EDUCATION:

Single-sex classes being praised on many levels

Jury still out, but some educators already convinced of benefits

Steve Marcus

Soraya Gonzalez-Tarin, center, work on a math problem this month in her class at Diaz Elementary. Last year Diaz and its sister campus, Cortez Elementary, were the first in the Clark County School District to go with single-sex classrooms in all grades.

By Emily Richmond (contact)

Sunday, July 19, 2009 | 2 a.m.

Steve Marcus

Diaz Principal Maribel McAdory says single-sex classrooms are designed to aid in the different ways boys and girls learn.

Steve Marcus

Diaz fifth graders Cristian Sanabria, left, Savion Jones, center, and Jaswaun Toney work on a writing project.

More stories about education

In the boys-only fifth grade classroom at Diaz Elementary School, students are free move about. As they work independently on a writing assignment, some sprawl on the floor, others lean against the wall. The teacher speaks loudly to be heard above the hum of activity and classical music playing in the background.

Down the hall, in the girls-only first grade class, it appears another species, not gender, might be at work here.

The girls sit at desks in tidy rows, face to face as they collaborate on a writing project. The only sound is their quiet chatter as they discuss their work.

These single-sex classrooms are part of a Clark County School District experiment to see whether teaching boys and girls separately improves academic performance. The jury is still out, but not for a small group of local educators who are convinced that boys and girls learn so differently that teaching them the same way, in the same room, shortchanges the group.

•••

The district has since 2002 used single-sex classrooms for certain subjects and grades. For the 2008-09 academic year 14 campuses offered such classes to try to close achievement gaps between boys and girls in math, reading and science.

(The gap is more pronounced in the lower grades, where girls typically score higher than boys on standardized tests. It narrows in the upper grades — boys outscored girls on the math section of the high school proficiency exam — but girls have a higher graduation rate.)

Diaz, which opened in 2008, and its sister campus, Cortez Elementary, became the first schools to adopt single-sex education campuswide this past school year.

Diaz Principal Maribel McAdory said everything from the color of classroom walls — boys had blue, girls yellow — to the volume of the teacher’s voice was a research-based decision intended to foster educational progress.

“You can’t just split the genders up,” McAdory said. “You need to know why you’re doing it. You need to understand the strategies.”

David Amour, who teaches fifth grade boys at Diaz, said his first year teaching a boys-only class was a learning experience.

There were some surprises. For the first time, the boys raised their hands and volunteered to read poetry aloud. They made their way enthusiastically through a scaled-down version of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.” And there were almost no behavioral problems.

Amour also made some adjustments. Research shows that boys don’t hear as well as girls do, Amour said, so he spoke in a louder voice. He occasionally played classical music in the background to provide extra stimulation that the boys enjoyed while working on their own.

“They’re always doing something,” Amour said of his class of boys. “But if you let them stand up and move around, they pay better attention.”

Based on his experience and research, the 16-year teacher will make some adjustments when students return next month.

He has read that boys who have trouble concentrating do better if they have something to occupy their hands as they work. He will be distributing stress balls for the students to squeeze and will affix strips of Velcro beneath their desks, which they can run their fingers over during class.

Amanda Soltis taught two years of co-ed kindergarten before being assigned last year to a girls-only first grade class at Diaz.

Training she received before the start of school prepared her for leading a single-sex classroom, she said. But it didn’t prepare her for how quiet her class would be, Soltis said with a laugh.

“After a while, I could just step back and know they would be doing what they were supposed to be doing,” she said.

Students also found the experience wasn’t what they had anticipated.

Fourth grader Arianna Stacey said when she learned her class would be all girls, she “worried there would be a lot of drama.” But without the boys in the room, the girls seem to be friendlier, Arianna said.

Soltis will return to a co-ed classroom in August. But she said she will bring to the class a greater understanding of differences between boys’ and girls’ learning styles.

The girls she taught this year sought her approval for nearly everything they did, no matter how small the task. One thing she said she will emphasize is helping the girls build more confidence in their abilities, independent of her reaction.

