THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, September 18, 1996 TAG: 9609180436
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ELIZABETH SIMPSON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 157 lines
Challenging authority can lead a middle-school girl down the path of success just as following the rules can, according to a national study released today.
The ``Girls in the Middle: Working to Succeed in School,'' a study funded by the American Association of University Women, encourages educators and parents to give girls latitude in ``trying on'' different roles in school.
For instance, the brash, ``speaking out'' girl should not be branded as a troublemaker, nor should the quiet, studious, ``doing school'' girl be considered out of the woods when it comes to finding her way through the middle-school years.
Instead of viewing an outspoken girl as disruptive, channel her energy into leadership roles, the report suggests. The studious girl - who is sometimes overlooked - may need additional coaxing to go outside the usual expectations of teachers and parents to reach her full potential.
A third behavior noted in the study is ``crossing borders,'' in which girls move easily between different cultures, bridging the gulf between peers and adults, or different racial or ethnic groups. That type of role is important not just in the development of the girl, but in the circles she travels in school, and later, in her community.
The study seeks to point out successful ways of dealing with girls during a crucial period in their development: the middle-school years.
While the ``doing school'' girl may concentrate on getting good grades and following the rules, the other types of behavior also are used by girls to make their mark in school. Some girls will use one style of behavior based on their personality, others will experiment with several roles, depending on what best suits the situation.
``What works for one girl may not work for another,'' said Jody Cohen, principal author of the study. ``What's important is that educators and parents be accepting of a wider range of behaviors by giving positive feedback, and by allowing girls a wider range of behaviors to experiment with.''
Thirteen-year-old Alex Alvarado of Norfolk sees herself in all three roles at different times, but mostly as a girl who speaks up for herself and who ``crosses borders'' as a peacemaker.
``I am Mexican and black and I have friends who are black, white, Mexican, all races. To have different kinds of friends helps me have different kinds of experiences,'' said Alex, who attends Ruffner Middle School in Norfolk.
She also makes a point of speaking out whenever the opportunity presents itself. ``You need to speak up and be heard so people will listen to what you have to say.''
Success was defined in the study not just as having good grades, but also in how involved the girls were in peer and school leadership, creative activities and athletic participation, all of which are key to long-term success.
The study is one in a series funded by the AAUW, an organization of 150,000 college graduates who work for education and equity for women and girls. One of the organization's landmark studies - ``How Schools Shortchange Girls'' - came out in 1992. The study showed that well-meaning teachers often deliver subtle but powerful messages that reinforce boys' dominance in the classroom. As a consequence, girls' self-esteem and confidence - particularly in math and science - drop during middle-school, narrowing their choices for careers.
While that study focused on what's wrong with girls' education, the Girls in the Middle report is an attempt to highlight what's right.
``We wanted to look at why girls were successful despite the circumstances we pointed out in past studies, and to look at the context in which they were successful,'' said Priscilla Little, research coordinator for the AAUW Educational Foundation.
The researchers focused on middle-school girls in six different schools across the country, including urban, suburban and rural settings, and identified programs that best helped girls use a variety of ``negotiating'' styles.
Cohen said some of the more successful programs were ones in which girls became peer mediators, and ones in which they were paired with a variety of adults in mentoring programs. Also, girls did well in schools that developed small ``learning community'' programs in which girls were able to know teachers or counselors more intimately. Forums that gave girls a chance to air concerns about gender issues also were considered helpful in a girl's success.
The study emphasized that school reform needs to be viewed through a ``gender lens.'' For instance, if a program is implemented that has a ``hands on'' philosophy, educators need to make certain that girls are handling materials as much as the boys are, instead of sitting at their desks taking notes.
The organization has focused on the middle-school years because that age is considered pivotal in a girl's development.
Morghan Bosch, a Lynnhaven Middle School eighth-grader, can attest that going from elementary grades to middle school can be challenging. She and her friend, Meghan Gwaltney, decided to write a book called ``Survival Skills: 101 Ways to Survive Middle School'' to help other students their age.
They list things like ``Don't give in to older students,'' ``Be yourself'' and ``Date who you like, not who the cool crowd likes,'' along with a dose of humor: ``Do not buy an elevator pass unless your school has more than one floor.''
These are two girls who aren't afraid to speak up - in fact they're looking for publishers for their book. But they can understand why a lot of girls become quiet during their middle-school years.
``That's the age when you start liking guys, and if there's a guy in the class you like, even if you know the answer for sure, you don't want to say anything because you don't want to be embarrassed,'' Morghan explained.
Morghan has overcome that fear of speaking out, though. If she doesn't get the right answer, it doesn't bother her.
``It goes right by me right away,'' said Morghan, whose favorite subjects are math and science.
Jannette Edwards, a guidance counselor at Oscar Smith Middle School in Chesapeake, said successful girls at the school have a sense of confidence and the ability to communicate their needs and feelings. ``They don't just speak out in a bossy way, but they listen to what others say, they're receptive to others,'' Edwards said.
Fran Adams, program coordinator for the Virginia Beach branch of the AAUW, said that group hopes to promote the research locally by informing students and teachers of the various strategies girls use, and expanding the definition of what is successful.
``I think what's important about this study is it shows girls that they have the right to negotiate and make their own decisions.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
MARTIN SMITH-RODDEN/The Virginian-Pilot
Alex Alvarado, 13, center, Sabrina Jordan, 13, left, and Patricia
Nadeau, 12, are students at Norfolk's Ruffner Middle School.
Alvarado sees herself as both someone who speaks out and a
peacemaker, depending on the circumstances.
Graphic
THE THREE TYPES
The American Association of University Women Education Foundation
identifies three main categories of girls:
1. Speaking out - Some girls tend to assert themselves, insisting
on being heard in both friendly and unfriendly circumstances.
Maverick leader: Girls who, by speaking out, become publicly
acknowledged as leaders.
Trouble maker: Girls who, by speaking out, become identified as
``negative leaders'' with unrealized potential.
2. Doing school - Some girls conform to traditional expectations,
doing what is asked and speaking in turn or not at all.
Schoolgirls: Girls who employ traditional ``good girl'' ways of
negotiating school with apparent comfort, such as doing work on
time, listening, and complying with adults' expectations.
Play Schoolgirl: Girls will call up ``good girl'' behaviors
partly to cover up who they really are. This pretense can involve
ambivalence, even strife. They are outwardly compliant and
successful in school but leave clues to their other identities,
which may fit uneasily with school culture.
3. Crossing borders - Some girls move easily between different
cultures or sets of norms and expectations, bridging the gulf, for
instance, between peers and adults or between different racial or
ethnic groups. While some maintain separation between their spheres,
other border crossers take on the responsibility of ``translating''
across these different cultures.
Schoolgirl/Cool Girl: Some girls may achieve success in school,
with peers, and in their home community, becoming proficient in two
or more codes of speech and behavior, thus gaining stature.
Translator: Some girls emerge as school leaders, able to
understand and communicate across cultural groups and even
facilitate or mediate others' interactions across such divides as
school and community, or adults and adolescents. by CNB