East Bay School caters to boys' learning styles

[San Francisco Chronicle, August 16, 2010]

Carolyn Jones, Chronicle Staff Writer

Like most boys, Joe Villeneuve's son, Dylan, is not one for sitting still.

"He's a bouncy, outgoing, happy kid who likes to explore and see how things work," said the Berkeley father. "He's always on the move. He is a boy."

And as every parent and teacher will attest, "always on the move" and a quiet, orderly classroom are not always compatible states.

But Dylan will soon be at a school where "always on the move" is not only prized, it's built into the curriculum. The East Bay School for Boys, opening Aug. 31 in Berkeley, is tailored specifically to boys' energy levels, brain development and love of taking things apart, scattering them across the floor and putting them together again.

The first week of school, for example, the boys will get hammers, power saws and wood, and build their own desks.

"We're going to allow them to make mistakes, experiment, be a little disorganized," said headmaster Jason Baeten. "It's going to be messy, but we think they'll fall in love with school."

Boys need to fall back in love with school, according to several recent studies.

In the past 30 years or so, boys have started trailing girls in reading, writing, grades, test scores and overall motivation, according to a report compiled by educators, sociologists and others who want the president to establish a White House Council on Boys to Men. In 1966, men earned 61 percent of the college diplomas in the United States, but are expected to earn only 39 percent by 2019, their report stated.

Boys are also more likely to be medicated for attention problems and learning disorders, and more likely to be held back or disciplined for behavior problems, studies show.

End to sitting all day

In many cases, boys are performing the same as they always have but girls have surged ahead academically, due in part to a general shift in curriculum favoring girls. It wasn't hard: More than 90 percent of elementary and middle school teachers are women.

Another factor is higher academic expectations placed on younger children due to pressure to raise test scores, teachers said. Kindergarteners are now expected to read, a task that's difficult for some boys because their language skills generally develop later than girls'. The result is that by first grade, many boys are already lagging and their self-confidence starts to drag.

"The structure of a classroom - sitting still in a desk all day - works better for girls than boys," said Marcia Bedford, an East Bay School for Boys board member and assistant head of school at Julia Morgan School for Girls in Oakland. "There's a lot of pressure on boys to hold it together all day and behave, well, like girls."

Boys schools blossom

East Bay School for Boys isn't the only new school to take on boys' education. Public, private and charter schools for boys are blossoming throughout much of the United States, according to the International Boys School Coalition.

"These schools take boys as they are. Instead of punishing boys for their activity, they embrace it and build the curriculum around it," said executive director Brad Adams. "These schools have had great success."

The Pacific Boychoir Academy in Oakland, an all-boys school that opened seven years ago, tailored its curriculum to boys. History classes focus on conflicts and action, teachers might cover four lessons instead of two in a 50-minute period in order to keep students interested, and boys get plenty of opportunities to run around.

Directed energy

"Boys are naturally competitive and we don't want to tamp that down," said school administrator Jim Gaines. "We want to give boys a chance to be extraordinary."

The hope for all these schools is to create a generation of males who are self-confident, capable and compassionate in a world where men's roles are in flux, Baeten and others said.

Joe Villeneuve is just hoping his son's natural enthusiasm isn't squelched by having to sit still at a desk all day.

"What a luxury for a school to say, we're going to use all that energy," he said. "We're not going to thwart it."

E-mail Carolyn Jones at carolynjones@sfchronicle.com

Why Boys Fail: Saving Our Sons from an Educational System That's Leaving Them Behind

Why Boys Fail: Saving Our Sons from an Educational System That"s Leaving Them Behind

WHITMIRE, RICHARD

Boys are falling behind in school. The world has become more verbal; boys haven"t. Even in their traditionally strong subjects of science and math, boys are hit at a young age with new educational approaches, stressing high-level reading and writing goals that they are developmentally unable to achieve. The gap between male and female achievement has reached the college level, where only 40 per cent of graduates next year will be male. This doesn"t just mean fewer male doctors and lawyers, it also means fewer men in the careers that previously did not require post-high school degrees but do now. "Why Boys Fail" examines the roots and repercussions of this problem and spells out the educational, political, social and economic challenges we face as we work to end it.

Gender gap growing for teenagers

[Philly Burbs, November 24, 2009]

By: GREG FORESTER

Education expert warns parents about the problems facing today's teens.

DELRAN - Boys are obsessed with video games. Girls are obsessed with their bodies. Both are overindulging in distractions such as text messaging at the expense of learning and sleeping.

