Louisiana Middle School Principal Norvella Williams Segregates Sexes to Boost Student Achievement

I must admit, on first glance, the word segregation immediately unnerved me, but after reading the article, Norvella Williams should be applauded. In a desperate attempt to improve student achievement at her low-performing school, Arthur F. Smith Middle Magnet School, the principal, Ms. Williams was willing to try "anything and everything" for the new school year, according to media reports. That something involved separating boys and girls into separate classrooms.

Of course, some parents were upset at the prospect of having sex-segregated classrooms, but Williams went ahead and implemented the plan for the new school year, and to the surprise of many, the results are reportedly positive, so far.

We now have good evidence that single-sex classrooms CAN break down gender stereotypes, particularly when teachers have appropriate professional development. Girls in single-sex educational settings are more likely to take classes in math, science, and information technology. Boys in single-gender classrooms -- led by teachers with training in how to lead such classrooms -- are much more likely to pursue interests in art, music, drama, and foreign languages. Both girls and boys have more freedom to explore their own interests and abilities than in the coed classroom. Source

According to the National Association for Single-Sex Public Education, it's not sufficient to simply put girls in one classroom and boys in another. There's much more to the process, particularly in achieving desired results. In order to improve academic performance and broaden educational horizons, you'll need to understand the subtleties of gender differences in learning.

Here's my two cents on sex-segregated classrooms. They are no different from sex-segregated schools. I attended an all-girls high school in Montego Bay, Jamaica and the experience was rewarding and I never missed the boys. Mt. Alvernia High School was one of the top Catholic schools in Jamaica and I can honestly say, the educational foundation I got was second to none. We were totally engrossed in our work and there were more students taking Physics, Chemistry and Biology classes than ever before. It is safe to say that most of the students who attended Mt. Alvernia learned at an early age that they were limited by their capabilities and that the sky was the limit. I wish Ms. Williams the best and I applaud her for putting the children first.