One local intervention that is being explored is the single-sex classroom at the Grade 3 level. Successful single-sex experiments have been carried out at Polly Ground Primary and Jericho Primary Schools, which have been observed and documented by the project Gender Specialist. Both schools will continue to maintain single-sex classrooms at different grade levels throughout the life of the project and will serve as models as the component replicates this intervention in other project schools.

 

STRATEGIES/INTERVENTIONS PLANNED
The main strategy being used by the component is the delivery of gender training workshops to all stakeholders, but primarily to teachers and parents.  Other strategies being used include:

 

  1. research to identify and recommend for use in EEHP schools, local and international interventions that have been proven to improve performance of boys at the primary level;
  2. examination and analysis of performance and classroom observation data to inform teaching and learning interventions; and
  3. action research aimed at improving performance of students, to be undertaken in two project schools:  Maxfield Park Primary and Chetolah Park Primary.

 

One local intervention that is being considered for use in ten (10) sample schools, where possible, is experimenting with single-sex classrooms.  It is our intention to concentrate on this intervention in classes at the Grade 3 level.  The successful single-sex experiments carried out at Polly Ground Primary School have been observed and documented by the Gender Specialist.  The Gender Specialist also plans a visit to Jericho Primary School, where successful experiments in single-sex classrooms have also been conducted.  Both schools still continue to maintain single-sex classrooms at different grade levels and will serve as the model schools, as the component seeks to replicate this intervention in other project schools.

 

CURRENT INTERVENTIONS BEING IMPLEMENTED

 

  1. Gender Workshops have been conducted so far with:
                1. Project and Ministry of Education Staff;
                2. Principals and other educational leaders;
                3. Resource Teachers;
                4. Parents and teachers at two schools: Porus Primary School and Maxfield Park Primary School.  A parent/teacher workshop is being planned for Chetolah Park Primary for the first PTA session in September 2007.
                5. A roster was prepared for cluster workshops to be held in schools displaying the widest gender disparity in the performance data relating to the 2005 Grade Three Diagnostic Tests.

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                Section of the group of participants at the Gender Workshop held with parents and teachers at Porus Primary (Porusworkshop.ppt) School on March 3, 2007.                                                                      



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                Section of the group of participants at the Workshop held with parents and teachers at Maxfield Park Primary (Gender in the Home & School – Maxfield Park PTA.ppt) School on March 22, 2007.

                 

Action Research

  1. Action research has been outlined for Maxfield Primary, following suggestions and agreements made by parents and teachers at the recently held gender workshop.  Following fine-tuning that was done through collaboration involving the Principal, the Guidance Counsellor and the Gender Specialist, implementation of these interventions begun with a collaboration session held with the Grade 3 teachers.
  2. Action research will also be finalized for Chetolah Park Primary following their parent/teacher gender workshop, which is scheduled to take place early in the Christmas term.
  3. The design of the action research enables teachers and parents to implement simple strategies that are expected to contribute to improvement in behaviour and performance, particularly of boys in primary schools.  The intention is that if these strategies are successful, they will be replicated in other project schools.

Research to identify successful local and international interventions at the primary level:

  1. Internet research conducted by Gender Specialist, which has identified a number of successful interventions that have been used in elementary schools in the USA and Canada to improve the performance of boys – copies of interventions distributed to all literacy, numeracy and technology project specialists.
  2. First hand observation and documentation of single-sex classrooms and related success story at Polly Ground Primary School in St. Catherine.
  3. Reading of report of successful single-sex classroom strategy used at Jericho Primary School, also in St. Catherine.  Plan to visit the school early in the Summer Term.

 

Analysis of performance data from the 2005 Grade Three Diagnostic Tests

  1. Analysis completed and the ten (10) schools with widest disparities by sex, identified.  Gender workshops are being planned.

Analysis of Gender Classroom Observation Questionnaires

  1. Analysis commenced but not yet completed.

Success Stories Submitted

  1. Polly Ground Primary (Polly Ground Success Story 1.doc) - based on successful gender experiment.
  2. Chetolah Park Primary (Chetolah Park Success Story 2.doc) – remarkable success in 2006 Grade 4 NAP Literacy Test.

 

EXPECTATIONS
Our expectation is that strategies and interventions implemented by the gender component will contribute significantly to improvement in the performance of boys in particular, in EEHP schools.  In the final analysis, success will be measured by the extent to which the disparity between the performance of girls as against that of boys is reduced, and is showing positive movement towards equity, with both sexes performing at a high standard.  Performance data for the 2008 Grade Three Diagnostic Tests will be used to measure the effectiveness of the strategies employed.


TIPS FOR TEACHERS: GENDER IMPLICATIONS


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