Education proponent and well-known author Leonard Sax is worried, and, according to Sax, parents should be, too.

Sax described a growing gender gap in academic achievement that is seeing young men left in the dust by their increasingly anxious female counterparts to a crowd of about 70, most of them parents, at Delran High School on Thursday.

He linked legions of failing boys and anxiety-ridden girls to the popularity of video games and Web-based media, changes in American society and the abdication of authority by parents during his nearly three-hour talk, which was organized by the Delran Middle School and High School Parent Teacher Association, whose president, Patti Blosfelds, introduced Sax and recommended his books.

Citing his own experiences as a family doctor as well as scholarly studies, Sax said increasing numbers of boys and young men are obsessed with video games and "the virtual world," and as a result are doing drastically worse in academics than students 40 years ago.

Sax, the Pennsylvania-based executive director of the National Association for Single Sex Public Education, has studied the issues extensively and written two books: "Why Gender Matters" and "Boys Adrift: The Five Factors Driving the Growing Epidemic of Unmotivated Boys and Underachieving Young Men."
Today, he said, boys excelling academically in U.S. schools tend to be of East or South Asian descent, children of recent immigrants, or immigrants themselves.
"They see nothing un-masculine in preparing for the spelling bee," Sax said, unlike their white, black or Latino peers, who care more about excellence on the sports field or in the video game world. "For them, caring about school is seen as un-masculine."

The countries that many of these excelling students hail from, such as India and China, happen to have economies that are growing by leaps and bounds when compared with the United States and Europe.

Sax spoke of the declining number of American boys who read for fun, noting a recently completed 25-year National Endowment of the Arts study that found the gap between the number of girls and boys who read for fun has widened dramatically.

"And it's not because girls are reading more," said Sax, recalling a young man in Maryland who told him he'd rather "be burned at the stake" than read books during his summer vacation. "Boys have stopped reading altogether."

Eliciting chuckles from the audience, Sax recalled how more than four decades ago "ancient" musical artists such as the Beach Boys and Sam Cooke were singing about being "true to your school" and "trying to be an A student."

But these positive messages have been replaced by the likes of 50 Cent, Eminem and Akon, a Georgia native and popular artist who propagated false stories of incarceration to enhance his image. Boys' role models have gone from "scholars to thugs and bullies," Sax said, just as their activities have shifted from playing outdoors and listening to positive music to playing violent video games in a virtual world away from positive male influences.

Video games especially have taken a greater place in the lives of young boys, who love to collaborate in combat, ambush enemies and feel heroic, Sax told the crowd.

While moderate use of nonviolent video games - under six hours a week - has no effect on academic achievement, use in excess of six hours has a direct and linear negative impact. Sax called the trend "displacement," as in the shifting of time normally spent studying, playing with real friends or, perhaps most important, sleeping.

"Teenagers need nine hours of sleep per night," Sax said, and when they don't get it, the deprivation drops their IQ to levels that can make them sluggish and appear "mildly retarded."

Such behavior leads to incorrect diagnoses of attention deficit disorder or associated ailments, opening the way for the prescription of Ritalin, Adderall and other psychotropic stimulants that may mask underlying sleep disorders or other problems, according to Sax.

The impact of video games also is seen on the high school sports fields, where out-of-shape students show up and fail miserably because they think excellence in sports video games equates to achievement on the field, he said. Violent video games result in more insidious problems, according to Sax, who said realistic violence is related to personality changes that make young men "less caring, more hostile, rude."

One place where the combined effects of gender difference are glaringly obvious is at the nation's colleges, Sax said, especially at schools with admissions programs that don't make an effort to maintain a 50-50 split between boys and girls.

Sax said the University of North Carolina admissions program's reliance on grades and test scores, rather than gender, recently resulted in a class that is 62 percent female. Accounting for dropouts, the split will grow to 66-33 percent by the end of the class' time on campus. Nationally, the effect is decreasing the numbers of educated and economically productive males in the long term and, in the short term, creating a troublesome "supply and demand" problem for women, who outnumber their male peers nearly 2 to 1.

"It changes social life at the university," Sax said, and has an adverse effect on women applying to institutions that are forced to reject academically superior women as they try to maintain an even split.
At the nation's top schools - such as Harvard, Princeton and Yale - classes would be as high as 70 percent female, Sax said, without efforts to admit an equal numbers of boys.
Sax reminded the audience that the brain of a teenager is developing and is not mature until age 22 in girls and sometimes not until 30 for boys. Sometimes this means boys fresh out of high school aren't ready for college and should not be forced to attend, said Sax.
Moving to recommendations for the Delran crowd, Sax said it's important for parents to remember their authority and assert priorities. Family dinner should be the No. 1 priority, with schoolwork and real friends coming in at second and third.

