The national Republican., 1867-05-04

JRACHERs EDUCATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF
rus DisrRior or CoLUnBIA.-- The regular
monthly meeting Of the above.named association
was held yesterday afternoon, at 2 o'clock, In
the Soldiers Free Library Rooms, corner Of Fifth
aud E streets -. .H..,s... 7. .#H5aa %. 3.
The association Is composed Of both white and
colored teachers and superintendents, male and
female, engaged principally, II not wholly, In
teaching colored pupils, undet the direction o.
, the Freedmen's Bureau. The meeting was not
quite as large In numbers ne was the one held In
April still the attendance was good.
The secretary Of the association, A. 3. New
ton, Esq., announced that he held In his hand
, note from tho Rev. John Kimball Suporintendent
Of Education Of the Freedmen's Bureau, and
President Of the association, who had been called
from the city somo days ago to West Virginia,
and would therefore be unable to DO present to
preside at the meeting.
John =. Cook, vice president Of the assooia-
tion, presided in the absence Of Mr., Kimball.
Tho proceedings Of the association were opened
BY reading portions Of the Scriptures BY Mr..
Newton, and prayer by Mr.. Brand.
The minutes Of last meeting were read and
approved ..g -
whom was referred the duty Of asoertaining the
proper method Of arriving at the exact percentage
Of the regular attendance Of pupils at the public
schools, presented the report Of tho committee
thereon. -. '-... far... ...
Tho report set forth that that question was
found to be attended with greater dificulties
than was anticipated owing TO the different
methods found To be In use by the various
school authorities from which the percentage 10
calculated. II was hoped that the newly con.
stituted National Bureau Of Education, the
functions Of which are to embrace the whole
country, would have been prepared TO prescribe
or recommend for universal adoption Q mode
which should introduce uniformity In this and
other statistics of general interest. But the
committee learned that the business Of that
bureau was not yet sufficiently advanced to
admit Of this step. So the committee compared
tho modes used in their own schools. Professor
Wells, q distinguished educator, was Of the
opinion that each pupils degree Of merit should
be distinctly recognised In the mode Of compu.
tation as we'll as the record Of attendance from
month To month. But apart from this, to sscer.
tain the percentage for . single day, take for
instance as an example, school with fifty
pupils booked and forty eight are present, the
| attendance Is ninety-six per cont. Of tho whole
number. But TO ascertain the average per cont.
| for q week or month, two methods may be
adopted: FIRST, divide the average whole number
belonging during the same period; or I'd, com.
pute separately the per cont. Of each pupils
attendance for such time as he has been regu-
lar member, and divide the sum Of those per.
centages by the whole number Of pupils en-
braced In the computation. Mr.. Newton here
explained the Rl0dRS operandi Of correctly arriy-
ing at the percentage Of these methods, but It
would take up too much Of our limited space to
| give II an e1tengo. We will also have TO briefly
note the system pursued In Chicago: the attend
ancc was noted twice daily. In the forenoon and
afternoon, and two 'tardinesses and two dis.
missals' were counted as one absence. In Bos.
ton, the halliday attendance was noted. Su-
perintendent Philbrick, Of Boston, says that ITO
ascertain the average whole number belonging
with uniformity and exaotnoss, Is the most Diff
cult matter connected with educational stats.
tics" The various modes In Boston, Chicago,
ST. Louis and the white schools Of ~washing gton
Is to strike from the roll all who may be absent
from two to three days. from whatever cause;
and when q pupil enters let his attendance be
marked from the day on which he enters.
The committee suggested as the best method
until the National Bureau Of Education adopts
one-that tho Superintendent Of Education Of
the Freedmen's Bureau prescribe the following
10 be used In the schools: /. Enroll the name
Of each pupil at the time Of admission. 2,
When the pupils are known to have left without
intention Of returning or are suspended or OF.
PEELED, mark them as left at once. When ab.
sent on account Of sickness for more than Eve
consecutive school days, or from any unknown
cause for more than three consecutive days,
mark them as left. When absent to engage In
service for any length Of time. oven with the in.
teution Of returning, mark them Us having left.
In cases where pupils are admitted with tho
ono day or one half day In the week. such ab.
sence will not bc counted in reckoning their pei
cent Of attendance, though II will Offset the ag
grogate attendance Of the school. 8. Note the
attendance twice daily, and mark as present fol
either half day only such as are In school suf
hcient length Of time to substantially accomplish
tho duties Of the session or half session, as II may
be called. 4. Find each pupils per cent. O
attendance by dividing the number Of half day
he or she has been present BY the number ofhal
days ho or she has been member. 5. Find ou
the average per cont Of the whole school b.
adding together all the per cent. asoertained a
, above and dividing the sum by the whole nun
, ber Of pupils who have been members for an,
part Of the month. 8. Tho average attendanc,
for the school will Of course be the sum Of all tn
attendance on each half day. divide by the mum
Der Of half days.
Tho report was quite an elaborate one, an
. We have but done It mesgro justice in our OK
, cerps Of tho same.
0 After some debate on the report, II was re
p. ferred to the superintendent for tho present.
0 The following table shows the number Of pu
. pills and average monthly attendance under th
I 4 L. I-.t-