David Chadwell is the country's first state coordinator of same-sex education. The recent success of these schools has inspired S.C. to go same-gender.

No Child Left Behind

President Bush’s educational initiative, No Child Left Behind, permitted schools to separate boys and girls if it would improve learning. That experiment proved to be very successful with more schools opening each year. Not only are current schools experimenting with separating boys from girls but new schools are opening with an all-boys or all-girls format.

ACLU

While the ACLU is loudly screaming foul, the success of the programs has more volume. The facts are that boys are different from girls and each gender learns differently. Research has already shown us that boys seem to learn better from male teachers. Could that be because males teach how males learn? And, girls seem to learn better with female teachers. Again, is that because female teachers teach how females learn?

AAUW

The AAUW, American Association of University Women, is complaining that same-gender classes are discriminatory and are a disadvantage for girls. Girls do benefit from same-gender formats but boys seem to benefit more than girls do. Perhaps the question should be asked, "Do we discriminate against boys by having mostly female teachers in schools?"

South Carolina

Chadwell’s plan for South Carolina is to have a same-gender school available to every middle school child within five years. [Seanna Adcox, newsobserver.com, October 1, 2007] The middle school years are very challenging developmentally for students. Same-gender classrooms would reduce distractions in the years where there are already too many issues in the lives of 13-year-olds.

The Status Quo

Presently, there are 70 schools operating under this format in South Carolina. Chadwell is very ambitious to expand this statewide in just five years. He began duties in his new post in July. Prior to duties in South Carolina, the Detroit native taught in a Quaker school outside Philadelphia and started a school in China. [Seanna Adcox, newsobserver.com, October 1, 2007]

The Differences

Teachers that have adjusted their programs to same-sex education in South Carolina have observed differences between the two genders.

• Boys don’t hear as well as girls.
• Girls take yelling more personally.
• Boys enjoy reading action novels.
• Boys’ attention span is shorter and wanders.
• Boys learn better with movement.
• Girls enjoy interviewing each other to gather data.
• Boys like activities and something dramatic

[Seanna Adcox, newsobserver.com, October 1, 2007]

Other Research

Past research has noted that boys respond to sports questions and girls to shopping questions. Girls enter a room quietly and sit down. Boys tend to burst into a room and are less aware that their actions are inappropriate or irritating. Girls ask more questions and boys rely on that. In an all-male classroom, boys are forced to ask the questions.

N.O.W.

Kim Gandy, president of the National Organization for Women, believes that the success of same-gender schools could be better teachers and smaller class sizes. But, what do the kids think? "I like it because I can focus and study more here," said Quinn Martin, an eight-grader who started making the honor roll after entering an all-boys program. "Everybody’s more focused on their work, and it’s easier to learn." In 2007-2008, 363 public schools offer same-gender education. [Seanna Adcox, newsobserver.com, October 1, 2007]

Related articles: Boys Lag Behind Girls, Same-Sex School Update

Read previous articles on Educational Issues.

Copyright article 2007 Barbara Pytel. All Rights Reserved.