Should boys and girls be taught separately? About 400 co-ed public schools already offer some single-sex classes.

• Author: Piechura-Couture, Kathy
• Position: Debate

YES There are many benefits to single--sex education, and we should make it more widely available.

Researchers have found that there are biological and developmental differences between boys and girls that affect how they learn. For example, in general, boys respond better to a teaching style that allows them to be more physically active in the classroom. Girls tend to be more cautious about participating in discussions.

For nine years, I've been studying the effectiveness of single-sex versus co-ed classrooms at a Florida elementary school. Single-sex classrooms have helped close the achievement gap between boys and girls. It's also changed attitudes: Girls in the single-sex class think science is fun, while girls in the co-ed class say they don't like science. In a recent survey, 87 percent of parents said being in single-sex classes increased their child's self-esteem and motivation.

Research shows that high school students in single-sex classrooms are more likely to take courses that run counter to gender stereotypes: Girls are more likely to study computer science and physics; boys are more likely to study art and drama. And they're more likely to excel at classrooms, and stick with these subjects.

In a recent survey of students in single-sex classes, 67 percent said it increased their self-esteem, and 72 percent reported a greater desire to learn and participate compared with their experience in co-ed classrooms.

For more than 100 years, some of the nation's finest private schools have experienced the benefits of single-sex education. It's time to make this choice broadly available in our public schools.

-KATHY PIECHURA-COUTURE

Professor of Education, Stetson University, DeLand, Fla.

NO When it comes to learning, every student is different. Some kids are more outgoing than others. Some like to move around a lot, and others prefer to sit still. This is true whether...