Thursday, August 20, 1998
Tiffin Schools to have 1-gender class pilot program
By Cathy Willoughby
Staff Writer
Tiffin Junior High school students who are gifted in science will be able to take part in an ''experiment'' this school year, a gender specific class.
City School Gifted and Talented coordinator Gail Shreiner said all the elements for the class came together at the right time. ''It was a concept based on my philosophy of education combined with the right time, place and group of students to start this project,'' she said.
There will be 44 students involved, split evenly between boys and girls. They were identified as part of the gifted and talented program, or could be identified as particularly gifted in science ability based on standardized tests and the recommendations of the seventh grade teachers.
Shreiner said with 39 gifted and talented program participants moving up to the eighth grade, the schools wished to do something creative with them.
''It was a good subject area, and we had to have two groups of students anyhow. We could do two co-ed classes or we could try something totally different,'' Shreiner explained.
She discussed her idea with Superintendent Denise Callihan, to see if she thought it was appropriate for the schools to try this. Callihan was supportive.
The idea was discussed further with Principal Joe Silardi to work out scheduling, with the junior high science teachers Tom Nahm and Jay Swaidner, and with the gifted and talented teacher at the school, Danielle Bour.
Shreiner said that everyone thought the idea was worth looking into, so the next step was to take the idea to the parents.
''We did a survey, telling them that we would appreciate their input. We got most of them back, many that had written positive comments on them,'' she said.
Since the idea was new to the Tiffin City Schools, Shreiner searched for information from different schools in Ohio and received some advice on how to approach the classes.
Both classes will be taught with a team teaching approach. Bour will teach with each science teacher, so that she will act as the constant. ''There is some talk of switching at the semester, because both of the teachers are real interested in teaching both classes,'' she added.
Shreiner stressed that they would not be comparing the achievement of the classes themselves, but will focus on individual achievement within the class for both the boys and girls. She cited a survey done by the American Association of University Women that stated some of the positives of gender specific classes.
''It's such an important time in those young people's lives, when they look at what subjects they should take in high school, which will lead to the careers they choose,'' she said.
Different teaching strategies will be implemented that are better suited for either boys or girls to learn. ''For example, girls enjoy and learn well when they do cooperative learning and the team concept approach. Boys have a more competitive attitude and like to do things on their own. Girls have extremely high standards for themselves. If they receive a low grade early in the subject, they can feel that they can no longer do it. Boys don't personalize their school performance as much. So you need to look at the different attitudes, and teach boys and girls in different ways,'' she explained.
Shreiner said one parent commented that she hoped this class would make her daughter comfortable enough in class that she would express herself.
''How students interact with each other at adolescence is a powerful thing,''she said. ''I see benefits for both the boys and the girls with the class.''
Shreiner stressed that this is a pilot program for this year. The city schools will look at the results of surveys and parent opinions before deciding how to continue with the program.
''It could be used for any group of students, and you could get good results from studies done on the effects of the classes by linking them to standardized tests,'' she said.
''It is only one class a day, and all students and parents were given a choice. No one refused. The word is starting to spread, some parents have called wanting their child in the class,'' she added.