A classroom divided

Students separated by gender at Councill Middle School

By Dale Liesch | Dadeville Record

Published Thursday, August 21, 2008

Students attending Councill Middle School this year had to deal with some changes and it did not involve moving up a grade.

The school is experimenting with separating the classroom between male and female students. Faculty, staff and other school officials hope the change will lead to better grades and fewer discipline problems.

Tallapoosa County Schools Superintendent, Ginger East said faculty and staff examined several options before coming to the current situation.

“They thought this was significant enough to try,” East said. “They thought separate classrooms offered a benefit as far as student behavior is concerned. It provides an increase on focus and would decrease behavior problems.”

East said there were no major discipline problems that led to the decision and she said it was a single school initiative and would probably not be expanded into other county schools.

East said research has not proven the idea of classrooms split among gender lines to be detrimental to the students nor is it illegal to do it.

East also said the plan did not skew the class sizes badly.

“Legally the courts have said its fine,” said East. “As long as classes are split among gender lines its ok.”

Chris Hand, principal of Councill said the response of the gender split classrooms has gotten good feedback from teachers and parents in the community.

“Teachers are saying they can relate to the students better in this format,” Hand said. “It’s helping to open up communication.”

Hand said the ultimate goal behind the switch was to see academics at the school improve and discipline problems decrease.

”We want to see the scores increase,” Hand said. “This is all research based from other schools who have done it in the state.”

Chuck Ledbetter, principal of Dadeville High School and former principal at Council was the person who began the research, which ultimately led to the change.

Ledbetter said parents would hopefully see an improvement in grades from students who attend the school.

“I think it will do what we want it to do,” said Ledbetter. “It will give the middle school students a chance to concentrate on academics.”

Ledbetter said Councill is not the first school that started separating classrooms by gender and, in fact many schools in the state including schools in Fayette who do it and according to Ledbetter the success of those programs was what he researched.

“If its something you can work out with the scheduling it can really help the middle grades,” Ledbetter said. “Middle school is an awkward time for students.”

Ledbetter said the scenario would not work as well at the high school and he does not plan to bring it to the higher grades.