SALEM - The old Salem High, which sits like a medieval fortress on a hill overlooking Highland Avenue, used to have separate entrances for boys and girls. In fact, the words "Boys" and Girls" are still visible on the school walls, chiseled over the doors at opposite ends of the building.
Although it's a different time and a more modern building, the issue of separating boys and girls has arisen again in this building, which is now Collins Middle School. But the discussion this time isn't about separate entrances but the possibility of separate classes based on gender.
"It looks like it might make some sense for kids this age," Collins Principal Mary Manning said.
Manning has proposed single-sex classes as an option for students and parents. She is considering starting a pilot program next fall in the sixth grade. She's not talking about single-sex classes for all students, just for the anticipated small number who choose it - 40 might be ideal - and, most likely, in just a few academic areas.
"Everything about it is basically up for grabs," she said.
The principal has passed out articles on gender-based education to parents and staff. The idea has been discussed at faculty meetings and by the school council. It was even a topic at a fall open house.
The reaction (of parents) was mixed, according to Joan Farese, a school council member who did an informal survey. "Some thought it would be great and would take the distractions out of the classroom, and some didn't think it would be a good idea." Opinions, she said, ran more in favor than against.
The national debate on single-sex education began last fall, when the U.S. Department of Education issued new regulations permitting a practice that effectively had been banned for years. To meet the new federal standards, schools must demonstrate a sound educational reason for the classes, such as improving academic achievement.
Manning hasn't made a decision yet but is intrigued by what she has heard and read. This may not be for everyone, she said, but it could be right for some students.
"I'm just thinking it's going to be a better environment ... for some kids to learn in at this age level."
That really is the key, she said. Middle school is a time when students can face intense peer and social pressures. If having separate classes for boys and girls eliminates some of those distractions, it might be worth trying.
"The overriding issue, we think, is basically the whole social issue," Manning said, "and for some kids that gets in the way of the academic program."
Single-sex education is a complex topic, according to Cleti Cervoni, an assistant professor at Salem State College who specializes in science education. She sees pros and cons.
"I do think there is a time in the academic careers of both boys and girls when they need confidence building in certain curriculum areas," she said. For middle school girls, it could be math and science, while for boys it could be language arts.
But Cervoni fears schools can fall into the trap of thinking there is a "girls' way of doing science and a boys' way of doing science." She also fears that same-sex classrooms could ignore all the differences there are among - not between - girls and boys and could downplay the important role teachers play in finding different ways to reach different students.
There is an academic case to be made, it seems, on both sides of this issue. Some fear it ignores the benefits of social interaction or will set back progress women have made in coeducation. Others say it could boost academic performance for boys, especially poor and minority students. And there are those who think it would help the self-esteem of girls, especially those who grow more shy and reticent in the middle school years.
At Collins, the debate continues with a decision expected by late February or March.
