Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-05-10

I Augustus o. Thomas, State commits.
sioner of education, presiding. This
early morning session proved one o.
the real interesting features Of the
conference.
AS an outcome of the discussion |,
was voted that the Secondary Prin-
cipals' Association appoint a com.
mittee of five to make study Of the
matter and present a report looking
to some solution of questions coming
up in connection with the assignment
of honor parts and recognition Of
pupils who have done a super grade
of work.
Distribution Of High School
Graduates
Josiah w. Taylor, State agent foi
secondary schools, presiding over the
! forenoon session of the conference
presented a report of distribution Of
graduates of Maine high schools ir
June, 1925, according to replies to
questionaires received from 200 sec.
showed that of the 3949 graduates
426 were entering Maine colleges
49, were entering colleges outside
of the State, Az We're entering
Maine normal schools, 1873 were go.
ing to other Maine schools, and 151
were going to attend other school.
outside the State. Practically one ir
four of the graduates were going t.
some higher institution of learning
in the State. The total enterinf
some other school either in Maine
or outside the State was 1854, OF
| nVar I'd or
record.
An interesting report was alse
| given by Mr.. Taylor regarding the
distribution of graduates of Main,
high schools in June 1925, according
to the number of teachers in thu
schools. The smallest percentage O
the graduates entering some othel
higher school (30.4 per cent? wa
from high schools having from min,
to II teachers.
DIR. Thomas Tells of Teaching
Improvement
Speaking of the progress made b,
the small high schools of the State
Commissioner A. O. Thomas de
clared that not all of the good teach
ing Is done in the larger schools, II
the liberal arts Cultural subjects
where laboratories and shops ar,
not important, the small schools ma,
have as good teaching as the Iarg,
provided they have a good library
and the State contributes to tn,
building up of libraries.
! Very much of the strength of tn
high school depends on the strength
or the elementary schools, he point
ed out. The place to begin to i'm
prove the system is in the elemen
tary school. { Better teaching Their
| Will tell later in the senior class i,
the high school. The KEY to tn,
strength Of a school Is in its teach
ing staff.
Seventy-nine per cent. of on
teachers now have specific trainin,
Tor their jobs. The percentages y
coHe9e graduates in the high school
mas come up in the last few wear
IN fine way. Very satisfactory i'm
proVement has been made in tn
training of the teachers.
III. Thomas predicted that by tn
year 1851 it ought not to be neces
sary Tor a principal to have to SO
tect teachers not specifically traine,
LOT the positions. Schools the,
VIII De places for professional work
ers ana not novices. For a consid
cradle period teachers were take,
out OF high schools. The countr,
SCHOOLS are demanding better train
ed teachers. gill
The commissioner pointed out tina
thaine stands about the loves
aMohs the states in the number o
Ugh scnool graduates going to on
o"A coheges. Maine has graduate,
nore young people under IS from
u. year hlgh schools than any 9th
STATE ana sends a smaller per
ttnase 70 our own higher institu
ions of learning-this is ren,o,.,.
able incident, he asserted n
AS the schools increase their of
hciency the colleges incressa thei
standards. While much of tho IN
structlon in high schools NAV =,
done In groups it is important =,
know when to help the individ,,a
student. The schools are maltin,
progress and there is a decided fnr
ward move along educational lines
report from University of Maine
report of students from Main,
nigh schools according to the rec
ords tabulated at the University q
Maine, was given by Dean Hart q
that institution.
He showed that in the universit,
the grades of A, B and C moved III
gradually from 1914 to 1918. bu
from 1913 to 1920 there was a dro,
which he believed due to war con,
i ditions. In 1920 and 1921 there wa,
, a gain, in 1929 another drop! an,
from 1923 to 1925 satisfactory gain
These were the results shown from
record of students from all schools
The records at the University ar,
compiled so as to show how each O
the Maine high schools sending pu
pills there has shown up, the record
for each school going back for 1.
! years.
President Roberts of Colby
President Arthur J. Roberts O.
Colby College, the next speaker. as.
serted that the population of Maine
! is not much greater now than wher
! he was a boy. but there are four OF
five times as many young people nov
in the colleges of Maine What is
! true Of Maine is true OF the country