Why Boys Fail
This blog was written by Richard Whitmire, a former editorial writer at USA Today and past board president of the National Education Writers Association, and a frequent opinion commentator on national education issues. This blog is no longer being updated, but you can continue to explore these issues on edweek.org by visiting our related topic pages: boys.
Science
Opinion
Math Skills: Boys and Girls Equal
That's the conclusion of this Berkeley study. That's not surprising. On state tests boys and girls score roughly the same. Actually, the overall trend is that girls are pushing ahead of boys.
Reading & Literacy
Opinion
U.S. Girls Now 1.5 Years Ahead in Reading
That's Houghton Mifflin's take, as the company introduces an intervention designed to boost the interest of boys in reading.
Reading & Literacy
Opinion
'Nappy Curriculum' Hurting Boys?
One in six British boys can't write their name by the age of five. Pushing a formal reading curriculum on boys too early -- a theme that will sound familiar to readers of this blog -- gets the blame.
College & Workforce Readiness
Opinion
The College Gap in Delaware
Good piece in the Philly Inquirer, but the reporter settles too easily into the theory that the gender gaps are driven only by minority men. Is that the case at the University of Delaware? I suspect there's more to it. Reporters given this many inches might also want to spend a graph or two exploring what all this means beyond college.
Education
Opinion
Income Gap Among Women
Women may be earning more six-figure salaries, but the gaps among women -- generated by education differences -- are stark.
Federal
Opinion
Boys Included in British Inequity Report
Interesting ... I can't imagine seeing this in the United States, despite the fact our gender gaps are just as steep. Some countries, including England and Australia, are far ahead of the U.S. in dealing with the issue. To date, the U.S. Department of Education has never even acknowledged the problem exists.
Equity & Diversity
Opinion
One of Two WBF Speeches in San Francisco
The auditorium at Santa Rosa Community College was full for this event.
Equity & Diversity
Opinion
Next Up: Gender Disparities in Learning?
Obama targets racial disparities in discipline. True, but what gets unsaid is that in many cases black boys act out in school because they'd rather get expelled than exposed as poor learners. The real issue is why so many black boys get to that stage in the first place.
Education
Opinion
Women Earning Big Money
Given the education differences, that's to be both expected and welcomed. I just hope the national women's advocacy groups can set aside their outdated "gender equity" campaign that has little to do with actual discrimination and move on to the more critical issue: persuading more women to major in areas of national economic importance: computer sciences, chemistry, physics.
Education
Opinion
Mom's favoring boys -- to their detriment
This has probably been true forever. I found it everywhere in my book research travels. Both moms and dads hold their daughters to much higher school expectations, while telling themselves boys just take longer to mature ... let him express himself in sports. What has changed over time, however, is that in today's hurry-up schooling the boys often don't catch up. Instead, they arrive at their senior year of high school with poor academic preparation and limited higher education ambitions.
School Choice & Charters
Opinion
Biggest Benefit of Single-Sex: Discipline?
That's just an observation, but observations are all we have, given the refusal by the federal Department of Education to study single-sex education. Another experiment in Knoxville: Brother to Brother.
College & Workforce Readiness
Opinion
The Campus Gender Divide
Why does it make a difference if women make up close to 60 percent of the four-year degrees awarded? Won't they just take the jobs that in years past were held by men? As the father of two daughters I like that notion, but in the real world it doesn't work out that way. Men and women pursue different interests, which is why the campus gender divide matters. As this piece in the New York Times appropriately asks: Where's the female Steve Jobs?