News

Single-gender classes gain traction

March 26, 2008

Principals at Golden Strip schools have listened this year to reasons they might want to start single-gender classes at their schools.

J.L. Mann High Academy has already announced that it will offer single-gender classes to incoming freshman for the 2008-09 school year, while others, such as Bryson Middle School, have broken open the idea to see if there is interest among parents.

Each of those schools need look no further up the road than Langston Charter Middle School, which this year won a state award for its single-gender education.

The decision whether to offer separate girls and boys classes rests with the principals in most cases, said David Chadwell, the nation's first statewide single-gender coordinator.

Chadwell was hired in July to oversee programs at 96 schools offering single-gender classes. Next year that number could blossom to more than 200 schools. The state Department of Education Web site lists 281 schools statewide that are considering offering single-gender classes for the 2008-09 school year.

He said principals study the school's academic statistics and judge if separate boys and girls classes could help improve test scores.

"It's a choice," Chadwell said. "You're offering parents a choice. They have to be voluntary by federal guidelines, but it gives parents an opportunity to decide if this is an environment in which their child would thrive or not."

Proponents of single-gender classes point to studies that show both boys and girls learn better in single-gender environments. A Stetson (Fla.) University study showed 39 percent of boys and 59 percent of girls in co-ed middle school classes scored proficient on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test while 86 percent of boys and 75 percent of girls in single-gender classes scored proficient on the same test.

Single-gender classes disappeared in the early 1970s after the government passed Title IX regulations. In 2006, regulations were loosened under the No Child Left Behind law, which allowed schools to opt for single-gender classes, Chadwell said.

South Carolina has been named a leader in single-gender education, according to the National Association for Single Sex Public Education. South Carolina has one-fourth of 366 schools nationwide that offer single-gender classes.

J.L. Mann Principal Susan Hughes announced that the school would give incoming freshmen a choice of either single-gender or co-ed classrooms. If all goes according to plan, J.L. Mann would add a grade level every year until single-gender classes are offered for all grades.

Only core classes -- English, math, science and social studies -- would be part of J.L. Mann's program, Hughes said.

"It is so much more than just separating the young men and women," Hughes said. "We want to teach to the strengths of each group, and the single-gender classroom allows teachers to tailor their lesson plans to their audience."

Bryson Middle Principal Phillip Davie said the school has considered single-gender classes for next school year, though he hasn't determined yet if they will be offered.

Bryson will hold a second parent information meeting at its April 21 multicultural festival.

Chadwell pointed to social distractions, a keener focus on academics and different learning styles between boys and girls as reasons for single gender education.

"But No. 1 is you need to decide if this is some way to realign some of the things that you do inside your school, things that you're already trying to do," Chadwell said. "Schools look at their data to decide 'Do we have a need here?' "  

By Nathaniel Cary
TRIBUNE-TIMES WRITER
GreenvilleOnline.com