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Certified Trainer Rosemarie Engman and her class at Sacred Heart School in Bellevue, Washington  are making video clips of Gurian strategies they use in their classrooms and buildings. They created instructional clips for “Walk and Talk” and “Hallway Work” last year..  Now she and her colleagues have created a “Brain Breaks” strategy clip.  We hope you’ll check the clips out here.

– Christie Henry, President, University of Chicago Laboratory Schools Parent Association

“We greatly enjoyed the insight and observations Michael Gurian shared with us about raising, relating to, inspiring, and educating boys and girls. His dynamic talk left us with much to discuss — just what a speaker ought to inspire!”

 

From Michael Gurian:

 

We at the Gurian Institute believe our success in helping systems and communities to improve their child development and educational outcomes is a result of our foundational work in the applied science of sex- and gender di-morphism.  We connect brain science to evidence-based and proven practical strategies for classrooms, homes, counseling offices, workplaces, and public policy.

Male/female brain differences begin in the womb and continue throughout life, as the articles/studies below show.  Please see one thousand similar articles and studies on www.michaelgurian.com (Research).

The brain and gender differences are robust throughout all cultures and on all continents because they come into human beings via the X and Y chromosomes.

Our human systems succeed or fail in large part based on how the systems utilize applied science to help boys and girls across the spectrum to learn, live, grow, and thrive.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1878929318301245

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2040300/

https://www.nature.com/articles/nature10523

She, He, X, They | Psychology Today https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-minds-boys-and-girls/201803/she-he-x-they, Gurian

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/sax-sex/201903/new-study-blows-old-ideas-about-girls-and-boys?eml

Elementary Schools

Avoca School District, Wilmette, Illinois

Dr. Joseph M. Porto is the superintendent of Avoca School District 37, he writes, “Michael Gurian conducted a keynote presentation in my district last August that really motivated my staff. Then, in January, two Gurian Institute trainers came to Avoca and conducted an in-depth workshop for all my teachers. This workshop gave my staff specific strategies so they could actually implement many of the ideas ignited in the keynote address. The keynote address and the specific training triggered great discussions and sharing of ideas amongst the staff throughout the entire school year. We really focused on strategies for boys, especially in the area of reading.”

“Our test results at the end of the year were quite significant. We use the standardized testing system called MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) by the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA). MAP achievement levels are shared in the form of RIT scores. You can give MAP test multiple times throughout the year, so we were able to do a fall pre-test and a spring post-test.”

“In the pretest, prior to Gurian awareness and training, the gender gap in reading between girls and boys in grades 3rd-8th averaged 2.35 RIT points per grade level (i.e. 7th grade girls average reading RIT is 230.0 while the boys is 227.65). However, in the spring post test after the Gurian keynote and training, the gender gap average between boys and girls dropped to an average of 0.92 RIT points per grade. In other words, the gender gap between boys and girls in reading was reduced by 1.43 RIT points- a remarkable percentage reduction.”

“We have a very talented and dedicated staff, and they deserve the bulk of the credit for this wonderful success story. They took your work, and weaved it into their already-successful teaching strategies to make significant improvements in boy literacy. Your message and “spark” in August, followed by the specific training the staff received in January, formed a powerful “one-two” punch. You helped us increase our awareness, generate a professional dialogue and launch an important improvement effect. I thought you might like hearing a wonderful success story. Thanks again.”

Douglass Elementary School, Boulder, Colorado

Kelley King, Principal of Douglass Elementary at the time, reported in October, 2005:
“In August 2004, the faculty of Douglass Elementary studied our achievement data and noted a gap in achievement between boys and girls in writing. The faculty decided to establish a school improvement goal to close the gap through the implementation of instructional strategies shown to be effective in accommodating the brain differences of boys.”

“The teachers and principal studied the research in Michael Gurian’s book Boys and Girls Learn Differently® and the ASCD article, With Boys and Girls in Mind (Educational Leadership, by Michael Gurian and Kathy Stevens, November 2004).

“After one year of implementation of boy-friendly strategies, we saw amazing results in our writing achievement scores – especially for boys, but also for all sub-groups of students. Our special education students are 4 to 1 boys. The results with those students were truly amazing.”

“Our results for the 2004 – 2005 school year are reported in weighted index scores. Weighted index score gains indicate the amount of growth in one year’s time, from 3rd to 4th and 4th to 5th.”

