IEP ON SINGLE SEX CLASSES

BY IZEK DAVIS

statement of topic

In this paper I will be showing my research pertaining to single sex classes/schools and their
effectiveness.
purpose
I was trying to determine whether or not single sex classes are effective when compared to
traditional co ed schooling.
scope
In this I will be examining case studies from America and Europe. I will also be looking at
behavioral and and educational aspects involved in coed and single sex classes/schools.
research about topic
single gender classes and schools are a common phenomenon in much of England but as you
probably know such practices are still in early infancy here in the United States and studies are
still taking place in order to refute or prove the arguments given in favor of or against the
practice of single gender classes/schools. The different sides have differing arguments but the
main arguments of those in favor of same gender schools are that male and female brains work in
fundamentally different ways and so therefore needs to be taught in different ways. In the United
States the most prominent example of single gender schooling is in south carolina where it has
been legal for several years now, however before we get into the studies let us first take a quick
look at the prescribed differences between human male and female brains composition and
development as well as the effects of these differences. First off let's state the one that everyone
already knows, the fact that brain development wise, the average young boy, is in fact two full
years behind the behind the average young girl. Now with that out of the way let's move on the
the more interesting bits which I found in my research. What you may not have known about the
above fact is that this is in fact only in reading and writing and in addition to that male students

tend to score higher in math and science related subjects than their female
counterparts(McFarland). In addition to the the development research has also shown that there
are some non to insignificant differences in the general compositions of male and female brains
and the way they function as a result of these differences. The specialization of hemispheres of
the brain is thought to be one of theses major compositional differences which make brains of
males and females work differently. Females have less specialization of hemispheres of the brain
than male do which means there can be greater communication between the two sides of the
brain resulting in making certain cognitive tasks easier for a female than a male would find them,
the main ones mentioned being verbal and memory related tasks. Males on the other hand have a
greater amount of specialization of the hemispheres when compared to females resulting in less
communication between the parts of the brain but at the same time being slightly superior to
females in certain areas such as spatial tasks (McFarland). Another key difference between the
male and female brain which may provide cause for gender separated classes is the different
proportions of P and M ganglion cells in male and female brains. Males have more of the latter
of the two ganglion cells due to this phenomena males are better at the detecting of movement
and because of this rely more heavily when compared to females on movement and pictures
when learning whereas females having a greater quantity of the former of the two kinds of
ganglion cells means that when compared to males are more sensitive to color variety and fine
sensory activity (McFarland). Now with all that brain differences talk out of the way lets talk
about some actual studies conducted on the effects and outcomes of single gender classes.
Before that,however, some reported non-academic outcomes of single gender schools include;
significant decrease in the chances of teenage pregnancy occurring, and a large positive effect on
the social state of students within single gender environments due to a significant decrease in

pressure caused by gender stereotypes (McFarland). In one study conducted here in the united
states the researchers responsible for conducting the study took three groups of students who
were each taught in one of the three kinds of environments namely single-boy, single-girl, and
traditional after a sufficient amount of time had past they had each of the groups take part in the
same set of tests the following diagrams display the results.

(McFarland)

This first diagram is a comparison of the reading scores of boys and girls between single gender
classes and traditional classes after the fall semester of class. This diagram clearly shows that in
this study even though there was no real significant change in the boys reading scores there is a
very significant difference between traditional and single gender classes in the girls reading

scores. This implies that the girls in the single gender classes benefited from the specialized
classes.

(McFarland)
This second diagram of of the same classes and circumstances as the first one save for the test
being taken after spring semester has mixed results. The girls would appear to have benefited

from the specialized classes whereas the boys seem to have been disadvantaged by the single

gender classes.

(McFarland)

This figure displays a comparison of math scores between single gender male and female classes
versus traditional classes after fall on a math test. It shows that although there is no significant
differences between the boys scores in the classes there is a large advantage large difference in
the scores for females in the two kinds of classes which seems to indicate that the girls in the
specialized class benefited from the classes.

(McFarland)
This figure much like the previous one shows a comparison of the math scores between the
single gender class and the the traditional classes only these tests were taken after spring
semester. The results shown are almost identical. The conclusion that the researchers involved in
this came up with based on this data is that single gender classes can be beneficial if they are
executed correctly. In a survey taken in 2007 of 1,700 South Carolina students of single gender
classes from grades 2-9, three fourths of students felt they had a positive experience with their
classes (M.C., B.). In that same survey students said they experienced heightened selfconfidence and classroom participation (M.C., B.). The surveyors state that the results of the
survey provide viable reason for single gender classes. One principle of a school in South
Carolina said Parents like it so much there's a waiting list to get into the classes. And the
number of discipline referrals has plunged. (Single-sex), and according to the article this is not
an isolated incident, many people involved in single gender schooling have experienced similar
results (Single-sex). A group of eight people called Seeking the Cure who are against single
gender classes say that just the opposite is true because in their study of a group of four year old

boys in a co ed kindergarten shows that boys who spend more time with each other at recess are
more violent(Christina Hoff).
ethics summary
My ethical issue is public school reform
Ethically speaking from what I could tell most of the research which I found was ethically sound.
Most of it told you exactly what it was researching and how it would go about it in a
straightforward manner. However there was one example of ethically unsound research I was
able to find and it also happened to be the only research I was able to find that was against single
gender classes. The reason which I say that the research was not ethically sound is because they
did not expressly say that their results were gotten from the conditions which they were gotten
from they just in their paper said boys have been shown to be more violent when they spend
more time together it was only when reading something later when I found that their research
made no sense for what they were trying to prove.
Conclusion
After all the research I have done into other people's research I have come to the conclusion that
when done right single gender classes and schools can be beneficial to the learning of students of
all ages. But the key phrase in that is done right because if done wrong like anything done
wrong it could be an absolute disaster waiting to happen and instead of being beneficial be
detrimental to the learning and development of students.
proposal for action
In light of my findings I think that making a documentary to inform people how to do single
gender classes right and their benefits for students when done right is the perfect way to inform
people properly that single gender classes can be a good thing if done right.

Works Cited
McFarland, Max, Annastashia M. Benson, and Barry McFarland. "Comparing Achievement
Scores Of Students In Gender Specific Classrooms With Students In Traditional Classrooms."
International Journal Of Psychology: A Biopsychosocial Approach / Tarptautinis Psichologijos
Zurnalas: Biopsichosocialinis Poziuris 8 (2011): 99-114. Academic Search Premier. Web. 22
Apr. 2015.

M. C., B. "Single-Gender Education." Education Week 27.20 (2008): 5. Academic Search

Premier. Web. 14 May 2015.
"Single-sex education spreads." USA Today n.d.: Academic Search Premier. Web. 14 May 2015.
Christina Hoff, Sommers. "Fight a single-sex school ban." USA Today n.d.: Academic Search
Premier. Web. 14 May 2015.