His and Hers Classrooms; Change Aims to Improve Grades
By Donnie Fetter< Columbia County Bureau
When eighth-grade pupils at Harlem Middle School arrived last week for their second semester, there was something noticeably absent from their classes – the opposite sex.
Administrators and teachers kicked off a pilot program Tuesday that separates pupils by gender in the eighth-grade core classes.
By tailoring lesson plans for a specific gender, Harlem Middle Principal Walker Davis hopes higher grades will result.
"A lot of the recent research has indicated that there may be an increase in academic performance in gender-separate classes," Mr. Davis said. "About 80 percent of the literature I’ve read speaks favorably of the classes. All of the educational journals indicate there is some benefit, or it’s neutral."
The timing of the new program comes as educators begin to prepare eighth-graders for the Criterion Reference Competency Test.
This spring, eighth-graders must pass the language arts and math portions of the CRCT to advance to high school.
"We’re making every effort to prepare them for the CRCT," said Mr. Davis, who also noted that Harlem Middle has always met state guidelines for adequate yearly progress.
Currently, the school is on the Needs Improvement list because of successive years of failing math scores by special-needs pupils.
"As an educator, you’re never satisfied with where your kids are at," Mr. Davis said. "You always want them to do better. I think this program has the potential to help these kids do better."
For some, the change brings back memories.
More than 30 years ago, Joy Jenkins taught all-male classes in Appling. She said she’s happy to once again teach single-gender classes and has already seen some benefits.
"The boys today were much more outspoken," the Harlem Middle eighth-grade science teacher said. "They weren’t afraid of saying something they might think is dumb in front of a girl."
She also noted that her female pupils seemed more relaxed.
Mr. Davis said he heard mixed reactions from pupils about the new program.
"Most of them were like, ‘Whatever,’ the way middle-school kids do," he said.
School board member Rox-anne Whitaker said she recently received a positive comment on the program.
"I did have a student tell me last night at church that it did seem like a better atmosphere," Mrs. Whitaker said Thursday. "That’s impressive, coming from a student."
Parents also are on board, Mr. Davis said.
"I haven’t had any speak to me with a real negative attitude," he said. "I’ve had quite a few speak to me with a real positive attitude."
In fact, it was a parent from Harlem Middle’s school council – a committee of parents, educators and community leaders who advise administrators on school policy – who suggested gender-separate classes.
However, Mr. Davis said he wasn’t sold on the idea until his teachers wanted to try it.
"I have a lot of faith in my teachers," he said. "If they believe this will improve academic performance, then I believe it’s worth trying."
The measuring stick Mr. Davis said he will use to size up the success of gender-separate classes will be academics, attendance rates and the number of discipline referrals he receives.
Gender-separate classes at Jenkins-White Elementary School in Augusta have helped curtail bad behavior, said Chris Neal, an assistant principal at the school.
"We do it only with fourth- and fifth-grade students, and it seems to be working real well," he said. "We have a lot less discipline problems out of those groups."
Jenkins-White Elementary teachers started their gender-separate classes at the beginning of this school year; Jenkins-White is preparing to become a charter school.
Although Mr. Neal said he can’t rate the academic success of gender-separate classes until the end of the school year, he said it is likely the program will extend to next school year.
Mr. Davis said he intends to wait until the end of the semester before deciding whether the program will continue.
Reach Donnie Fetter at 868-1222, ext. 113, or donnie.fetter@augustachronicle.com.