Schools Are Not Working for Some Boys
A growing body of research shows that boys begin to underperform girls across many academic and behavioral measures starting around early adolescence (≈ age 10). These patterns often persist into adulthood.
We believe school environments are a major contributing factor. Many classrooms are not designed to meet the developmental needs of a large subset of boys — particularly during the middle school years.
The "Girls in STEM" Effect — Applied to Boys
As a society, we correctly focus on creating environments where girls can thrive, especially in historically male-dominated fields like STEM.
But there is a parallel issue that often goes unaddressed:
- In most K–8 schools, 80% or more of teachers are female (vs 50% in boys schools)
- Combined with co-ed dynamics, this can create learning environments that do not fully engage or motivate some boys
As children enter adolescence, both boys and girls benefit from environments that align with their intrinsic motivations. For some students, that environment is best provided by a single-sex school.
"Boys' schools embrace the intellectual, physical, social, and emotional lives of boys and appreciate the intensity and complexity of boyhood." — International Boys' School Coalition
How We Teach Boys
In a boys-only setting, we can teach in ways that focus on what motivates boys. Some examples:
Friendly Competition
We create multi-week projects with rotating teams that compete in friendly challenges. The teams change for different projects, so every boy experiences different collaborators and roles.
Boys thrive on competition—it energizes them and makes learning more engaging. By channeling this natural drive into structured team challenges, we turn competitive instincts into collaborative achievement.
Earned Grit Badges
We award "grit" badges for achieving goals in areas where a student struggles—not for being naturally talented, but for pushing through difficulty.
- A boy who dislikes public speaking earns a badge for presenting to the class
- A boy who struggles at basketball sets a goal to practice 10 minutes daily—and follows through
- Memorizing and reciting a poem or speech in front of peers
Grit badges celebrate effort and growth, not just aptitude. They teach boys that discomfort is the path to improvement, and that persistence is worthy of recognition.
Responsibility and Mentorship
We give students real responsibility for enforcing standards and mentoring younger boys. This draws from both traditional models (prefects and monitors) and modern approaches like Acton Academy's self-governance.
- Lead clubs of their interest (chess, D&D, workshop)
- An athletic older student helps maintain good behavior on the playground
- Older students mentor younger ones in areas of academic strength
Boys rise to meet expectations when given genuine responsibility. We want to do social emotional learning by doing and example.
Ritual and Ceremony
We create meaningful rituals around awards, achievements, and milestones. Badges, caps, and honors are presented with ceremony.
Boys respect honor and achievement. When accomplishments are recognized formally, students raise their standards to earn that recognition. Ceremony creates shared memories and reinforces the value of hard work.
All of these methods rest on a strong sense of shared identity: "We're all in it together."
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