Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-03-13
"Misstatement OF Fact. 2 He
Declares, and So Notifies
College Club

] Superintendent of Public Instruction
] Henry W. Kinney yesterday made en-
! Phatie answer to accusations by Mrs.
Agnes c. Weaver of the College Club
/ that amounted 70 charge that the
school superintendent '.juggled' fig
/ ures in his recent report to the govern
] or-juggled them in order to make a
better showing for Hawaiisf public
schools. 1a-[
Superintendent Kinney declares that
Mrs. Weaver Is making "misstate-
ments Of fact. T.: ..-.' a.
You are, as usual" he wrote her in
answer, arguing en- basis of mis-
take or misstatement OF fact, and in
a separate letter TO the College Club
he makes Il plain that he holds Mrs.
Weaver. and not the club responsible
| for an attempt to prove theories by
ments of fact"
The letters fellow: e. !
| March II, 1917.
| THE College Club, care of Mrs. Kate
w. Forbes, Honolulu, T. III.
.Mesdames: Referring to a letter
| received by this department under
date of March 9TH, beg to state that,
feeling certain that your organization
would not wish to prove theories by a
| misstatement of fact, prefer to make
my reply to the author thereof. rather
| than to address it to a number of per.
sons who are not responsible therefor.
Il enclose copy OF my letter to
Mrs. p. L. weaver SO - avg
His letter to Mrs. Weaver Is:
March ~, 1917.
/ Mrs. p. L. Weaver, Honolulu. T. II.
Dear Madam: beg TO acknowledge
the receipt of your letter of March Z,
in which you virtually charge that the
department has .iuggied the figures
j contained in its recent biennial re-
port. You are, as usual, arguing on
basis of a mistake CT q misstAtement
of fact. = 70
your first claim is that the eighth
grade examination figures are incon-
elusive because. You say, the rule for
passing was stricter In 1914 than it
was in 1915, and stricter In 1915 than
1t was in 1916. Il
..While the rule in 1915 was differ
emit from that of 1914 in that It allowed
the passing OF candidates who had
over 60 Per cent in tNt SUBJ cts, pro |
yided they had total average of Is /
per cent in, all subjects, Gie came year
saw the addition of definite rules in
marking, which would more than equa-i
lice the point dvei Ahpte
THE statehtlIt thatf the eighth |
grade rule for 1916 was different from
that OF 1916 is simply contrary to the
fact The rule was the same as the
examination of the appended copies Of
sbow ~ sssssrss ~ Ts3s
"The passing average was 75 per
cent in all three years.
----
You state in regard to the use Of
the Russell Sage Foundation test for
spelling that the Sage Foundation
chart (Ayres scale9, ststes the results
for "a cities on the mainland to be I
IS, 70. So, 81, 9S and 100. while the de-
partment's report gives these at II,
rs, &c, rs, &c. rs. Again an abso-i
lutte misstatement of fact
The Bureau of Education Of Wash
ington states as follows in the City
School Circular, 1915<16, No. -
The general average Of the Ayres
spelling scale IS rs per cent for 81
cities
This circular gives in detail exact
ly the figures given blythe department
"If you will examine the report Of
the survey committee Of the Cleveland
foundation with which, as the preface
shows, DR.. Ayres OF the Russell Sage
foundation was intimately associated.
you will find on table g, page 81, the
figures for the averages for 50 cities +
given exactly as quoted in the depart.
ment's report.
You have evidently concluded thatI
the figures given IN The chart we're the
averages obtained IN the tests in the
"a schools. DIR. Ayresr book, "A Meas
uring Scale for Ability In Spelling,
win show you. that these are standard
figures worked out through a systemi
of curves and mathematical calcula
tons, and that the actual averages OBJ
tanned are those given in the United I
States circular, in the Cleveland founr
dation volume referred to and In the
report of the department of public in
strncticn of the territory of Hawaii.
Rules for Passing
The requirements In 1914 were as
follows:
9 The passing mark in each sub
ject viii be IS per cent
The regulations in 1915 were as fol-
lows:
The passing mark in each subject
win be as per cent. At the final exam
nations in June this will be required
for promotion or diploma. An ex-i
ception will be allowed. however, in
the casefof pupils who fail only IN twoI