Humboldt Elementary School, St. Joseph, Missouri

In February of 2005, Dr. Colgan shared the influence of Gurian Institute Training on teachers, staff, and students in the St. Joseph School District. Dr. Colgan wrote:“Since your extensive training sessions here, our district has made great improvement in Missouri’s statewide assessment test. We are particularly excited about our progress in closing the gap that existed between male and female students.”

“One of our schools, Humboldt Elementary, has had exceptional results in the area of literacy. When the Gurian Institute’s work in our district began, 56% of the students were reading at or above grade level as per the state test. Today (2004), 90% of our students are at that level. Furthermore, in 1999, Humboldt’s girls were outperforming boys as indicated on the statewide achievement test: 21% of girls were scoring in the top levels of this test, while only 11% of the males were in the upper levels. Today, this gap has closed.”

Dr. Colgan continued, “We believe the reason for our district’s dramatic improvement is two-fold: improvements in teacher/student relations (especially in teachers’ abilities to understand and teach to those boys who might first appear to be difficult) and best instructional practices in the classroom (practical methodologies that make instruction work).”

Villa Duchesne and Oak Hill School, St. Louis, MO

Villa Duchesne and Oak Hill School is an independent, Catholic school in the Sacred Heart tradition for boys and girls age 3-grade 6 and young women grades 7-12. As a member of the Network of Sacred Heart Schools, we are linked with 147 schools in 30 countries. High school students may study at a sister school in Asia, Australia, Europe or South America with exchanges across North America available for middle school students. You will find our elementary school students playing the music of Japan, exploring the geography of Zimbabwe or studying the language of France.

By integrating technology with the curriculum, we invite students to video conference with schools in Taiwan, take virtual field trips to Colonial America and email student “pen pals” in Israel. The international scope of Sacred Heart education fosters the global awareness vital for student success in the 21st century. These opportunities for exchange are stepping stones to developing cultural collaboration; language acquisition; and a broad, critical vision of the global marketplace. Education at Villa Duchesne and Oak Hill School is never really complete, as it inspires students to explore the world long after their graduation.

As a school of excellence for both boys and girls, the faculty and staff have been interested in a variety of learning opportunities about gender-based educational approaches.  Through professional reading and research, Oak Hill discovered that the insights of the Gurian Institute would be a good fit as we sought to deepen our professional development program for our teachers, staff, and parents on the gender-specific needs of boys and girls. Trusting the Gurian research and methodology, we asked Michael Gurian to come to our school.  After his visit, the teachers and staff elected to implement additional training from Gurian Institute and the Gurian Model School program.

I highly recommend this training and programming to other schools.  It is designed to encourage both boys and girls in their learning and achievement.  It provides tools for girls’ development and STEM success, as well as an understanding of the social pressures girls face and the, sometimes, tense social interactions.  The training also explores the spectrum of boys’ behavior in the classroom and assists with understanding as well as promoting boys’ academic motivation all while encouraging positive social emotional development.  It also an opportunity for collaboration and partnership between teachers and parents to understand the needs of children from within the very powerful gender lens.

Since we began this program a year ago, Oak Hill School has seen positive improvements in academic achievement and school culture, and with increased teacher effectiveness and student engagement.  We believe that being designated a “Gurian Model School” will help us maintain our competitive edge in the St. Louis marketplace as an independent, Catholic school.  Our work with the Gurian Institute has helped us adapt our already powerful teaching model to provide excellence in our academic program-for both girls and boys.

   –Dr. Peter M. Schroeder, Oak Hill Principal, 2019.  Please visit:  www.vdoh.org.

Buffalo Trail Elementary School, Cherry Creek, Colorado

The following results were reported by Suzanne Johnston, Director of Special Education, Cherry Creek School District, following Boys and Girls Learn Differently Training and Interventions.

“Your training and strategies have had a profound effect.  We instituted policies for recess as a must for kids.   Kids were not kept in for “no homework turned in.”  Instead I kept them after school until it was completed…very few were repeats.

Our ADHD kiddos had great success…we had them sit on therapeutic balls or one-legged stools and if it was independent work time, they could work on the floor.

Everyone was excited with the progress students were making.  We did ability grouping as well…that way we could focus on a few levels and support staff could push in to assist.  We did vertical teaming as well, so all teachers knew the direction our students were headed….it was so helpful.

Boy’s writing soared.  Kids also had other venues to share their writings, such as assemblies and special programs.
We also offered Moms and Girls night as well as Dads and Boys night.  It was a wonderful atmosphere.  Parents said how their kids finally like school and couldn’t wait to come…especially the boys.”

