The log cabin Democrat., 1922-03-30
STATE RANKS LOW ON HISTORY TEST SCORED ON HANDWRITING State Norma's Measuring of Two Branches Finds Town Schools
 Work Below Par.

Tests on history given in 53 town schools of Arkansas under supervision of the State Normal have produced the lowest averages yet to emerge from the series of educational meas urements being made by the local in- stitution. The proficiency of pupils in penmanship was also tested, the scores being close to national stand ards on the point of speed, but below par on quality. Results of both tests are summarized in current bulletins by Prof. c. c. Denney, director of the education measurement and standard bureau of the Normal.
 The showing of the pupils in his tory is best set forth in the median score prepared by MT. Denney. In effect, the score made by the median town is taken as the state score. That is, as many reporting towns made a score of less than AZ as made score larger than 42. For the sev- enth and eighth grades, the Harlan standards are 56 and 86, respectively, in comparison with which the Ark ansas averages for the two grades were AZ and 54.
 Further, 80 per cent of the report ing schools in the seventh and 98 per cent of those in the eighth grade did not exceed the standards set. Taking the scores as an indication of the work being done in history, the eighth grade has not reached standards set for the seventh grade, much less the eighth. Mr. Denney is convinced from the re- ports that instruction in history has reached a stage where the earnest at tention of the teachers of the state should be given it, for the application of corrective measures.
 The same conditions obtain in re- gard to the teaching of handwriting, MT. Denney finds. His table, by grades compiled from the median score as follows in making up the averages on history, gives the rank ing by grades on the point of speed, with the Ayres and national stand ards for comparison:
 2 8. 5 z 8 Ayres --------31 A 55 GA n 76 79 National -----36 48 56 65 72 80 90 Arkansas -----28 43 58 67 Fl 75 84
 All tables in MT. Denneys report are based on reports from schools in 55 towns in Arkansas where the tests were given. On quality of handwrit- ing, the slump under national stand ards was still further apparent, as may be seen from this table:
 2 3 4 5 6 2 8 Ayres -38 AZ 46 50 54 58 62 National --44 47 50 55 59 GA 70 ----36 43 46 42 49 49 57
 Attention is also directed in the bull letn to the wide variation between highest and lowest median scores in both quality and speed of handwriting. In the second grade, II was the lowest score on speed and 69 highest; third grade, 13 low and 80 high; fourth grade, 13 low and no high, fifth grade, 28 low and 120 high; sixth grade, p low and 100 high; seventh grade, 25 low and 12S high; and eighth grade, 28 low and l13 high Whilel the averages on quality did not vary so widely, yet the variance was strongly apparent.
 With public school education to the front of public attention from the efforts to lift Arkansas on the na- tional standing educationally, the State Normal is performing a real service to the cause by initiating and the tests, to which school and superintendents and es- pccially county superintendents have given the best of cooperation. Scores made by individual schools are listed on a table with a code ign to rep resent each school tested. From the table. the school can determine its standing. Every possible assistance is youchsafed by the State Normal to principals and instructors who wish to find out and apply corrective meas