Omaha daily bee., 1891-02-01
SEEKING PROMOTION.
Ten Thousand Children Taking the
Semi-Annuai Chooi Examination.

SEM -innual ChOOl examination
While politicians are anxious concerning
the action of the state legislature, and men of
business worried about the volume Of trade,
more numerous class of the Omaha public
during the last ten days has felt as great
anxiety over quite different matter,
For somewhat more than week the thou
sands of children in the public schools have
been busy and anxious concerning the out
come of the mid-year examination, and not a
few of the fathers and mothers have been
deeply interested IN the same matter a
visit to the Office of the superintendent
enables one to gather an idea of the manner
in which these examinations are conducted.
II is known to teachers and pupils that the
examination is held the last week Of Janu-
airy, and the course of study, which
is printed so that each teacher may
have a copy, outlines with consider
able minutcness the ground TO be covered.
All examinations other than this and the one
held in June are conducted entirely by the
principals and teachers, and none of them are
looked upon as so formidable. AS the super
intendent makes all the arrangements for
these two, providing the questions and
passing Judgment on the result making pro-
motions or forbidding them, as in his opinion
the various cases may demand, their great
Importance Is recognized.
week before the examinations begin the
teachers prepare on blank furnished by the
superintendent an estimate of the pupils
readiness for for promotion and file the same
with the principals. The basis of this esti-
mate is the success of the pupils in their pre-
vious daily work. The following Instructions
are printed on every one of these estimate
sheets:
"Teachers will please to note the following
directions
81. In making this estimate teachers will
please to arrange the names of all pupils be-
longing to the several classes separately in
two divisions: First, the names of all w no
are recommended for advancement. Second
of all who are not recommended, writing
above the first recommended and above the
second not recommended. Arrange the
names of each class in the order of excel
lenCe.
"2. Note also the names of any who have
gone over the work of either class two or
more times, and whether punctual and at
tentive.n
Careful directions are also sent to all the
| principals concerning the details OF the exam
| nations, so that the time shall in every case
be the same, aud that the examination NAV
| be honest and the markings just and uniform.
Superintendent James considers the char
| acter of the questions matter Of so much
Importance that he prepares them all himself.
! He looks upon this as one of the most import
| ant duties he has to perform, as a single list
| of injudicious questions would work great
injustice TO large number of pupils.
The examinations began about ten days
| y,
completed week ago. Last Monday fore
| noon came the drawing; Tuesday, spelling
| and United States history Wednesday, geog.
! raphy; Thursday, language and grammar,
and Friday, arithmetic In all cases where
| reviewing the papers requires much time the
| pupils are excused in the afternoon TO give
| opportunity for careful marking.
| After the manuscripts have been read the
| results are taDuated and entered carefully on
| the estimate sheets already mentioned Yes
l tnr r1 he prin int n ont
! and fixed the standard for promotion and de-
cded which pu pills should be advanced. In
doing this the pupil whose previous daily
| work has secured the teachers ''recommenda-
| tion" is allowed, if he needs it, 10 or
20 per cent in every study in add.
ton to what he obtained by his answers. In
the lower grades more than this is allowed
| sometimes, as few young children are able to
do themselves justice III a written examina-
ton, and the superintendent believes the
teachers estimate is much the best criterion
| in all these cases. Indeed, in the lowest
grade no examination is attempted the judg-
ment of the teacher alone deciding the ques-
ton OF promotion
This week the principals will consult with
their teachers about every pupil where an in.
| Justice may have been done and bring all
these cases to the superintendent, where
each one will be considered as special case.
AS there is usually large number of these
cases this must be a work of great difficulty,
| but Mr.. James insists this careful review
should always be allowed the children, so
that, if possible, in no case shall injustice be
done. He states that this matter is
attended to with so much care
that complaints are rarely made
as to the conditions finally reached, and he
seriously doubts if case has ever been neg
lected so as to resultln an injustice to single
child. The superin ntendent claims that some
times pupils are advanced too fast for theil
own good and that it is never best for then
to go forward so rapidly that the work viii
worry them.
In these examinations usually about so mel
cent of the pupils are successful, those fail
ing being those who have been absent or in
attentive, or perhaps some to whom learning
does not come easy, Pupils of fair ability
whose attendance is regular are usually abl,
| to do the work with ease.