The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1923-05-03
COOPER GIVES
TALK AT HURON
Professor Of Local High School Ad-
dresses Education Conference on "Ad.
minlstratiOn of Tests and
Measurements

Supt. II. p. Cooper gave a very in
~teresting talk on administration of
Tests and Measurements at the East
Central Educational Conference of
South Dakota, held at Huron last
week.
In brief, Mr.. Cooper stated:
Many new methods and practices
have come into the educational world
during the last few years. Among
them the movement of tests and
measurements. By means of this
movement scientific knowledge has
become the basis of educational prac-
tices to a much larger extent than
at any time before. Also systems
of schools have been able to check
and survey their work and to diagnose
and remedy many of their practices
and difficulties.
TESTS are classified in three
groups:
1. Psychological tests, such as in
telligenCe and achievement test.
2. Protective subject tests, such as
history tests, geography tests, litera-
ture tests.
3. Objective subject tests, such as
silent reading, arithmetic, spelling,
writing.
Intelligence tests have been used
generally to find the ability of the
child to do school work. Many edu-
Gators have used them to group chill
dren in grades and classes. The
test measurs general intelligence.
AS yet it is by no means reliable
enough to grade or place a child in
school work entirely by its own score.
Many school people are giving too
mich stress to the score made BY
child On intelligence test and are en-
tirely neglecting his motor skill age,
school age and physical age, all of
which are just as important as his
mental age. The tests as yet have
not reached a stage where they can
be counted as reliable. Pupils will
score much differently on different
ferns of same test, showing that IL
just one form of test is used entirely
different results will be obtained than
IL another form is used. In order to
get accurate information five or six
tests must be used. Also highest
mental age should be final score and
net average. Tests are a great help
in assisting the teache. to locate
weaknesses of pupiis.
Protective tests, although not pro-
NOTED as the intelligence tests and OBJ
jective tests, are largely made from
international content in several of
the textbooks. They measure fac
tual information in subjects where
factual information is a minor aim.
The good of history, geography and
literature is obtained through discus
sion and experiences worked cut in
class, not from the facts memOrized.
To ask a school to get ready to pass
a score on a protective test is asking
them to follow a method that is for
eign to the aims and purposes of the
protective subject.
objective tests have a great value
in the class Dor By their use teach
ers are able to find where her pupils
stand with other rooms in the sys-
tenn, where each pupil stands accord
ing to the standard score, where each
pupil stands with others in his room,
Just how much he has gained since
taking the last test. Teachers are
able TO diagnose material and diff
culties and put each pupil on his par
ticular difficulty to solve, and as a
result save much school time and get
better results.
These tests systematically used by
class room teacher are a great aid to
school room procedure. Teachers
must be trained in their use and how
to better their work, by their use.
Very little value a be obtained by
giving tests for Office use only.
I'm order to get gain school has
made in mi years time tests must
be given the same month each year.
There is a greater growth by school,
children between the months OF DC
tober and May than there is between
October and the following October.
Pupils lose at least three months in
speed and accuracy of fundamentals
during the summer months, making
the actual year of constructive work
in fundamentals only about six
months"