Columbia (WLTX) -- According to a survey conducted by the South Carolina Department of Education, students, parents and teachers involved in single-gender classrooms programs are loving it.
According to the DOE, more than 5,000 students, 720 parents and 680 teachers responded to the survey. The Department of Education says the responses generally led to several conclusions: The programs increased student self-confidence, class participation and academic productivity.
There are more than 150 public schools in South Carolina that offer single-gender programs, and according to the DOE, that's more than any other state in the nation.
State Education Superintendent Jim Rex toured Richland Two's Killian Elementary Friday afternoon. He went to observe their award winning single-gender program. He responded to many of the questions and comments posted on this story through the day.
First, on the issue to socialization, some have suggested girls and boys need interaction at school.
Rex's response: "This isn't a residency program. I mean, boys and girls are together at the beginning of the day, over lunch and after school. This isn't like they are in dorms that are one gender or the other. They get to see plenty of the opposite sex."
Debbi Batson, a single-gender teacher at CrossRoads Middle School in Irmo had a similar response.
"We want to make sure they're focusing on that academic work that is most important and will be tested on. They can socialize at lunch, between classes and all day long after school."
Another question we received here involved the survey data itself. The Education Department does agree that the data collected is all subjective, and based on opinion, not based on hard facts. Rex says the single-gender programs are too young to objectively compare to co-educational programs. But he also says that the subjective shouldn't be brushed off.
"We'll track it, I think in a couple of years we'll know more than we know now, but the soft data is not unimportant. How kids feel about school and attendance makes a big difference."
Finally, what seems to be a powerful theme is segregational undertones in the comment section. But Rex insists that's not the case with single-gender programs.
"First of all, it's always a choice. It's never a requirement," Rex insisted. "There is always a co-ed option."
He went on to say that there are no instructional differences.
"The students learn exactly the same content, the same knowledge and skills and take the same tests. The only thing this does is give teachers the option to adjust their instruction to make it more likely girls or boys understand the content."
To see full results of the survey, and the Education Department's conclusions, just click here.
11/13/2009 7:55:02 PM
