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Gender Specific Learning

NO BOYS ALLOWED? WHAT ABOUT IN CLASS? A SCHOOL IN TENNESSEE SPLIT ITS CLASSES BY GENDER AND SAYS IT’S BEEN HELPING THEIR STUDENTS LEARN.

TROY WASHINGTON REPORTS.

TROY: KICKING THE DISTRACTIONS OUT THE CLASSROOM AND GETTING DOWN TO THE CORE OF HOW CHILDREN LEARN-

MINUS THE PRESSURE TO IMPRESS OR WORRY ABOUT WHO IS PAYING ATTENTION TO THEM.

ALISHA KINER SAYS THAT'S WHY GENDER-SPECIFIC LEARNING WORKS BEST.

ALISHA: WHAT WE KNOW FROM RESEARCH IS THAT GIRLS WILL TAKE MORE CHANCES WHEN BOYS ARE NOT AROUND.

TROY: KINER SAYS WHEN SHE INTRODUCED THE IDEA IN 2006 SHE ALSO NOTICED BEHAVIOR IMPROVEMENTS.

ALISHA: BOYS STOPPED BEING WRITTEN UP, BECAUSE THEY WERE ABLE TO ADDRESS THEIR ISSUES IN CLASS.

TROY: JAQUISHA GRAY WAS A PART OF THE PIONEER GENDER SEPARATION PROGRAM.

SHE'S NOW A TEACHER AT THE SCHOOL.

JAQUISHA: WHEN I CAME IN 2006, 2007, KINER CALLED THE FRESHMAN CLASS INTO THE AUDITORIUM SHE SAID YOU'RE GOING TO BE SEPARATED YOU GUYS WILL BE SEPARATED BY GIRLS AND BOYS. WE WERE LIKE WAIT WHAT?

TROY: KINER MADE A DEAL WITH GRAY AND HER CLASSMATES...

IF THEY DIDN'T LIKE THE CHANGE, SHE'D REVERSE IT SECOND SEMESTER.

SECOND SEMESTER ROLLED AROUND AND 11 YEARS LATER THE APPROACH CONTINUES.

ALISHA: WE DON'T HAVE ANY COMPLAINTS.

TROY: SINCE THE CHANGE THE GRADUATION RATE HAS IMPROVED FROM 53% PERCENT TO 90.5% IN 2017.

WREG ASKED PARENTS AND STUDENTS AT OTHER SHELBY COUNTY SCHOOLS IF THEY'D BE OPEN TO THIS APPROACH.

MONICA: GO FOR IT. WHAT ARE WE WAITING ON?

TROY: WHILE EXCITED PARENTS ALSO EXPRESSED THEIR CONCERN ON WHETHER IT COULD HINDER STUDENTS IN THE LONG RUN.

MONICA: THERE'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT WORLD OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL.

TROY: A REBUTTAL TO WHICH GRAY SAYS, SEPARATE COURSES ACTUALLY INSPIRES A HEALTHY SPIRIT OF COMPETITION.

ALISHA: MY BOYS ARE EXTREMELY COMPETITIVE THEY SAY ALL THE TIME, MS. GRAY, WE ARE GOING TO SHOW YOU BETTER THAN WE CAN TELL YOU THAT WE ARE BETTER THAN YOUR GIRLS.

TROY: SOME STUDENTS WEREN'T SO CONVINCED THAT IMPROVED GRADES HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH SEPARATING BOYS FROM GIRLS.

A'MONE: IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER - IT DOESN'T IMPACT HOW I LEARN OR HOW THE NEXT PERSON LEARNS.

TROY: KINER SAYS THERE'S MUCH MORE TO IT THAN BOWS OR BOW TIES AND SHE'LL STICK TO THE SCIENCE OF SEPARATING THE GENDERS AS LONG AS HER STUDENTS CONTINUE TO THRIVE.

ALISHA: "GENDER EDUCATION IS REALLY NOT ABOUT PINK OR BLUE, IT'S ABOUT THE DIFFERENCES IN THE BRAIN."


Find Out More


Website Article: Niche, Pros and Cons of Single-Sex Education | Decide for yourself by reading the arguments.

Magazine Article: INFOhio, Points of View Reference Center, Girls vs. Boys, Current Events, Feb. 1, 2010. | May need password.

PDF: American Civil Liberties Union, Sex Segregated Schools, Just the Facts