Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-05-15
UP TO HIGH SCHOOL.
The System of Promotion That Will
Be Presented TO-Morrow.
PUPILS DAILY WORK TO COUNT.
The Principal to Judge the Material to
Enter Under His Care.
SOME BITS OF EDUCATIONAL GOSSIP

The subcommittee appointed by the Cen
| tral Board of Education has been consider
ing q change in the method of admission tc
| the High School. Several plans have beer
| suggested, but the most important one Il
| that which will be submitted to the commit
tee tomorrow by the Secretary, Charlie:
Reisfar. Secretary Reisfar desires that par
ents of pupils and educators generally
| study his plan as given below, note down
flaws or improvements and act accordingly
Mr. Reisfar's plan is built upon a careful
digestion Of plans in vogue in other cities.
with many new ideas of his own.
The objections to the present system are
| numerous. By this old system there are
two examinations, one in December and an
other in June. The principal Of the High
School prepares the questions, and the re-
suits of the written examinations decide
whether the pupils will be admitted or not.
The hard study or forced process in prepara-
tion for this ordeal, the nervous tension
under which the pupils are held, and the
fact that the brightest pupils often make
the lowest percentage from want of assur-
ance are only some objections.
Secretary Reisfars plan is to be found in
the following rules for promotion Of pupils
in the sub-district schools and from these to
the High School:
First-There shall be no stated examina-
tions below step Is. Pupils shall be advanced
upon recommendation of the teacher SUBJ
ject to the approval of the principal. Pro-
fciency in daily work, satisfactory deport-
ment and regular attendance shall be taken
as sufficient evidence for the pupil to take
up the work OF the next step.
Second-Promotions to step IA to be
made upon the result of written examina-
tions to be held in the month of June. The
lists of questions for said examinations to
be prepared by committee consisting of
one principal and two assistant principals,
to be named by the City Superintendent and
the questions prepared by this committee
shall be approved by the City Superintend-
ent and the principal of the High School,
Drawing and writing books to be accepted.
The principal and Assistant shall conduct
the examinations, examine the papers of
their respective schools and determine the
pupils that are entitled to promotion to
step IL
Third-Ths Central Board of Education
shall provide u uniform system of record
books for each assistant principal. in which
books the standing of all her pupils shall be
several bran ches for the month also, deport-
ment. attendance, habits Of study, and aver
age these recorded estimates three times
May. During the months Of December and
May the principal and assistant Shall sub
ject the pupils of step IA to such oral and
written tests as will indicate their progress
and proficiency and be helpful to teacher
and pupils. These tests shall be on all
studies in which examinations are now re-
quired for admission to the High School.
When such tests are written alfpupils' work
shall be preserved for the inspection of the
City Superintendent and Principal of the
High School. The Assistant Principal shall
keep a record of these tests.
Fourth-It shall be the duty Of the princi-
pals to revise the teachers monthly esti-
mates of their pupils proficiency, and to
approve the same when averaged. They
shall give teachers such instruction and
other assistance in estimating the prof.
cheney and progress of their pupils as will
secure requisite uniformity.
Fifth-On or before the first Monday of
AZ
the office of the Central Board of Education
a certificate for each pupil entitled to ad-
mission to the High School. This certificate
shall give the record Of the pupil for the
year as shown by the assistant principals
record, and shall be issued only to pupils
who have attained the rank in scholarship
now required for admission to the High
School.
sixth-During the month of June It shall
be the duty of the City Superintendent, in
conjunction with the Principal of the High
sehoS to visit all sehGols heels pupils
certificates with Assistant Principals
record, and subject the pupils to such tests
as in their judgment are necessary to verify
and assistant. They superintendent and
Principal of High School) shall have power
to reject pupils when in their opinion the
pupils have not attained the required
mission to the High School shall be valid
until approved by the City Superintendent
and Principal OF the High School. The
Superintendent and Principal of the High
School shall visit the pupils of step "A as
often as convenient, noting the methods of
teaching and governing, the proficiency and
classification Of pupils.
Eighth-The Superintendent and Princi-
pal of the High School shall, at the July
meeting of the Central Board, present O re-
port giving the number of pupils recon-
mended by the principal of each school for
admission to the High School, the number
they 1.-THE superintendent and Principal of
the High SchooD rejected in each school,
Ninth--In case the parent or guardian of O
pupil is dissatisfied with his or her non-pro-
motion to the High School such pupil SHALL
on application of the parent or guardian,
have the privilege Of a written examination,
which examination shall be by the High
School faculty, under the same rules as ex-
aminations for admission to the High School
are now conducted.
Article 10 provides for annulling certif-
Gates of any assistant principals no violate
provisions of the articles above, and article
IL provides that the record books shall be
open to all interested.
1t will be seen that the daily work OF the
pupils in the sohoolroom will count in the
plan of promotion and both teacher and
pupil know at the end of each days session
that the tasks of the day just completed will
have direct bearing on their hope for pro-
motion at the end of the year. In q nutshell
the Superintendent will be responsible for
the ward schools, and the High School Prin-
cipal will be the judge of the material which
will enter the High School.