Eva+Slattery

[|Gender Role Perceptions...] =My Notes=

This study utilized a data set of categorical responses measuring the gender role views of students (N = 701) from a prestigious, Midwestern, all-male, Catholic high school. Incongruence between student self-perceptions and the realities of gender role miseducation and the embracement of sexist ideology were readily apparent. Findings suggest that all-boys' schools are improved if they ([|1]) co-opt parents to become active partners in promoting women's awareness, ([|2]) adopt meaningful anti-sexist curriculum that is K-12 articulated throughout the district, ([|3]) find a way to capitalize on gender friendliness that students bring into the school as freshman, sensitivities that somehow become eroded by their senior year, and ([|4]) recruit and retain a student population that reflects racial, economic, and religious diversity--characteristics that appear to have an impact on school climate that is more female sensitive. Male graduates from single-gender schools tend to become leaders within their community, thereby necessitating a need for anti-sexist, critical pedagogy. Educators cannot assume that appropriate gender role education for students who attend schools with no opposite-sex peers will come from parents, or that school influence will be meaningful and balanced without a concerted effort on the part of the administration. Barriers to equity in education impact both genders. For girls this includes classroom teachers showing a preference to boys while ignoring the needs of girls, a lack of girls being pushed into upper level math and science classes, textbook bias that favors the male perspective, sexual harassment, pressure to look good, a lack of female administrators, and ending up in lower paying career tracks despite receiving higher report card grades than boys (Sadker, 2000; Sadker et al., 1994; Sadker, Sadker, & Klein, 2001; Sadker, Sadker & Steindam, 1989). Boys experience their share of problems such as greater difficulty with reading comprehension, greater discipline problems, a lack of male role models especially during the early grades, lower report card grades despite the presence of higher achievement scores, more likelihood to be placed in special education classes, higher drop out rates, and self-esteem problems due to a failure to live up to athletic and other male role expectations (Sadker, 2000; Sadker & Zittleman, 2003; Thiers, 2006). The benefit of single sex schooling on the academic and social development of students is a topic that has received considerable attention. Many writers (Barber, 2006; DeBare, 2004; Farr, 2005; Flowers, 2005; Sadker & Zittleman, 2004; Watson, Quatman & Elder, 2002; Van de Gaer, et al., 2004) believe that removing the other gender from the academic environment offers students a better chance to concentrate on their studies, as opposed to spending time and energy trying to impress the opposite sex and living up to prescribed stereotypes and gender role expectations.

[|How Tweens View Single-Sex Classes]