•••

Researchers aren’t settled on the effectiveness and long-term effects of single-sex education.

Those in favor say it removes the inherent distractions that come with mixing boys and girls. Gender-specific classes also encourage students to expand their academic horizons — girls are more likely to pursue careers in mathematics and science while boys show increased participation in language and arts programs, they say.

Clark County educators base their instruction on the teachings of Dr. Leonard Sax, executive director of the National Association for Single Sex Public Education.

Sax, who has traveled to Las Vegas to visit district schools and consult with staff, espouses the theory that brain development in boys and girls is different enough that to thrive they need individually tailored educational environments. The author of two books on gender and academic achievement, he cites research showing girls are less confident in their academic abilities even though they get better grades than boys.

Boys “tend to have unrealistically high estimates of their own academic abilities and accomplishments,” Sax wrote recently. Therefore, girls need to be encouraged and have their self confidence boosted, and boys need “a reality check — to make them realize they are not as brilliant as they think they are, and challenge them to do better.”

Sax, who is a psychologist as well as a physician, said because boys and girls process information differently, one instructional approach for both is less likely to be effective.

For example, adding an element of competition to a math lesson is likely to work with boys, but typically has little effect on girls, he says.

When teachers provide real-world context for instruction, it can enhance the learning experience for girls, Sax says. The same lesson is likely to leave boys bored and distracted.

A general rule for boys, Sax writes: Avoid questions that begin with the phrase, “How would you feel if ...”

Critics of same-gender education say much of the research cited by Sax and others is outdated. Some say it reinforces harmful stereotypes about the abilities and limitations of boys and girls.

“When they start stereotyping that boys learn this way and girls learn that way, alarm bells should be going off for every educator who knows full well that every child learns differently,” said David Sadker, a professor emeritus at American University who has spent almost 40 years researching gender bias. “What do boys and girls think of each other if they’re told they can’t learn together? What do we lose when everyone in the classroom is the same color, gender and socioeconomic class? Of all the countries that should be doing this, our democracy should be last.”

Instead of separating boys and girls, public schools should focus on how to make co-ed classrooms work for all students, said Sadker, who devotes a chapter to single-sex education in a new book he co-wrote, “Still Failing at Fairness.”

The recent surge in single-sex classrooms — in 2002, just 11 public schools in the United States offered single-sex classes, this year there were more than 540 — followed an easing by the U.S. Education Department of the restrictions imposed by Title IX, the 1972 law banning gender discrimination in public schools.

The department mandates that participation in such classes be voluntary and districts must provide “substantially equal” learning opportunities for the students who are not segregated by gender.

(Because Diaz and Cortez serve the same Clark County attendance zone, the district agreed that the two schools’ “opt out” students can be combined. Cortez has one mixed-gender classroom each in grades one, two and four, and Diaz offers mixed classes in third and fifth grades.)

Allen Lichtenstein, attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada, finds the School District’s foray into single-sex education troubling even if it complies with federal law.

“Let’s suppose that they decide that racially integrated classrooms are not a good idea and don’t help student achievement,” Lichtenstein said. “Would we then have separate classrooms for blacks and whites?”

In an interview with the Sun, Sax acknowledged that improperly executed single-sex education can reinforce gender stereotypes instead of breaking them down.

Teachers in an Alabama school district, which recently shut down a mandatory single-sex program following a challenge from the ACLU, were accused of encouraging girls to write about wedding dresses and boys to write about hunting.

“Schools would be better off sticking to co-ed than to try and go ahead without the training,” Sax said, adding that the fundamentals can be covered in a few days. For single-sex education to work, “you need to train your teachers and educate your parents.”

•••

At Cheyenne High School, which has for several years used single-sex education in ninth and 10th grades, Principal Jeff Geihs evaluated the students of teachers who had both co-ed and single-sex classes.