Secondary Schools

Burlingame Intermediate School, Burlingame, CA

Our work with the Gurian Institute has been instrumental between in improving our instructional strategies.  Due to Mr. Gurian’s research and the Gurian Institute training programs provided in 2018 – 2019, we now have a better understanding of how both boys and girls learn best, and we use this training as a focus when reviewing and redesigning our practices and policies.  Simple shifts have increased engagement and helped all students to learn at high levels.  We look forward to continuing this work with the Gurian Institute over the next many years.

Here are a few testimonials from our staff:

“I have been using the Gurian strategies when setting up my room for different activities: Stations for review with a horseshoe format and an area on the outside to do roller derby walking discussions, pushing desks to the front of the room to use the back of the room for kinesthetic simulations where students need to find a partner standing across from them, gallery walks, floor space to work on group projects.”

“In my class the students use the think dots to engage with annotated evidence cards and a populations and resources sim. For tests I am going to try doing the Okay, Go! strategy beforehand.  I have used the Gurian Gotchya! activity before a test and it seemed to lower student stress.”

“In class I have noticed more engagement in activities among the boys after using these strategies–less of them off task or needing to be redirected to complete their assignments. They are excited to participate and in return share their ideas more willingly.”

“In math, we used the Gurian rotation-style review, where learners had 3 minutes at each station to try some problems reviewing material from the trimester, then moved on to a new topic to review.   I notice very high engagement with all learners today, and after I told them it was their second to last station, one boy said, ‘Why only one more station? Do we not have enough time?’ and one girl said ‘This is way more fun that sitting in our spots!”

“We tried a similar style review in science a few weeks ago that Patricia made and it was similarly awesome and engaging!  Kids were focused the entire block day, were actively using their notes to help them review, and were having focused discussions about the topic.”

“The Gurian strategy that is my students’ favorite is ‘joke time.’ We’ve started setting aside a few minutes for jokes before assessments and I ask the class for jokes before we start our tests. The kids don’t let me forget. The jokes aren’t very good, but the students like the ritual even if they don’t really laugh.  It’s a community-building technique that works well and increases student engagement and success.”

Crespi Carmelite High School

“We have embraced the Gurian Institute and it has enhanced our school in numerous ways. We recently hosted Michael Gurian for a lecture on ‘The Purpose of Boys’…We have had many inquiries stemming from that evening (attended by over 700 people). As the Director of Admissions, Marketing, and Public Relations, I can report that The Gurian Institute team has helped us rise above our competing schools. We have come to the forefront of educating boys in the Los Angeles area.” Robert Kodama, Crespi Carmelite High School, Los Angeles, CA

Mind Edge, Singapore

The Gurian Institute and Boys and Girls Learn Differently Symposium in Singapore was a big success. It was an eye-opener to more than 200 participants in learning about Gender Science and specific strategies to better understand boys / girls and male / female leaders and to bring the best in all of them.Overall, evaluations from participants were positive and encouraging. We can safely – and proudly – state that Mind Edge and Gurian Institute made a lasting impact via the Symposium. I believe a sustainable ripple effect is about to take place in Asia.

I also learned that my interview with the South Korean documentary team was the very first interview in the making of the documentary and that MBC would travel to five other countries to film and conduct more interviews. My segment last Friday exceeded three hours. Mr. Kim, the producer of the documentary was highly impressed with what Mind Edge and Gurian Institute do in Gender Science and with the Symposium. He told me he would like to invite a Gurian Trainer and myself to Korea to do a similar conference.

From Alan Yip, President,

Chattanooga Preparatory School in Chattanooga, TN

 

Chattanooga Preparatory School is an all-boys public charter school that opened its doors to sixty 6th grade students in August 2018. Located in the Highland Park area close to downtown Chattanooga, Chattanooga Prep is positioned to provide a unique and impactful educational opportunity for the young men in our urban communities.

“I believe Chattanooga Preparatory School is one of America’s leading edge schools for boys. In its first year of existence, it has already shown both qualitative and quantitative success. With boys struggling so much in our American schools, Chattanooga Preparatory School is serving not only the boys in its classrooms but the neighborhood and city. I believe this school will become a model for others across the country and thank the Gurian Institute and the National Center for the Development of Boys for their help in our school’s success.”

–Ted Alling, Founder, Chattanooga Preparatory School

In March, 2019, I visited Chattanooga Preparatory School (CPS), accompanied by Troy Kemp, Executive Director of the National Center for the Development of Boys. We observed classrooms, met administrators and teachers, and spent time with the students–the young men–themselves. My work as an educational consultant and thought leader has taken me to more than a thousand schools in thirty years. My visit to CPS was one of the most satisfying in my career.

