The Mena weekly star., 1910-01-06
We would advocate monthly


 school, held by the teacher, after the following manner, or by some similar plan: A committee, or the county examiner, prepares the questions aud is limited iu this work by tn provisions oi the course of study; that Is, questions are prepared 10 agree with the course and not requiring a know ledge of the text beyond the months work. No one outside of the committee or the examiner should be permitted to have ac- cess to the contents of the exam nation previous to the fixed time for holding them; they should be sealed within properly labeled envelope, placed in the keeping and care of the teacher and open ed at the designated time by a committee of the school. This committee should certify to the condition of the seals, with date and time opened.
 The contents of the envelope should be handed to the teacher, who proceeds with the examina- tion by placing certain parts ot It u 2on the blackboard and requir- | ing certain classes to write replies to the questions in their best form and upon uniform paper furnished by the board of directors.
 This should be called the teach CTS examine ation, since he is in charge of 1t, although he does not assist in the preparation oi the tests; he grades the manu scripts, records, the grades, re- ports to parents, and has full charge of it.
 It will be noticed that such a plan will secure uniformity of questions for the whole county. The envelopes will be opened in the same manner and at the same time. This, then, is the first step toward securing uniform re- suits.
 The preceding plan of holding monthly examinations should date with a certain month and be con- tinued for fixed period of time in order to prepare pupils for other tests described below. For convenience in transporta- ton in coming together, the county should be grouped into several divisions, each consisting of several schools, with q cen- trally located school house in or near the center of each group; this might be termed the central school and so called from its To- cation; at this school those pupils from the several schools Of the group, having pursued the seven common branches (those chased by the Arkansas school law. as common) and recommended by 1 the teacher as able to take fair examination upon the branches pursued, should meet at date fixed beforehand for the purpose of taking more general exam iuation held by committee or by
 he county examiner. No pupil should be admitted to this exam inatiou unless he has studied all of the branches required by law,
 The person or persons holding this examination should grade the manuscript produced at these tests, record the results aud issue certificate of rank in class te each pupil in attendance.
 | It will be noted that this test will show the ability of tho teacher to do thorough and com petent work under the required course of study. In other words, comparison of the work oi schools is self evident and teach CTS as we'll as pupils are inspired to do more and better work fol the following term or year.
 | As many of the patrons of the several schools are likely to bs present with their children, | gives a good opportunity to ex plain any feature of the work no likely to be understood; 1t alst gives the spectator a chance t' select the good or the poor teache in the group by the product o the pupils work, which is an ex ponent of that of the teacher
 That the pupil will reproduce tha which he has learned in the sam
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