New Britain herald., 1926-03-25
Principal Slade Describes Success of System Used Here at Meeting of Edu. cators.

Principal Louis F, slads, in an address on Remedial Measures 10, High School Failures" at school. mans week" at the University ot Pennsylvania last night told his audience that since the New Britain Laboratory plan vas put into effect there has been great decrease IT. the number of failures at the senioi High school.
 Ills speech, in part, follows:
 This paper will deal with one pa tlenL the patient about whom th. writer knows best, The failures con sidered are those Of this one patient, the report on the remedial measures is based upon the results pith him.
 Imagine the patient before you: the composite of about ten hundred and fifty individuals in an organiza- ton known Us a senior high school Iiu q G.S-3 system Seventy. seven were graduated from the orsaniza- 'tlon in January. Three days later about l50 new members came in, The case Is in the hands of three ad- ministratiYe specialists, five directors. and 52 full time teachers. 1 There are two sessions each day: [ from SIS till 1l:40 in the morning; and from l:05 till <l5 in the after noon. For regular class work. there are two periods in the morning and two in the afternoon, each of seventy-tiye minutes.
 There are three buildings In the unit, in which courses ranging from trade courses 10 college preparatory courses are given; the mobility be- tween curricula and courses is com parattvely easy.
 There is, at the present time, an average failure of about l0.7 per cent, the percentages concerned in the average ranging from 2.5 per cent in physics to 1S.S per cent in Latin. The average is slightly high CT than in the previous semester in the year 192+l9c5.
 In the spring Of 1922, upon the recommendation of the senior high school administration, the School Committee enacted the following regulattQns;
 Section 1 A student 1ho does not attain passing grade in courses ! of at least three units value, during any sem ester of the Senior Higt school, shall be placed ofi probation al the beginning of the following sem tester. and notice shall be giver ! 10 the parent or guardian.
 1 Section 2. Failure 10 maintain rassing grade in courses Of at least three units value, during the semes- fer Of probation, shall result in the termination of the students mem optional with the principal whether the membership shall terminate g. the time of the mid-semester report 1 or at the close of the semester.
 Section 5. A student whose mem 1 hership is forfeited by the provi5ions of this regulation, shall not be re- instated ltil at least d semester has elapsed since the date of the termination of the previous mem Dorshlp.
 Section I In cases of illness or i of part.timc attendance, exceptions to this regulation may be made, up 1 on approval by the superintendent of schools and the principal of the 1 Senior High school
 "'The group Of pYoba'iorers for th'. . first semester of l@22-l223 numbered l 5a. At the close of the semester, l3 la i failed 70 meet the minimum re- rlirement and werr denied the privi- legts Of the school for q semester. Naturally there were some very try ing irteryieVs some threats Of suit and come threats of official 0tcaNifa 1 ton, but the School Committee oi . - stood, to q man, behind the sD- , pcrintendtnt and the principal and the decision nas sustained. Sine then the plan has been carried out with due regard to justice, and with 2 careful following ID of dellnqu"n'S. l. is I great pleasYrt 70 1rport that. at the close Of the first semeGter Of the current year every proha'ioner Tn q list or B had been saved 70 the schcol. The wide variety Of cur riCula and courses in q compost" school-it. must be admitted-raE" possible transfers from courses 'n ~hi>h he may achit"e success pro- vIded always that the student and his rarrnts cooperate.
 "THn second remedial measurr that has been Tscl in New Britain is i t-ctrm Of individualiZed instruc- ton in uae now for 'hn second year. Tour innovations char1cterize tho svs'"m- five rock assignment in stead of daily assignment. 2 n"" marking system. "hirh emphasizes IS all important the completion cf the ask an indiJi1ual graph card rnich enables all irt"roStei student, paren'. teachers, and administrator, 70 watch fNa progress toward achievement, and turning oT"r 10 the taach,r ot the entire scheduled period C! sevent>.fivc minutes to order as may seem hest for 'hc ac- comulishnltnt cf the individual students task
 Tn, making sn assirnrNHr'. 'hH content ot years course is deter