Open just one year, the school has already reached high standards of quantitative and qualitative achievement. New assessments of student performance in math, for instance, compared to before-attendance, show a 600% increase in ‘mastery’ a year later, and doubled achievement in ‘on track.’ Similarly, literacy scores have shown a 300% improvement. These are significant quantitative gains by any standard.

At CPS, student and staff satisfaction is high, providing a powerful qualitative measurement of success. Teachers are moving around the classroom; staff make themselves available and hold students to high standards; and male learning styles are understood and accommodated.

The boys themselves are challenged, confident, clear in expectations of them, empathic of others, and inculcate lessons and behavior standards well suited to both individual needs and a collective culture. As one student put it during our visit, “I finally belong somewhere–here–and it is a really good feeling.”

The Gurian Institute has designated CPS as a Gurian Institute Model School in April, 2019. We are joined in that enthusiasm by the National Center for the Development of Boys, which is also designating CPS its first National Center for the Development of Boys Model School at the same time. Both of our organizations are committed to supporting CPS as it continues its journey of expansion into new grades and levels.

–Michael Gurian, Executive Director, The Gurian Institute

Breckenridge County Middle School, Harned, Kentucky

In hopes of improving grades, test scores and numbers of discipline referrals, teacher Missy Critchelow and her colleagues, under the supervision of Principal Snodgrass, received training in gender differences and teaching methodologies. They instituted single- gender 8th grade math and science classes in 2003.
Missy reports:

“Before the switch to the new methods, the boys had several Fs and the average was a low C for all of the classes. The girls generally had better grades—only a few Fs–but the overall girl average was high C to low B. All of our special education students were in these classes because we don’t have a resource class for 7th and 8th grade students.”

“After the change, both classes had higher grades. And, by the end of the school year, the boys’ average was within 5 points of the girls’ average. In total, at the end of the year, out of 180 students, I had only 3 boys with the F average and 2 girls. I credit this outstanding improvement to the gender specific classes.”

“Discipline was also a big change. I sent two students to the office all this year, and that is outstanding. With the boys especially, using gender specific methods was helpful for decreasing discipline problems. Boys had to take on leadership qualities.”

O’Dea High School, Seattle, WA

The connection we made with the Gurian Institute has been crucial to this year’s growth. The process of incorporating Gurian Institute strategies into our teaching practices and school vision has strengthened our teacher effectiveness, student performance, and parent buy-in to our school’s mission. The Institute has enhanced our ability to promote what O’Dea has to offer to boys across the Puget Sound area.

The Institute’s programs have also gone further to help us improve our parent outreach, student mentoring, innovative teaching, and faculty collaboration. If you school is looking for innovative professional development and support that can positively affect your mission, outreach and student enrollment, I encourage you to go to The Gurian Institute.” – Frank Lazarek, Assistant Principal, O’Dea High School, Seattle, WA

Carolina Day School, Asheville, North Carolina

The Middle School of Carolina Day School had two days of training for their staff and administration facilitated by the Gurian Institute, including a parent session. After a year of research and study, they implemented single-gender instruction in their core classes (language arts, social studies, math and science) for 6th and 7th grades. In addition, the faculty has used what they learned from their training to make significant changes to enhance their advisory program.

Peggy Daniels, Middle School Principal, reports positive outcomes for both gender populations as well as significantly improved dynamics—less social anxiety.

According to Daniels, “Everyone agrees that this is one of the best things we’ve ever done for our school. Students, parents and teachers are more engaged—learning more, accomplishing more. There is a contagious excitement in the air among faculty that gets passed down to our students.

“Sixth- and seventh-grade girls in single-gender classrooms thrive in an environment that feels more nurturing. They are better risk takers when boys are not in the classroom and teachers can directly address girls’ lack of confidence (typical for the age) in the single-gender environment. Teachers are better able to honor the girls’ need for connection and relationship, without boring the boys.”

“The boys have loved the freedom to relax and learn and also to feel that they are not being compared to girls. They tend to be more supportive of each other and open to discussing what works and what doesn’t work for them. They are using more words as they discuss and as they write. One teacher mentioned that her boys were not into ‘journaling,’ but seemed to have little hesitation when asked to write in their ‘captain’s log.’”

