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Many people tout single-sex classes or schools as a major benefit for girls in math and science classes. They mention that the girls aren't intimidated in these traditionally male-dominated fields and that they speak up more readily. Girls who have been in these classes talk about a feeling of freedom from impressing the boys. In my experience, though, the major benefit from single-sex classes is to boys, especially at-risk boys.

One summer I taught four sections of remedial English at a alternative high school. All my students were classified as at-risk, most had parole officers, and many were gang members. The school was overwhelmingly male-dominated, and one of my classes was composed entirely of boys. My all-boy class had consistently higher grades, fewer rule infractions, and fewer disciplinary referrals. Just what was it about an all-boy class that made the difference? I observed closely and this is what I found:

-In an all-boy class, there are plenty of guys there to call your bluff. All the students were hopped up on testosterone and machismo, so no one was overly impressed with your bad behavior. Also, no one wanted to look like a fool in front of so many of his peers, so incidents in which a burly 15-year-old gangsta had to be chewed out by the white lady teacher were less frequent.

-The boys weren't competing for the girls' attention. These boys stopped worrying about their image in front of the fairer sex. They were more likely to ask questions and were less distracted in their class work. Less attention was paid to the state of one's hair, clothes, and shoes. You'd think that this sort of primping was confined to teenage girls, but many academically-challenged boys compensate by being peacocks.

-My all-boy class was much more cohesive as a learning community. The boys felt like the pronouns "we" and "us" were appropriate for the group. They helped each other learn and helped each other stay out of trouble. Without the girls around, these boys could show each other that they weren't completely independent.

-Discussions of literature often meandered around to what it means to "be a man." I didn't direct these discussions in this direction; the boys did it themselves. In an era when so many children group up in broken homes, many don't have good models of how a "real man" or "real woman" is supposed to act. These boys were able to talk about how Odysseus, Atticus Finch, and others Hamlet are, or are not, examples of "real men".

I'm sure that an all-girl class would have similar benefits, but I've never had an opportunity to teach such a group. I know, though, that boys benefit greatly from being an all-male classroom.

Learn more about this author, Carolyn Brown.
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