Centennial Public School has taken a bold approach to learning by dividing Grade 6 math and English classes into single gender groups. Its goal is to boost student performance in these subjects.

While it may be too early to conclude if marks have improved strictly as a result of the approach, some promise has been found in Education Accountability and Quality Office (EQAO) test results. And, perhaps just as importantly, the students and teachers seem to really like the single gender class concept.

Since the 2009-10 school year, Centennial has created single-gender classes for Grade 6 math and English streams only. Traditionally, this mode of teaching was exclusively found in private schools but today, more single-sex classes are found in publicly-funded schools in Canada and the United States. Single-gender classes are relatively new to Halton, with pilot projects at Burlington Central High School and Bruce T. Lindley Public School.

Centennial Public School Principal Paul VanderHelm said he decided to consider implementing single-gender classes after finding discrepancies between the boys and girls on EQAO tests in reading, writing and math.
 
“We thought, what can we do?” VanderHelm says. “We don’t believe boys are inherently less intelligent. We started to look at the way our schools are designed.”

VanderHelm talks about how classes are designed with the thought of students sitting quietly in desks and raising hands to answer questions.

“That doesn’t necessarily tie into a lot of boys’ strengths. Boys like movement and they like challenges. Let’s look like at how we can really engage the boys.”

Centennial’s school council, trustee and superintendent were also involved in the initiative.

To get a better sense of how single-gender classes work, the school did its homework. VanderHelm and school staff visited public schools that offer same-sex classes: Hamilton’s C.B. Sterling Public School has offered it for seven years and Brampton’s Cheneye Middle School has operated it for two years. Staff also attended a seminar by single-gender advocate and author Leonard Sax at Burlington Central High School. 

“The approach is not so much that boy and girls have to be separated, that really doesn’t come into it at all,” VanderHelm explains, “it’s more a reflection that we’ve done a great job of reaching the girls.”

It is early in the single-gender approach, but VanderHelm is feeling optimistic yet cautious. VanderHelm says he’s “very happy” by what he has seen so far in the latest EQAO results, enough so the school will continue on the single-gender class track.

For example, in 2009-10, boys’ mathematics scores jumped four percentage points compared to the previous 2008-09 school year. More validation will be forthcoming but VanderHelm is encouraged to think the single-gender classes might be helping.

“The fact the boys closed the gap a bit is intriguing but again, it could be due to a number of things,” he said. “I want to see data over time with different cohorts and see how we do.”

VanderHelm noted single-gender classes are discussed during the schools Grade 5 information nights for parents. He added there have no concerns raised by parents about single-gender classes.

Teachers Cindy McIntosh and Amy Bennett have no concerns, either.

McIntosh, who teaches Grade 6 math, said the student’s attitudes are very good.

“I find the boys are on board with it and the girls absolutely love it,” she said, adding she finds boys “more focussed” in a single-gender class and wanting to achieve the highest results.

McIntosh says, for example, she incorporates music into her class sometimes.

Bennett, who teaches the girls English classes, said the girls are “doing really well. They seem to be a lot more comfortable in that environment.”

Students seem very supportive about the single-gender class concept. In fact, for some, it has really helped their learning.

Grade 6 student Josh Rousseau said “it helps you concentrate; you’re not trying to impress the girls.”

"I feel I can learn better because I’m not concerned about what people will say,” in a single-gender class, said Grade 6 student Jessica Stiles.

Superintendent Mark Zonneveld supports Centennial’s approach to trying single-gender classes, and is hopeful positives results will show through.

“I am excited Centennial has taken this bold step to discover new ways to further engage boys and girls at school. Through learning environments and teaching strategies tailored specifically to the needs and interests of each gender, teachers at Centennial are learning how best to enable all students.

“I hope through this initiative staff are able to discern in what ways and for what purposes we should differentiate the educational experiences for boys and girls, and that this becomes evident through improvements in student achievement. Administrative council would welcome reports of this nature in hopes it aids other schools that may be considering these types of programs.”