Single Gender Education Programs

Lovett Middle School

In April of 2017, The Lovett Middle School in Atlanta, GA was awarded certification as a Gurian Model School. Their journey began when Debbie Franks joined the faculty in 2004 having previously worked at Montgomery Bell Academy, a boys’ school in Tennessee. When she was appointed Middle School Academic Dean and Dean of Students the next year, she presented the idea of single-gender classes to department heads. In 2006/2007, as the new principal of the Lovett Middle School, Mrs. Franks asked for volunteers to pilot single-gender classes. Teachers of seventh grade English and math volunteered and in the summer of 2007, the pilot teachers attended the Gurian Institute in Colorado.

That same summer the MS faculty read How Boys and Girls Learn Differently by Michael Gurian and Kathy Stevens. In 2008/2009 single-gender teaching expanded into science classes and into grades 6-8, and Kathy Stevens from the Gurian Institute came to discuss strategies with teachers. Summer reading for the MS faculty in 2008/2009 was Boys Adrift by Leonard Sax. In 2009 Michael Gurian visited Lovett and spoke to parents and the Lower School faculty as well as visiting in small groups with middle school teachers.

From 2011-2017 through in-service work and professional development with a variety of consultants from the Gurian Institute, the faculty expanded single gender classes into their four core classes of math, science, English and social studies. While adopting and adapting Gurian strategies, they began other pilots such as teaching only one gender and single gender advisories. They currently have two Gurian trainers on the MS staff and one on the Upper School staff. We are proud that the Lovett Middle School has become known in the community for its emphasis on the study of brain research into how boys and girls learn differently, its work on strengthening executive function skills, and its emphasis on the development of strategies to maximize learning for all students.

Hillsborough County Schools

Hillsborough County Schools in Tampa, Florida has added single gender academies – both for boys and for girls – to their educational landscape and utilized Gurian Institute theory and practice for school success.
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Carla Sparks, Supervisor of Magnet & Choice Programs, shares her Summer Institute experience: “Attending the Summer Institute in 2011, just as we were launching our Boys Preparatory Academy and Girls Preparatory Academy (grades 6-8) in Hillsborough County, had a great impact on my work as a district administrator supervising single gender programs. Having the opportunity to learn the latest research in gender and the implications of that research on classroom instruction and school culture in a single gender setting has been invaluable. The knowledge I gained at the Summer Institute has guided me, school site administrators, and teachers in developing successful single gender programs that are truly changing the lives of students.

The opportunity to become a Gurian Certified Trainer for our district has also been a great benefit of attending the Summer Institute. Two Lead Teachers and I became certified, and we have used the excellent resources of the Gurian Institute to train the teachers in our schools. I am continually amazed at the increased effectiveness of our teachers who are employing their understanding of how the male and female brain learn on a daily basis in their classrooms.”

Central Catholic High School

In response to success with a science-based perspective at Central Catholic High School in San Antonio, Texas, the school and local stakeholders have recently developed the Center for Excellence in Educating Boys and Girls. Our Gurian Institute team has been honored to assist in this effort. School President Paul Garro told Dr. Gurian in 2016:

“At Central Catholic we see gender as an important part of who boys and girls are, and we know from decades of experience that good teaching happens when every part of the child is understood and educated. This new Center helps our own and other educators use good science to reinvent education in ways that fit the needs of the learning child’s brain.

​“Already we have found our association with the Gurian Institute to benefit our students and community. Central Catholic saw an immediate increase in 50 new students as we instituted our four new initiatives. We are remaking and revising the education of boys with science-based success.”

The Young Men’s Leadership Academy

Led by Principal Derrick Brown, the Young Men’s Leadership Academy is helping boys learn well across the curriculum. As a GI Model School, all of the faculty have been trained in brain-friendly instruction and boy-friendly theory and strategies. Each faculty member is innovating in their own way and most of the classrooms have sliding desks on wheels. Mr. Brown told us he was adamant from the beginning that boys and girls do learn differently and he wanted to facilitate a school in which faculty and parents nurtured each boy to high character, strong leadership, emotional empathy, and success in academic achievement. YMLA is a grade 4 – 8 school.

The Academy has received a great deal of positive press for its accomplishments. Some of its success has been immediately measurable, as these graphs show.”

read more – http://projects.expressnews.com/all-boys-school-ymla-young-mens-leadership-academy-school

McCallie School for Boys

McCallie School in Chattanooga, Tennessee has educated boys for more than 100 years. At McCallie, the National Center for the Development of Boys has launched with the goal of helping others in the U.S. and internationally to understand and practice what works best with boys. Dr. Gurian and the Gurian team are honored to be working as consultants with Troy Kemp, Executive Director of the Center, and the Board to help facilitate this kind of grassroots educational reform.

