Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-04-24
The Lack of school Tests.

One of the criticisms levele1 at the local
r,,bIic school system of late years Is that
too much attention has been paid TO the
development of the high schools while the
lower grades were correspondIngly neglect
ed II would seem from the supplementary
report published. as a result or the senate
committees inquiry. that this charge Is
true and that the children are forced along
to the high schools without sufficient
preparation in the grades below Doubtless
if the proposed plan of reorganization be-
comes effective the newly organized poaro
of trustees will consider this showing along
with others and seek means to restore the
balance by giving closer attention to the
elementary branches in the primary schools
and. if necessary. Topping of some or the
higher features of the system.
One of the details to be carefully thought
out relates to examinations as barriers be-
tween the grades. If the tests applied by
the investigating committee show anything
ii Is that stiff examination Is necessary
to regulate the passage of pupils from the
eighth grade into the high schools. Such an
examination did serve until about thirteen
years ago. to check the tide of pupils rush
ing upwards from the grades, to maintain
a high standard OF high school scholarship
and. incidentally. to create an equally high
standard in the lower grades This exami-
nation was held under the auspices Of the
high schooI-there was then only one-and
thus single scale of requisite excellence
was established
When that examination was abolished
shortly after the induction of the present
superintendent into office, the high schools
began to grow at remarkable rate. Pu-
pills were hustled along the grades, the
average age of high school pupils dropped
materially inside of two years. and
there was soon noticeable decrease in
the scholarship of the upper grades. Each
eighth grade school had its own standard
for promotion. There was consequently no
systematic check upon the eighth grade
teachers. too many of whom seemed to feel
that the value of their services was demon
strated by the number Of pupils passed
along to the next grade each year.
The worst feature of the situation is that
this condition is characteristic of the whole
system. down through the grades. With
the main gate of promotion. that from the
eigh,n grade to the high school, standing
wide open. but little systematic checking
be done along the line. The new
method is indeed chiefly characterized by
the absence of periodical tests. The exami-
nations have been largely discarded, along
with the spelling books.
This haphazard plan of teaching and
promotion may be attractive to the theorist
and the experfmenter. But it has. in the
local instance at least. worked out badly in
practice. No one can study the wretched
display of high school erudition shown in
the Senate report without feeling convinced
that the whole system is wrong, from top
to bottom, and that the sooner a corrective
remedy is applied the better. The amend
ment the Senate has written into the appro-
priation bill promises to supply that RENE
dy. 1t may have its possibly weak points
and IT may not In operation prove all it is
expected to be- But 1t is at least a proInis-
ing proposition in the face of an urgent
need.