The San Francisco call., 1899-12-30
Crawford FaVorS Writ
ten Examinations.
TEACH STUDENTS TO THINK
ALSO INDICATE THEIR RE
CEPTIVE POWERS.
Many Interesting Papers Read at the
Session of the State Teachers
Association in Sacra-
mento.
Special Dispatch to The call.

.ACRANENTO. Dec. 29-The State
Teachers Association passed Inc greater
part ~ to-day in the discussion Of tho
topic: The Test for Promotion and
Graduation ~ Pupils in the Grades" " The
participants in the discussion were T. o.
Crawford. Superintendent OF Alameda
County; =. n Cox. Superintendent OF
Santa Rosa. Reginald 4. Webster Super
lutendCnt 0f san Francisco. J. 4. Foshay,
Superintendent ~ Los Angeles: c. /. Nc
Lane. superintendent Of Fresno; G. &.
Hughes. Superintendent ~ Alameda: Da-
Nld Starr Jordan. President Of the Stan
ford University. President Jordan was
not personally present
TWO conferences were also held, one on
The subject Ot child study and the other
On history. Io-day's discussions developed
ltre of general interest, the views
brought out being chiefly valuable as tech
nlcal guides 10 the teachers in the pursuit
81 thCir calling
r. q. Crawford opened the discussion on
THE Test ~ Promotion IN the course
o. his paper De said:
AS q rlle examinations should be written
ana for thesc. among The many reasons:
There ls opportunity f1r thinking. There Is
NJ the disturbing element ~ being waited Tor.
There -s the absence ~ the disturbing element
Of tle personality ~ the questioner. THE Is
f rletnles 81 intense as o. destroy The urces-
cary co-ordlnatlDr of mental processes. There
IS more care gwen % ihe arrangement ~
expressed th.-ci.t There i- opportunity Tor
more careful weighing ct the meaning 0f words
Ntr- iA answer There l- neti y a mere
thorough knowledge 0t the subject ~ examina-
tNn. our ignorance ls ever before as when
Mt attempt <. write what we thought We knew
our actual knowledge as expressed iu our an
fn ere l- lu evidence Tor ar against Us lsy eN-
aminirg oar rooorl the truth can be ascer-
talncQ and justice done.
a written examination. 40 matter how much
lgnlrafce u reveals. is an impartial friend.
ness ol our st1relouse ~ facts ana the conse-
glgrt inability a. reason iu-uctlNely.
The eject ~ thorough written examination
finds fr0m the record his weakness and resolves
ilAf t tha- not appear On evidence again. i
tleiict T. critical thorough going over of
the whole gr1und. lt induces more careful
ttl'y "a Wei ~ reasons as 0t facts.
a proper system 1f written examinations viii
blot fr .n th- calendar the crime educatlCnally
81 craul-nlnE. ] suppose there viii be some
whore n this audience The idea thar ms last
tfateingrt if "a lit ot r.elsaut-y-a joke. per-
hars am nor resp0 asi bic Tor the conclusions
oiaNn. lafnl a- thc abuse e "a thing. Just
EN- 1f telling thc truth If we base them IN The
abuse rs uuth-that .s. lying. Lot us be care
ill ot oar premises. they are sometimes talse.
Continuing .on The subject of written ex-
amlnauons. Mr.. Crawford said.
IN order t0 ger the greatest good out of a
written examination as au exercise ia English
composition there must be- repeated writing n
IN same subject az fuccefsIye periods n tirne.
1t the same subject be given al different times
and let each ~ the written exercises be kerr
ana 81 certain tnessr-al, compared. criticized
greater Wl NJ can b. done o. "a puf.u as
ti44tti ~ f-nelisl competition than r. correct
--o 80 - ess..l. li Ae cannot oi himself
~. w - iaen The correction is not sf
him hut f0r him. and certainly there Is no edu-
cail'n ia DONG a Ipri. work Tor hlm. The
ttifatr- writing should not cease tIl the
Thought is .-learly and severely expressed: IN
N1At af known is t0l4 nothing omitted. moth
ins a4lel- IL ls Impossible - 0verestir,ats
she value ~ "a written examination as 4 factor
lh ihe tr o.en ~ using correct English Ia
an aware THAI the plan here advocated is
ni nov. indeed, Fo old is it that some STYLE
u -tAehl1rel. ''9ut ~ date. behind the
infs ~ is o.i-fashilned. ID is out ~ date.
it is behind tie times. The sense. however ir
which it ls an ~ rhere Dr. not that IN which
memory are ald-fashi0ned but are they useless
because of thate 1t me call your attention ~
Ntrh important fact Not an argument viii
be lrlf4 5ere to-day against the ideas herein
set forth that is NOT based On a fact on a series
o. faNts recalled and rec1ilecteG hv memory
ana Dr. who las The greatest power 10 recall
VIII Lafe tAe Ne-gaticst weapon az his conn
manc. II s true that lt is ''Hut ~ asta 90 hut
- 49, r3t ma iacis true 4n The ages long ago
rash, Indeed. who would deny the ro,yer al
CrahitatiCu because it d. old and an the ea-,e
tt..i.llte t.ile amp from the upper story OF The Can
Prom the f1reeclng rene-alizations II ls nos
tiiie ~ laE down a series of essentials which
tha.l answer tfe question. what shall the test
he ln TIE emotion and in the graduation n
pupils am ~ the opinion that a second
question p involved ln this FIRST and shan
assume u 20 he thIs How shan The feer ba
aLrlelT ] answer follows
written examinations along the whole line
cave whore the subject must be dealt Win
orally. such examinations 20 De freoterf
never long and never beyond the scope OF srttiai
eequisition cr ~ i0wer. There shall DE thres
objects In vicw.
Ito test mernrrv
sAn TEST f1e arperccDtive powers
40 Test fhe ability O. use correct Fnrifsb
" NhHf Nill Do Tho result ~ tho dlsuse ~ NOM
CRY Death cf mental power Enlarge
some m The EXAMINATIONS shall consist ~
rfllted subjects ana shall De such a. 10 show
facts connected with ether facts
l-others shall he on different rrobler,s ~
given subject
3-ofhsrs shall consist y miscellaneous sub
grg gis covering some part ~ the course 0f sfu5,-
a fou-ff examination shall DC 4 fosf ~
Enow'cfrp - current event.
These examinations shall have as tbair oh
9"'t ~ test the memory ~ fhe power - recall
= rec1Iiecf. % remember. These fxa-nfnafirrre
must begin af home ~ tho child hes 1ear,.s
~ read ana write fh~re. r this Is not learned
unfu 0ohool life begins fhcn when n Il me -
inrin sentence this exercise should be a dailv
occurrence - --'-'''
Tonight the association devoted i,s
time In the reception Of routine reports
ana 70 reunion of the alumni OF the
state Normal Schools and universities
y he association viii conclude its stav "a
ms CITY with m excursion TO Folsom