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SCHOOL BOARD TO CONSIDER SCHOOL FOR GIRLS MIAMI – Girls in Miami-Dade County may soon have a school of their own, according to a proposal that will go before the School Board at its Oct. 19th meeting. The planned Young Women’s Leadership Academy will serve approximately 500 students beginning in the fall of 2006. The school will open with grades 6-10 and add a grade each subsequent year until grades 6-12 are served. Research has indicated that girls who attend single-gender schools tend to develop more self-confidence and are more likely to exhibit leadership qualities and pursue advanced degrees. Other research demonstrates that poor and disadvantaged students are especially likely to benefit from single-gender education due to a sharp focus on academics, lack of distraction from the opposite sex, and an instructional environment tailored to meet specific developmental needs. Students in the Young Women’s Leadership Academy’s small learning community will benefit from a more personalized environment structured to meet their individual needs. The school’s rigorous curriculum and teaching methods will be tailored to reflect the research on human development and gender differences in learning. Additionally, the 6-12 grade configuration will help ease the often difficult transition from middle school to senior high and will allow educators to continuously build on the instruction and educational experiences. The Young Women’s Leadership Academy exemplifies the ambitious reform of the District’s secondary schools being spearheaded by Superintendent of Schools Rudolph F. “Rudy” Crew. The reform seeks to raise the rigor of the curriculum in secondary schools and to allow students to apply their learning to career interests by providing them with individualized attention and applied learning opportunities. The District currently is seeking a location within the City of Miami to house the Academy. The planned 40,000 square-foot facility will be designed to reflect the unique educational environment, with particular attention given to space utilization and furnishings that meet the needs of the school’s single-gender population. The school’s projected $5 million cost will be funded through money that had been set aside for site acquisition in the District’s approved Five-Year Capital Plan, but is no longer needed. The school’s model can be replicated and used in other communities in the District. Schools exclusively for boys are also anticipated. # # # 05-LJG/079/JJS |
