This Administrative Procedure outlines the circumstances in which single sex extra-curricular and mentoring activities may be offered and the process by which approval for such activities must be secured by a PGCPS school. Single Sex extracurricular activities may not be offered at any PGCPS school without prior written approval of the School System’s Title IX Coordinator, beginning August, 2015.
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in federally funded education programs and activities. Notwithstanding this general prohibition, schools may offer single sex extra-curricular activities or permit other entities to offer such activities on school system property provided that certain conditions are met.
Board Policy 0104 prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex and directs the school system’s Title IX Coordinator to oversee implementation and compliance with Title IX.
Documentation of Need for Single Sex Activity
A school must have evidence to establish a substantial relationship between the school system’s important objective and the need to offer a single sex activity or club. The justification cannot be based on overbroad generalizations about the different talents, capacities or preferences of either sex, and must avoid relying on sex stereotypes. Instead, the need must be determined by one of the following procedures.
Comparator Schools. A school can justify a single sex activity if data from a comparator school establishes a substantial relationship between attainment of an important objective and the need to offer a single sex activity. For example, a school with a similar population and setting may have offered a single sex mentoring activity for boys to successfully reduce suspensions. If suspensions were reduced at a comparator school by offering boys only mentoring activity, a school may have sufficient evidence to offer the same if it can show that excluding one sex is necessary to achieve this objective.
Research Evidence. A school can also justify a single sex activity if research from another school demonstrates the effectiveness of a single sex activity in obtaining an important educational objective under circumstances similar to those at your school. However, the research study must:
employ a rigorous research design for causal inference
demonstrate the effectiveness of a single sex nature of the class with respect to the important objective, such as reducing suspensions; and
include a sample that overlaps with the proposed populations or settings the school is targeting.
Equal Opportunities for All Students
Schools must offer single sex extracurricular activities evenhandedly to male and female students. Further, a school offering a single sex activity must offer a substantially equal coeducational activity, available to all students. For example, if a school offers a math mentoring tutoring activity for boys (to address lack of proficiency specific to male students), it must offer a coeducational math tutoring activity. The coeducational option may be substantially equal if provided by a mentor or teacher with the similar credentials and experience and given the same resources and instructional materials.
Voluntary Nature of Single Sex Extracurricular Activity
In order to establish that participation in a single sex extracurricular or mentoring activity is voluntary, a school must obtain written permission from the student’s parent or guardian, acknowledging that the activity is: 1) single sex and 2) voluntary. Students must be allowed to opt into a single sex activity rather than being required to opt out.
Periodic Evaluation of Single Sex Activities
Schools must conduct an evaluation of all single sex mentoring and extra-curricular activities at least once every two years to ensure that:
The activity continues to be substantially related to an important educational objective; and
The activity is not based on an overly broad generalization about either sex.
The evaluation must be based on data, which demonstrates that the activity is resulting in achievement of the objective. Data may include grades, test scores, discipline rater or attendance. The results of the evaluation may be available to the public.
Approval of Single Sex Extracurricular Activities
Beginning with the 2015-2016 school year, and each school year thereafter, single sex mentoring and extra-curricular activities will be prohibited unless the school has first obtained approval from the Title IX Coordinator. This applies to existing clubs and activities, which will require approval before continuing during the 2015-2016 school year. The approval process is necessary to ensure that single sex activities meet the requirements outlined in this Administrative Procedure and to document that research to support such activities has been completed before such activities are offered to students.
Schools must complete the attached Application for Single Sex Mentoring and Extra-curricular Activities prior to offering those activities. Approval from the Title IX Coordinator must be obtained prior to beginning or continuing single sex activities during the 2015-2016 school year and for each year thereafter.
Administrative Procedure 4170 - Discrimination and Harassment, Administrative Procedure 6140, Student Mentoring Programs.
These procedures will be maintained by the Division of Labor and Relations, as appropriate.
None.
July 1, 2015
Last Revised: July 1, 2015
