Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1889-08-24
THE MARTINsBURG HIGH SCHOOL.
GRADING AND DISCIPLINE IN THE PRINCE
PALS DEPARTMENT.

o} oleLl VI STduluS. anu AnCthou Vi NioeA
pline employed in the Junior and senior
classes of the High School,
have thought it proper to submit through
our city papers, clear and lucid ex-
PLANTATION of my manner of instructing
and controlling advanced students.
trust that each one of our papers viii
publish the article and that every per
son, in any way interested in our public
schools, will read it carefully and con
siderately.
The grades which l, from time to time
poblish, are not simply the examination
grades they include, also. the record Of
the daily recitations. regard an exam
ination as by no means fair test of the
students ability daily grade, on the
contrary. kept throughout the year, gives
| the teacher a very good idea of the
pupils knowledge of the branches OF
study over which he has gone. l, how
ever, compromise the matter by adding
the two grades together, and dividing by
9, thus securing the average daily and
examination grade This method, sc
far as know, gives satisfaction to both
students and patrons.
grade on a scale ranging from 0 10 5
there being 90 days in a school month
Zero, of course, denotes failure, and 5
100 per cent. 8, by this system, would
indicate 60 per cent; 81, 20 per cent; At
IS per cent. Al, 95 per cent, &c.
| call upon one student at time, ask
ing him about five questions. Should he
miss one question his proper grade would
be 4, should he miss one-half of a ques-
ton his grade would be At. Please to
bear it in mind that no student ever re-
~ iuac loco hov y, ha MI N, ariL, There
seems to be an impression that reduce
student S real grade because of imper.
| feet department this is, as any truthful
pupil of mine will testify, a sad mistake
III the student answers every question,
he will, in eueru instance, receive 5, or
100 per cent; if he answers four ques-
tions out of five, he will. arlderno circltn,.
stances, receive less than 4, or so per
cent. If his department. on the proceed
ing day, was perfect, he will receive a
premium grade, provided he falls be-
low 100 per cent. Should his deport
ment on the preceding day, be imperfect
he is given an easy opportunity to save
his complimentary grades. Punishment
is made optional; if it were not so il
would have to be made compulsory.
Now, if the student violates any of the
rules of the school, except those relat'
ing to tardiness and performance in
the literary society, he can, if he choose
take the appropriate punishment. and
then receive his full premium - grade
Parents, therefore, can see that the stu.
dent, in no case whatever, falls below
his actual grade, and that it is clearly
his own fault if he loses his premium }
grade.
But some one will say, you ask the
most difficult questions to the scholar
| who is getting graded =" in order thai
he may run the greater risk of failing
| If this were SO. / would reply by saying
| let him do as almost every student does
avoid the grading 'process by taking
| the required punishment. The opinion
however, that we grade pupils by giving
them the most intricate questions, is, in
the main, false one. The converse oil
this is much nearer the truth. Unless
the offence is an oft repeated or very
aggravating one, in order to favor the
student, he is almost invariably asked
the easiest rather than the most difficult
list of questions, and is assigned the sim
plest rather than the most complex prob
lens to solve. b..
Some one, doubtless. will ask why
make an exception in the case of tardi
ness and non-performance. l reply
by saying that my experience in teaching
goes to prove that stringent measures
are the only means of preventing tardi-
ness, or of securing regular and profit
able literary exercises. Students have
even asked me to administer corporal
punishment in lieu of an essay or debate
in the literary society but all who have
ambition worthy the name of students
perform their duties in society rather
than suffer the loss of a single "prem-
ium grade. / refer with pride to our
last commencement entertainment as
the best evidence that can be adduced
in favor of the grading system,h SC
far, at least, as literary work is concern
ed.
Notwithstanding, be it understood
that while the above is ma method of
securing good order, and proficient reci-
tations in the High School, no student is
ever asked to accept it unless he chooses
to do SO. hold that the student ought
to be satisfied when he receives full Gre
dit for the questions he has answered
that he ought to be thankful when he re-
ceives more than he actually merits and
that he ought either to take the necessary
punishment for violated rules, or else
cheerfully abide the consequences
Should the student, however, not view
the matter in this light, there remain
for him two alternatives either one of
which he may take.
He may take the actual daily grades
averaged with the examination grades,
in which case he would receive neither
the premium grades nor the much
dreaded " difficult questions. Punish
ment, of course, would be made compul-
sorry.
Or lastly, he may take the examina-
ton grades only, and thus be free from
all daily record of recitations. BY this
plan he might fail utterly, in his recita-
tions, and yet, by passing the required
examinations, receive his diploma.
In this case. again, punishment would
be made obligatory.
So far, every student has chosen my
plan, and SO far, every graduate has re-
ceived a higher grade than he could
have received in any school were COM
plimentary grades are not conferred.
Let patrons carefully note this fact,
and let them as carefully compare ma
grades with those of other schools be-
fore they complain of Partially, favorit-
ism, or prejudice, on the part of the
teacher.
THE HIGH SCHOOL COURSE OF STUDY
The High School course of study,
though superior to the curriculum of
many more pretentious schools, Is, never
theless, far from what it ought to be. We
ought not to give the student, at the pub
lie expense, a collegiate education, but
we ought to give him thorough training
in those branches whose study will
prove of the most practical importance
to him. With this end in view, l pre-
pared for our last catalogue, "A Four
Years Course of Study for the High
School. We have at present a five
years course, and yet we do not teach
all the branches included in the -Four
Year s.Course /" this is because our pu-
pills are too young when they enter the
High School. We are obliged to spend
too much time upon studies which do
not properly belong to high school
course, but which ought to be taken in
the ward schools. The pupils ought, by
all means, to remain, at least, one year
longer than he does in the ward schools
if he could remain two years longer, he
could then take the -Four Years Course;
without any trouble whatever. This,
the reader will observe, would keep the
pupil in school but one gear longer than
by our present system, and at the same
time, would qualify him to enter any of
| 49, InnI