I. What Do You Think?
Does Separating Boys and Girls Help Students Perform Better in School?
Does separating boys and girls help students perform better in school?
POMPANO BEACH, Fla. — In one third-grade classroom, the walls are bordered by cheetah and zebra prints, bright pink caddies hold pencils and glue sticks, and a poster at the front lists rules, including “Act pretty at all times!”
Next door, cutouts of racecars and pictures of football players line the walls, and a banner behind the teacher’s desk reads “Coaches Corner.”
The students in the first class: girls. Next door: boys.
Single-sex education, common in the United States until the 19th century, when it fell into deep disfavor except in private or parochial schools, is on the rise again in public schools as educators seek ways to improve academic performance, especially among the poor. Here at Charles Drew Elementary School outside Fort Lauderdale, about a quarter of the classes are segregated by sex on the theory that differences between boys and girls can affect how they learn and behave.
Teachers “recognize the importance of understanding that Angeline learns differently from Angelo,” said Angeline H. Flowers, principal of Charles Drew, one of several public schools in Broward County that offer some single-sex classes.
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/01/education/single-sex-education-public-schools-separate-boys-and-girls.html?_r=0
Comprehension Questions:
1. What is the article all about?
2. What is common in the United States until the 19th century?
3. Who is the principal of Charles Drew Elementary School?
Discussion Questions:
1. Does separating boys and girls help students perform better in school? Why?
2. Based on your experience, do boys distract girls, and vice versa, in ways that may have a negative impact on how well they do in school? Or, have you noticed that having boys and girls in the same classroom positively influences all students?
3. Do you think boys and girls learn in different ways?