Posted on 03/08/2006 11:42:24 AM PST by Indy Pendance
Arrowhead hopes boys would learn, behave better
Town of Merton - There are differences between Brady Steinbach's technical education class and the other courses he takes as a freshman at Arrowhead High School.
More work gets done in that class, for one.
It also just happens to be all boys.
Steinbach's experience in technical education happened by chance.
But Arrowhead administrators, concerned about the academic and behavioral problems confronting some of their male students, are exploring whether to try single-sex classes in other subject areas.
They are slated to ask the School Board tonight to take the first step toward offering boys- and girls-only science classes on Arrowhead's South Campus by giving the go-ahead to gauge parent interest. Enrollment would be voluntary for the classes for the 2006-'07 test year, when school officials say they would like to offer one section of science for each gender. The experience of those classes would be compared with a control group in a mixed-sex class taught by the same teacher.
South Campus Principal Gregg Wieczorek, who has worked on the plan since January, said the district is still investigating whether to offer such classes in the fall. But he said tonight's vote might be the only one needed to proceed with the concept.
"We're always looking for ways to help all of our students do well," he said. This just happens to be another way, he said.
Wieczorek's interest in single-sex classes was piqued by an article in Newsweek magazine on the problems facing boys in school that pointed to male-only classes as a possible solution.
Arrowhead also has seen trouble with its male students. Enrollment in a new program instituted for struggling freshmen this school year was 84% boys, for example.
"We're talking about males and how they learn and some of the distractions they have socially with females in the class," Arrowhead Superintendent David Lodes said. "Likewise, we also have some females that feel intimidated in some subject matters because the males always raise their hands, and they don't want to look stupid giving the wrong answer."
Research on single-sex schooling is relatively scarce, according to a 2005 report commissioned by the U.S. Department of Education. But the studies that have been done, mostly in Catholic high schools, have found some academic and social benefits to separating the sexes.
It was only in 2004 that, prompted by the federal No Child Left Behind law, the U.S. education department amended Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 to make it easier for coeducational schools that receive federal funds to offer single-sex classes.
But Chris Ahmuty, executive director of the ACLU of Wisconsin, expressed concern about Arrowhead's move.
"ACLU opposes the single-sex model of public schools, in large part because the sex segregation fixes the stereotypes that abound when you come to how women do in math or science," he said. "It seems that it's fixing the stereotype about young men just as well, that somehow they're so overwhelmed by their hormones that they can't be expected to behave in class with women."
Arrowhead students were split Tuesday as to whether they thought the classes were a good idea.
Sophomore Crystal Finucan said she doesn't find boys to be a distraction in class - just the opposite.
"I think science is better with boys and girls because boys and girls think differently," she said.
Rich Goodman, a freshman, said girls can help keep boys on task when they work together.
"For projects and stuff, if they mix girls and guys together, the guys pay attention," he said.
But Steinbach, who was briefed on the school's plan Monday as a student member of the principal's cabinet, said he liked the idea that students would have the option of taking certain classes with only members of their own gender.
Expanding the idea to all classes is another matter.
"You've got to have some fun, some down time, some variety," Steinbach said. "Otherwise, that would be crazy if it was all gender specific."
Even though Wieczorek says his school is at the beginning of an experiment with single-sex classes, he suggested the school could be willing to try out the concept in other subject areas.
If Arrowhead proceeds with the proposal, it would be unique in the state of Wisconsin, Wieczorek said.
"I think other schools will be watching to see where this goes," he added.
This will fail as soon as the first transgendered thing files a lawsuit.
The aclu is already complaining.
Won't this cut DOWN on flirting?
I wonder if that was on purpose.
The guys pay attention all right....to the girls' breasts.
I went to a single-sex high school, and I'm pretty sure I turned out okay.
100% for.
I'd hope a single-gender class doesn't have much "flirting" at all!
Science has already proven the existence of human pheremones.
Stuffing adolescent males and females into crowded environs for
extended periods of time must, by nature, have a physical effect
on all students.
My daughter went to a "girls only" high school and my son to a men's only college. Both situations were great for them.
Science experiments are fun.
But they are using our tax dollars to experiment on kids who are stuck in government schools, and any efforts to help kids opt out of government schools (perhaps thru vouchers) get blocked. If this is a bad plan, then some kids will get a lousy science education.
But who cares about that? [/sarcasm]
100% against. High school would have been way too boring without the fairer sex.
Ah, yes. And in prehistoric times before pantyhose (and when girls were required to wear dresses) we naughty boys had a "drop the pencil" game we would play on occasion...
Actually, I do think single-gender classes should be tried on most levels.
Now they're talking back to basics. Having experienced this myself and then providing the same experience in private schools for a child of each gender, I still think it is the best way to go unless a child is home schooled.
It especially gives females a greater chance at leadership skills, etc.
Girls and boys would have the same classes for english, history, etc. It's just this science class. The study is to determine if girls and boys do better in math and science in same sex classes instead of mixed.
I went to a women's college but was older (25) than the other students and married. I noticed the girls were far less "silly" then the girls at the Co-Ed college I attended before.
Well of course they are. God forbid anyone should recognize that there are differences between the genders.
Of course, the biggest problem confronting boys right now is lack of a male parent as a positive role model.
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