Amended to take effect on November 24, 2006 Provided for new exceptions to general prohibition of single sex classes Permits offering single sex.

Amended to take effect on November 24, 2006

Provided for new exceptions to general prohibition of single sex classes

Permits offering single sex nonvocational classes and extracurricular activities based on the recipients “important objective”

1) .….improve educational achievement of its students through an overall policy to provide diverse education opportunities;

or 2) …..meet the particular, identified,

educational needs of its students provided the single sex nature of class/activity is substantially related to achieving that objective

Even handed with respect to male and female students

Completely voluntary Provides a substantially equal coeducational

class or activity in same subject or activity Periodic self evaluations at least every two

years Ensure substantial relationship between nature

of class/activity and objective Based on true justifications not generalizations

re talents, preferences, capacities.

will determine whether classes/activities are substantially equal including:

admission policies and criteria; quality, range and content of curriculum

and other services; quality of books, instructional materials, and technology; qualification of faculty; facilities and resources.

With certain exceptions, elementary and secondary schools may not assign students to separate classes or activities, or prevent them from enrolling in a course of their choice, on the basis of sex.

This includes health, physical education, industrial arts, business, vocational, technical, home economics, music, and adult education classes.

music classes if based on vocal range or quality (men’s chorus….)

elementary and secondary schools portions of class which deals with Human Sexuality may be conducted in separate sessions for boys and girls

Student may, but do not have to, be separated by sex when participating in sports where the major purpose or activity involves bodily contact….

e.g., wrestling, rugby, lacrosse, basketball, football, ice hockey, self defense

However, if one does separate by gender, the comparable ‘other’ unit must be contact in nature and students must flip-flop units.

AND

you cannot offer gender-loaded elective courses juxtaposed to each other…e.g., fitness opposite competitive team games.

Students may be grouped by ability if objective standards of individual performance are applied. This may result in all-female or all-male ability groupings.

You could always offer student choice within activity (competitive/recreational court)

If the use of a single standard to measure skill or performance has an adverse effect on members of one sex, schools must use other, appropriate standards for selection into that class.

e.g., if the ability to lift a certain weight is the standard for assignment to a swimming class, the application of this standard may exclude some girls…..

How students interact within class? do girls perceive boys as playing too rough

or being out to get them? are second chances provided equally

among sexes? when student peers make comments to

each other are they critical or supportive? is your environment safe? Can students try,

fail, try again without criticism from peers and teacher?

Change the curriculum…… Ensure you have offerings in each of the

‘big three’ … cooperative/adventure, fitness, and games.

Consider teaching some games units as sport education.

Consider within your games units offering a balance slightly weighted to Invasion Games but with Net/Wall, Target, and Fielding games as well.

Consider teaching games from origin to current times….an historical approach to how games have become what they are.

for example.. in basketball teaching the non-dribbling

passing game without jumping or backboards-men could dribble within 20 years of game, women 70 years (1/3 court, ½ court, rovers, 2 dribbles etc)

or teaching volleyball with innings and everyone serves on-a-side before the ball goes to the opponents, complete with helping on serves and feet remaining on the ground.

Consider offering elective classes sooner…..

Why wait…..”In ninth grade we don’t teach basketball or volleyball anymore. If kids were interested in basketball, they can play on the high school team or on one of the local recreational basketball teams. We use that time to teach something new like pickleball , orienteering, disk golf, or badminton.” Toni

Consider …..

* Adding new team games like Touch Rugby, Lacrosse, Water Polo, and Field Hockey all played at the international levels for men and women.

* Adding new individual games like

archery, golf, bowling, bocci, curling, canoeing.

Offer training opportunities for teachers to move past their comfort zones and learn new games and to teach in different curriculum models.

For example have men teaching dance and stress management techniques and women football and the weight room….and all other options in between.

Make sure all teach versus ‘throwing out the ball’

Check your language for inclusion….watch gender-loaded phrases like “You Guys”, “Baseman”, “Man-To- Man Guarding”, “You Throw Like a Girl”.

Check Bulletin and Award Boards for inclusion…are men and women shown in traditional and nontraditional sports, are genders proportionally represented?

Check that facilities (locker rooms, weight rooms, dance studios, wrestling and gymnastic rooms) and equipment are equitable.

Alternate equipment to allow for gender differences (half time play with a men’s ball and half time play with the women’s if teams are coed).

Watch whom you ask to demonstrate skills in your class. Do boys and girls have equal opportunities? When demonstrating do boys and girls demonstrate within traditional gender perceived sports or across?

Count to whom you offer feedback and what kind. Are they equal? Are girls given feedback for skill or for trying hard? Are boys more likely to misbehave “boys will be boys” and behavior not addressed seriously?