For the 2008-09 academic year, the pass rate for the boys-only geometry class was 72.3 percent, compared with 70 percent for boys in co-ed classes. The girls-only world history class had a markedly higher pass rate, 88 percent, than the co-ed class, 81 percent. But in other classes, such as boys-only world history and girls-only algebra, co-ed classes outperformed the single-sex classes.

Those statistics tell only part of the story, Geihs said. Other considerations, which he’s in the process of evaluating, include whether students made gains over previous academic performance and whether classroom behavior has improved.

Still, Geihs said he’s confident that, overall, the program is having a positive effect.

The first year of any educational initiative is typically considered the baseline for measuring student achievement. In addition to Diaz, seven Clark County campuses are completing their first year of single-sex schooling.

At Cortez, which began a limited use of single-sex classes in 2007 before expanding last fall, Principal Ariel Villalobos is declaring it a success. He said he’s seen significant improvement in the overall learning environment and a steep drop-off in discipline issues for boys and girls.

At Diaz, McAdory, the principal, said boys-only classes have made strong progress, particularly in literacy. Girls-only classes are also doing well, but the gains aren’t as pronounced. Part of the reason is that the girls were doing well as a group and had less ground to make up, McAdory said.

Martin Curiel’s son Eric is finishing third grade at Diaz, where he has been taught in a boys-only class. Curiel said he isn’t sure whether he agrees with the logic behind single-sex schooling, but he does know that Eric made significant progress in reading this year — something he struggled with last year.

“I don’t know if boys and girls really do learn differently — I know that’s the theory,” Curiel told the Sun as he dropped Eric off for class. “But whatever it is, it’s working.”

Discussion: 21 comments so far…

By cnev

7/19/09 at 5:02 a.m.

Suggest removal

Diaz is an outstanding school. Ms. McAdory is an inspirational and knowledgeable leader which makes a difference.
This is one of those little educational gems the district has supported which will result in long term success .
Look at the most successful private schools in the nation to evaluate the success of single sex education. Almost all are single sex institutions.

The Clark County School District might want to consider using this magnet/charter approach to schools overall and introduce other successful educational concepts.
By CrnkB8

7/19/09 at 6:56 a.m.

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I agree with Lichtenstein (attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada).

I thought we ended segregation decades ago. Here we are, once again, creating "battle of the sexes" and instilling prejudice attitudes. If our civilization will ever overcome prejudice and discrimination, why start separating our children during their learning years (where they are most influential).
By Ds_Gentle_Master

7/19/09 at 7:46 a.m.

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When will the CCSD start experimenting with the teaching of reeding, riting and arrithmatik?

Jus axin.
By Narcissa

7/19/09 at 10:10 a.m.

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Haha, before I even read the article, I thought to myself, "Don't anyone worry, the ACLU, stupid, ignorant parents, and various misguided feminist groups will manage to put the kibbosh on this little sprout of hope".

And, I was right. What a shock! America's Number One domestic enemy never fails to deliver when it comes to underminig positive change in this country, especially for minority children and other at risk girls.

Single sex schools are the best; THEY WORK. Don't listen to the dopey argument that kids won't be socialized to interact with the opposite sex, because that is a scare tactic that is utter Bull-@it, propogated by the same genius baby boomers that got Latin yanked from the public schools as a core subject because, you know, it's a "dead language" and what could you possibly learn from that
waste of time? One need only surf postings on the net to see how that's worked out.

Girls in these schools might not have "daily contact" with boys, but let me tell you this; when they do
venture out and it's time mingle, say in grad school or the work place, these confident young ladies
will not hesitate to raise their hands and participate in a mixed environment because it never
occured to them that they are supposed to retire to the background in the first place; you can't act
on messages, however subliminal, if you've never had daily exposure to them. Just watch these
ladies thrive!

Trust; when you don't spend your high school and/or college years worried about boyfriends or
looking good in class to impress some guy who's going nowhere anyway, it really affects your
perspective and priorities.

And, as a well-rounded, educated young lady, THEN you can go off and marry a millionaire or do
WHATEVER you want. There are no limits for the by ladies empowered by single sex education.

