PolicyMatters-Education.docVIP

POLICY MATTERS! Single-Sex Education in Public Schools Whats the Policy? Despite potential legal challenges, a number of public schools are experimenting with offering all-boys and all-girls classes. As part of the school-choice movement, some policymakers and educators believe that parents should be able to have their children educated in classes of like gender. Although single-sex schools and classes have long existed in private education, legal complications have discouraged public schools from providing separate education for boys and girls. However, the U.S. Department of Education’s office for civil rights has proposed amending the regulations governing Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which prohibits discrimination in programs that receive federal money, to allow more flexibility in offering single-sex schools or classes in public schools. The federal No Child Left Behind Act already allows local education agencies to use money from the law’s block grants to support same-gender schools and classrooms. Anticipating these legal changes, some schools have started the practices. In 1996, California initiated an experimental program of single-sex academies, and similar schools or classes have sprung up around the country. According to the National Association for Single Sex Education in Public Schools, by 2005 there were 34 public single-sex schools and 161 coed public schools that offer single-gender classes. How Does It Affect Teachers? One of the main reasons for separating the sexes is to reduce distractions and to provide equitable educational opportunities. Research indicates that in co-educational classes, boys receive much more attention than girls. Teachers who teach single-sex classes often report fewer discipline problems and greater attention to academics. Whether these results are because of the separation of the sexes or smaller class sizes isnt clear. What Are the Pros? For boys, single-sex classes offer a learning environment wi