school+testing

= RAHS Note Page =

Source
Tara Malone Chicago Tribune. "School testing its gender theory with single-sex classrooms." //McClatchy - Tribune News Service//. 10 Dec. 2009 //eLibrary//. Web. 04 May. 2010.

Summary/Direct Quote
While it's too soon to cite a change in test scores, Osburn said the initial results suggest the effort to make better use of homeroom is paying off.


 * "I think we're learning more about the needs of young men and women in high school," Osburn said. "In a mixed gender setting, maybe boys weren't speaking up as much. ... Now we find there haven't been a lot of settings where guys have been put in a situation where they can be wholly honest."**

Niles West's twist on single - sex classrooms comes as more public schools are dividing students by gender.


 * The number of public schools with single - sex classes climbed from 11 in 2002 to about 540 last month**, according to the National Association for Single Sex Public Education. Founder Leonard Sax said he counts only traditional academic classes and not homeroom, gym or lunch periods.

At Niles West, homeroom is a non-graded class that pairs a small group of students with a mentor who might update them about school events, ask about a tough class assignment or tackle difficult topics like bullying. The mentor can sometimes spot a problem sooner than a counselor who is assigned 250 students, or a teacher who is focused on academics.

Freshman Dillon Dawod tends to talk about school activities, sports and current events with the other boys in his homeroom that Osburn and McTague oversee. Dawod said boys his age are more likely to open up with no girls around.


 * "It's more comfortable talking with guys. Most guys get nervous around girls, you know," Dawod, 15, said. "But not me. I'm good."**