Ooh, wait, gotta go! Alan Lichtenstein is busy on TV, blasting Nevada court efforts to help our vets,
by giving them a bit of a break if they commit certain offenses!

Gee, the ACLU has been so busy this weekend, in their relentless effort to underme America and it's values. While I'm sure it is invigorating for these umm, "constititional patriots", it must also be exhausting, what with all the efforts at positive change they have to impede and trample!

Thanks for helping to ruin these girls' chance at a better education and better future, though, Alan
and Gary, I'm sure in the future, they'll appreciate your eventual civil rights lawsuit. Maybe they can write you a thank you note while taking a break from work in the steno pool. JERKS.
By Nick

7/19/09 at 10:33 a.m.

Suggest removal

I hope this cult school gets sued and loses BIG.

Stop the ignorant bigots from ruining eduation.

GO ACLU!!!

Stop the stupidity, stop the right wing SICK agenda.
By davidwayneosedach

7/19/09 at 11:55 a.m.

Suggest removal

This has been tried out in other states and it works. Why not try it in Las Vegas?
By Nick

7/19/09 at noon

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Its a stupid sick attempt of the religous right to control people.
By Narcissa

7/19/09 at 12:26 p.m.

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Look, everybody, it's Nick (!), the John Kenneth Galbraith of his generation (look it up, as I know you'll have to, genius.).

In this episode, Nick rails against single sex education as a "cult", which he cleverly identifies as a sneaky plot by the evil "right wing" to "ruin education".
But wait, there's more, people! Nick also knows that single sex education is bigoted! That's right, we all know how devastating it can be when low-income,
minority students are placed into a supportive, educational environment where they
statistically wind up attaining higher test scores, have less teen pregnancies, and go on to higher learning.

Nick is especially affronted at the prospect of minority girls being in an environment where, probably for the first time in their lives, girls are placed in a supportive environment where pointless, outside distractions such as how they can best impress a boy, no longer exist. Why, these victims of the cult might even do do well and grow to love learnng that they might even go on to attend grad school!

I'm sure it's just a coincidence that most of those radical feminists (and, we all know how crazee right wing they are!!), are huge proponents of single sex ed for girls. I can't imagine why, though-probably just because they're ummm, "bigoted" against the ladeez.

Good thing we have the articulate Nick to expose this conspiracy, with all it's destructive ramifications, and help us see the light.

Servicey!!

Nick, your talent at logic and ability to express it in a coherent sentence speaks for itself. When you are done cashing your check from what is, no doubt, your six-figure income job, please enlighten us some more about how and why an educational environment that enables young minority girls to thrive in ways they would never be able to in a mixed sex setting, is bigoted.

We eagerly await your response because by your stellar writing, no one is a better candidate
to shout from the rooftop the need to "STOP
THE STUPIDITY" than you, Nick.

We are all grateful for your wisdom!
By Narcissa

7/19/09 at 1:30 p.m.

Suggest removal

Nick, oh, Nick..., where ARE you?! We are all waiting for what will be a no doubt brilliant explanation as to why single sex ed is, you know, bad.

Maybe you are still trying to figure out how to cut and paste 'John Kenneth Galbraith' for the Google search on the compewwtorr. I'll bet if you asked for help from a boy whose attended single sex ed classes, he could help you, since they tend to do better at spellng when they are placed in that environment.

Or, maybe you are busy conferring with one of your righty radical femnist friends. Of all the groups I can think of, they are in the best position, as you obviously are (!), to spot and vehemently oppose any educational efforts that would "control" young girls to where they have an improved self-esteem and a better chance of growing up to be independent, free-thinking young women. And, they might be able to make more money than they ordinarily would have! And not have to rely
on a man for support!

OMG, I'm sorry, I'm just having too much fun with you, Nick. It's not even a fair fight, so, I'll stop. Plus, my dog needs walking, anyway.

But think, BIG, Nick! Don't forget to think "BIG"! And, make sure to convey your desire to smack down the crazeee ladeez' programs by shouting out that you want
it to happen, BIG!!!

