
  academics.

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Gender Differences

• Girls
• are more easily distracted than boys and prefer
  quiet and focus.
• prefer cooperative work.
• prefer problem solving tasks that help people.
• Boys
• are more kinesthetic.
• Prefer more freedom of movement
• Do better when they can be louder and less
  restricted.
• Male role models for boys make a big difference.

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Gender Differences (cont.)

• Girls brains mature faster linguistically by
  about 4 years (found across all cultures).
• Boys and girls process language in different
  areas of their brains.
• Boys brains mature faster mathematically by
  about 4 years.
• Boys and girls process math in different areas of
  their brains.
• Girls hear better.
• Girls and boys notice different things (boys
  motion girls bright colors and people).

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Best Practices Classroom Management-Friendly
relationships of girls

• Face-to-face interactions
• Get together to talk
• Friendship focuses on each other
• Friendship is central to relationship
• Hierarchies destroy friendship
• Self-revelation is the most precious badge of
  friendship
• Girl friends must be equal

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Best Practices Classroom Management-Friendly
relationships of boys

• Side-by-side interactions
• Get together to do stuff
• Friendship is peripheral to relationship
• Hierarchies organize the camaraderie
• Self-revelation is to be avoided at all costs
• Boys friends cross all equality lines

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Classroom Management Relationships with
Teachers-Girls

• Being friends with the teacher enhances your
  status with other girls
• Teacher is considered ally and friend
• When encountering difficulties will consult
  teacher at the initial encounter with difficulty
• (so encourage girls to work on own DO NOT
  SPOON FEED)
• Use first names to address girls

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Classroom Management Relationships with
Teachers-Boys

• Being friends with teacher lowers your status
  with other boys
• Teacher is assumed to be adversary
• When encountering difficulty will consult teacher
  as a last resort
• Use last names to address boys

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Small Group Work

• Does not work well for boys because when boys
  encounter difficulties they do not ask for help.
• Group work can work when time is severely
  restrained, group work has a narrow target/topic,
  and work is organized along team lines.
• Use a stop watch and call out time left for boys
  to keep on task

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Best Practices for Girls

• Face-to-face interaction
• Make and keep eye contact
• Smile
• Sit and listen, dont talk
• Nod your head
• Agree/sympathize
• Show unconditional positive regard
• For a girl to be motivated to work, she has to
  believe you care about her

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Best Practices for Boys

• Shoulder-to-shoulder
• Know when to use eye contact
• Communicate who is top dog you
• Alpha is one who doesnt smile
• 1st week you have to be tough, no nonsense, lay
  down rules, never turn your back.
• Move around classroom
• If boy turns in poor quality work take for a
  walk or stand and put work in front of you to
  discuss
• Be very direct, not smiling, be very explicit
  about what you expect
• Do not give him opportunity to talk. Ask at end
  Are you ok with this?

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• Any teacher can be an effective teacher of boys.
  Not any teacher can be an effective teacher of
  girls.
• The single most important factor for success is
  matching the right teacher to the right classroom.

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3 Rules For Success in Boys Classroom

• Talk louder
• Move continuously
• Every minute or two interrupt yourself to ask a
  question or for a summary. Occasionally even get
  in boys faces to increase brain blood flow, which
  raises achievement

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Classroom Arrangement Boys

• Widely spaced rows and aisles
• Always moving
• Establish teacher authority. Allow no personal
  questions until authority is established.
• Humor raises your status in the eyes of boys.
  Use it to establish your authority.

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Classroom Arrangement Girls

• Arrange chairs in circle.
• Position your spot randomly move often.
• Tables are problematic as they promote cliques
  and apathy.
• Explain that they will need to sit with these
  people for a set amount of time.
• Do not allow them to choose partners as some will
  be excluded.
• Make sure you have no favorites!

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1st Week With the Girls

• Create class rules together
• Discuss and negotiate agreements
• Post the agreement
• Identify the ringleader
• Assign ringleader and victim to work together.
  By compelling them to work together we give them
  a way out and still save face.

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Motivating Boys

• Divide all boys into teams (2 or 4)
• After first month boys elect a captain and a
  lieutenant who are responsible for enforcing a
  no-bullying policy.
• Highest status boys are elected to tell lower
  status boys to lay off.
• Teams work for boys as boys value team
  affiliation above friendship.

