The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-10-18
Teachers, Association.

meeting Of the Wheeling Teachers Asso'
citation for the Currant year, but, as you
arc aware, must, in this instance, iorego
The pleasure, the intellectual! and social
qualification, which our meetings inVari'
ably afford,
Could | meet you face to lace, there
would be several matters relating to the
schools and to our respective duties IN
connection herewith, To which would !
take occasion to invite your attention. AS
il is, shall, by the only means available,
ask your attention 10 one Ortwo matters
In the first place, permit me to present
for your consideration the importance Of
accuracy and uealness in the matter OF
school records. Everywhere Is the sub
iect of school statistics regarded as one
of importance. Not only by educators
and school authorities is 1t regarded as
matter OF consequence, but also by Legs
latOrs and legislative bodies, By law, III
all the States and cities III the union,
school statistics are required to be
furnished and published in the
lorm of Annual Reports tor the inlor-
nation OF the public. In the cities the
Superinlendenls are required to make
monthly or quarterly reports to the school
authorities or Boards OF Education, and
at the end of the year these reports are
required to DO aggregated and pht IN loIu
OF annual reports. These annual reports
furnish many and valuable facts regarding
the schools; and together with ihe 10,
n0rts Of County DuPeIluteuuth's anu
County Boards, enable State super
intendeuts to make up their reports Of the
schools OF the entire States THESE
State reports in the hands OF the National
Bureau of Education, furnish the princi'
pal material whereby the Commissioner
or Head of the Department is enabled to
publlsh from time to time valuable STA
ilstical information relating to the progress
of general education throughout the
country.
These school statistics have relation not
merely To financial matters, to dollars and
cents, or in other words, to the simple
cost Of educating the youth OF the coun'
try, although this constitutes very es.
sential and Interesting feature in all school
reports-particularly interesting to tho
tax.paying portion Of the body polite,
and particularly important to all, since
money is the great motive power by which
the huge educational machinery of the
country Is propelled, and without which
the entire machinery would cease 10 ope'
rate,
But, as stated, the fin nCial part,
though essential, constitutes but small
mart of the bulk OF the school reports
Items such as those which the Superin'
tendents Of city schools are required to
furnish from month to month TO the
Boards of Education, abstracts Of which
appear in reports OF Board proceedings
rs published in the city papers, furnish by
far the larger part Of the annual eluca'
tional reports referred to. For the basis
of the statistical tables which constitute,
in the main, q City Superintendents
monthly report, the preparation OF which
necessarily involves much care and labor;
lis dependent upon hereCords OF the
teachers In the several schools; and In
order that his reports may be reliable, 1t
becomes necessary for him while aggro'
eating the reports Of tho teachers, to in
spect their records with much care in
order to correct any and all inaccuracies
which may have occurred In their work,
1t will not be disputed that It is no
light undertaking to carefully in
spect the records Of sixty or more
teachers ut the expiration OF every month,
correct all inaccuracies, and make up
from these records tabular reports Of the
schools as whole. Particularly Is 1t II
very laboriOus, not to say veXalious, TN
deriaking, where, through carelessncss or
Indifference, teachers make frequent mis-
takes in the calculations by which they
arrive at their results, and the Superin.
tendcnt Is compelled to correct these or.
rors before q reliable general report OF
the schools can be made. DO not under.
stand that | am charging tile teachers oil
Wheeling, generally, with indifference
and carelessness In keeping their records,
and in making their monthly reports toI
the Superintendent. II affords me much
satisfaction to certify to the general cor.
reCtress and neatness OF the teachers re.
cords They are generally so well kept,
that, when in my possession, have mo-
hesiiancy in exhibiting them to any per.
sons who may feel sufficient Interest toI
inspect them. am, however, compelled
to say that few oil the teachers, even al.
Ter months of practice, seldom, present a
report which does not contain errors
which require to be corrected be.
fore carrying the figures into the
general report Of the Superintendent
Upon such | would most respectfully, but
at the same time most earnestly, urge the
Importance Of more careful attention toI
accuracy. Let there DO no mistakes and
no omissions.
In order to facilitate to some extent the
labor OF making up the general reports OF
the schools of the District, | have recently
requested the Principals to aggregate the
monthly reports Of the teachers In their
respective schools. Mistakes OF teachers
carried into the Principals Report, render
revision Of these reports necessary. IL
should be understood that single error
occurring Mt the beginning Of d report-as|
for instance in making extensions and
footings OF nttendance-wilI often render
the report faulty all the way through, and,
of course, wholly unreliable; and II the re-
suits are carried Into the Principals lie
port, thence forward Into that vi the Su
perintendent, the general report Of the
schools Of the District becomes CORES.
pondingly faulty.
have RECOMMENDED to the teachers, in
making their estimates NJ average ut.
tendance, hereafter 10 plan the actual
work upon their registers, and To-
extend the work decimally TO hun
dredths, and II the fraction below hun.
dredths be equal to or greater than one.
half, to increase the hundredths by one;
IL less than one.hali, to omit it trust
this recommendation will be needed.
Heretofore the practice has been, in
computing average attendance, not TO ex.
tend the work decimally in the event Of a
remainder after division, but when the
remainder was equal TO or greater than
one half, to increase the whole number