Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-05-29


OF new surroundings. The pupils were con-
siderably demoralized also What occasioned
that he knew not but he knew they were,
nevertheless. The fear of examination has
much to do with it. His class could work
every one Of the ten questions. The monthly
standing of the pupils of the class has stood
In the first or upper division, from 20 to 80 !;
in tie second division, from 30 to 70. He ex-
pected about 46 or As to pass, cut OF the
whole grade. The pupils went on with their
studies, believing their monthly records were
to be considered in examination at the close
of the year. These were withdrawn, ard the
effect was demoralizing. A class to go to an
academic institution like the High School
ought to have an average OF 20. He had
understood that Mr.. Brier watched the class
closely. Mr.. Brier had told him so. The
scholars may have been embarrassed by 1t.
ANOTHER CONVERSATION.
Mr.. Brier was asked what was his idea
about the failure, as he had examined the
class He could not give a reason for the
failure, except that the pupils did not possess
pies involved. He did not consider the ques-
tons too difficult. Any pupil to go to the
High School ought to get so out of 100 credits
on such questions. tie had examined the
class. Miss Watson and Mrs. Folger were
present all the time. He was surprised to
hear, as he had heard on many sides, that he
was looked upon as bulldozer and an in
tirnidator of pupils. He appealed to the
pupils of the High School to say if thatw was
his style-indeed, he understood his general
| reputation was quite the contrary. He went
to examine the class under orders of the City
Superintendent. He followed those orders.
He and all teachers knew that in all schools
scholars will exchange answers and beat the
examiner if they can. They must be watched.
No one will deny it. He did watch them
closely, as ordered. He forestalled any pos.
sibility of collision between pupils He did
so in proper manner, and threatened and
frightened no pupil. He was firm but kindly,
and denied warmly that he was otherwise.
Mr.. Mcdonald had told him his pupils
ought to go 20 in arithmetic, and he has since
the examination said that the class worked
the most difficult examples and failed in the
simpler ones. The pupils were given all the
time they wanted to work out the examples
in arithmetic; they were not limited some
worked from $50 A. NJ. to $3.50 P. NJ. de had
been informed that it was Mr.. McDonalds
choice that he, Brier, should examine his,
McDonald's class. The scholars got good
average in their other studies Mrs. Folger
told him he had conducted the examination
| as if it was business, but she saw no evil
dences of intimidation. As to the repeal OF
the resolution about monthly credits, it was
wrong to pass it in the first place. 1t would
have been better to have made the repeal
earlier. He did not sign it, but many teach
ers sent the Board petition for the repeal
Two of the questions in arithmetic used in
this examination were like two used last year,
only slightly different in statement, but in
volving exactly the same principles.
Mr.. ADAMS AGAIN.
Mr.. Adams being again questioned, said he
| IS OLE hut Mal
AIDS being intimidated. These same scholars
in other classes. with the same examiners,
pass well, and there is no complaint of intim-
idation. He thought it singular fact. As
to the question of good faith being broken by
the repeal of the resolution regarding monthly
records, he would say, waving the abstract
question of good faith, that on the merits of
the plan it was right to repeal it. 1t ought
never to have been adopted. As teacher,
he believed it bad policy. All teachers,
knowing the monthly reports are to count
one. half in annual results, will incline to
work up high record however honest they
may be- They cannot help it, if they are
human. Virtually 60 in arithmetic and
grammar amounts to promotion, for they sell
dom fail in other studies so as to bring down
the average The monthly high records
counting half, added to the annual records if
low, and divided by two, would send nearly
all in and yet be no true test of capability in
the test studies. If a member of the Board,
he would have favored repeal as better for
the children than to carry out the plan. he
thought the repeal had had little effect upon
the pupils.
DID THE QUESTIONS GET OUT?
MIR. Adams secuted the idea of the ques-
lions getting out. He knew, so far as he was
concerned, that they did not. 1t had been
said that Mr. Johnson's pupils at the Capital
Grammar School, and whom he (Adams) ex-
amined, had been drilled in these questions.
That could not be-that they had been drilled
in the principles involved. Very well; that
was right enough. That embraced the four
fundamental principles, then, and those are
what the child should understand. All
teachers look back over the old ex-
animation questions and keep them in
view He had understood that Mr..
johnson did make a special effort in
arithmetic and keep his pupils close up in
that study, and if he did he of course re-
viewed them on the very principles involved
in the questions, for there is no such thing as
a new principle in the study.
Mr.. Brier being asked about the matter,
denied warmly again that he has any feeling
against Mr.. Mcdonald. He gave his class
fair examination nothing more. He was
not candidate for Mr.. McDonald's place,
wouldn't take it, and was utterly surprised to
hear that such a thing had been talked of.
He wouldn't give up his place in the High
School for the place in the Sacramento Gram
mar School 1t was unjust to embarrass him
as an examiner with such suspicious
1t having been limited at the Board of Ed
ucation Thursday night that pupils of the
CAPITAL Grammar School, first grade, had
access to the questions prior to examination,
and got them at ''Rivett's," the printing
house of A. E. & E. II. Rivett was visited.
The proprietors declared that they used
every possible precaution, and were willing
to testify that they kept the questions under
lock and key. One OF them made up the
forms, and as soon as the sheets were worked
off the forms were broken up and the sheets
locked in drawer. 1t seemed impossible
for the questions to have got out through
their office. Miss Stagg, who set up the first
grade arithmetic questions. declared that as
the stick was full each time she gave the
matter over to one of the proprietors, who
proved the gallies and worked off the forms
himself. She kept no copies, and never had
one. The proprietors say that they gave the
requisite number of copies-all they printed
to Mr.. Adams.
THE LATEST TROUBLE.
At the meeting of the Board of Education
Thursday night development was made,
which unexplained, would wear a suspicious
look. L q eacn OF Tie questions duOfS IL VIII
be seen that certain credits are given for cor
rect solution. The solutions are all made by
the pupils in writing. Correct answers to
the ten questions entitle the pupil to the full
credit-100. Ii question is unanswered
the examiner can record no credits. Thus,
the papers submitted are taken by the
examiner and each answer marked with the
credits won.
If pupil shows knowledge of the princi-
pie involved, but makes an error in work, j"
the examiner will generally give him credit
for 60-the minimum in arithmetic. This
discretion in framing a judgment of the pu-
pills intelligence of the study forms the ditii-
cult exercise of the examiners task. The
examiner makes up report Of the marking,
and this goes 10 the Board of Education.
The papers are also filed there. Superin-
tendent Landes examined the papers of the
first grade of the Capital Grammar School,
and found that the true credits aggregatedmore
than those contained in Mr.. Adams report.
Close inspection shows that first writing of
credits had been erased on the pupils papers,
and a second writing made of lower credits
in all but two cases. The erased credits had
been aggregated in total, but this total had
also been erased, and the new total put down.
In all these cases the true credit was ten per
cent greater than that reported by the ex-
aminer. This true record of standing,
100 for seven pupils, IS for three,
81 for two, 90 for FIVE, SO for
one, and so on down to 81