Why Boys Fail: Saving Our Sons from an Educational System Thats Leaving Them Beh

Description: Why Boys Fail: Saving Our Sons from an Educational System Thats Leaving Them Behind by Richard Whitmire The signs and statistics are undeniable: boys are falling behind in school. This book takes a hard look at how this problem came to be, how it has worsened, and why attempts to resolve it have also failed. But it also highlights schools that are bucking the trend, and it calls on educators and parents to both demand solutions and help create them. FORMAT Paperback LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Publisher Description Selected as one of the Top 5 Educational Books by Literacy News The signs and statistics are undeniable: boys are falling behind in school. Contrary to conventional wisdom, the biggest culprits are not video games, pop culture, or female-dominated schools biased toward girls. The real problem is that boys have been thrust into a bewildering new school environment that demands high-level reading and writing skills long before they are capable of handling them. Lacking the ability to compete, boys fall farther and farther behind. Eventually, the problem gets pushed into college, where close to 60% of the graduates are women. In a time when even cops, construction foremen, and machine operators need post-high school degrees, thats a problem. Why Boys Fail takes a hard look at how this ominous reality came to be, how it has worsened in recent years, and why attempts to resolve it often devolve into finger-pointing and polarizing politics. But the book also shares some good news. Amidst the alarming proof of failure among boys—around the world—there are also inspiring case studies of schools where something is going right. Each has come up with realistic ways to make sure that every student—male and female—has the tools to succeed in school and later in life. Educators and parents alike will take heart in these promising developments, and heed the books call to action—not only to demand solutions but also to help create them for their own students and children. Back Cover "A brilliant new book....I dont know of a clearer or more balanced examination of this issue...recommendations at the end of the book are sensible, creative, and overdue." -- Washington Post Fifth graders in special ed, ninth graders retained, high school dropouts, college graduates--however you slice the numbers, they dont look good for boys, who are performing far below girls across the socioeconomic spectrum. Whats driving their academic decline? Richard Whitmire picks apart the prevailing theories as to whats happening and pinpoints the real reason why: Classrooms have grown increasingly verbal, but boys have not. From heightened kindergarten reading expectations to language-dense math problems, many boys lack the reading and writing skills needed to keep pace. Why Boys Fail supplies data, interviews, case studies, and clearheaded analysis to both document this widely misunderstood problem and uncover schools that are getting it right by boosting literacy among the entire student body. This is eye-opening reading for parents and educators alike. Richard Whitmire is a former editorial writer for USA Today and president of the National Educational Writers Association. A highly recognized and respected education reporter, his commentaries have been published in The Wall Street Journal , The Washington Post , The New Republic , and U.S. News & World Report . He is the author of The Bee Eater: Michelle Rhee Takes on the Nations Worst School District. Author Biography RICHARD WHITMIRE is a former editorial writer for USA Today and President of the National Educational Writers Association. A highly recognized and respected education reporter, his commentaries have been published in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The New Republic, U.S. News World Report, Politico, Washington Monthly, Chronicle of Higher Education, and Education Week. He also appeared on National Public Radios Morning Edition to discuss boy troubles. He is the author of The Bee Eater: Michelle Rhee Takes on the Nations Worst School District. Table of Contents CONTENTS Acknowledgments xi Introduction to the Paperback Edition 1 1 Discovering the Problem 13 2 The Reason for the Boy Troubles: Faltering Literacy Skills 27 3 The Likely Causes of the Reading Lapses 39 4 The Writing Failures 63 5 The Blame Game: What Gets Blamed (Unfairly) for the Gender Gaps 79 6 Solutions: What Works for Boys? 107 7 Impediments to a Solution: The Ideological Stalemate 135 8 The International Story: Australians Struggle with the Boy Troubles 151 9 Why These Gender Gaps Matter 163 10 Actions That Need to Be Taken 181 Appendix: The Facts About Boys 211 Notes 217 Index 229 About the Author 239 Review ..". brilliant new book... I dont know of a clearer or more balanced examination of this issue...recommendations at the end of the book are sensible, creative and overdue..." --Washington Post..". excellent overview of the subject, examining how environmental factors, school policies, and parenting approaches can lead to gender gaps in education." --Literacy News..". parent of a son, school reform advocate, elementary school teacher, or, most