Scott Allan, Carli Moochler, Brittany Muller, Megan Saunders

 Personal experiences in single-sex classrooms/schools  Relevant issue for teachers  The national conversation centers on single-sex education reinforcing gender stereotypes and on the achievement gap between boys and girls

 Law changes in 2006 allowed single-sex education in public schools  March public schools offered single- gender classrooms  April public schools offered single-sex educational opportunities (most of them co-ed schools with single-sex classrooms, retaining some coed activities) singlesexschools.orgsinglesexschools.org  Locally, Rochester Academy; Urban Choice, etc

 These are all generalizations about both sexes; there are also exceptions and individual preferences for learning  The research does contradict itself and appears highly contextual

Brain Development  Males ▪ Right side = Spatial function, Mental imagery ▪ Left Side = Language, Verbal  Females – Not as clear a separation  Different time scale/ sequence of brain development between the sexes ▪ Boys – spacial memory 4 yrs ahead of girls ▪ Girls – language/fine motor skills typically 6 yrs ahead of boys

 Hearing  Newborn females have an 80% greater brain response to the 1500 hz sound range than boys.  Differences become greater in adolescence

 Vision  M cells ▪ Wired to rods and cones, black and white ▪ Essentially a motion detector  P Cells ▪ Wired to cones ▪ Texture, color, what is it  Male retina has mostly M cells  Female retina has mostly P cells

 Feelings  The amygdala controls emotions at birth  In Adolescent girls, that activity moves to part of the cerebral cortex, allowing for ability to explain feelings  Boys brains don't do that

 Girls  More concerned with pleasing teacher  Tend to view teacher as a partner  More likely to do homework even if it is not of interest to them  Small group work is beneficial  At greater risk in high school

 Boys  Tend to view the teacher as an opponent  Will only ask for help as a last resort  Small groups are bad,  Energized by moderate levels of competition, stress, time constrained tasks, and direct confrontation  At greater risk in kindergarten

 Communication  Boys work best with : ▪ Shoulder to shoulder, don't smile, minimal eye contact, louder voice  Girls work best with: ▪ Face to face, smiling, direct eye contact, softer voice

The following summarizes major findings on outcomes: Example: At Woodward Avenue Elementary in DeLand, Florida, 85% of boys in single-gender classes passed reading in comparison to 55% in coeducational classes.  Although some studies have shown no differences, studies in England, Australia, and Jamaica have shown that students educated in single-sex schools and classrooms academically outperformed students in coed schools.  Boys’ performance was boosted in English and foreign languages while girls’ performance improved in math and science.  Students in single-sex schools and classrooms demonstrate better behavior, including fewer discipline referrals.  Reliance on different brain areas for accurate language performance suggests that boys and girls are processing language information differently.  Single-sex schools and classrooms promoted a wider breadth of educational opportunity  Girls in all-girls’ schools are more likely to study subjects such as advanced math, computer science, and physics.  Boys in all-boys’ schools are twice as likely to study foreign languages, art, music, and drama. Source: “Single-Sex vs. Coed: The Evidence”; The National Foundation for Educational Research (2002); Australian Council for Educational Research (2000); British Office for Standards in Education“Single-Sex vs. Coed: The Evidence”

Examples of research McQuaid website:  gender-differences/ gender-differences/

 Anecdotal evidence from interviews  “The boys she studied who were educated in single-sex classes felt that they could take more risks in class and in making friends” (Sadowski, p. 91).

DISCUSSION? Or…from ?

 Teachers are often unaware of the differences between sexes, that there is even a conversation taking place, and therefore do not incorporate different strategies or even consider them  Teacher perspectives in single-sex classrooms (through our communication with them)