Perth Amboy evening news., 1912-05-06
EIGHTH GRADE
EXAMINATIONS
Plans for First Test Under
New Law Complete.
from the NEWS Correspondent

ANNN -
The amendment adopted last winter
struck from the law the provision
that the state examination should
be the sole test for promotion to the
high school, thereby eliminating the
years record of the pupil as the
basis for Advancement. The law
now provides that nothing therein
shall impair the right of each
school district to prescribe its own
rules for promotion.
The statement of the law as to
the purpose Of the state examination
is as follows: The Commissioner
Of Education shall ascertain the
th~oroughness and efficiency of any
or all public schools, and of any or
all grades in them. by such ways
and means, tests and examinations,
as to when may seem proper, when
ever in his opinion or in that of the
State Board of Education is advisa-
BILE to do So"
In his announcement of the eX-
animation, Commissioner Kendall
says the tests will be subject to the
direction of the city or county su-
pc%rintendents in their respective
jurisdictions. Three schedules have
| DCtI Dldlutu III OIutI " dCCOLllllO-
date those schools that close for the
summer early and those that close
late, and to meet the wish of some
that the June examinations be ex-
tended over a period of n week
rather than be confined to three
days.
From May 13 to Is.
The first schedule calls for eXami-
nations to be held on May 10 to May
Is. 1t is as follows: English, Mon
day, May 13, A. NJ. not to exceed
three hours; spelling, May 13, P. NJ,
not to exceed one hour; penman-
ship, May 13, p. NJ, not to exceed
forty-ive minutes; Z. s. History,
May IA, A. NJ, not to exceed three
hours; geography, May IA, P. NJ,
not to exceed three hours; arithme-
tic, May IS, A. NJ, not to exceed
three hours.
Two schedules are set down in
June, the first to be held June 10 to
12. The order of this schedule Is
precisely the same as the foregoing
one. The third schedule covers the
same studies and will apply where
the June examinations are to be ex-
tended over a period Of one week,
the dates being June 10 to IA.
Commenting on the examinations
in his announcement, DR.. Kendall
says: THE use that may be made
Of these tests in determining promo
tons to high school departments is
not precribed by this department.
1t IS not the purpose of these exam
nations to exclude other examina-
lions in the same subjects or exami-
nations In other subjects. If they
are used as a factor in determining
promotions, it is suggested that only
a limited value be given them. At
a later time, probably during the
next school year, state examinations
may be held In one or more of the
other subjects of the curriculum"
Consist of Two Parts.
Each examination will consist of
two parts, part one being made up
of fifteen questions of the more CON
ventional sort, of which ten shall
be selected. each rated at ten points.
Part two will be made up of five
special credit" questions involving
lines which are to be encouraged in
the regular work of the school. One
of these latter questions may be
selected at the option of the pupil
and answered In addition to the ten
answered in Part /. This question
will be rated on the basis of ten
points, which will be in addition to
the credits received on questions in
Part 4. In making up the final rat
ing of each paper, except English,
from IL to five points may be add
ed for general appearance and me-
chanical merit. 1t Is evident that
by answering a special credit
question, and by reason of excel
lence in the mechanical appearance
of the paper, a pupil may receive
more than 100 points on any one
paper. For this reason the papers
will be rated by points rather than
by per cents.
No deductions for mistakes in
spelling and punctuation will be
made except In the examination In
spelling and English. This plan,
Dr.. Kendall points out, is not in
tended to minimize the importance
Of correct spelling and punctuation
In all written exercises, but is adopt
ed for the first examination to give
greater simplicity in the rating OF
papers. 1t is not a precedent fol-
future examinations. Papers handed
in by the pupils are to be the first
writing. No copied work Is to be
allowed, except in the examination
in English, where the composition
part Is to be copied after correction
by the pupil.
Test in English.
The test in English will consist oil
two parts-Composition, in which q
choice will be given of either a soc,
ial letter, a business letter, a de.
scription, an incident, or an imagt-
native story; Part 2 being made III
of some questions on technical Eng
lish with special reference to the
application of technical English in
common speech and writing. The
penmanship test will consist OF the
writing of a paragraph Of approx
mately 100 words, to be dictated OF
copied, as directed by the city OIL
county superintendent.
The examination in spelling vii
consist of the dictation of seventy
five isolated words out of a list OF
100 words, together with twenty
five words found in a piece of con,
neeted composition, which will alst
be dictated. In arithmetic the eX
animation will consist of ifteer
questions, Or problems, of which
ten are to be selected. In addition
to these five special credit ques-
tons, or problems~w will be given, OF