importantly a school administrator or member of ...school boards...you need to read this book." --Tucson Citzen..".addresses an important, and neglected, problem in our schools. Teachers and administrators should pay close attention to what Whitmire has to say." --Washington Times..".excellent starting point for examining a problem that could have long lasting consequences if its not addressed soon....insightful look into a serious deficit in our educational system..." --Bismarck Tribune..".provocative and useful new book..." --Diverse Issues in Higher Education..".subject matter is compelling...sound advice--recommended for parents, educators, and others advocating for innovation and flexibility in their educational situations." --Library Journal..".thorough, thought-provoking look at the increasing achievement gap between boys and girls...engaging read...offers arguments that could be used by...youth advocates to fund literacy and related programs for boys." --VoyaChosen by The American School Board magazine as one of 2010s Top Education Reads"Armed with data, interviews, case studies, and analysis Richard Whitmire explores why boys fail in school...An eye-opening read for educators and parents." --District Administration magazine"The gender gap will certainly be a difficult problem to overcome...but hopefully this book will help pave the way for a better understanding." --Geekdad blog on wired.com"This is why we need reporters...an unbiased look at what is and isnt working in schools. Plenty of real stories and real journalism." --guysread.comSelected as one of the Top 5 Educational Books by Literacy News. Long Description Selected as one of the Top 5 Educational Books by Literacy News The signs and statistics are undeniable: boys are falling behind in school. Contrary to conventional wisdom, the biggest culprits are not video games, pop culture, or female-dominated schools biased toward girls. The real problem is that boys have been thrust into a bewildering new school environment that demands high-level reading and writing skills long before they are capable of handling them. Lacking the ability to compete, boys fall farther and farther behind. Eventually, the problem gets pushed into college, where close to 60% of the graduates are women. In a time when even cops, construction foremen, and machine operators need post-high school degrees, thats a problem. Why Boys Fail takes a hard look at how this ominous reality came to be, how it has worsened in recent years, and why attempts to resolve it often devolve into finger-pointing and polarizing politics. But the book also shares some good news. Amidst the alarming proof of failure among boys-around the world-there are also inspiring case studies of schools where something is going right. Each has come up with realistic ways to make sure that every student-male and female-has the tools to succeed in school and later in life. Educators and parents alike will take heart in these promising developments, and heed the books call to action-not only to demand solutions but also to help create them for their own students and children. Review Quote "…thorough, thought-provoking look at the increasing achievement gap between boys and girls…engaging read…offers arguments that could be used by…youth advocates to fund literacy and related programs for boys." --Voya Excerpt from Book INTRODUCTION TO THE PAPERBACK EDITION At first glance, it might appear that the boy troubles are on their way to being solved. Much has changed since the original publication of Why Boys Fail nearly two years earlier, and many of those changes appear to be positive. At that time, the suggestion that boys were in trouble and falling behind in school was hotly debated, with many people including national feminist groups denying that boys were in trouble. After the book was published, I debated doubters at the National Press Club, at a panel at the American Enterprise Institute, and on the pages of numerous education journals. Today, those counterarguments have pretty much washed away, partly due to the recession, which has hit men so much harder than women. At one point, nearly 80 percent of the job losses were among men, in part because they held jobs that required less education. It was a ringing re- minder of how much better educated women have become. Reflecting that situation are the obvious gender imbalances on college campuses, with more campuses spilling over the already uncomfortable threshold of 60 percent women. One speech I gave on this topic was at the College of Charleston in South Carolina, where there are twice as many female as male students. The dilemma has become embarrassingly visible, which makes denying the problem a losing argument. In August 2010, the Atlantic ratcheted up the debate with a cover story titled The End of Men, which explored the reasons the world seems to have tilted in favor of women.1 Writer Hanna Rosin pointed out something that may surprise many: These days, parents prefer having girls over boys. Why not go with the winners? The cover story illustrated that the mainstream press no longer considers the boy problems exotic issues to debate. Rather, newspaper reporters and magazine writers have ac- cepted the basic