Dr. Christeen Raeker

1. Dr. Christeen Raeker Principal Carman Trails Elementary Parkway School District

2. Background • Special Education Degree from MU in 1976 • Worked for a State School for the Disabled • Elementary Certificate from Maryville • Worked at Barretts Elementary in the Parkway School District as a TA • Staff Developer for Parkway • Gifted Teacher at Barretts for one year • Administrative Intern at Barretts for two years • Doctorial Degree from Maryville in 1997 • Principal at Carman Trails for the last eight years

3. Gender Learning • “Thirty years ago,” he says, “we did not ask five-year-olds to sit still, be quiet and pay attention for six hours a day. But now we do, and that has not been developmentally appropriate for boys." -----Dr. Leonard Sax

4. Improvement Initiative • Dr. Raeker began a single gender classroom initiative at Carman Trails Elementary School in the Parkway School District. • Began in 2007, started in the first grade • Now in first, second and third grades

5. Specific Roles/Responsibilities • Dr. Raeker was the number one change agent to this process. • Introduction and rationale presented to staff • Research presented and analyzed to show need for this implementation. • Ongoing data collection • Ongoing education for self and staff

6. Rationale • Specific school data, 1994 began looking at learning and discipline data • Found definite difference between boys and girls in the data • Started studying the differences between how boys and girls learn

7. Initiative was very financially friendly. Four out of town workshops in the summer for staff members. Guest speakers were available to work with the staff. Financial Impact

8. Six years ago, the staff looked at their data and discovered that boys were not doing as well in school as girls. Dr. Raeker attended an early intervention workshop/ Dr. Leonard Sax was the guest speaker. The next two years, the staff began to study single gender classrooms and attend workshops. Timeframe for Implementation

9. Timeframe for Implementation • Three years ago in January, parent meetings were held at the school. • 2007/2008 - First grade began with 2 single gender classrooms. • 2008/2009 – First grade continued and Second grade began their single gender classrooms. • 2009/2010 - First, Second and Third grade classrooms.

10. Timeframe for Implementation • This school year, they will review the data and determine if they will add Grade four. • The first year the first graders were assigned to the single gender classrooms, the parents were informed that they would stay in this classroom for two years. • The children were looped together to the next grade, the teachers changed.

11. Specifics for Implementation • Made sure that all four classes were balanced class. (IEP, race, ESOL, reading) • Parent Education began with parent meetings to discuss rationale and process, three large ones during the first year. • Teachers were given time to collaborate and share ideas and techniques. • This process continues today.

12. Communication Process • Dr. Raeker met with her supervisor and discussed the initiative. • Dr. Raeker contacted the Public Relations Director and invited him to visit her to discuss the initiative. • Dr. Raeker held many parent meetings to teach the parents. • Dr. Raeker stated the importance of keeping communication open among the staff.

13. More Communicating • Gender Gems are included monthly in the Principals’ Newsletter for all parents. • Optional parent meetings about gender learningare held at Carman Trails. • For the community at large, Dr. Raekerwas invited to the Today Show and also the Today in St. Louis show to speak about gender learning.

14. Impact of the Initiative on the Culture • Very Positive. • Radical Change. • Learning together was awesome. • Teachers understand the importance of the work. • There is ‘buy-in’ among the staff.

15. Highlights of Program • Extraordinary staff • Belief in staff members • Has produced a culture of collaboration • Kids are being learners • Staff are being continuous learners • Loves coming to work each day

16. Obstacles • Dr. Raeker referred to the obstacles as ‘speed bumps’. • Class placements required a great deal of work – this was a huge variable. • Challenging for specialists (art, music, P.E..) – they need a great deal of support.

17. Gender Learning: Does it work? • Carman Trails will meet for three days in February 2010 with Margaret Ferrara.  She is a partner of Dr. Sax and works from the University of Nevada.  Margaret will collect data and set up a system to try to measure the effectiveness.  Carman Trails will be a part of her longitudinal study. 

18. Additional Schools • At this time there are no specific plans to duplicate gender learning as a mandatory district initiative. • One other elementary school in the district has been learning with us and that school will move forward as the next school to embark upon this learning and trying it out in their school.

19. Best Outcomes • "The best outcome of gender learning for my school was that we have learned more about learning because of this.  We are more reflective of what we do for kids.  You've got to have something to hook your students, staff and community into enjoying learning.  This was our hook."  -----Dr. ChristeenRaeker