Single-sex classes are being taught across the country in an effort to boost test scores and limit classroom behavioral problems, reports The New York Times. Last year, Public School 140 in the Bronx became one of 445 classrooms nationwide to experiment with separating the sexes during class, according to the National Association for Single-Sex Public Education.

"We will do whatever works, however we can get here," said the school's principal, Paul Cannon. "We thought this would be another tool to try."

Federal regulations changed in 2004 allowing public schools to separate classes by gender. Since then, 95 public schools nationwide have become single-sex, including 12 in New York City. But while the single-sex classes have proved popular with some parents and teachers, others worry they could reinforce gender stereotypes. Academic research on the benefits of separating the sexes is also inconclusive. At P.S. 140, coed fifth-grade classes had the highest percentage of students passing the state social-studies exam, while coed students also performed better on last year's math and English state tests. But because students who are struggling tend to be diverted into the single-sex classes, it's not clear what those scores prove. Cannon says there have been fewer discipline problems and more participation in class and after-class activities since single-sex classes were instituted.

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