Closing the Reading Gap

Data from standardized test scores shows boys are
falling further behind in literacy each year. Thanks
to countless hours of research, we can pinpoint some
of the causes for this decline. The major challenge
educators face is how to keep boys interested in
reading while placed in classrooms not necessarily
designed to meet their needs. One option being
explored is the use of single-sex classrooms. For
over 160 years in the United States, public school
single-sex classrooms have existed. The thought
is that by separating boys and girls for academic
classes, certain distractions will be eliminated,
the environment can be adapted to accommodate the
needs of boys, and teachers can teach in a style
more appropriate to the gender. This study
investigated how successful single-sex classrooms
are in promoting student achievement. By taking data
from multiple sources, the study looked at any
differences that occurred within schools containing
academic, single-sex classrooms, and coeducational
ones. Further, the study investigated whether
differences occurred between gender groups within
these schools.

Autorentext
Dr. Eric Basilo has been in the field of Education for over 14 years. He has worked in all levels of secondary education and has also taught at the community college level. He received all three of his degrees at the University of Central Florida. Currently, he is in administration through Seminole County Public Schools in Florida.

Klappentext
Data from standardized test scores shows boys are falling further behind in literacy each year. Thanks to countless hours of research, we can pinpoint some of the causes for this decline. The major challenge educators face is how to keep boys interested in reading while placed in classrooms not necessarily designed to meet their needs. One option being explored is the use of single-sex classrooms. For over 160 years in the United States, public school single-sex classrooms have existed. The thought is that by separating boys and girls for academic classes, certain distractions will be eliminated, the environment can be adapted to accommodate the needs of boys, and teachers can teach in a style more appropriate to the gender. This study investigated how successful single-sex classrooms are in promoting student achievement. By taking data from multiple sources, the study looked at any differences that occurred within schools containing academic, single-sex classrooms, and coeducational ones. Further, the study investigated whether differences occurred between gender groups within these schools.