I'll let myself out.
By Nick

7/19/09 at 3:21 p.m.

Suggest removal

Bottom line Narcissa is a major right wing John Ensign fan.

This school should stop doing social experiments on our kids.

We do not need a C street gang in schools. These kids deserve better.

ACLU will get a donation from me today!
By stevem

7/19/09 at 3:26 p.m.

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as long as they teach the girls to cook and clean, i think it's a good idea.

i don't want to get off the couch to get a meal when nascar is on.
By mikeg

7/19/09 at 5:40 p.m.

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I think it's a great idea. It reduces distractions and helps teachers maintain classroom management, giving them more time to teach.
By nednougat

7/19/09 at 6:09 p.m.

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It's more than just equality. It's about life. Never forget when I was 14, and Miss Sullivan asked me to speak to the class about some stuff. The problem was that Margie Kingsland had already grown giant boobs, and I had a huge piece of wood when Miss Sullivan called on me. I was terrified, did OK, but looking back, I would done been better in a male only class.
By HookorCrook

7/19/09 at 7:19 p.m.

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Single sex classrooms are so 1890's. This is hardly an experiment.
By getalife

7/19/09 at 7:41 p.m.

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Nick, you think this is a social experiment??!!

Well I guess you, as king of the libs, would know a social experiment when you see one.

I can't believe your keyboard allowed that.

I am all for it and school uniforms.
By BugMeTons

7/19/09 at 8:25 p.m.

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Although I acknowledge that there are academic gains to be had in separating by gender, I am concerned that this separation will be negatively impacting gender relations. I believe that prejudice and discrimination are cultivated by separation.

There's more to education than reading, writing, science, and arithmetic. K-12 education also involves civic education, social relations, and individuality.

I remember a friend who went to a gender-segregated school. He had the most... interesting ideas about the female gender.
By reagan21

7/20/09 at 9:59 a.m.

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@ BugMETons

You are ill-informed. The US began to fall behind the rest of the civilized world when we began to create classes in "self esteem" (of which I was forced to take in 7th grade at Brinley Junior High) and individuality durnig the early 1980's.

The CCSD's job is to ensure our kids can read, write and do math. The remaining "civics" and "individuality" is what should be ganied via the home or on the kids own time. The school's mission is not to raise up a generation of kids who "know who they are" but are sadly unable to express it because they lack the writing skills. The mission is to prepare our kids for college or other endeavors. My alma mater, Cheyenne High School, implemented a gender segregation program for 9-10 grade core classes. Guess what happened? Grades went up, scores went up. The system has been showed to work. It has been showed to work so well, that I know my kids, aged 3 and 4 right now, will be attending a school that "gets it". Whether that be a private school or whether I will have to move somewhere else...namely the San Clemente School District in Southern California.

Word to the CCSD. Look at what San Clemente School District does...and copy it.
By castle

7/20/09 at 4:36 p.m.

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Appears that an unintended result has occured from the "remove all segregation" in public funded programs. If this works it may be time to re-evaluate the regulations and laws and make changes if needed. Of course that would require action on the part of law makers.
By Kalima

7/20/09 at 7:12 p.m.

Suggest removal

Everyone has a different learning style. If the same-gender rooms are working for someone then that student should stay in the environment. There will always be children who act more like the other gender. How are they accommodated? I grew up with a bunch of brothers and male cousins. The first time I played with a girl was in kindergarten. I'm sure my learning style and behavior was much more like a boy's than a girl's.
Having blue for boys and yellow for girls did annoy me. Many teachers use blue in their room because it has a calming effect on all people.
Finally, how are children with gender-identity disorder placed? Are there any issue with gay students in the classrooms?
By lvteacher

7/20/09 at 7:34 p.m.

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There is very little, if any, statistical data to prove that single-gender education is beneficial to students. I have studied the research of Dr. Sax and those that oppose single gender education and the jury is out. There is definitely a lack of training for classroom teachers in this area. Many are given an book and receive very little professional development before it is implemented.