Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-10-25
1O DEMAND ACCURACY
Board Of Educational Examiners
To Insist on Teachers Be-
ing Accurate
WILL COUNT IN EXAMINATIONS
Total Of Ten Persons Will Apply for
Pardon at the Hands Of the LegisIa-
ture-Indoor Rifle Practice to Begin
November 15-Roard of Control on
Trip-other News.
Special to Times Republican.

Special to Times Re publican.
Des Moines, Oct. 25.-The board OF
educa tional examiners may set an ex-
ample to the teachers by putting a
premium on accuracy in the marking
of the examination papers for teachers
in the examinations being held over
the state this week. Some of the mem
bers of the board hold the theory that
if 90 per cent marking is given for an
answer to a question that is half right
it is putting premium on inaccuracy.
For this reason there is being advo-
Gated the proposition that If an answer
is only half right it should have less
than half the full marking or else get
no marking at all.
1t is possible that the board may in
stitute some such a system III tnc
grading of the papers in the examina-
ton this week. Teachers all over the
state, It is Claimed, have been in the
habit VI giving SASaAI ASA ssOAAA 1's~>~-Sf
done. Advocates OF the new idea. hold
that this tends to encourage inaccur,
acy on the part of the pupil and that
il the young pupil is started out to
think that task but partly done or
poorly done even If in measure part
ly right, is deserving of no credit un-
less it is perfect, there would be great
er ambition and striving for perfec1
ton.
A common custom in examining in
given subject is to provide ten ques-
ltions. Every question that Is answered
correctly is given a mark of 10 ana
if all of the ten questions are answered
correctly the pupil gets marking of
leo. If pupil answers one OF the
questions but partly right, such as US
ing the right method in figuring, a
problem, but getting the wrong answer,
teachers are in the habit of giving a
grade of for that answer and If all
the other questions are answered cor
rectly the pupil would be given a grade
of 95. Advocates Of the new idea
would give the pupil no credit for the
partly right answer and would give d
grade of 80 If all questions were ans
wered right but the one. 1t Is pro-
posed that the best way to start the
system is to use 1t in grading the pa
pers of the school teachers when they
take examinations.
1t is understood from residents of
the Eighth district that Judge Smith
Mcpherson, judge of the U. S. district
court Of the southern district of Iowa.
and D. B. Miller, of Red Oak, one time
marshal for southern Iowa and the
holder Of other federal positions, have
given it out to. their friends that they
do not propose to go to the polls at al.
to vote on November s. This asser-
ton is being made by residents of that
section Of the state who have been in
Des Moines recently.
Four more want pardons from the
legislature, making total Of ten who
have asked the governor to make
proper advertisement of their petitions
for pardon and to lay the matter be-
fore the legislature One is James
Burns, known as slim" Burns, who
was sent to the penitentiary for life
from Polk county for the murder OF
Jerry Corcoran in 1903 Burns was
committed April 20. 1908. He asks
for a pardon on the ground that he
is innocent and there are a great many
in Des Moines who share in the belief
he was not guilty, but was rather a
victim of the policy that seems to
prevail in the Des Moines police force
OF convicting somebody, guilty or not
Jerry Corcoran was found in an East
Side alley dead, victim of "dopea'
whiskey. James Aaron and his wife
were arrested for the crime along with
Burns. The Aarons turned states evil
dence and on their testimony Burns
was convicted.
Another of the four asking pardons
is Betsy Smith, convicted in Polk
county and committed to the peniten-
tiary July 2, 1894, with her daughter
for murder here. She asked for a
pardon Of the last legislature.
Another is w. P. Glyndon, commit
ted from Hardin county April ~, 1878
at the age OF 80 years. He asks
pardon on the grounds of his long
service and Innocence.
The fourth is John B. Taylor; sem
fenced Nov. 10, 1879, from Clinton
county. He is now II years old and
wants pardon on his long service and
the claim Of innocence.
Adjutant General w. H. Thrift has
ordered that indoor rife practice fol
the guard begin November. Is, instead
Of January /, thus giving five months
indoor and five months outdoor prac-
tice. Considerable difficulty is being
had in finding sites for the regimenta'
rifle ranges for the guard
Lieut.. r. NJ. Anderson. Company l
Fifty-fourth regiment, Iowa National
Guard, at Iowa City. and Lieut.. Bert E.
Kennedy, Company H. Fifty fifth reg
iment, at Atlantic, have resigned. The
date of the elections to fill the vacan-
cies will be set in a few days by the
colonels commanding the regiments
- nnn a