Published Tuesday, May 27, 2008 5:47 PM
Updated Tuesday, May 27, 2008 5:47 PM
“We are not just separating boys and girls,” BMS Principal Dr. Lee Westberry said. “We’re actually looking at how they learn.”
The All Children Excel Academy will offer optional single-gender core classes for grades 6-8. Lunch and exploratory periods will be co-ed.
The BMS program will be different from other schools with its focus on academic ability and learning style.
Teaching single-gender classes have become an option for Berkeley Middle teachers. Participating teachers are required to research student achievement scores, grade distribution and discipline analysis before deciding which gender to teach. Teachers will visit other single-gender schools and undergo staff development during the school year, officials said.
“Everyone is naturally geared to teach one (gender) or the other,” Westberry said. “The strategies of teaching boys and girls are different.”
According to Palmetto Achievement Challenge Test scores and advanced class enrollment statistics, girls outperform the boys at Berkeley Middle School.
“It’s opening their eyes to the needs of the kids in the classroom, whether it be single gender or mixed,” Westberry said.
Differences in the classroom will include seating, colors, lighting, movement, and communication. Girls will sit in a circle facing each other, while boys will sit shoulder to shoulder.
The standard curriculum is taught to appeal to the different learning styles. From structure of the room to colors of the room, studies show that boys learn through grays, blues and blacks, while girls learn through pinks, oranges, and yellows. To engage their response, boys will be hands-on learning with more movement. They can do many things to cater to the sexes in the room, Westberry said.
According to Education Week, single-gender programs are offered in 97 schools in South Carolina and 400 nationwide. David Chadwell is the nation’s first statewide single-gender coordinator at the South Carolina Department of Education.
Westberry plans to utilize Chadwell with hopes he will visit the school next year.
Applications are due June 13.