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In single-gender classrooms, girls

• Ask more questions.
• Do more hands-on work with equipment.
• Take more leadership roles.
• Talk more.
• Learn more.
• In single-gender classrooms, girls have
  increased confidence in academic ability.
  Academic confidence leads to higher aspirations.

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In single-gender classrooms, boys

• Do better with some freedom of movement.
• Are less distracted so they can focus on
  learning.
• Can practice social skills more comfortably.
• Participate more often and more freely.

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Mathematics

• Girls
• Manipulatives help girls (not boys)
• Bring in examples to show math concepts
• Begin with real world applications before
  emphasizing computation
• Boys
• Use concrete numbers start with and stay with
  numbers
• Do not use manipulatives

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Mathematics

• Single-sex educations is most beneficial for
  girls in grades 6-12.
• Single-sex education is most beneficial for boys
  in grades K-6
• It is VERY hard to teach math so both boys and
  girls get advantages
• Drill computations are boy friendly
• CMP is girl friendly

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Social Studies Boys

• Start in the middle of things at the precipice of
  the climax to engage them, then back up to
  beginning to inform them
• Begin with history rather than social studies
• Middle school boys like technical details
• Use maps
• Tell stories of individual men making choices
• Avoid how would you feel questions

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Social Studies Girls

• Start with similarities between people now and
  then
• Begin with life of girls in that era
• Avoid long stories about dead white men
• Girls are not interested in women who are famous
  because they were married to famous men until
  they can make connections to what life was like
• Encourage how you feel questions

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• During this past year we were able to visit
  schools that currently have gender specific
  classrooms
• Minneapolis Academy - a charter school housing
  grades 5-7 in gender specific classrooms.
• North Branch - Sunrise River School housing
  gender specific classrooms in grade 4.

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Comments From Parents of Girls

• Less distracted without the boys.
• Improved social skills.
• Learned how to resolve conflicts in a more
  constructive and positive manner.
• Less behavior problems.
• Taught by style of teaching where girls learn
  better.
• Better sense of community.
• More confidence, socially and academically.

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Comments From Girls

• Quieter classroom.
• More focus on girls subjects and discussions.
• Easier to get along with other classmates.
• More hands-on activities.
• Dont feel intimidated.
• Easier to concentrate.
• Get more work done.
• Dont get teased if you dont know the answer.
• Other girls will help you.

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Comments From Parents of Boys

• Teaching is focused on boys learning styles.
• More camaraderie and team building.
• My son was more interested in learning.
• My son seems more polite and thinks of others
  more.
• Made more friends and wants to partake in group
  activities.
• Much more comfortable with school.
• Made good friendships and bonds.
• Now he really enjoys school.
• Having all boys around helps them feel more
  normal at an age with lots of changes.
• Started to enjoy reading and writing more.

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Comments From Boys

• Subject matter directed more towards boys.
• More physical education and movement.
• Dont have to sit next to girls.
• Boys learn better with other boys.
• Less arguing between kids in the class.

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Summary

• HOW single-gender classes are implemented is
  critical to success or failure. Single-gender
  settings are not, by themselves, going to help
  girls and boys.
• Teaching methods and classroom environment must
  be adapted differently for boys and girls.
• Teachers and administrators need to continue to
  learn about the motivations for single-gender
  education and how to effectively implement it.

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Conclusions

• Single-gender classrooms and schools show promise
  in improving learning and confidence in girls and
  boys.
• Rather than using stereotypes, the knowledge of
  gender differences in learning should be used to
  make decisions.
• The goal is to provide an even playing field for
  the development of academic interests and to
  break down any artificial barriers to achieving
  success for both girls and boys
• Single-gender classrooms will be voluntary in
  Grade 5 at SMS.

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• Students who are more engaged, who ask more
  questions, who participate more in class
  discussions and debates, who take leadership
  roles, who do more hands-on work and who have
  greater confidence in their academic abilities
  will
• LEARN MORE.

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Questions

• What would happen if it wasnt working out or if
  my child didnt like being in a gender specific
  classroom?
• When a student struggles in a certain academic
  area will the pressure of same gender peers be
  more harmful than helpful?

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• Will all classes be taught the same curriculum?
• How will teaching methods differ for each
  gender?
• Is it for the whole year or just for second
  quarter?

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• How much will this disrupt their schedule from
  first to second quarter?
• If the study goes well, will gender-specific
  classes be implemented throughout middle school?
• We think it will be important that the all-boy
  and all-girl classes consist of a similar
  cross-section of academic performance as the
  mixed classes. How will this be achieved?

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Other Questions?