One Board member, Kenny Sholl, also the assistant headmaster of the McCallie, shared with Dr. Gurian the evolution of McCallie’s science-based programming. “We looked carefully at our approach to boys in the late 1990s after reading your book, The Wonder of Boys. As educators of boys we felt we already knew a lot about how to do this very well and we did, but adding the science to our understanding has been very powerful. It helped us understand what really makes boys tick.”

Understanding everything from how to help boys achieve to best practices for empathy-development in young males, McCallie makes sure to tap into baseline innovations and tools for male success. At McCallie, Kenny said, “This means making sure to help boys compete together in service.” “This kind of approach is often lost in education today,” Kenny said, “because educators are generally not taught how to integrate competition into curricula. But a lot of boys need that kind of attachment and bonding in order to learn successfully.”

Army and Navy Academy

Since its inception in 1910, the Army and Navy Academy’s curriculum has combined rigorous college-preparatory classes with a leadership training program. As the only military boarding school for boys on the West Coast, the Academy in Carlsbad, California ensures that the Cadet experience focuses on responsibility, citizenship, and character development.

Army and Navy Academy educates tomorrow’s leaders through small class sizes for young men in grades 7-12. The Academy is pleased to be named a Gurian Institute Model School, in recognition of its commitment to single-gender education and use of teaching techniques developed specifically for how boys learn best. The Academy is proud to be the only military school and only one of ten nationwide to receive this designation.

Sacred Heart School

“When Sacred Heart School started their journey into Single Gender Education in a co-educational building, we needed a foundational resource that would apply to both an all Girls class and an all Boys class. Dr. Gurian’s book “Successful Single-Sex Classes” was the perfect place for us to start. Once we learned about brain research in relation to how boys and girls learn differently, we really started to see a change in pedagogy with our teachers. They just could not unknow what they learned and treated their students in the same manner.

We invited Michael to come and help us grow in our knowledge and skills in year 3 of the program. He was so open to creating the most appropriate workshop to meet our teachers needs that we felt like he was more a member of the staff by the time the session was done. He toured each classroom and spent time with each individual teacher, offering suggestions and providing great positive support to them. The teachers felt very comfortable talking with Dr. Gurian about any and all Single Gender issues they were experiencing. After the individual sessions, Dr. Gurian came and spoke to questions that we, as a staff, had created and sent to him earlier. The discussions that followed were very valuable and the teachers wished we could have spent more time with him.

Dr. Gurian then presented to a group of teachers, administrators, parents, trustees and senior administrators. His presentation “How Boys and Girls Learn Differently’ was highly engaging, very entertaining and incredibly informative. He was able to get members of our school community, at all levels, to see something new in their students, their child and even their spouse. The response to his presentation was very positive and the group would have listened to him for many more hours.

Dr. Gurian, his books and his personal relationship with us, has helped us create an unique school environment by providing us with factual information that we could rely on and visiting us in person to provide critical, positive feedback on what was happening at our school. We hope this relationship will continue into the future.”

Leanne Timko, Principal
Sacred Heart School (K – 8)
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
January, 2013

By 2007, more than 99% of public schools were co-ed.  However, with more opportunity to legally offer single-gender classes and schools, more public schools are exploring the option of piloting single-gender choices, especially when they face gender-gap issues in areas that affect performance for individual children, schools, and districts.

Current research indicates that for some children, single-gender classes and schools can be a very positive option.  Research also shows that teachers, administrators, and parents must be trained and supported to support a strategic implementation of the curriculum.  Most often the curriculum doesn’t change – it is for the teachers to learn, develop, and implement effective, gender-friendly strategies so that performance is improved, disciplinary referrals decrease, and more students become engaged and excited about learning!

How can single-gender schooling help boys?

  • By creating a “boy-friendly” environment
  • By allowing teachers to focus on delivering curriculum with boy-friendly strategies, including literacy
  • By creating a “safe” place for boys to ask questions they are reluctant to ask in a co-ed environment
  • By giving boys a peer environment that allows them to support each other’s efforts
  • By making school a place boys see as engaging, challenging and even fun
  • By removing the distraction of girls when puberty sends the hormones into overdrive
  • By breaking down gender stereotypes

How can single-gender schools help girls?

