Evening star., 1925-07-01
NATIONS TEACHERS
ENDORSE D. c. PLAN
Speakers at Federation Con-
-
,rvention Warn of Prejudice
in Intelligence Tests.
BY JAMES f.. CHJN\.


and the extension or the intelligence
tests throughout the entire school
system. as proposed in the Fail ny
Supt. frank W. Ballou. was approved
today by the American Federation OF
Teachers in ninth annual conIsn!!on.
The federation is fearful. however,
that unless the Washington Roord OF
Education appoints a ccrDS o. specl;i :
" qualified teachers WHO can #Gmln-
lister the tests CofnpetentlN. more hS m
ffan good will result. Miss Florence
Rood. president uf the organize Fion,
warned the District delegation to Keen
a close check en the administration o.
the tests in the National Capital IN an
effort to prevent potential dfscrlnina-
ton in the cc ssif1ca ion of pupils.
Numerous cs ses were cited whereof"
pupils were done a grave injustice .bN
teachers unfamiliar with the teatS.
who accentuated the econocic ANA
social differences between children.
,r Needs Trained Teachers.
Miss Ruth Hardy of New York.
noted child psychologist VII" made
comprehensive three-"ear study "f
educational research nnt measure.
ment in virtually every country on
the globe. also stressed tho necessity
of having teachers trained III euncit-
tional research to administer the test
In Washington. Properly adninlstef
ed. she expiained the sta noe rdiZeu
,ests ia he given the District chtl-
dren during the new term VIII pro
tect them from partiality on ths part
OF the teacher: establish uniformity
OF practice so that pupils will not sui
fer by transfer from one schOoi 20
another. and will enable the teacher TO
discover what students can do so
they can be encouraged to make the
most OF their capacities.
Recognized psychology tests. Miss
Hardy emphasized. furnish the desir-
Able measuring rod of q child's men
tality because they have been stand
ardized by trial and rerlarkiny.
Under the traditional method Of
cla ssifying pupils. she declared
teachers estimates are found to be
untrustworthr: g group of teathers
rating the same paper have rated il
anywhere from 55 to a5.
Teachers are humanlr fallible end
take direction from their emotions
and prejudices which work. some
times to the advantage, but more
often to the DISADVANTAGES OF the
child. she said Experimentation
has proven the inability of the
teacher to discover the intelligence
when it is really there. ! have been
enga sed in the work OF testing and
and can cite the following examples:
q. \ student was discovered to
De making conspicuousiy poor prog
fess. Investigation revealed the fact
that she had skipped four grades in
the elementary school simply because
she had delightful manners and was
very we'll behaved.
'2. A boy in the last entering class
had been estimated low grade by the
1t.af~, cob l- hn ad T.,
I. Q. Intelligent quotient and our
records showed that four members Of
his family had been honor students
I'm the same school. He admitted that
he had been a mischievous nuisance
for the past year.
-. Another got the estimate OF
dullness solely on his ,inaainly ap-
pearance and Door clothes: he was
the son of Il wprkinEnan IN q
doninantly middle class school. vet
his l. Q. was 155. the record of about
J child in every 125.
Prejudice Fatal.
such instances show that what is
marked Is not intelligence alone:
Weight is given to personal appear
ance, social status. behavior and the
Hike. The tests give an accurate
measure of mental ability detached
prejudices are likely to operate and
are therefore much fairer to the
Child"
Aside from the intelligence tests the
convention devoted a portion Of it's
session today to consideration of the
teachers problems Of the National
Capital. as presented by Miss Selma
Borchardt. a teacher at Business High
School. and one OF the 46 OF the Or.
Sanization as we'll as its legislative
Chairman. She discussed the need Of
4 more equitable adjustment Of the
teachers pension law. definite
ueriod of annual sick leave for teach
cps and an automatic sabbatical year
fhf the teachers. As a result the fed
grafton voted to support the Wa ashino
tim teachers to secure tho requisite
legislation for these benefits
There is absolutely no suhsta ntial
proposition for leave Of absence FOR
Washington teachers-either sick
leave. leave for urgent business or
for a 50 hbatical wear" Miss Borcharlt
told the convention.
The substitution provision is q
particularly unfortunate one. Until
February. 1925 only nominal sum
amounting approximately to half
of the teachers pay wa deducted for
each days leave. In February. how.
ever. the Board of Education. on the
recommendation of Supt Ballou. more
than doubled the penalty placed unon
the teachers for illness. The teacher
in many instances. was made TO paw
her sub more than her daily PAY The
Teachers Council protested. and the
board. after hearing their arguments,
reduced the rate 80 that the teachers
s in most instances, suffered the loss
Of only three-fourths of their paw
Now. however. the superintenden in
the recommen tions of the officers of
me schools. is to ask the board to
again raise the rate.
"Siclk Leave" Urged.
"The need therefore. is appprent
for some form OF equitable suhstan
tial legislation to provide for a linn
tied number OF days Of sick leave with
full pay. additional leave with part
pay. and for a sabbatical year,"
Upon Miss Borchardt's motion. the
convention also voted to urge Con
Gress to pass the measure calling upon
the District Commissioners and the
Board of Educat tion to name the first
school building erected after its
enactment in honor Of Samuel Com
pers. late president OF the Americar :,
Federa tien Of Labor
Miss Borchar was nominated tpdav
10 succeed herself as one of the vice
presidents of the federation Election
NJ officers tomorrow will close the
convention.
ORCAN1ZATION tS IrRGEn