“The parental response was overwhelmingly positive and the benefits from single gender this past year have been positive behaviorally, socially and academically.”

-- Al LeRoy, principal of Seneca Middle School, who school participated in single-gender in health and physical education last year and is expanding its course offerings this school year.

COLUMBIA — According to a statewide survey released in January, single-gender education has been a big hit in South Carolina students, with two-thirds of the more than 2,200 respondents saying the classes helped them in school.

In an expanded survey released Thursday by the South Carolina Department of Education, almost 75 percent of 181 parents and 80 percent of 178 teachers agreed.

Nearly 250 South Carolina public schools, more than any other state in the nation, are expected to offer the single-gender option to parents during the upcoming school year and Oconee County Superintendent Mike Lucas said educators have learned through the years that gender does matter.

“Boys and girls learn differently and, as educators, we must be aware of these differences to support learning,” Lucas said. “Teachers who understand the learning-style differences in gender in learning can better assist students in the classroom.”

A new, old concept

Single-gender, or single-sex education, was a predominant practice before the mid-20th century, particularly in secondary and higher education. In 1972, a United States law that made co-education in public schools mandatory was revoked and funding was provided in support of the single-sex option.

When state Superintendent of Education Jim Rex took office in Jan. 2007, one of his first acts was to create an Office of Public School Choice. With a major focus of the new office being single-gender education, Rex hired David Chadwell as director of single-gender initiatives for the South Carolina Department of Education.

Seneca Middle School was among the first middle schools to adopt the concept, using the “opt out” style (where parents have the right to remove the child if so desired) in physical education and health. Chadwell visited Seneca Middle last August to offer specialized training to a group of educators at the school.

Principal Al LeRoy said that parents were informed via letter that the school was going to offer single-gender in that content area and invited them to call or visit the school if they opposed the idea. Amazingly, LeRoy said the school didn’t receive one single phone or conference requesting any changes.

“The parental response was overwhelmingly positive and the benefits from single gender this past year have been positive behaviorally, socially and academically,” LeRoy said, adding, “The greatest academic impact has been in the increased participation rate in the physical education classes.”

Expanding courses

As a result, LeRoy said the school is offering two different types of single-gender for the 2008-09 academic year. In addition to continuing the concept in health and physical education, LeRoy said students would be allowed to “opt in” content areas of English language arts, math, social studies and science. The principal said that the school has again communicated those plans to all parents through mailings, two question and answer sessions at the school and through guidance departments at the school and the elementary feeder schools of Northside, Ravenel, Code and Kellett.

But LeRoy emphasized that male and female students who participate in single-gender classes won’t be separated for the entire day.

“Our arrival points (cafeteria and gym), lunches and related arts, with the exception of physical education and health, will continue to be co-ed,” LeRoy said, adding that six classes of social studies will be offered in the sixth-grade, six classes of science in the sixth-grade; two classes of social studies in the seventh-grade and two classes of science in the seventh-grade.

“We are extremely excited about our single-gender initiative, our teacher preparedness, and the benefits we believe will come quickly to our students at Seneca Middle School,” LeRoy said.

Surrounding districts

In Pickens County, three schools — A.R. Lewis Elementary and Dacusville Elementary in Pickens and Gettys Middle School in Easley — offered single-gender classes last year. At least one school — Liberty Elementary — has been confirmed to participate during the upcoming school year.

“The School District of Pickens County supports public school choice,” said Brenda Turner, assistant superintendent of instructional services. “We are eager to provide opportunities that allow parental choice and a focus on increased student achievement.”

Anderson District 4 Superintendent Gary Burgess said Riverside Middle School had one single-gender class last year. While that particular class was successful, Burgess said an overall lack of interest, due primarily to a lack of information provided to parents, led to the decision not to offer the program at the school this year.

But Burgess said that doesn’t mean the concept itself is flawed.

“Any options that we give children to excel in education are good ones,” Burgess said, adding, “The important thing is to provide them with the best opportunities possible to succeed.”

Gender responses differ

Chadwell, a nationally recognized expert on the different ways that boys and girls learn, said male and female students respond differently to classroom instruction. Boys, he noted, tend to have a greater difficulty hearing, whereas girls tend to hear better and are more sensitive to sound.

“They (females) can interpret loud or deep voices as ‘yelling’ at them and think that you are mad at them,” Chadwell said, adding there is rarely a time when something is too loud for male students.

Chadwell also said that male and female students respond differently to how a teacher stands while addressing them, adding that males respond better when addressed side-by-side, while female students prefer face-to-face interaction. He pointed out that male students prefer a more direct approach with their teachers, while females desire to connect with their teacher in order to feel better understood.

Even the stress level experienced between boys and girls is something Chadwell said is different. “Stress tends to increase the blood flow of the brain of male students, helping them remain alert and focused. ... But with females, stress tends to decrease the blood flow to the brain.”

Differing instructional styles

Chadwell said teachers who provide instruction in single-gender classrooms vary their style according to the gender of their students.

With male students, Chadwell said teachers move their arms and body during direct instruction, vary their volume, accept loud talk when possible during work time, provide brief directions in bullet list, allow standing when taking notes, allow the class to move from station to station and complete hands-on activities; work side-by-side to accomplish a task, use grades as challenges, as competition rather than stress; allows students to be inventive and reflects on areas of strengths and weaknesses

Chadwell said teachers of female students do not move around a lot, hold discussions in a circle, exhibit calmness and patience while conversing, keep noise distractions to a minimum, provide extended periods of time to complete tasks, provide full directions and answer questions before working, engage in small talk before tests-quiz for relaxation, confronts privately and listens to explanations regarding behavior, create boundaries and limits for discussion, create an encouraging environment where girls support each other and helps them to not always create a “perfect” work.

Chadwell said classroom management also varies between male and female students. Male students know the rules and consequences up front, do not enter into argument, are allowed space to move and are allowed to call out questions without punishment. Female students know the rules and consequences up front and are applied consistently, thrive in a warm and personal classroom, enjoy continual praise, reassuring their progress; and are engaged in numerous rich learning opportunities.

A positive experience

Girls and boys who participated in South Carolina’s single-gender classrooms and took part in the survey said their experiences have increased their confidence, class participation, desire to succeed in school and ability to succeed.

Rex said he supports legislation designed to increase the number and variety of choices available to students and their families. A bill sponsored by Rep. Ted Pitts, R-Lexington, would create public school choice committees in the state’s local school districts — each charged with creating new curriculum choices at the elementary, middle and high school levels within two years.

Current curriculum choices across South Carolina include magnet programs, schools-within-schools, alternative schools, virtual schools and charter schools. Some of the state’s public school choice programs not only include single-gender initiatives, but also middle college/early college, Montessori education, evening high school, language immersion, academic academies, arts integration and international baccalaureate programs.