Where the Boys Arent Essay -- Education

Education in the United States was largely of the single-sex (SS) variety until the mid 1800s; that single sex was male. Gradually, coeducational schools became the rule and the passage of Title IX of the Education Act of 1972 was a concrete step toward insuring that gender equality would be the norm in all government-supported schools (Anfara & Mertens, 2008; Halpern et al., 2011; Johnson, 2004). A major change took place in 2001 when Congress passed the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLBA). An amendment to the act authorized school to use federal money to create innovative programs including SS classes (Dee, 2006; Johnson, 2004). The amendment was co-sponsored or supported by five female senators, namely, Kay Bailey Hutchinson, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Susan Collins, Barbara Mikulski (Johnson, 2004), and Diane Feinstein (Meyer, 2008) and approved unanimously by the Senate (Johnson, 2004). A reinterpretation of Title IX was issued in 2006 promulgating a set of federal guidelines under which SS classes would be legally permitted (Anfara & Mertens, 2008; Halpern et al., 2011; Johnson, 2004; Novotney, 2011; Rex & Chadwell, 2009). The following were required: (a) be based on attaining a stated educational goal or providing diversity, (b) be wholly voluntary, (c) be implemented even handedly, (d) be substantially equal for both sexes, and (e) be reviewed at least biennially (Johnson, 2004; Rex & Chadwell, 2009). Since these changes have been implemented there has been a veritable explosion of new SS classes implemented. As of the 2007-2008 school year, 97 SS public schools and 295 SS classes have been started (Billger, 2009). In South Carolina alone, the number of schools offering SS classes jumped from 30 in 200... ... K., & Smith, M. (2005). Single-sex versus coeducational schooling: A Systematic Review (2005-01). Retrieved from U. S. Department of Education: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/opepd/reports.html Meyer, P. (2008). Learning separately: The case for single-sex schools. Education Next, 8(1), 11-21. Retrieved from www.educationnext.org/learning-separately/ Novotney, A. (2011). Coed versus single-sex ed. Monitor on Psychology, 42(2). Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/monitor/2011/02/coed.aspx Rex, J., & Chadwell, D. (2009). Single-gender classrooms. The School Administrator, 66(8), 28-33. Retrieved from http://www.aasa.org Wolfgang, B. (2011, September 2). Boys in one class, girls in another at more schools;Single-sex option grows, but some still skeptical. The Washington Times , p. 7. Retrieved from http://www.lexisnexis.com.proxy1.ncu.edu/hottopics/lnacademic/