The Pinellas Education Foundation announced on May 22 that it is continuing its efforts to address the gender achievement gap in partnership with Pinellas County Schools. The foundation’s ongoing initiative, Closing the Gap, implements strategies aimed at engaging students and improving academic performance.
The issue of disparities in academic outcomes between boys and girls has been a focus for the foundation for more than a decade. This commitment began after research highlighted these differences, leading to the development of a whitepaper titled “Why Are We Losing Our Boys,” which examined data and explored contributing factors. The foundation said that while its initial work focused on challenges faced by boys, instructional strategies developed through this effort have benefited all students.
“Today, that work continues through our Closing the Gap initiative in partnership with Pinellas County Schools. Closing the Gap implements strategies designed to better engage students and improve academic achievement, including a gender-differentiated instructional micro-credential for educators. While this work began with a focus on addressing disparities impacting boys, these instructional strategies benefit all students in the classroom, and we’ve seen achievement gains across the board,” according to the press release.
Recently, Kim Jowell, Chief Executive Officer of Pinellas Education Foundation, participated as a panelist during United Way Suncoast’s Real Talk on Education: Bridging the Gender Divide webinar. During this event she shared insights from local efforts and discussed practical approaches to improving student outcomes.
The Pinellas County Education Foundation secures funding through donations from individuals, corporations and community organizations to sustain educational programs; it also promotes educational equity and empowers students for success in college or careers according to its official website. The organization operates from its Largo headquarters—including the Bob and Joanne McIntyre Center for planned giving—and functions as an independent nonprofit partner of Pinellas County Schools. It is recognized as one of the top K-12 public school foundations nationally by Education Week. Since its founding, it has raised over $200 million dollars for local schools while directing 91 cents of every dollar directly into programs supporting students and teachers.
As part of ongoing transparency efforts, resources such as recordings from recent webinars and foundational research are available online so stakeholders can learn more about closing gender-based achievement gaps.