Last on the priority list are video games, with no more than 40 minutes of playing time on weekdays and an hour on weekends. Game systems should not be in boys' bedrooms, Sax said, and cell phone chargers should remain in the parents' bedroom so that kids, especially young girls, are not experiencing sleepless nights of text messaging.

Paradoxically, the lazy boys Sax has seen tend to be happy and content, despite academic shortcomings, while young, academically successful girls tend to be anxious.

Sax said young ladies are abusing alcohol and cutting themselves with sharp objects in growing numbers. They are spending more hours fretting about their body image, maintaining a presence on social media sites such as Facebook, and sending literally thousands of text messages per month.

Citing a San Diego State University study, Sax said young girls are increasingly high-strung and anxious. Today, 39 percent of ninth-graders have one alcoholic drink per month, half drink regularly and more than one in four are binge drinking. Noting a picture of 1950s beauty Marilyn Monroe, Sax said that by today's standards she would be fat, especially when compared with skinny sex icons such as Megan Fox of the "Transformers" series of films.

Such unrealistic body images are the norm as eating disorders and cutting are on the rise, with as many as one in five girls committing self-mutilation.

These trends are the subject of Sax's next book, "Girls on the Edge," set for a spring release.

Why public boys' schools are a stand-up idea

[Globe and Mail, Wednesday, Nov. 04, 2009]

Jim Power

Ernest Hemingway wrote standing at his typewriter. That's hardly surprising, because research suggests boys are more apt to learn when they can move around. Because we all want to encourage tomorrow's authors sitting or standing in today's classrooms, many private boys' schools are experimenting with stand-up desks and other such initiatives.

Chris Spence's recent proposal for Canada's first public all-boys school offers an opportunity to weigh in with 180 years of lessons learned and cautionary tips for our public-school brethren. Some see their proposal as an exotic provocation, not a public policy initiative with precedents in Alberta's charter schools and thriving public boys' schools the world over.

The Hemingway example illustrates a broad point: Without stereotyping gender difference, we do believe boys and girls learn differently. Reams of research speak to that. While biology isn't destiny, it is proclivity. The point is, boys' schools aren't about segregation. They're about defining gender-selected strengths and teaching to them.

There's also a subtle point that hasn't been discussed much. Dr. Spence's move is reported as a reaction to a public system that has failed the many disengaged, learning-disabled or violent boys who lag behind girls. The cited causes range from fatherless homes to immigrant alienation to poverty.

While I'm enthusiastic about this initiative, my fear is this forward-thinking innovation will reinforce the old myth that boys' schools are a punitive last gasp – boot camps for the ungovernable and the delinquent. Only a sustained, conscious effort will ensure this school does not succumb to a reactive, remedial model of boys' learning.

It's a challenge. The new school will be set up precisely because those within its catchment aren't thriving in their current schools. By contrast, my school (Toronto's Upper Canada College) and others like it have entrants who possess academic strength to thrive in competitive environments and parents who have the means, or receive tuition assistance, to support them in realizing their potential.

Despite contrasting entrance credentials, this school can succeed for the same reasons others have. Boys' schools must articulate key values from the outset. Our challenge is to build character, to teach boys to explore modern notions of masculinity. We want boys to know it's okay to ask for help, to care and nurture. Most importantly, as teachers we demonstrate these traits so graduates can serve, unabashedly, as parents and community leaders who make a difference.

Boys' schools are uniquely situated to do just that. Consider a report for the Good Man Project, a collaboration of New Zealand boys' schools: “By their very existence, boys' schools encourage building a sense of pride in being male. In a world where much media focus is on the more negative aspects of young men, the ability of boys' schools to provide an alternative view cannot be underestimated.”

Boys' schools aren't simply about serving up a healthy dose of customized learning. They're places where boys aren't afraid to take risks, where it's okay to join the meditation group or the debating club, to cheer for underdogs and stand up to bullies.

It's not all warm and cuddly. Look at a typical pack of Grade 4 boys, tumbling about like puppies. Boys are, by nature, rougher and tougher, more physically competitive. Those who work at boys' schools need a deep understanding and comfort with that reality, while not falling for the simplicity of the old “boys will be boys” mentality.

