The record-union., 1893-07-29

EGena1sg Post, writing from Cleveland,
Ohio says:
The most important change that has been
made IN the Cleveland schools for many years
Is now fully effected and worthy of attention,
tuOugn IN Line nature OF Things q finished Judg-
ment upon it can hardly be pronounced for
several years. The change Is nothing less
Ihan the abolition of the system Of promotion
Dy examination, and the introduction in its
pace OF monthly ranking system.
The experiment is radical 1t strikes at the
root OF part Of the accepted school system,
ana is, in fact a revolution. Superintendent
Andrew s. Draper formerly State Superin-
tenuent of Instruction in New ork, did not
undertake it without fully realizing its inn
port Bat he believes it possesses points of
superiority over the old examination plan,
ana is willing to base his reputation as an
educator upon it. The recent promotions i'll
ali the elementary grades were all made ac-
corning 10 the new plan. The teachers at the
beginning of the term were instructed to pro-
Nlde monthly sheet, in which he stanGlng
OF e. cry pupil was indicated by the initial
letter Of the words admirable. excellent. goOd,
lar, or poor. Ihis repre- ented the teachers
best Judgment of the deserts of the pupil, and
! ior tne most part appears 10 have been Just
last year. q = There is considerable Op-
position to the change in certain quarters, but
with the public at large il is decidedly popu-
Iar- II II Is continued, hicl is not inprOb-
aple; II VIII be possible for a child to ra>s reg
ularly through all the grades TO the high
sc4ooI w lth no examination Dut the final one
IN leaving the grammar grades. The
innovation mas attracted wide attention
among educators all over the country, and
many inquiries are received every week at
school headquarters here regarding il.
Assuming all the virtue of the monthly
marking or ranking system that is
claimed for it above, Ohio is late in its
discovery. Precisely the system de-
scribed as novel and an innovation has
been in effect in Sacramento under a card
percentage marking for very many years
and obtains in this State very largely in
the cities and large towns. but not in all
rural schools. The State Of Ohio is,
therefore, behind California very consid-
erably in this matter.
But it is worthy of note that, after long
! trial here as a means of promotion, the
| system has its opponents among educat-
ors. and some Of them this week have
debated the advisability of return to the
old system of examinations for promo
ton. The reason urged is, and it has
strength, that it is impossible from the
postings of monthly markings or rank
lngs to ascertain at the end of the school
year just what knowledge impaired has
been retained by the child; that nothing
but examination will develop whether
the pupil in the last half of the year has
not forgotten that he ought to retain in
which he was instructed in the first half
Of the year; that promotion should be
| dependent upon the actual status of the
child at the close of the year, and not
upon the course he has pursued during
the year; then examination should be the
only test. But this is the extreme view,
and we are not in accord with it as such,
though not welded to the monthly mark
| ing system.
There is a middle way, however, that
ought to meet the ends in view. That is,
besides the monthly marking, pupils in
public schools ought to be reviewed each
month i'll the work. passed over in the
preceding month, and corrections of the
card markings made according to the re-
suits of this review examination. Nor
should these reviews be limited to merely
the month next preceding; they ought
each month to lap over and relate back
to all the ground traversed, in general
way. Such a system, and it is in use in
some sections, and not a few teachers
practice it even if they do not mark"
formally by it, may prove to be better
than either extreme examination or
monthly marking alone.