Thoughts wanted: Interesting idea about school....

On Monday evening  we had a lengthy staff meeting at my afternoon school with our district Superintendent, five other BIG-Wigs from the district, and our school principal.  It seems that because we have such declining enrollment in a large-capacity building, drastic measures need to be taken to keep our school open.  The Sup's idea is to turn our school into a school driven by gender-based instruction.  Put simply, we would implement both an all- boys and an all-girls "academy" of sorts for all core content areas in grades k-3, starting next school year, then adding a grade level each year until we are gender-based for k-6. Specialist classes and lunch would be co-ed.

In St Paul Public Schools we service about 41,000 students and offer a ton of school choices for students....neighborhood schools and magnet schools.  Each magnet school has a specific focus (Math & Science, Technology, Creative Arts, Aerospace, communications, Museum magnet, Year-round schools, American-Indian magnet, World Cultures, French Immersion and Spanish Immersion, just to name a few.  Magnets schools always perform better and have higher enrollment rates because no matter where the child lives in the district, they receive bussing to the magnet schools.  Neighborhood schools don't fare as well....if a child moves out of the attendance area, they are usually forced to move to another school because transportation is NOT provided.  As you can probably imagine, neighborhood schools that are in tough, transient neighborhoods with a high number of rental properties struggle because of the transition rate of kids moving in and out.

Our district has just recently implemented gender-based instruction at one of our middle schools and it is going very well, but there is nothing like it at the elementary level in our district.  Research has been done on gender-based instruction and there are quite a few schools like this around the country that are showing very positive achievement outcomes because of it.  It is the hope of our Superintendent and staff that providing a unique experience like this will be a big draw to our school and that it will drastically increase enrollment.

I am interested to find out more about the program and how it will work.  I think there are definite benefits to providing gender-based instruction and I am kind of excited to be part of the pilot project.

What are your thoughts on gender-based instruction? Would you be willing to try it with your children if there were significant benefits?

Comments

[zoe]

i would be willing if their were significant benefits. maybe then peyton would stop drooling on the little girl who sits at his table ????

[michelle]

How interesting... I guess I would need to see the studies that were done. I know there have been studies done about girls vs. boys in science and math, in which girls perform at a lower level. Perhaps if you take the male factor out, girls will perform better. I'd be interested in following this. I've never heard of this. Thanks for sharing!

[Connie]

I attended a co-ed grammer school (1-8) and then an all girls high school. I have to admit that the all girl high school had it's benefits.

[greta adams]

i would want something to read...i am pretty open minded but our schools don;t work like that down here so all that math and science and all that stuff your talking about magnent schools that is foreign to me

[amy]

i too, would also like to hear more about the pros and cons with respect to this concept for grammer school age children. with regards to highschool, i am all for it. i attended a co-ed highschool, but i could definitely see the pros in gender-based highschools. then again, some individuals can go a bit nuts when they're finally unleashed to the mainstream population with members of both sexes!!!

[RobynD]

I think gender based can be a good idea. It seems to work in some other areas. I think it's also good to have the co-ed lunch(recess in grade school) and specialist classes as you mentioned so they are still interacting with each other. My concern would be how well they integrated once the moved on to college, I'm sure that must be in their studies.

[simone]

Here the magnet schools are impossible to get into...Heck, we are prepping now to just try and get into a magnet high school.
I think the younger grades need the boy/girl interaction. The girls are the only ones who talk to my little Max.
But in HS, I am all for the same sex school. I went to an all girl HS and I loved it!

[Nicole]

I started this comment yesterday, and the computer ate it.

The Denver Public School system is in the same boat. They resently closed several schools, converted several more into Head Start programs, and converted several middle schools into K - 8.

I have been following the studies on gender-based education and would absolutely consider it if it were an option for my children. Gender stereotypes and roles are so pervasive in our society, and have clearly spread into the education system - girls are supposed to be good at reading and writing, while boys are supposed to excel in math and science. By placing children in single sex classrooms, we are encouraging them to perform at their optimal level, without the pressure of being noted for excelling and something they aren't 'supposed' to excel at. In addition, not having to dress or act a certain way to appeal to the opposite sex (which kids are learning how to do at an alarmingly young age) allows them to focus their attention on their education.

(I had more, but I don't remember it now! Anyway, that is the gist of what I think.)

[Muriel]

I think single sex classes are good. I went to a coed elementary school and an all girls high school. I think the focus stays where it needs to in this kind of environment...

You'll have to keep us updated on how it is going there.