It is a double-edged sword, so a final caution: Our students are apt to call themselves a “band of brothers,” while forming lifelong friendships. But it's an artificial tree house with no girls allowed. So we need to intentionally build in co-ed opportunities, especially in arts and service programs. You can't have it all. Our graduates often confess they hustle to get up to speed about deciphering the intricacies of female social cues once they hit universities or the workplace.

As an all-boys pioneer, this new school is encouraged to draw on the experience of UCC and other fine boys' schools, and of the International Boys' Schools Coalition.

Ultimately, all such schools are in the character-building business. But we only get there by refusing the remedial “reform school” model – that's no place for a boy to grow. Even Hemingway wouldn't stand for that.

Jim Power is principal of Upper Canada College.

Team Focus Makes an Investment in Youth

For Boys Who Lack a Father's Guidance, Camp Offers an Opportunity to Learn and Grow

[Washington Post, Tuesday, July 21, 2009]

By Yamiche Alcindor

Five years ago, a brain aneurysm took the life of Cottrell and Cordell Wise's father. Their mother, Kelly Wise, tried to fill the void, but Cottrell's grades fell and Cordell became increasingly attached to his mom.

A year later, Kelly Wise discovered Team Focus, a year-round program and four-day summer camp that changed her boys' lives. A national program that began in 2000 with one camp in Alabama, Team Focus connects more than 1,500 young men who lack father figures to male role models.

"Team Focus has done everything for me," Cottrell said during the Team Focus DC Camp, which kicked off Sunday. He has learned how to knot a tie, how to talk to girls and how to study, he said. "It taught me everything my father couldn't do, and it helped me be a better big brother."
This summer, camps held in 14 cities meshed sports with leadership training and connected young boys with volunteers who keep in touch throughout the year. The program is designed to allow the boys to develop relationships with several men in the hopes of creating a network of role models.

The D.C. camp, which began in 2005, will run through Wednesday. The District chapter serves more than 100 young men year-round.

"This is an investment on the future of this country," said Keith Howard, director of Team Focus DC. "If I can be that substitute dad, and walk with a young man and give him the authority and the affection that a young man craves, then I am making an investment."

The program was founded by ESPN college football analyst and University of Pittsburgh coach Mike Gottfried. He launched the camps with proceeds from the 2000 GMAC Bowl, a college football game held in Mobile, Ala. Gottfried, whose father died when he was 11, wanted to create a program that combined Christian values and sports for boys growing up like he did.

Team Focus and the individual camps are funded by several sources, including personal donations, government grants and corporate sponsorships.

At the District camp, boys spend half their day playing games such as basketball and softball. The other half of the day, speakers cover topics ranging from the emotional consequences of not having a father to lessons on manners, note-taking and personal grooming. A chaplain is also on site to lead Bible study and prayer.

At times, the camp feels like a boot camp. Highly energized staff members spelled out the rules Sunday to the more than 50 campers: Shirts must be tucked in. Heads should always be up and turned toward lecturers. Taking notes is a must. No oversleeping or staying up too late. And no cellphones or other electronic devices to connect with the world outside Team Focus. If a camper breaks the rules, he is asked to leave and is seldom readmitted the next year.

After her husband, Reginald, died, Kelly Wise, who lives in Charles County, said she was confused about how to nurture her boys. "Their father was instrumental in their lives. When he died, I didn't know what to do," she said.

For her, the camp has meant a chance for her boys to learn things she cannot teach them. This year marks 14-year-old Cottrell's fourth year with the camp and 12-year-old Cordell's second year. Howard, who has taken Wise's sons under his wing, calls several times a year to check on the boys.

Wise said the change in her sons is clear. Once a struggling student, Cottrell has landed on the honor roll. Cordell, who at first refused to be away from his mother, now looks forward to sharing time with others.

Adam Mason, 19, a camp volunteer and mentor, came to Team Focus DC as a 13-year-old looking for guidance. "I came out a lot better person then I came in," he said. "This is like a crash course on life." After his first year, he stopped defying his mother's rules and began reading his Bible frequently. Eventually, he made the decision to attend Liberty University, a private Christian school where he will begin his sophomore year in the fall. He credits his decision to attend the university and the success he has achieved as a student to his relationship with Howard.

Beyond the camps, staff members and volunteers take the thousands of Team Focus members across the country to sporting events, give them advice and make themselves available in much the same way a father would.

Kelly Wise hopes her sons will one day give back to the program that has given them so much.
"My vision is that as they get older, they will work in the camp and help other boys that are in their situation," she said.