New-York tribune., 1922-12-16

By Psychology
Certain lin City
Educators Rally 10 the Plan
Of DIR. Esiineer to Class
ify Pupils by Lnfeliii
gence and Not by Age
Mental Tests started d
Show 3I.2 p. c. in Classes
Too Advanced, and S26,-
894 Failing Of Promotion


Psychological tests for public school
pupils ss a means Of proper grouping
md classification are futurs csTtainties
ssr New York seAools, psychologists
and educsso1 agreed yesterday.
Tho uss os such tests. employed in
panoas univsrs' lee. eoaId not fail to
produce equally 5sneheial results II
adopted By toe eity's 7sbIie school sy'-
ten. Il was declared.
Those commenting uron 'hs subject
we're in accord With williS@ l. E.tin-
rsr. Superintendent Of Seheels, who
proposed substitution fnr The tradition
Il manner Of grouping pupils row IN
yo-se Of a plan providing for group
ing on the basis Of intelligence The
proposal Of superintendent Ethngsr
- based on a report submitteo %
bureau Of Reference, Research and
statistic OF the Board of Education,
-~bseh shoaed that 9il2 per cent Of the
pupiis In the elementary schools are
beiow their normal grades and that
tbIs year 326ses out Of fi0,ets In the
regular grades failed 70 achieve pro-
action.
Experiments Under Way
slnee June. 1921, the New York
STATE Aqsociation Of Consulting Pgy-
-kologists. Of which Dr. David Mitchell
leO West Eighty-frst Strest. is presi-
dent has been az work With psycao-
io0;eai tests in two of Nanhattan't
,nhNr schools-No. 80 and No. lle.
Experirnents later were started N
publie School i02. The results have
more than justified the belief. y ,Nss
aid. that the present system should
Immediately be supplanteo:
In virtually all cases the majority
a the children subjected 70 the tests
we're examined pEychologteally before
bslng assigned tc a seat IN classroom,
Out Of 2SO0 pupils Of Schools ~ sna
10 taking the Psychological tests ~
,er cent have accomplished N year
snd 8 half exactly three years work,
nd will be able 70 finish IN FOUR years
vbst would be an ordinary eight-ysar
rourse. The 10 per cent we're diseoy-
red through the use Of the psyeholcgi-
cal test.
aPhych oiorieal examination OF pub,
lie school pupils can not 9s SSaEso
- future necessity, sale Dr; niSsn ~
ell. 1T has got to come. entsH
III those connected with the public
,ehooI svstem now realize t."
Tho work OF the New York state
Association Of Consulting PsyeHo,o-
rists ives originally undertaken py
twenty-five volunteers.
With Discretion. Says Expert
Or. z. l.. Thorndike. professor Of
psvcloloRy at Teachers College, CO.
iuTnbia University, gave II as his opin-
ION fhat psychological tests. along the
ans general line as those used IN the
univsrsities could be applied 20 the
publie schools with beneficial results,
out that Il would have 10 be done
with discretiOn.
"Wc use scales 70 determine baby's
WEIGHT. and there is no reason why
Gales should not be used to determine
a cMldA intelligence" said professor
Thorndike. "Most OF the objections
hat have been raised against the
neurological tests have been based on
he question Of publicity. hothcts con't
IKE IL 10 UfkNlMG AI6Nh NIA NANtA
children Aro below normal mentally
Il seems 20 me. however, that differ.
entiation by mean Of psychological
ezanination would be sane and more
ezplitit than BY any other nnethod.F r.
Dr.. Thorndike pointed out that there
were any number Of standard tests that
might be used. The Terman eIamina-
tion has been used on the pupils OF The
schools reached by the New York state
Association OF Consulting PsyehOlo-
gfats. This test calls upon pupii8 70
make certain motions With arms, feet
and handS, 20 describe objects and pic
lures. to repeat designated sentences,
% define objects, 20 name colorS. Ger
tain questions are asked 70 determine
a pupils comprehension Of various
subjects.
Aid to Backward PupiI
As viewed by DR.. Mitchell and DR..
rhorndiks a test Of this eharsetsr, II
showing 4 pupil 20 be backward, really
proves helpful 70 that pupil In that u
prevents him from being pushed ahead
faster than he should be Ane prevents
bis becoming discouraged.
DR.. James y. Lough, professor Of
psychology OF New York University
aid that no was strongly IN favor OF
he adoption Of psychological tests %
deterinins the proper grouping Of pub
lic school pupils.
IT would be a certain means IN my
opinion he said, "of having q fairly
homogeneope rroup working together.
George J. Ryan. president Of the
Board Of Education Of Queens. another
20 express himself regarding the many
H.nnnWaANs. Hatlsswan ka.awa. Il L..
proper grouping said: disclosures Of
The slew progress through the schools
made BY = very considerable proper
lion Of the children bring forcibly 70
public attention the great need for
consideration Of changes In the course
~ study, 20 the end that instruction
may be suited 10 the revealed abilities
of the Children Examination Of the
records Of the Department Of EducA-
tion diseiOscs the fact that practically
no attention has been given by the su-
perintendents during recent years 20
this vital and important problem, Of
the sehoels. In some schools princi-
pals have undertaken 20 eject Inn
provement by grouping the children in
classes as bright, normal and slow and
have encouraged teachers 10 suit their
instruction within the requirements Of
he courses OF study 20 the needs Of
he children"
The Tribuue's recent series of arti-
eies on school conditions In the city
showed that under the present system.
children often were promoted into
classes higher than their mental age
warrants Such a condition. II was
sAid yesterday, would Be impossible
II psychological tests we're rigidly
applied.
c. B. j. Snyder Resigns as
Head of School Buildings
- coo .no0 0ao