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    Site Web Web Search powered by yahoo! search 72° F News | | 214 reads | | | Gender divide Tuesday, October 7, 2008 at 12:30 am Mercer Middle School's decision to have separate classes for boys and girls should be judged according to academic success. IN THE early teenage years, the brain is still developing, the body is awash in hormones, and boys and girls in the same room are at least partially focused on the other gender at all times. That's why Mercer Middle School's decision to split its sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders into single-gender classes is worth watching - and possibly duplicating in other Savannah-Chatham County public schools if it succeeds. While the school system's Risers Academy, housed at Hubert Middle School, provides all-male classes for 35 sixth-graders, Mercer is the first public school in Chatham County to go all single-gender, except for some special needs and gifted classes. Educators in other states that are already providing single-gender classes say all-boy and all-girl classes give both groups their own space to concentrate on their studies - not each other. In 2006, federal regulations gave schools more latitude to take innovative steps in education - including single-gender classes. Since that time, the idea has grown in popularity across the country, but especially in the South. Nationwide, there were only 11 public schools with single-sex classes as of six years ago, according to news reports. Today, there are more than 440, said Leonard Sax, executive director of the National Association for Single Sex Public Education. About 100 of those schools separate boys and girls in all grades and all classrooms. Locally, Mercer's approach bears scrutiny. Intuitively, it seems the move should give young men and women a place to be themselves, where they can take part in classroom activities without fear of embarrassing themselves. It means teachers can tailor instruction to boys or girls in ways that take advantage of their different learning styles. Single-gender classes could also aid the district's efforts to improve grades among hard-to-reach demographic segments. Research indicates gender-specific education tends to boost scores among low-income students and among students of color - two groups for whom local educators have struggled to improve test scores. It's also encouraging to see school administrators took time to plan the move and get parental input on the policy shift. That's in sharp contrast to the system in Georgia's Greene County. It abruptly announced that all schools would be going to single-gender classrooms this school year. The system, which has been struggling academically, has stepped back from that drastic step following public protest. While the idea of single-sex classrooms is new to public schools, separation by gender is a cornerstone of many Catholic schools, such as Savannah's St. Vincent's Academy and Benedictine Military School. But despite statistical evidence that shows an improvement in grades with such classes, opponents say the students are missing out on social development and learning how to deal with the opposite sex. Social development is an important issue, but there are other venues for interaction. A school's primary goal is to impart academic knowledge. The idea should rise or fall on the basis of its academic merits. Throughout the school year, Mercer Principal Gloria Dukes should examine test scores and other indicators of knowledge attainment, such as interviews with teachers and students, as well as anonymous surveys of both groups. If the results show students better engaged in learning and showing improvement on school level and state tests, then single-gender classes should continue at Mercer - and serve as a model for other schools. It means teachers can tailor instruction to boys or girls in ways that take advantage of their different learning styles. Your Rating Score: 0.0 , votes: 0 If you'd like to rate or comment on the story above, please or now. | | 214 reads | | | Top Jobs Loading... Augusta Top Jobs Loading... Athens Top Jobs Loading... Top Autos Loading... Top Homes Loading... SavannahNow Source Guide © 2008 SavannahNOW and the Savannah Morning News. | | | | | |