A distraction-free space for risk taking, challenge, and fun are what these middle schoolers relish in **//single//**-**//sex//** classrooms Have you ever heard that saying, Time flies when you're having fun?' All-boy classes are fun!" James, a 6th grader, cheerfully offered this opinion of the **//single//**-**//sex//** academic classes at Hudson Valley Middle **//School//**.' He quickly added, __"I will probably want to be with girls when I am in high **//school//**."__ Melissa, 13, expressed an older adolescent's point of view: "__You can say what you want in all-girl classes and not be afraid of being teased, but sometimes we just want to be with the guys."__ James and Melissa are part of the majority of students at this middle **//school//** in the rural Hudson Valley of upstate New York who have chosen to attend **//single//**-**//sex//** classes in language arts, math, science, and social studies. Hudson Valley Middle **//School//**, a public **//school//** whose 600 students come mostly from low-income backgrounds, has offered voluntary **//single//**-**//sex//****//school's//****//single//**-**//sex//** classes; during the last two years, the majority of those students continued with that choice. academic classes to its 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students for the last three years. Students remain in mixed groups for nonacademic classes and at lunchtime so they are not isolated from opposite-gender peers. In the first year of this reform, approximately 75 percent of the students chose to take As part of my research into **//single//**-**//sex//** education (Spielhagen, 2005), I interviewed 24 Hudson Valley students — a combination of 6th, 7th, and 8th graders — who had attended **//single//**-**//sex//****//single//**-**//sex//** learning. Their perspectives indicate that voluntary **//single//**-**//sex//****//school//** students, but that such arrangements are most effective when classes are designed to address students' developmental needs. The younger students were more likely to find being in a **//single//**-**//sex//** class a __positive experience; as students got older, they expressed more desire to be in mixed classes, even when that choice entailed potential **//problems//**.__ classes for at least one academic year. Their comments offer insights into the minds of tweens who have sampled classes can be a viable option for middle  [|Why Try Single-Sex Learning?] Concern over state standardized test scores prompted Hudson Valley Middle **//School//** to create voluntary **//single//**-**//sex//** classes. The **//school//** hoped that providing an environment free of the distraction caused by mixed-gender social interaction would lead to higher scores. In the 19th century, **//single//**-**//sex//** **//schools//** were common, especially in grades 7 through 12. However, because classes for girls did not include academic subjects that would lead to higher education, early feminists urged that **//schools//** give all students access to the entire academic curriculum. C__oeducational **//schools//** soon became the preferred model of public education, opening the doors to college enrollment for substantial numbers of girls.__ Even then, secondary **//schools//** continued to maintain **//single//**-**//sex//** physical education classes until 1975. In that year, the provisions of Title IX (Tyack & Hansot, 2002) specifically forbade separate-gender physical education classes. According to Salomone (2003), many **//school//****//single//**-**//sex//** classes. Either way, emphasis on districts misunderstood Title IX a__s a ban on all coeducational physical education classes quickly led to coeducation as the norm for public **//schools//**.__ Meanwhile, over the last 20 years, education policymakers have noted the need to reverse declines in achievement among both boys and girls. Researchers agree that the middle **//school//****//single//**-**//sex//** classes would enhance the achievement of young adolescents. years are crucial to forming sound study habits (Clewell, 2002), but they have mixed opinions as to whether a return to For example, in 1995, Sadker and Sadker claimed that coeducational **//schools//** shortchange girls. At the same time, the American Association of University Women (AAUW) endorsed **//single//**-**//sex//** arrangements as a means of promoting female achievement, particularly in mathematics and science. Within a few years, however, the AAUW (1998) reversed its stance and concluded that **//single//**-**//sex//** classes could lead to programming decisions that discriminated against girls. In terms of boys, Sommers (2002) believes that **//single//**-**//sex//** arrangements are advantageous for boys who lag in academic areas, particularly reading and writing.  [|Listening to Student Voices] From ages 9 through 13, young adolescents experience tremendous physical, emotional, and cognitive development, so it is not surprising that the responses of students with whom I talked varied according to their ages. I asked students about their classroom choices, their perceptions of the classroom environment in **//single//**-**//sex//** as compared with mixed-gender groups, and their satisfaction level. The majority of the students had positive feelings about **//single//**-**//sex//** classes, with 62 percent stating that they could focus better without the opposite **//sex//** present. In general, the younger the student, the more enthusiastic the praise of the **//single//**-**//sex//** arrangement.  [|The 6th Grade Perspective] Sixth grade students' comments revealed a pre-adolescent viewpoint that the behavior of the other **//sex//** was a **//problem//**. Both boys and girls in 6th grade referred to their opposite-gender peers as "noisy" and "annoying." <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">James, a slightly built 11-year-old, responded energetically to questions about being in all-boy classes. He admitted that his favorite class was gym "because you get to play games using your skills," but noted that he didn't pay much attention to the girls in the mixed gym classes because he and his friends (all boys) liked to be on teams together. James also said that he felt "more challenged" in his all-boy classes because he enjoyed the competition with other boys: code format="ct" I want to try to beat them. I didn't try to beat the girls [when I was in mixed classes] because I didn't think I could beat the top girls, so why bother?

code <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">The comments of 6th grade girls reinforced the conventional wisdom that girls experience more freedom in **//single//**-**//sex//** academic classes, particularly math and science. Alison, 11, said she "loves all-girl classes," especially math classes, because she's "good at math." She emphasized that in all-girl classes, "you don't have to worry about boys making fun of you." Twelve-year-old Becky echoed Alison's concerns about intellectual safety in mixed classes. When asked why she chose all-girl classes, she replied, code format="ct" The boys always picked on me because I am smarter than they are. In all-girl classes, the teachers word things better and say them differently. In mixed classes, they say things more simply for the boys.

code <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">She added that all-girl classes are fun and the students get more accomplished, even though the girls "get loud and ask too many questions." <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> [|7th and 8th Grade Perspectives] <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Although by 7th grade many students' attitudes had begun to shift toward typically adolescent emotional and social concerns, 7th graders consistently remarked on their ability to focus better in their **//single//**-**//sex//** classes. Mary, a 13-year-old 7th grader, reported that she had meant to try all-girl classes for just a year but had decided to stay with the arrangement. She reported a definite improvement in her grades, noting that "I can concentrate better. I am not afraid to raise my hand." <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Another 7th grader, Nancy, reported that code format="ct" In mixed classes, you are too nervous to ask a question and be wrong and the boys might laugh at you. We get higher grades because we pay attention more and don't get distracted.

