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

] Superintendent CT Public Instruction
Henry W. Kinney yesterday made en-
| phatic answer to accusations by Mrs.
| Agnes c. Weaver Of the College Club
that amounted to a charge that the
school superintendent ..juggled fig
uies in his recent report to the govern
/ or-juggled them in order II make a
better showing for Hawaifs public
| schools.
Superintendent Kinney declares that
Mrs. Weaver is making "misstate-
ments of fact ....
/ You are, as usual" he wrote her in
answer, arguing on a basis of a mis-
take or misstatement Of fact" and In
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 follow:
| March IL, 1917.
The College Club, care of Mrs. Kate
w. Forbes, Honolulu. T. H.
"Mesdames: Referring to a letter
received by this department under
date of March It'll, 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
i than to address it to number OF per-
sens who are not responsible therefor.
Il enclose copy Of my letter to
Mrs. p. l.. Weaver" n-s ..
His letter to Mrs. Weaver is:
March IL, 1917.
MRS. p. l.. Weaver, Honolulu, L. II.
Dear Madam: beg to acknowledge
I, the receipt of your letter OF March z,
in which You virtually charge that the
department has 'juggled' the figures
! contained in. its recent biennial re-
port. You are, as usual, arguing on
basis Of a.niistake CT misstatement
of fact.
aYour first claim is that the eighth
grade examination figures are ineon- !
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.
while the rule in 1916 was differ
emit from that Of 1914 IN that 1t allowed
the passing of candidates who had
over so per cent in two subjects, pro-
yided they had a t0talsavefage of % |
rer cent in all subject the same year
saw the addition OF definite rules in
marking, which would more than equa.
lie the point given above.
The staieHent tha3 the eighth
grade rule Ter 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
the rules for these two years will
@Tle passing average was IS 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 scale), states the results
for 81 cities on the mainland to be
So, 70, So, "a, 80 and 100, while the de.
rartment's report gives these at 77,l
rs, rs, rs, rs, rs. Again an abso-
lutte misstatement of fact
"The Bureau Of Edtieation Of Wash-i
ington states as follows in the City
School Circular, 1856, No. A.:
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 by the department.
'If you will examine the report Of
the survey COMMITTEES Of the Cleveland
foundation with which, as the preface
shows, DR.. Ayres of the Russell Sage
foundation was intimately associated,
you will find en- table 9. page 81, the
figures for the averages for "a cities
given exactly as quoted in the depart.
ments report.
You have evidently concluded that
the figures given In the chart were the
averages obtained in the tests in the
"a schools. DR.. Ayres' book, "A Meas.
uring Scale for Ability in Spelling,
will show you that these are standard
figures worked out through a system
of curves and mathematical calcula.
tons, and that the actual averages OBJ
tanned are those given In the United
States circular, in the Cleveland foun-l
daticn volume referred to and In the
report of the department of public in
struction Of the territory of Hawaii.
Rules for Passing
THE requirements In 1914 were as
follows:
Tho passing mark in each. SUBJ
ject will be Is per cent
AThe regulations in 1915 were as fol.
lows:
g. The passing mark In each subject
will be IS per cent At the final exam
nations in June this will be required
for promotion or a diploma. An ex-
ception viii be allowed, however, in
the case Of pupils who fail only in two
subjects with mark of not less than