As guidance counselor Kathy Batty doled out tips on organization to a classroom of girls and boys in the sixth grade, she did not mention the words “gender,” “achievement,” or “gap.”
Nor did she overtly target any part of the lesson to the boys in the class. But the four-part mini-course designed to improve “executive function” — planning, follow-through and time-management — was created to help remedy a persistent problem involving boys in Vermont and beyond.
Boys are lagging behind girls academically by many measures, especially when it comes to literacy.