New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-02-19


n1oNAL Observation-Disclosures AND
DISCUSSIONS BY wELLK NowN
SCHOOL WORKERS.
The three days session of the Department of Super
,ntendents of the National Educational Association was
nened yesterday in the large hall of the College for
,he Training of Teachers, at No. University Place.
hont sixty Of the leaders in education in this country
rere present Most of them were State or City
spnerintendents of Education. Besides those men
TONED in Yesterdays Tribune, there present John
Eaton Marietta, Ohio; L. II. Klemm, Cincinnati
I H. stout Geneva, y. Y. John S. Irwin, Fort Wayne
Ind: Addison B. Poland, Jersey City; T. F. Kane
Cohoes y. y; W. II. Bartholomew, Louisville John
n. Bliss Topeka; f. Belknap, Lockport " y
Charles D. Mclean, BrOckpOrt y. y; Francis CogS-
VEIL Cambridge, Mass. Joseph EStabrook, lansing
Mich: United States Commissioner of Education Haf-
MS Washington; ii. 5. Jones, Erie PENN Niiian -
sheldon Of "Ihe Boston Journal of Education joseph
&. Edgerly Ftchburg, Mass; George Howiaho' Cm
tago John f. Bradley, Minneapolis William Jones'
assistant. superintendent, NewNOrk City; Charles NJ
Rvon Kingston " y: s J. Pardee Long Island CITY :
r. G. Northrop, Connecticut; y. &. Lane Chlcago'
mperintendent for Cook County c. w. Bardem, ayra
cuse, and John II. Clark. Flushing, L. l.
At1O15 O'Clock President Draper called the meet
ing TO order lie said that ne would omit inc usu'i
speech of welcome and save valuable time by gong
a, once IN busness The first half hour of the morn
inc session was devoted to organization and general
business telegram from /. b. mayer STATE
SUPERINTENDENT of Wisconsin. was read TegretunS inc
sender's inability TO be present ana urging upon the
meeting the necessity of an adequate educatOhai eN-
hihit at the Worlds Fair to be held in Chicago or
elsewhere There was also read letter from James
- Careeld the president of the National association
rerretting his inability to attend. Invitations To vSlo
the New-York Trade schools and 10 witness an eN-
bihtion of gymnastics at one of the three schoo Ill
his city Of the North American Gymnastic Union.
where scientific system of physical framing Is Ioi'
,oUed we're accepted with thanks.
The president said that after consultation with
,ha e1etutiye committee he had prepared pro-
rramme for the various sessions and any discussion
ar alteration of il would now be in order On 'oUo'.
the programme unanimously approved. INC "oN'
hrsiness was the reading by Harvey NJ La foIieUc'
state superintendent Of Indiana. of thoughu'l anu
exhaustive paper on school statistics as inc h',''
~ legislative or Official Action What should DC
collected and How ?" Mr.. La Toilette Sad III part :
All legislative or official action having for IT'S pur
pose the improvement of the pubic Schools
wise be based upon experience anu .c VDcC diiions
and study of actual conditions lhe9c fou!tJ ,I,
and results only be definitely ana aOS,% roits
studied through the medium OF reiIaoIc s'So t'Ii
Fats that are counted and classified form natural
though numerical basis for the study ana lhterpre'a
ZION NJ educational growth and progress, . -, -,
The value Of such statistics is determined by Their
accuracy the practical purpose kept in view IN 'he
collection and arrangement thsH uni'erSd hth W.
Community Of origin, forms and terms. ; wIno. 80
vastly increases their value as the most
statistics show that the enumeration in cities ana
large towns is almost universally aDnona ar 5r, n
result is that cities. tho centres OF wealth. seV Hl
more than their pro rata share of state revenues ana
the country districts IpondngE t e anu Idn at
the average school term IS nearly lWlce aS IONS
in the cities as in the country. the teachers Rucl
better paid and in very many instances gH sch0o
and special schools as we'll as the elementary
OF cities are maintained without any local tuition laA;
In city Of Indiana the vas
Of the school population in this city OF perhaps 0 ~
inhabitants, resulted IN shor,sge Oh more rng
contrast can be than that obtained by comparing
the various county seats OF state WIN 'e 'oui"'
Where compulsory attendance is excluded, 1t would
stem seevdent that the state scnCol atndce
be apportiOned upon bass Oh a.eaaeo t cr n
Another example of the faults that are app 70 pVP
fsct that our present method Of recording and report
ING school attendance is based almost unlVerNaIIE
upon membership only, and not upon OASIS u
The methods Of keeping school records that have
cenfaCe system. lead 10 annual summaries mat are
very erroneous and misleading Ihu', IN -cnG1 VI
Tor each month has BEEN let Us say, eighty per cent
in vast number OF cases the school OmCaio report
the average attendance for the al eighty per cent
Of the total so enrolled While IN laGt tnere are ~
almost every month pupils enrolled VINO are not
II is self evident upon conclusions thus obtained, no
lawnaker or school official can safely rely To attain
Trustworthy figures we must have all elementary
records kept in prescribed forms and periodically IN
spected reported The reports o. school oileial;
yaue Of such permanent records to the various com
mittees and as "a safeguard against any mistake or
perversion Of the record made in the school. Al
school reports a tO school cement should be IN
the hands OF officials who are purely school officials
The discussion Of Mr.. La Folette's paper and the
general subject Of school statistics opened by Fred
Dick. state superintendent Of Colorado. Mr.. DICK
heartily approved the views set forth in the paper
Referring TO the statistics published by the National
Bureau he said he had not been able to use them with
much satisfaction There were figures in plenty but
he found some Of them hard 10 believe. lie quoted
some examples given about certain states. In Colo
RADIO a simple system in force which worked fairly
we'll The weakness Of the country schools
was subject deserving the attention Of
every state superintendent. Mr.. DICK also
favored reports from the private schools TO the state
The figures for several states showed decrease Of
from 10 10 per cent in the attendance at the
public schools. "If the state has the night to edu
cate its children the private schools ousht TO report
that we may know what training the children in them
receiving"
Mr. Dicks remarks brought TO their feet Commits
sioner Hancock Of Ohio, and superintendent Patter'
son. Of New-IIampshre, in defence Of their states,
which had been unfavorably mentioned in Mr.. Dicks
extracts from the Government reports Mr. Han
cock wished he could report large decrease every
year in the number Of teachers and schools OF oh0'
until the vicious system Of small country schools
with few pupils, could be changed for the better
BY consolidation Of districts.
Ex-senator Patterson made the same explanation ior
changes in the figures for his state. Mr.. Nln'hp'
Editor Of {" The journal Of Education" was unable 10
take his place the programme following Mr.. Dick'
but he sent letter which was read by his associate
Mr. sheldon. The letter dwet the necessity OF
getting at the philosophy Of statistics and recon-
mended a model the manner in which Carroll ID.
Wright's statistics Of labor were compiled. l.. X.
Klemm, Of Cincinnati followed with a short paper
IN which he strongly urged the use Of graphic repre-
sensations, to accompany the figures OF statistical
ports. lie spoke more favOrably than Mr.. DICK Of
the Government statistics. Mr. Klemm exhibited some
European diagrams illustrating the graphic representa-
ton which he favored
The discussion was then thrown open 10 the house.