Lisa Banavich and Denise Alexander

 Gender roles in education were rooted in religious roles, but changed into political roles  Coed elementary school were not contended because women needed a basic level of education to read scripture and raise the children  Women’s role as teachers lead to more educational opportunities  Title IX established (not just for athletics)  Women’s education level has increased

 More women hold master’s degrees  Teachers differentiate instruction to meet individual needs  Increased number of athletic scholarships for women  Women are reaping the health benefits of participating in sports

 Gender discrimination remains an issue in American schools  Inequality in equity of sports teams is achieved through manipulating the budget  Little enforcement of Title IX at K-12 level  Women faculty are paid less and promoted less than male faculty  Issue of single-sex school – educational research vs. gender differences  Single-sex schools may lead to vouchers  Single-sex schools: separate is never equal and unequal is never legal

Elementary /Middle School:  Boys: Prompted to think through projects and answer questions independently  Girls: Likely to be given answers or shown how to do a task; Struggling with messages about their academic competency ; difficulty speaking up in class

High School  Boys: More likely to take higher level math, science and computer classes; more likely to drop out; peer pressure to engage in “risky” behaviors  Girls: Can present their work neatly; good at “doing school but can only regurgitate information; do not excel in critical thinking; rarely take risks

 Title IX was passed requiring “more equitable distribution “ of educational resources and opportunities among males and females  Intended to end discrimination in sports programs, but ended up creating a quota system in athletic programs  This policy does not take individual freedoms into account

 Since boys and girls are so different, schools and teachers need to be responsive to this if educational opportunity is to be given  Coeducational settings make it impossible to address each gender’s needs- NCLB lets public schools have single sex classes  Single sex classes are not discriminatory- they are considered necessary and will provide significant results

 Students will be able to present alternatives to gender stereotypes and a space in which it is safe to challenge these stereotypes  Fewer discipline problems  Students and teachers are happier  Higher test scores