code <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">On the other hand, Heather, 13, complained that she was in an all-girl class because "my mom decided to torture me." Heather went along with her mother's choice because she was curious. She conceded that she liked the all-girl classes because they made it easier to relate to her girlfriends but added that the situation allowed girls to "help each other with guy **//problems//**." Heather was clearly becoming more interested in mixed-gender social pairing. She offered another adolescent insight, noting, code format="ct" In some ways it's really nice to be with your friends, but sometimes the girls get catty, and it is hard to get space away from them.

code <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">The 7th and 8th grade boys were less enthusiastic than the girls about **//single//**-**//sex//** classes. Bullying seemed to become more of a **//problem//** with only boys present. Danny 13, noted that he had been curious about all-boy classes, but that after two years in such classes, he planned to choose mixed-gender classes for 8th grade. In the all-boy classes, Danny reported, he could talk more about sports with his friends and "just hang out," but that "boys try to act tougher" in that environment. Eighth grader Jim, also 13, admitted that he had been picked on by other boys in mixed classes in 7th grade, but that mistreatment was worse in the all-boy classes. He explained, "The guys who pick on us would be more interested in impressing the girls" in a mixed-gender group. Jim added that he missed being with his female friends. <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> [|What Are the Students Telling Us?] <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">From these tweens' perspective, **//single//**-**//sex//** classes can clearly contribute to a comfortable yet intellectually challenging middle **//school//** experience. Such arrangements work as long as students can choose whether or not to participate. <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Students in all grades reinforced the importance of emotional, intellectual, and physical safety — perennial concerns in the middle grades. The **//problem//** of bullying reared its head among the 7th and 8th grade boys, but the students did not agree on which arrangement might be less bully-prone. However, caution dictates that **//schools//** take measures to ensure that a Lord of the Flies scenario does not emerge from a policy that keeps boys in the same **//single//**-**//sex//** grouping during all three years of middle **//school//**. Sorting students into different all-male configurations for different years might address this **//problem//**. <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">The overwhelmingly positive responses from the girls in this study suggest that **//single//**-**//sex//****//school//** girls. Even 8th grade girls supported the notion that greater concentration is possible in all-girl classes. As the girls grew older, they became more assertive about their interest in boys. Unlike the boys, however, they expressed a feeling of bonding with their female classmates and enjoyed discussing issues about boys together. classes are particularly beneficial to middle <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Students experienced the distraction presented by the opposite gender in different ways as they grew older, younger kids complained about the noisiness of their opposite-**//sex//** peers, whereas older students simply referred to the social distractions of having the opposite **//sex//** in their classrooms. However, older students loudly and clearly stated their preference for facing those distractions. <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> [|Offering Multiple Options] <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Turning Points 2000 (Jackson & Davis, 2000), a landmark document on middle **//school//** reform, recommended that middle **//schools//** organize learning climates that promote intellectual development and shared academic purpose. According to the students in my study, **//single//**-**//sex//****//schools//** support these goals. Turning Points 2000 also called for middle **//schools//** to offer multiple options to students. Hudson Valley Middle **//School//** displays innovative programming by restricting **//single//**-**//sex//** classes to the academic core courses so that students can experience the benefits of both **//single//**-**//sex//** classes and day-to-day interaction with students of the other **//sex//**. Offering subject-specific **//single//**-**//sex//** classes in each grade might provide even more flexibility, as long as the curriculum remains identical for both genders. classes in public middle <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Providing optional **//single//**-**//sex//** environments for young adolescents within the existing public middle **//school//** framework would offer cost-effective **//school//** choice for parents, involving them as stakeholders in the education of their children. For many tweens, **//single//**-**//sex//** classes provide an enviable situation in which learning time flies because students are having fun. <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Both boys and girls in 6th grade referred to their opposite-gender peers as "noisy" and "annoying." <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">In all-girl classes, "you don't have to worry about boys making fun of you." <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Cell phone ownership among children ages 12-14 increased form 13 percent in February 2002 to 40 percent by the end of 2004.

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