  • By creating a “girl-friendly” environment
  • By allowing girls to explore non-traditional areas more fully (computer science, advanced math and science)
  • By allowing teachers to focus on delivering curriculum with girl-friendly strategies
  • By creating a “safe” place for girls to ask questions they are reluctant to ask in a coed environment
  • By giving girls the opportunity to develop leadership skills that are often untapped in coed situations
  • By removing the distraction of boys when puberty sends the hormones into overdrive
  • By breaking down gender stereotypes

Faith-Based Programs

The Gurian Institute works closely with faith-communities and faith-based schools. We provide training, intervention, sustainability programs, trainer certification, and rites of passage programs. A partial list of collaborators and contacts appears below. Please reach out to us for help tailoring a training program for your school, church, synagogue or other faith-based community.

 

 

GI PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
in Faith-based Schools:

 

ALABAMA:
Mobile Archdiocese Schools, Mobile
Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School, Montgomery

CALIFORNIA:
American Jewish University, Brandeis
Jesuit High School, Carmichael
Crespi Carmelite High School, [Gurian Model School], Encino
Sacred Heart Parish School, Hollister
Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, Los Angeles
Temple Menorah, Redondo Beach
Jesuit High School, Sacramento
La Reina High School, Thousand Oaks
St. Paschal Baylon Elementary School, Thousand Oaks

DISTRICT of COLUMBIA:
National Presbyterian School, Washington, DC

FLORIDA:
Christ Church School, Fort Lauderdale
Beaches Episcopal School, Jacksonville Beach
Grace Episcopal Day School, Orange Park
Christ Church Preschool, Ponte Vedra Beach
Holy Comforter Episcopal Day School, Tallahassee

HAWAII:
Saint Louis School, Honolulu

ILLINOIS:
Maria High School, Chicago
St. Scholastica Academy, Chicago

LOUISIANA:
St. Luke’s Episcopal Day School, Baton Rouge
St. Cecilia School, Broussard
St. Martin’s Episcopal School, Metairie
Rayne Catholic Elementary, Rayne

MISSOURI:
St. Dominichs Dardenne, Dardenne Prairie
Notre Dame de Sion School, Kansas City
The Children’s Mercy Hospital, Kansas City
St. John Vianney High School, St. Louis

NEW JERSEY:
Saint Peter’s Prep, Jersey City

NEW YORK:
Chapel School, Bronxville
Edmund Rice Christian Brothers North America, New Rochelle
Bishop Kearney High School, Rochester

OHIO:
Diocese of Toledo, Toledo
St. John’s Jesuit High School and Academy, Toledo

PENNSYLVANIA:
Bryn Athyn Church School, Bryn Athyn
The Academy of the New Church Secondary Schools [Gurian Model School], Bryn Athyn

TEXAS:
Southwestern Association of Episcopal Schools, Canyon
St. Clement’s Episcopal School, El Paso
Central Catholic High School, [Gurian Model School], San Antonio

WASHINGTON:
St. Francis of Assisi School, Burien
Holy Family Catholic School, Clarkston
Holy Rosary School, Edmonds
Immaculate Conception & Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Everett
King’s Schools, Seattle
O’Dea High School, [Gurian Model School], Seattle
Diocese of Spokane, Spokane

AUSTRALIA:
All Saints’ College [Gurian Model School]

CANADA:
Calvin Christian School, Coalhurst, Alberta
Faculty of Education, McGill University, Montreal
St. Norbert Elementary School, Toronto
Notre Dame Regional Secondary School, Vancouver

FAITH-BASED RESOURCES

Raising Boys by Design
by Dr. Gregory Jantz and Dr. Gurian

Dr. Gurian and Rev. Tim Wright of Tim Wright Ministries have collaborated on several projects.

The Wonder of Girls Video
Dr. Gurian was recently interviewed by Rev. Tim Wright about Protecting the Emotional Life of Girls:

Click on the image to order The Wonder of Girls:

The Wonder of Girls provides crucial information for fully understanding the basic nature of girls including scientific research on female biology, hormones, and brain development and how they shape girls’ interests, behavior, and relationships.

Sacred Heart School

“When Sacred Heart School started their journey into Single Gender Education in a co-educational building, we needed a foundational resource that would apply to both an all Girls class and an all Boys class. Dr. Gurian’s book “Successful Single-Sex Classes” was the perfect place for us to start. Once we learned about brain research in relation to how boys and girls learn differently, we really started to see a change in pedagogy with our teachers. They just could not unknow what they learned and treated their students in the same manner.

