Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1931-02-19
HIGH SCHOOL USES
SUPERVISED STUDY

For the past year and a half the
Plentywood High School has been
working under the supervised study
plan for the purpose of improving
study habits and by so doing, to re-
duce the number of failures. The re-
suits obtained seem to justify the con-
tinuation of this plan although it is
realized that there are other methods
by which scholarship may be i'm
proved.
In the fall of 1929 a ninety minute
period was used but was discontinued
after the first semester in favor of a
five period day, each period being six
ty five minutes in length. The last
thirty minutes of the school day was
used for many different purposes,
such as activities, class meetings,
study and makeup work. The value
of the ninety minute period was clear
ly seen but since it permitted but
four periods of this length, too many
difficulties were encountered. Pupils
who must carry five subjects, too
few teachers and class rooms made
the operation of the plan rather o n
fused. The inability to have sufficient
general reference works for all class
rooms was another problem met with.
Under this plan, however, each pupil
prepared all his work or the major
part of it under the immediate sup
ervision of the teacher from whom he
took each course. A pupil was thus
always able to get help when he was
ted it and of the right kind. There
was far less time wasted in reading
magazines and books kept in desks
for other than study purposes.
Under the ninety minute period, the
number of failing grades dropped from
seventy four to thirty six for the
first semester of 1928 and 1929. The
spring semester of 1929 shows for
ty one semester failures as compared
with twenty four failures under the
supervised study plan. The number
of actual failures for the year 1928
1929 would be greater than forty
one since many of our courses are on
an annual promotion basis and the
larger number of failing grades of
the first semester would cause the
yearly average to fall below passing.
The sixty minute, five period day has
been continued this year and for the
first half we were able to maintain
the gains of last year. Twenty pupils
had falling grades totaling thirty
three. Twenty two of these failing
grades were made by nine pupils. We
hope to reduce this number still more
for the year and we now have a plan
working which should be effective in
most cases of pupils doing inferior
work. A weekly check up with spec
ific remedial measures for each in
dividual pupil, now supplements the
directed study work. No pupil is per-
mitted to do unsatisfactory work
without being advised of it at the be-
ginning of the following week.
The greatest gains made thus far
have been in those subjects where
failures are usually greatest in num-
Der. We have practically no failures
in Latin / English l or Elementary
Algebra. The most noticeable results
were obtained in the first and second
years of High school. Indeed super
vision of study has not been used in
the junior and senior classes as con-
sistently as in the lower classes. We
shall continue to use the long period
since we felt that the results to use
have obtained for the past year and
a half fully warrant it.