The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-03-04

the state university, inspector OF Ine
high schools of the state, has been re-
ceived by o. p. NJ. McClintock, chair
man of the committee. 1t places the
local school in the front rank among
the schools of the state and is in every
way favorable.
The letter follows:
February %, 1910.
Mr.. o. P. NJ. McClintock, Topeka, Kan.
Your letter of inquiry dated Febru-
airy % was received in due time, and
in reply to the same 1 submit the fol-
lowing data gathered from observation,
inspection and records on file in this
office.
When 1 assumed the responsibility
of according schools for the univer-
sity 1 found the Topeka high school
classified in the first list of accredited
schools; during the past seven years
1 have visited number of times for
the purpose of familiarizing myself
with the character of the work in the
different departments as they have de-
veloped from time to time.
In determining the efficiency of
school the following points are consid-
cred: First, are the instructors well
qualified? Second, are they required
to carry more than six Rotations per
and principal given time for supervi-
sion and inspection? Fourth, is the
length of the school year at least thir-
ty-five weeks? Fifth, are the labora-
Sixth, are laboratory subjects given
double periods? Seventh, is there
library of carefully selected reference
books supplied for the use of the pu--
pills? Eighth, is the construction of
the buildings with regard to lighting,
heating and ventilating of rooms, con-
dition of furniture, apparatus, lava
tories, corridors and closets such as
would insure the proper hygienic CON-
ditions? Ninth, are the habits of !
thought and study, as evidenced in the /
study hall and in the general intel |
lectual and moral tone of the school, |
given careful daily consideration?
In applying the above tests to the |
Topeka high school I am enabled to |
draw the following conclusions: First, |
the instructors are well quallhed in |
cessful experience The instructors in |
the high school number thirty-nine; |
of these twenty-eight are college grad |
yates from institutions of recognized I
standing: six have the additional de- !
gree of Master of Arts: six have taken &,
postgraduate work at such institutions
as the University of Chicago and Har-
ward: nine are engaged in teaching |
vocational subjects and, while not coll /!
lege gra duates, are especially prepared |
for the specific line of work assigned |
to them; only two are conducting
classes in academic work who have less
than a college preparation for their
work, and these are teachers of long
and successful experience. Second, no
Instructor is required to carry more
than six recitations per day. Third, the |
principal is given all of his time, with |
the exception of one hour, for vista
ton, inspection and general admins 1
trative work. This is in accordance /
with the best regulated high schools.
Fourth. the school also fulfills the Il
requirement with reference to length Il
of term, equipment of the laboratories II
and the arrangement of facilities for 4
work. The physical and chemi-
cal laboratories are modern in every
particular with sufficient capacity to ac-
comm odate the classes at the present
time.
Fifth, the buildings are modern and
well arranged, and every provision is
made for the convenience, comfort and
health of the teachers and student
body.
Sixth, the attitude of the student
body toward the school and its regu-
lationS seems to be most wholesome.
Students move promptly, take an ac-
tive and intelligent part in class work
and on the whole manifest a most ex-
cellent spirit.
These facts may be discovered by
any intelligent person who will take
the time to visit the school. There
are other methods. however. of meas
uring the efficiency of school work
which do not appear upon the surface
and which probably are more satisfac-
tory to anyone versed in school mat
tiers. The above tests apply to exist
ing conditions in so far as they can be
used in developing ideal scholarship.
The second method would require us
to discover If possible, to what ex-
tent the school is actually fulfilling it's
mission as an educational institution
with certain we'll known limitations
In the first place, does the admin
of the affairs of the school
tend to maintain normal enrolment
based upon the total enrolment in the
public schools of the city? I give
herewith statistics from sixteen cities
nf a of w n
accredited by the North Central Asso-
citation of Colleges and Secondary
Schools The contains the school
enumeration, the total enrolment in
ing the high school and the enrol
ment in the high school. From these
figures / have found that fifteen and
f1ve-tenths per cent of the total en-
is found in the Topeka high
school; while the average for the six
teen cities is fifteen per cent. The
table also shows that fifteen per cent
of the high school enrolment is in the
senior class, while the average for the
sixteen cities is a little less than four
teen per cent. and for the state, thir-
teen and Six-tenthS per cent. 1 would
also call your attention, to the fact that
a number of the cities fall below ten
per cent in this particular. These facts
will show concluSively that the Topeka /
high school shows an average enroll
ment in relation to the total number
of pupils in the city, and therefore, 4
that conditions in this particular are
normal. They also show that a larger
number of pupils remain in the high
school through the senior year by more
than one per cent than is the average |
for the sixteen cities accredited by the 1
North Central association. II
In the second place, have the grad Il
yates of the high school, who have |
entered college, succeeded in carrying i
on college work with credit; or if not, III
can such failure be attributed to the |