We invited Michael to come and help us grow in our knowledge and skills in year 3 of the program. He was so open to creating the most appropriate workshop to meet our teachers needs that we felt like he was more a member of the staff by the time the session was done. He toured each classroom and spent time with each individual teacher, offering suggestions and providing great positive support to them. The teachers felt very comfortable talking with Dr. Gurian about any and all Single Gender issues they were experiencing. After the individual sessions, Dr. Gurian came and spoke to questions that we, as a staff, had created and sent to him earlier. The discussions that followed were very valuable and the teachers wished we could have spent more time with him.

Dr. Gurian then presented to a group of teachers, administrators, parents, trustees and senior administrators. His presentation “How Boys and Girls Learn Differently’ was highly engaging, very entertaining and incredibly informative. He was able to get members of our school community, at all levels, to see something new in their students, their child and even their spouse. The response to his presentation was very positive and the group would have listened to him for many more hours.

Dr. Gurian, his books and his personal relationship with us, has helped us create an unique school environment by providing us with factual information that we could rely on and visiting us in person to provide critical, positive feedback on what was happening at our school. We hope this relationship will continue into the future.”

Leanne Timko, Principal
Sacred Heart School (K – 8)
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
January, 2013

Helping Children of Color

More Than 60,000 Trained

More than 60,000 teachers have been trained in the Institute’s programs and interventions from thousands of schools across the world with some schools becoming “GI Model Schools.” We provide the critical training missing from most post-secondary education related to how boys and girls learn. We have also reached more than one million parents with practical training for raising and educating boys and girls in the digital age.

The evolving and significant needs of children of color constitute a primary focus for our programs.  During the 2023-2024 school year, Dr. Glynetta Fletcher (Fletch), our Program Director, will direct our equity and diversity professional development, curriculum audits, and other requested work, including:

  • Equity Classrooms and Schools with the Brain in Mind
  • Culturally Responsive Pedagogy and Curriculum
  • Creating Trauma-Informed classrooms and Schools
  • Learning and Using De-escalation Strategies Effectively
  • Contact us at info@gurianinstitute.com to bring Dr. Fletcher and our team to your school or conference.

The Gurian Institute has trained faculty and staff in these School Districts:

• Prince George’s County Schools – Upper Marlboro, MD
• St. Mary’s County Schools – Leonardtown, MD
• Broward County Schools – Ft. Lauderdale, FL
• Hillsboro County Schools – Tampa, FL
• Greensboro County Schools– Alamance, NC
• Sumter County Schools – Sumter, SC
• Atlanta Public Schools – Atlanta, GA
• Anchorage School District – Anchorage, AK
• Fayette County Schools – Lexington, KY
• South Bend Public Schools – South Bend, IN
• Pueblo City Schools – Pueblo, CO
• Denver Public Schools – Denver, CO
• Navasota ISD – Navasota, TX
• Philadelphia Public Schools – Philadelphia, PA
• St. Andrews/Mind Edge – Singapore, Singapore

Primary Focus and Practical Strategies:

*nature, nurture, and culture—influences from all areas in the lives of boys of color
*brain-based analysis (more than 1,000 studies show male/female brain difference)
*integrated insights from the fields of psychology, cultural anthropology, and sociology
*developmental targets—early childhood (Birth-8 yrs); elementary; middle school; high school
*equal necessity for emotional development and character development
*classroom management issues addressed “through a gender lens”
*targeted improvement in literacy success for boys, especially by 3rd grade
*increased use of movement, student-focused motivational techniques, visual-spatial-graphic techniques
*integrated with team teaching and professional learning communities
*systemic implementation based on ongoing and embedded professional development, observation and reflection, accountability

Grant Support

Grants you are writing:

+We have language to support what you need for your applications.

Looking for Grants:

+We look for and can write grants to help you support the professional development and implementation strategies you need to provide a quality single-sex program.

 

GI Model Schools​

• Franklin Middle Magnet – Boys Preparatory Academy, Tampa, FL
• Farrell Middle Magnet – Girls Preparatory Academy, Tampa, FL
• Southwest Leadership Academy Charter School, Philadelphia, PA

Success data and testimonials show the following results:

*improved grades
*improved test scores
*lowered discipline referrals
*improved student behavior and character development
*improved social-emotional development in boys
*increased teacher effectiveness and satisfaction across the curriculum
*improved counseling skills with boys

Contact the Gurian Institute at info@gurianinstitute.com for information on how a professional development plan can be designed to meet the needs of your organization and the families you serve.

Success - GURIAN INSTITUTE