Carol’s Summary:
In many schools around New York City, findings show that girls now outnumber boys in schools and programs for gifted children. At schools such as the Brooklyn School of Inquiry, TAG Young Scholars, and New Explorations of Science and Technology and Math, there is a noticeable ratio of male to female students. Although the entire school system is 51 percent male, girls comprise 56 percent of the district’s gifted students.
This disparity is also evident nationwide, as well in graduation and college enrollment rates, where the gap between girls and boys has grown steadily for decades. Experts’ theories state that many forms of gifted as well as standardized testing tend to favor girls, particularly in the area of verbal skills. Another theory is that traditional classroom management skills may favor girls over boys. Boys tend benefit from classes that are highly collaborative, bodily-kinesthetic and challenging.
Experts and researchers are finding that one of the main reasons for the gender gap amongst gifted students is that classrooms focus more on testing and linguistics than on spatial subjects and mathematics, in which boys tend to show stronger understanding. It is clear that there is a relationship between both content and methods of delivery in how both genders succeed.
LifeBound’s books and training emphasize the importance of academic preparation that can be applied to the needs and strengths of all students. One of LifeBound’s goals is to help close the achievement gaps amongst all types of students so that all students have an equal ability and opportunity to succeed. Visit www.lifebound.com or email contact@lifebound.com to learn more about LifeBound’s goals, books and programs.
Article:
Gender Gap for the Gifted in City Schools
By SHARON OTTERMAN
Published: May 31, 2010
When the kindergartners at the Brooklyn School of Inquiry, one of New York City’s schools for gifted students, form neat boy-girl rows for the start of recess, the lines of girls reach well beyond the lines of boys.
To read the full article: www.nytimes.com
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