The Glenwood post., 1925-01-01
tNDA1Ds Yo1
Dsaroo&AcY's HIGH SCHOOL
1xesrpts Of an Aadr.ss 8ssore ~
Grand Junction Coavsution by W.
D. 1AinA Supsrintendsnt Of
Il 4 aasnwood springs

4, 0aenwooa Springs
(. Tne function of the American high
school II far different than it WAS
generation ago. The high school IL TO-
day being considered school for sll
the. children of the people. We have
been told that we are nation Of sixth
graders, but this is rapidly changing
The slogan today 10: ia secondary
school within the reach Of every
child" The list of states which boast
Of high school advantages within the
reach of every home is constanly in
creaing.
! A brief survey Of the growth Of this
division Of our public school system
during the past thirty years is needed
in order that we appreciate the state
ment that the high school problem is
far different one than it was gen.
eration ago. In 1890 our total enroll
ment in Americas high schools was
100000; in 1900, $4,000; in 1910,
s15,ooO; in 1920, 1857 900; and today
it is wel beyond the 1000, 900 mark.
If the rate Of increase for the ten
years from 1920 to 1880 is in the same
proportion as the former decades,
when 1890 dawns there will be 3,O00,-
900 of Americas : youth in high school.
The increase of high, school students
the past thirty years has been about
tenfold while the increase in our pop
nlation has been approximately fifty
per cent. In other words, our high
school population has increased twenty
times ~ fast as our resident popula-
ton. This goes to prove the second
statement, that the high school is rap.
Idly becoming school for all the chill
dren of all the people.
With this rapid growth Of our high
school has come new demands for .
broadening Of the high school curricu.
lum- Thirty years ago our high school
curriculum was preparatory for col
'ege. Any student completing high
school had by requirements taken
those subjects which prepared him for
the liberal arts or scientific college
course. Those who were unable to
master the prescribed languages Of
mathematics were wreckage, at least
they were dropped by the way and did
not finish. To put it another way, the
narrow high school curriculum finished
far more than were left to boast Of
having finished four years Of high
school work. This was true, despite
the fact that thirty years ago far
more select group entered the. high
school than is entering our high schools
today.
A brief survey Of the output Of our
high schools Of thirty years ago com.
pared with that today shows that the
ration of graduates to tho total enroll.
ment is constantly increasing. In 1890
the number of graduates was approx.
imately 1o% of the enrolment; in
1900, 11.4%; in 1910, 1870; in 1920,
1870 and today it is estimated at ap-
proximately 14%. This means that
the number completing four years Of
high school in proportion to the total
number enrolled has increased 40% in
the past thirty-three years. To put it
differently, while our school enroll.
ment has increased ten.fold in the
past generation our graduates fron
high schools have increased fourteen.
fold. This is being done in spite Of
the average I Q is without question
lower today than it was Of the smsll
select group Of thirty years ago.
We are told by people on every hand
that we are accomplishing this only
by lowering Of high school standards
and that education is suffering be.
cause we allow the masses to deluRs
our secondary schools. We. arc remind.
ed by the Russell Sage Foundation OK.
perts that countless numbers Of those
attending our high schools do not have
mental capacity for higher education,
and that we are needlesdy piling up
the expense Of education in this cou..
try.
Most school men are ready to con.
cede that the I Q Of tho total high
school student body Of today 10 below
what it would have registered thirty