Honolulu star-bulletin., 1917-03-13
"Misstatement of Fact" He
Declares, and So Notifies
College Club

II p {.
i 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
schcol superintendent ..iuggled fig
!, mes in his recent report to the govern
or juggled them in order 10 make
better showing for Hawaii's, public
schools.
Superintendent Kinney declares that
Mrs. Weaver is making -misstate.
ments OF fact.
"Yoa are, as usual" he wrote her in
answer, arguing en- basis OF mis-
| take or a misstatement Of fact" and in
a separate letter to the College Club
/ he makes ii 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 q letter,
received by thus department under
date CT March 7th, beg to state that,
feeling certain that yonr organization
would not wish TO prove theories by a
misstatenent Of fact. prefer TO make
my reply to the author thereof. rather
| than to address 1t to q number of per.
sons who are not responsible therefor.
Il enclose a copy OF my letter to
Mrs. p. l.. Weaver.
His letter to Mrs. Weaver is:
March 12, 1917.
/ Mrs. p. L. Weaver, Honolulu, T. H.;
Dear Madam: beg to acknowledge
the receipt of your letter of March Z,
in which you virtually charge that the
department. has .iuggled' the figures
contained in its recent biennial re-
port. You are, as usual, arguing on
basis of mistake or nisstatement
of fact.
"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 1t |
was in 1915, and stricter In 1915 than
it was in 1916.
/ @While the rule in 1915 was differ,
ent from that OF 1914 in that it allowed
the passing OF candidates who had i
! over 60 Ier cent in two subjects, pro-
vfded they had total average Of Is
per cent In all subject, The SAME year
saw the addition of definite rules in
|,marking, which would more. than equa-
lie the paint given aboEe.
"The statement that the eighth !
grade rule for 1915 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
1The, pAssing average was Is per
cent inIall three years.
t7 ---z-.-t 80
eYou state in regard to the use Of
the Russell Sage Foundation test for
spelling that the Sage Foundation
chart tAyres scalel. states the results
for 81 cities on the mainland to be
SO, 70, SS, 90. 3S and 100, while the de-
rartment's report gives these at I'll
IS, rs, &c, rs, rs. Again an abso-
lutte misstatement of face
The Bureau of Edutation Of Wash
ington states as follows in the CITY
School Circular, 1856, No.a4'::
The general average Of the Ayres
spelling scale IS 76 per cent for "a
cities
"This circular gives in detail exact
ly the figures given by the department.
IF you will examine the report Of
the survey committee of the Cleveland 1
foundation with which, as the preface
shows, DR.. Ayres Of the Russell Sage
foundation was intimately associated I
you will find On table 8, page 81, the
figures for the averages for "a cities
given exactly as quoted in the depart.
ment's report.
You have evidently concluded that
the figures given IN the chart we're the
averages obtained In tire tests tn the
81 schools. DIR. Ayreg book, "A Meas.
uring Scale, for Ability in Spelling,
will show you that these are standard (
figuress worked out threngh "A systemI
of curves and mathematical calcuias
tions, and that the actiaI averages OBJ
tanned are tanse given ID the United
States circpl6rG ii the Cleveland founTi
dation volume referred to- and In the
report OF the department of public In
structien Of the territory OF Hawaii.
Rules for Passing
@The requirements IN 1914 were as
follows:
The passing mark in each SUBJ
ject will be per cent
"The regulations In 1915 were as fol-
lows:
The passing mark in each subjectl
will be IS per cent At the final exam
nations in June this will be required
for promotion or a diploma. An ex-
ception will be allowed, however, in
the case Of pupils who fail only in two