premise and prefer to focus on more targeted issues, such as the controversies surrounding how brains are wired: Do boys and girls really learn differently and therefore need different classroom strategies or even separate classes? (A lot hinges on answering that question correctly.) Theres a sense that solutions to the boy problems are in the works. Many educators worried about boys falling behind are encouraged by the proliferation of single-sex classrooms or schools. As of spring 2011, more than 500 schools across the country offered single-sex education options to parents. The state of South Carolina alone was watching over 127 single-gender programs during the 2010-11 school year that involved around 20,000 students. In many urban areas, where African-American boys have fallen so far behind they risk disappearing, the best and brightest hope appears to be single-sex charter schools. The all-boys high school in Chicago run by Urban Prep Academies draws national press attention for sending 100 percent of its graduates to college. All that sounds encouraging. But in truth, one fundamental fact has not changed: Every day, thousands of parents wake up and ask themselves, Why have our sons lost interest in school? Despite the fresh attention being paid to the problems of boys, many of the key indicators tracking how boys are faring are getting worse, not better. In the late winter of 2010, higher education consultant Tom Mortenson, who is considered the dean of the boy troubles experts, put together a past-five-year tracking indicator targeting males. What he found was a decline--and worse. By these measures the state of adult male welfare is generally worse today than it was five years ago, and in fact is the worst ever in recorded history, which is generally since World War II.2 According to Mortenson: Male labor force participation rates are the worst they have ever been in data since 1948. The employed-population ratio for males is the worst it has been in data since 1948. The male unemployment rate is the highest it has ever been in data since 1948. The average number of weekly hours worked for men is the lowest it has ever been in data back to 1956. Median annual income for men peaked in 1973 and is currently well below the 1973 level. The consequences of these conditions are felt in the family lives of men: The share of men 35 to 44 years and 45 to 54 years that have never been married is at record highs in data dating back to 1977. The share of young men living at home with their parents is high by historical standards, but below past levels. The share of children born to unwed mothers is at recordhigh levels in data dating back to 1940. This finding holds for all racial/ethnic groups. The share of children with a father is near record lows in data dating back to 1960. Description for Bookstore Selected as one of the Top 5 Educational Books by Literacy News The signs and statistics are undeniable: boys are falling behind in school. Contrary to conventional wisdom, the biggest culprits are not video games, pop culture, or female-dominated schools biased toward girls. The real problem is that boys have been thrust into a bewildering new school environment that demands high-level reading and writing skills long before they are capable of handling them. Lacking the ability to compete, boys fall farther and farther behind. Eventually, the problem gets pushed into college, where close to 60% of the graduates are women. In a time when even cops, construction foremen, and machine operators need post-high school degrees, thats a problem. Why Boys Fail takes a hard look at how this ominous reality came to be, how it has worsened in recent years, and why attempts to resolve it often devolve into finger-pointing and polarizing politics. But the book also shares some good news. Amidst the alarming proof of failure among boys-around the world-there are also inspiring case studies of schools where something is going right. Each has come up with realistic ways to make sure that every student-male and female-has the tools to succeed in school and later in life. Educators and parents alike will take heart in these promising developments, and heed the books call to action-not only to demand solutions but also to help create them for their own students and children. Details ISBN0814420176 Year 2011 ISBN-10 0814420176 ISBN-13 9780814420171 Format Paperback Imprint Amacom Place of Publication New York Country of Publication United States Pages 256 Author Richard Whitmire Subtitle Saving Our Sons from an Educational System Thats Leaving Them Behind Media Book Short Title WHY BOYS FAIL Audience Age 18-18 Language English Series Agency/Distributed DEWEY 371.821 Publisher HarperCollins Focus UK Release Date 2011-10-16 Publication Date 2011-10-16 AU Release Date 2011-10-16 NZ Release Date 2011-10-16 US Release Date 2011-10-16 Alternative 9780814420362 Audience Professional & Vocational We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. With fast shipping, low prices, friendly service and well over a million items - you're bound to find what you want, at a price you'll love! TheNile_Item_ID:37139887;

Price: 49.94 AUD

Location: Melbourne

End Time: 2025-01-29T06:11:38.000Z

Shipping Cost: 0 AUD