Gender Segregated Schools

This is my first blog ever! :) I guess this is my first chance to vent/dicsuss/BLOG an educational issue that I have thought quite a bit about. As soon as the topic of segregation in public schools arises most people shutter to think that it may actually be a research based innovation that may actually result in significant increases in student achievement. There is a bit of internal conflict as an urban educator when the issue of segregation in public education facilities arises. However, the segregation I speak of is not demeaning, belittling, ethically, or racially motivated. Gender segregation is a research based change of traditional education that may not be as radical as we think. It is certainly an interesting concept, and worth some thought and debate. I guess the thing about NCLB that makes the most sense, but is often time misinterpreted, is the ‘innovative’ factor. BCPSS annually implements changes that are little more than the Federal minimum as far as changes that will produce serious results.

What is the motivating factor for deviant or inappropriate behavior from our students? Girls are catty to impress the boys and boys show off to impress the girls. I find that often fights, arguments, and classroom disruptions are between boys and girls, and if they are same sex arguments, it is over the opposite sex. If that variable were eliminated, would student achievement benefit? Let’s look at the research…

A voluntary pilot program in Pennsylvania’s Erie School District has found that students in gender-separated classes improve in both academics and behavior.

The federal government (NCLB) is going to make it easier to experiment with same gender education. Presently, there are 223 public schools offering single-sex classrooms. There were four eight years ago.

Boys and girls learn and process information differently. Boys respond to direction and motion. Girls respond to detail and color. Girls are more likely to learn sitting still and boys do better if they can move around and work with their hands.

Deland, Florida experimented with same-sex classrooms vs. co-ed. The state writing test was administered to both groups. In the co-ed class, 37% of the boys passed and 86% passed in the same-sex environment. In the co-ed class, 57% of girls passed the writing test and 75% passed in the same-sex class. Judging from just this one statistic, same-sex classes are more helpful to boys than girls although it helps both.
(Research taken from http://educationalissues.suite101.com/)

How about Baltimore City? Western high school is currently all female and is one of the oldest in the country. Here is how Western compares to the other same sex high schools in Baltimore City:

Western Baltimore City
Grad rate 97.1 60.6
Attention: 94 83
HSA English 85 37
Drop out rate 1.12 (5 year high) 10.5

What does this all mean for BCPSS? Well for starters, they should be taking a very close look at the research on same sex schools. From what I’ve found, the students, especially boys, do significantly better in same sex schools. Opponents argue that segregated schools hinder students’ social development. While this is a very valid point, I believe there is a way schools can do both. I think that both girls and boys could use, rather share, the same facility; however, during the instructional time, they would remain in separate parts of the building, attending classes with all boys or all girls. The school could have co-ed dances, organizations, events, etc. so they are still getting to socialize with the opposite sex, but the socialization would occur outside of the classroom and the actual learning. By really examining the research out there, BCPSS could make a well informed, educated decision on whether or not this innovated idea of gender segregated schools is something that could help the students in Baltimore City. I will be interested to see if the Bluford Drew Jemison All Boys Academy is more successful than other Baltimore City middle schools and if they believe that the fact it is a same sex school is a major contributor to that success.