Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1935-12-05
PINE COUNTY RURAL
SCHOOL NEWS
A. e. GUSTAFSON
County Superintendent

The Meadow Lawn school. District
No. 70, Melted $40 at their carnival.
This money is being used to buy a
piano for the school. Miss Esther
Wahlberg is teacher.
Miss Velora Parties seventh and
eighth graders at the Henriette
school entertained their parents We'd
nesday afternoon, November q.
1t looks like Sturgeon Lake will
again lead the schools in the produc-
ton of winning fair exhibits. The
Misses Eleanor and Edna Schaefer
correlate the regular work in such
way as to make the maps, charts
and booklets at the time these var
ious subjects are taken up in the
regular school work. 1t is thus part
Of the school work, as 1t really should
be.
Most of the rural schools now have
various kinds of new progress and
motivation charts. Some of the very
best and most successful are now
seen at the Friesland school in the
rooms of Miss Loken and Miss Carl
son. A very new design was origin
ated by Miss Housmann at Denham
and a fine turkey chart" was sue
cessfully used by c. Thomson at Dis
trict No. 1. Charts and bulletin
boards are as valuable as black
boards. Who will produce the first
Current Events" map?
The Markville PIT. A. carnival and
circus netted $50. This was used for
the benefit of the school library. You
wouldn't know that library now. Mrs.
Ehmke deserves much credit for as
sisting her husband and Miss Lund-
gren in this work. Excellent progress
has also been made with silent read
ing in Mr.. Ehmke's upper grade room
at Markville. Some interesting pro-
gress charts are to be seen.
Standard Tests Urged.
Standard tests have been used in
our rural schools last spring and this
fall as a basis to determine what
remedies to apply. We found most
schools very much behind in reading,
arithmetic and also other studies.
In marking monthly report cards.
most teachers are inclined to mark
too high. Some teachers mark more
fairly and closely by using the results
of standard tests somewhat as basis
for marking. A grade of &c" should
indicate that the pupil is an average
student in that subject in every way.
A grade of ID" should mean below
the average. A grade of "B" means
above average and "a" means super
ior or about a grade or two above
standard. Quite often those marked
"a" do not deserve this mark as the
pupil is really below the correct stan
dard for his grade, according to the
standard measures. The rural
schools should be regarded for the
sake and best interests of all pupils,
but most parents and pupils would
not understand or see the need of
this If it were attempted. We have
too many seventh and eighth grade
in most subjects. So don't blame the
teacher If these pupils fail the state
examinations, and don't blame her
If she wisely and honestly marks
them ID" or &C." She 10 doubt is
marking more correctly but still
much too high. according to the stan
dards. Others who are using an over
supply of BIS and "A's are no doubt
marking much too high in most cases.
Nat ional investigation regarding
school marks shows that they are
very inaccurate and depend mostly on
the individual guessing ability OF the
teachers, unless certain standard
measures are correctly and honestly
used and followed Teachers are
usually inclined to mark too high.