Macedonia Elementary School is flirting with the idea of single-gender classes.

During a Feb. 8 district school board meeting Macedonia Principal Teresa Reid told the board she is considering single-gender classes after doing research on the topic.

After the research and speaking to David Chadwell, the single-gender facilitator for the S.C. Department of Education, Reid said she thinks single-gender classes would be beneficial for the school.

Gender research explores differences in learning styles between male and female students, according to the S.C. Department of Education Web site.

In South Carolina, there are gender-based performance gaps - notably in grades three through eight - in boys and girls who have scored below basic competency in English language arts and mathematics, the Web site reports.

Reid would like to close this gap.

She said the gap is not significant at Macedonia - but boys seem to score better in English language arts, science, and social studies.

Girls seem to score better in writing and math, Reid said.

Two weeks ago, she visited two schools in Orangeburg Consolidated School District Five and observed four single-gender classes.

During the observations, Reid said there was a great rapport and lots of energy between the students and teachers.

The boys were allowed to be boys with lots of movement and energy, she said.

The girls were able freely move around the room and have conversations regarding learning, Reid said.

Technology was effectively used with lots of music for the boys and movie clips for the girls, she said.

All four classes were organized with little to no disruptions, said Reid.

Reid is proposing two single-gender classes for the third grade in the 2010-11 year, she said.

She said the success of single-gender classes is differentiated teaching for boys and girls.

The selection of instructional practices is based on recent research-based knowledge about gender, culture, poverty, development and learning styles, Reid said.

"Implementation of instructional practices may be different, but overall learning opportunity for students is substantially equal for boys and girls," said Reid.

Reid said boys and girls tend to have somewhat different learning styles.

Although individual differences always trump gender-related differences, there are some differences between the ways boys and girls behave, said Reid.

For instance, girls tend be good listeners and like to work in cooperative groups while boys do well when using mathematical-logical thinking and like to work alone. Other examples include girls gathering facts before they draw conclusions and boys deducing conclusions from general statements. Girls need concrete examples when learning abstract principles and boys are comfortable with mathematical symbols and general ideas in math. The above factors all have implications for teaching and learning, said Reid.

The cost for the single-gender classes is minimal, Reid said, and she has had positive feedback from the staff and faculty.

Reid said she is currently in the process of scheduling a parent meeting for the proposed grade level.

Parents will be informed of the rationale, policies and practices of single-gender classes, Reid said.

"I want parents to know that they will be afforded the opportunity to opt-out," said Reid.

Admittance to the single-gender classes has not been determined but it will be based on the needs of individual students, said Reid.

As of November 2009, 173 public schools in South Carolina offer single-gender classrooms, according to the National Association for Single Sex Education.

Williston School District currently uses single-gender classes at Kelly Edwards Elementary School.