Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1916-05-27
WILLIS S. EVANS
ON EXAMINATIONS
Tells Applicants How to Succeed and
What is Required Of
Them.

Few of the citizens of our state
have a clear idea of the enormous
amount of work turned out in a sn-
gle year by the superintendent Of
Free Schools at Charleston and no
one would be inclined to believe It
were possible to accomplish this work
ia such a short time unless he come
in contact with it,
In the first place three sets of ex-
animation questions for teachers
mast be prepared, published aud mail
ed Besides this, three lists of quea-
tons for pupils examinations must
lie prepared, published and sent out
Then comes the grading of teach
ers manuscripts. Did any one ever
stop to think what a job this Is?
There were in the April. 1915 exaln-
nation approximately $500 appl,.
cants. In the eleven subjects reQuir.
ed by law for the applicant to pass
upon, there were $1,000 manuscripts
to be read and graded. A person
grading these manuscripts at the ay.
erage rate of one hundred a day it
would require four and three-fourth
years to complete the work, or four
teen and one-fourth years to complete
the work for single year. So you
can see this phase of the work is
enormous.
In grading these manuscripts, ey-
cry word must be read. every errer
noted. in punctuation, spelling, etc,
and every answer given the per cent it
merits, on the face of the manuscript
and the total entered on the back.
These are then counted and arranged
phabetically. Then copies Of the
grades each applicant receives must
be made and recorded, the notices
of the grades of each applicant must
be mailed to him ana a correct file
Of the names and addresses of each
applicant must be kept
The certificate is issued upon the
highest grades made during the year.
| OF course the certificate Is issued but
once, but this work in itself is large.
The grades made in each examination
are carefully gone over and the high
est in any one branch is taken and
a copy Of these grades is filed and
the certificates issued from this file.
In 1915 there were something over
6,0O0 certificates issued These had
to be signed, the grades recorded on
them, and a careful file of every
grade kept at the department
Five tons Of examination paper are
required for the examination for one
year Besides this several thousand
| publications are printed and distribu-
| ted by this department. each year
such as courses of study for the ele-
mentary and high schools, reports of
the state high school supervisor, state
superintendent, state board of regents,
state board of education and differ
ent school surveys, books on school
architecture, institute and community
social meeting programs, song books
for schools, school directories and
school laws, manuals for Arbor and
Bird Day and Literary Day, bulletins
for examination, information the
study of the teachers reading circle
books, hand books, and several thou
sand copies Of pamphlets and book
let's pertaining to the department. All
these must be written or rewritten
as they are needed.
Besides this, the correspondence,
some 10000 letters, pertaining to The
school work must be read and answ-
cred. Institutes, as county and dis
trict must be attended. Commence
ment addresses must be made and
if an address could possibly be ade
at each of the high and normal
schools of the state, (some 100 in
number) this would occupy one mans
time during the year.
Schools must be visited, articles
----------------------