Either way I'm sure it will be depressing to watch the emotionalism run amuck.
Yes, it will be interesting to watch.
Here's something about education FYI.
Scores Soar at D.C. School With Same-Sex Classes
By Justin Blum
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, June 27, 2002; Page A01
The news from D.C. public school headquarters was a shock to Moten Elementary School Principal George Smitherman. He was told to attend a news conference downtown because Moten, a deteriorating red-brick school in an impoverished neighborhood, had dramatically increased its standardized test scores.
"What?" Smitherman asked in a tone of disbelief, according to schools spokeswoman Linda Wharton-Boyd, who was on the other end of the phone. "Are you sure?"
The next day he learned just how high his school's scores had gone. The percentage of students scoring in the two highest categories -- "advanced" and "proficient" -- on the math portion of the Stanford 9 test had jumped in one year from 49 percent to 88 percent. On the reading portion of the exam, the percentage of students in the top two categories had shot up from 50 percent to 91.5 percent.
The increases have put Moten, a Southeast Washington school where more than 98 percent of the students qualify for subsidized lunches, in the same academic league as schools in the wealthy neighborhoods of upper Northwest. Moten's overall math score on this spring's Stanford 9 test is the second highest among the 106 elementary schools in the D.C. system, and its reading score is the sixth highest.
Smitherman, who was expecting a smaller increase, thinks the improvement is closely tied to two major changes he made in the fall at the 362-student school: switching to same-sex classes and cutting the one-hour lunch period in half. Teachers said they also studied previous test data more closely and focused lessons on areas where students had shown weakness.
Smitherman said he decided to put boys and girls in separate classes at Moten -- a school on the southern edge of the Anacostia neighborhood that offers grades 4 through 6 -- after reading research showing that many students of both sexes do better academically in that setting. He thought that the boys would be less likely to show off for the girls and that the girls would feel more comfortable about participating in class. He said it seems to have worked out that way, with teachers able to spend more time on academics and less time on classroom management.
The Bush administration recently announced that it would remove obstacles to the creation of single-sex schools, citing research indicating that some students benefit from that environment.
Top school officials said they know of no other school in the D.C. system that divides all its classes by gender. Smitherman, who has been Moten's principal for a decade, made the move quietly, without consulting top administrators. Several weeks into the school year, he held a meeting with parents to explain the plan, and they agreed to go forward despite some concerns.
Although reserving judgment about the effectiveness of same-sex classes, D.C. school officials said they will study that change and the other steps taken by Moten's staff to see whether other schools should follow a similar course. A breakdown of Moten's test scores by gender is not yet available.
Administrators said they were elated by Moten's success.
"It just confirms for me that with high expectations, high standards and the belief that all children can learn at high rates, schools can have a great impact on student achievement," said the school system's chief of staff, Steven G. Seleznow.
Linda Green, whose granddaughter just graduated from Moten, said the teachers and the principal work hard to compensate for problems in children's lives.
"People might be expecting that you're going to fail -- especially in this area," Green said. "At this school, you're no different than anyone else."
When Smitherman saw the scores, he wanted to race back to his school and tell the students and staff. But it was the last day of class, and students were already out the door. The next day, he called a meeting and told the teachers, who cheered. He is planning a celebration when students return in September.
Shadonna Washington, who just graduated from Moten, said that splitting up the classes by gender was "scary." But she said she grew used to it and did not miss having the boys in class.
She said the change in the lunch period was a bigger adjustment because it meant she had to wait an extra half-hour to eat and did not have as much play time. But, she said, it helped students with academics.
"I think we did learn more," she said. "In that half an hour, we would play math games on the board, math cards, educational games."
School officials said that the results from this spring's testing are preliminary but that there are no indications of irregularities.
Some academics question whether one-year gains as dramatic as Moten's reflect genuine improvement. Thomas M. Haladyna, a professor of educational psychology at Arizona State University, said that such results can stem from scoring errors, answers being changed or a curriculum too focused on test preparation.
This year was not the first time that Moten's Stanford 9 scores increased sharply, however. Its scores also jumped in 2000, to a level the school was able to sustain in 2001.
Teachers at the school say they simply worked hard, customizing their lessons to students' weaknesses and making sure the children spent their class time working on the task at hand.
Sydnee Patterson, a sixth-grade teacher, said the school grouped her students based on their skill level in reading and math. Teaching children of similar ability allowed her to cover more material, she said.
Smitherman and Moten's teachers said the staff blocked out more time for reading and math and spent a lot of time reinforcing what children had learned. In addition, Smitherman thinks scores were boosted by an after-school enrichment program that was offered at many D.C. schools this year. Moten's program included assistance with homework.
Moten's students, most of whom are from single-parent homes, face a variety of social problems, the principal said. To get to class, they must walk through neighborhoods where drug and alcohol abuse are rampant. Because many parents at the school have little money, Smitherman arranged for students to receive free backpacks, paper and pencils.
He said he constantly tells Moten students that they are the best in the city, despite problems in the community.
"You instill that into them and make them feel that they are the best," Smitherman said. "I think that the kids are out to prove something."
© 2002 The Washington Post Company |
