No, but they have mechanical skills to make up for it.
Posted on 06/11/2007 8:38:37 AM PDT by LUMary
Boys Are In Trouble by: Wendy Cook, June 04, 2007
Since the 33-year-old Women’s Educational Equity Act’s inception, the U. S. Congress has appropriated around $10 million annually for research, curricula development and teaching strategies to promote “gender equity,” according to information from the U.S. Department of Education. But what about the boys, have they been left behind by our nation’s schools?
“Boys are in trouble,” said Krista Kafer, visiting fellow at the Independent Women’s Forum. “The facts are quite clear; boys trail girls in most indicators of academic excellence such as, school engagement, achievement scores, and graduation rates at secondary and postsecondary levels.” Kafer presented these facts in her latest IWF position paper, Taking the Boy Crisis in Education Seriously: How School Choice Can Boost Achievement Among Boys and Girls.
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), conducted by the U.S. Department of Education, shows an overwhelming amount of data that supports Kafer’s theory. Take a look:
* A 2005 NAEP study revealed that a third of 12th grade boys cannot read a newspaper and understand what they are reading.
* The NAEP “Long-Term Trend Test” (started in 1971 and has remained unchanged to better track academic trends over time) showed that at age 17 boys’ reading achievement was fourteen points lower than girls’ and in fact is lower than it was in 1971.
* The same test also shows that scores for the 12th grade reveal that in math, girls have improved while boys have slipped. In reading, girls have improved a little while boys have fallen behind even more.
Other research institutions also report the same conclusions:
* The Manhattan Institute for Policy Research found that girls graduate high school at higher rates than boys, with the disparity highest among minority students. There is an 11% difference between African-American girls and boys.
* Boys account for roughly two-thirds of the students receiving special education services, according to the National Association of Directors of Special Education Incorporated.
“Despite the glaring inequities, the tired myth of the shortchanged girl remains strong enough to seize another $2.9 million from taxpayers last year for an outdated federal program,” said Kafer. “Even more unfortunate is how the myth of inequity is wielded to oppose real reforms that help both boys and girls,”
She also suggests the differences in educational performance may be the result of innate differences that can ultimately be overcome. Scientists have discovered small differences in the way men and women’s brains operate. Men have an advantage in spatial-rotational cognition, explaining why men often do better in math and science. Women have an advantage in verbal ability, which allows more women then men to excel in reading and writing.
“Physiology alone does not explain the disparity in academic achievement… how students are taught and the degree of student engagement matters,” said Kafer. This explains her enthusiastic support for school choice, “No one school can serve every student equally well. School choice allows parents to find the right school for their children, and encourages greater innovation within the educational sector. With school choice, schools must compete to attract students… where competition exists, schools have embraced different curricula and philosophies designed to appeal to the families’ needs and desires.”
It looks as though help is on the way; many states have already taken the initiative to start school-choice programs. According to Heritage Foundation data, in Illinois, Iowa and Minnesota, parents may take a tax credit or deduction for private-school expenses. Arizona, Florida and Utah allow disabled students to attend private schools of their choice. Utah also passed legislation allowing funds (based on income) to be given to any parent who chooses private schools. This just scratches the surface; at least 5 other states and the District of Columbia have some sort of school choice programs available.
Kafer says that despite all the data and research that shows how bad boys are struggling, politicians and special interest groups still seem to pay it no mind. She says there must be public recognition that the boys, not girls, are falling behind. It is not about helping just one gender, but helping every student reach their full potential.
With charter schools, tax incentives, scholarships and giving the parents the right to choose, maybe this will be possible.
If you would like to comment on this article, please e-mail mal.kline@academia.org
as for boys, look at the House of Representatives, the Senate, the governorships, and virtually ALL corporate boards in this country, and you will see that women have not gained in big ways when it comes to power and money, or politics......
parents have a way to help their "boys" and that is to stop playing to the lowest standards in the world..the Playboys, the Porn movies and magazines and the immoral and offensive music that glorifies rape and violence....
of course, that would require DADDY to be morally straight and for DADDY and MOMMY to have a successful marriage and family life...
too often, what passes for "masculinity" is just vulgarity...witness that obscene and hateful "tom and Mike" radio show.....but that crap gets defeneded here and elsewhere....it demeans all boys and men by making them animals seeking prey...
I lay the blame on any failues that boys have straight onto our vulgar masculine society that belittles women, girls and makes animalistic, sociopathic behaviour the norm for boys...."If I want it, then I deserve it" mentatlity..( its affecting girls now too)
Sharks?
What you said with the addition of... to keep them from acting like boys.
Yep, sharks.
No, but they have mechanical skills to make up for it.
I’m wondering if my 12 year old 7th grade son is getting discriminated against at his public school.
Every 6 weeks, the students are required to read 2 books and either take a computer test on the books (after school hours) or write reports on the books. He has always stayed after school to take the tests.
Last 6 weeks, when he went to the computer center after school it was closed. The next day (the due date), he tried to get on a computer, but they were full. He told his teacher about his problems.
He asked if he could e-mail her the reports that evening for half credit. The teacher said no, and gave him zero points.
We then found out that the teacher allowed an Indian boy send her the reports.
We’ve talked to the teacher, the principal, etc about this matter, but they are not budging.
My son is a straight A student. He would have a 94% in this class, but now he has an 87% in the class. In 4 semesters, he’s only gotten 1 B. He has the 2nd highest grade of all the students in high school level Algebra 1.
He doesn’t get into trouble. He’s nice and respectful.
I don’t understand what is going on. The only thing I can think is he is being targetted because he is a white male.
“The only thing I can think is he is being targetted because he is a white male.”
Your son has gotten 1 B, after waiting until the last minute to make a special accomodations request. I don’t think you’re quite making the case for discrimination.
But look on the bright side: he might have learned something new.
These attitudes toward boys have their consequences.
I’ll have to ask my 10-year-old son about shark reproduction. I’m sure he knows all about it, and will go into gross detail at supper :-).
He didn’t make a special accomodation request at the last minute.
He asked his teacher the first time he saw her and asked how he should handle the media center closure.
There was no indication that the media center was going to be closed. It wasn’t on the school website on the teacher’s homework site.
The teacher also let at least 1 student e-mail her a report, but she didn’t let my son. That’s where I think there was discrimination. You don’t let one kid do something and not the other.
Keep going up the ladder. Contact the superintendent and state board. And maybe other school board members (somebody should be on your side). This is just unfair and wrong, if it is as you say.
We’ve been in contact with the other boys parents. They’ve sent us copies of the e-mails that he sent with date and time stamps.
I figured that as soon as we got the e-mails and sent them to the principal then we were okay, but they aren’t budging.
We’ve already caught the teacher lying.
We even had my son write up reports and send them to the teacher and the principal.
We’re not asking that he be given a free pass, but we want his work graded. We know they don’t want to change the old 6 week grade, so we suggested that the reports go on the 2nd 6 weeks as extra credit. Nothing.
I guess I get even more mad that a smart kid who works hard is getting a B, but then my daughter who was special needs was always given high grades. We had to pull out of the public schools because she couldn’t read at grade level.
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