The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-08-17
EXAMS FIR STATE TEACHERS
PROF. LEWIS GIVES SOME REA-
SONS FOR THE COURSE
PURSUED
Statement in Regard to the Prepar-
alton of Papers, Rules Governing
Their Marking and Other Points
Relating to the Work.

Their Marking and Other Points
Relating to the Work.
Il am aware that by giving the rea-
sons for the rules governing the examin-
alton and the marking of the papers the
department invites criticism" said State
Superintendent Lewis yesterday, and
that each reader may, perhaps think a
better system might have been adopted.
yet feel that in a matter of this kind,
teachers and school officers have the
right to know all of the facts.
First-The questions were made out bv
TINS department and submitted to PROF.
west, inspectors Alton and Rankin Mr.
Hyde, MI. Nelson and Mr. KunZ ,gho
recommended changes that were in every
case adopted.
Second-The department outlined the
Work Tor the summer schools, and the
questions were made largely to cover The
work thus outlined.
!hlrd-The rules governing the examin-
atlonS were made so as 10 insure nprfpo+
confidence on the part of each apDIicant
tndt each teacher who wrote earned eli
the credit he has received
ouFth-1t must be borne in mind that
inc law very wisely provides that the
county superintendent mus. issue all third
grace certlf1c2teS, and may issue a Ger
Incate OF any grade to teachers who
SNNiu IlOl dlIenQ the state eXamin9 ti0r,
So II the department has erred in me
use OF the discretion the law affords ~,
III refusing certificates to applicants The
- tounty superintendent has ample power
70 remedy any mistakes by using the
means the law gives him. / do not be-
HeVe mat mathematical averages Of
cfedlts IN several subjects are infaIlihIa
tests OF scholarship or of exceIIencn in
teachlng power and have therefore adontad
aIle&lole system of marking and tried IL is
s Sbe d certncate to every applicant who
SHOWS proficiency in the most important
DIdnches taught in the common schools
Applicants whose papers exhibit this gen.
eIdl proficiency in arithmetic. grammar
geography, history, English composition
anu reading have been granted stcond
SIdue certlhcates even if their marks
We're Sllghtly below the standard In
physl9iogy, hygiene, spelling and pen-
$50 rIii5,Iilp, me general plan adopted for is
SUING second-grade certificates, was TO is
sue tnem 70 applicants, whose papers in
llISt SIN subject did not fall below 60 ner
Ff eiIt az ana whose papers in the remaining
Iour dld not fall below 50 per cent and ~
ADDITION to give conditioned sec0ndI a.
grades. good until the next ANIMAL eU-
animation, to such applicants as fell he
wv wv a. doo oh standards not in more than
W. ol ABOVE subjects. IF at the next an
t mua! eNamination the holders of c0ndi-
lloHed certificates shall pass in +bo +1yo
S SUD- IN which they have failed this
becomes a complete second grade
II issuing certificates to 9nnIican+c
LOT ilrst-Srade certificates I have adont
ed the same policy that governed in tha
issue or second grades, exceDt that for
lIie zen subjects, In which both first and
1eToIIi gfaoe applicants We're examined.
nave used q higher standard * nor
cent instead of 80 per cent In the HIGH
schooI branches have made 60 per cent
the minimum upon examination and *
per cent on high school certificates
From this it will be seen that an Of
fcrt has been made to certify every an
pllcant that should be certified. and If
me department. has erred, 1t has been
or the side of too great leniencv Tbo
reason prompting this course was that
this being the first examination tho
teachers were little nervous and couId
not do themselves full credit. In all
probability the standard will be gradual
~ raised at subsequent exan1ina tioDc
In arithmetic, as in all other subjects
i've quesuons We're asked, of which aD-
pltcant might answer any four The
third question proved to be, for ma
Jority who tried it, very difficult. though
in reality it was simple It was insert
ed IN the examination in order to en-
phaSlze the use of the diagram In ex-
pianaton of operations in fractions: but
as 1t proved veritable stumbling block
to the majority of those attempting it.
1t was thought in marking papers of
IA"9e WIN CHCOSe the Cn1rd, as one of
the four they were to answer. to give
them credit for correct solution. but 50
few solved it readers were instructed in
the case of the great majority to throw
out the third, giving applicants on the
other three marking of SO 1-3 per cent,
instead of % per cent on each
In regard to the decision Of the de-
partment not to issue first-grade GER
tificates without examination, I nav
say:
First, every rural school employing
the holder of a ftrst-grade certificate for
an eight months school. may draw from
the state treasury a bonus of $75. on
the average about IS FER capita on the
enrolment. The state should, therefore.
know that the scholarship of the holder
is up to the standard set by the state
for certificate of the first grade The
above fact could be ascertained only
upon an examination. The first-grade
certificates now in force have been is
sued by county superintendent in eighty
two different counties, and us each su-
perintendent formerly adopted his own
standard, there must necessarily have
been great number of different stand
ARDS used in writing the certificates
now in force. The department was of
the opinion that in as much as the first
grade certificate is held of such great
Importance, that to encourage the school
officers to employ the holders Of such.
the state is willing to give such a large
bonus. then the state and the school dis
Jrict officers, as we'll as teachers secur-
ing the frst-grade certificates upon ex-
. animation. will view with alarm the is
sue of this certificate without an ex-
animation to one who is not a graduate
Of aD.y COLLAGE ar ne c011OO1