Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1941-02-13
PINE COUNTY RURAL
SCHOOL NEWS
The Normal Curve.
A. E. GUsrAFsoN. County Supt.


B c D F system of marking. This
system of marking is based on the
standard normal (bell) curve. This
means that a mark of c is average,
and is earned by about so per cent Of
the students or cases. A and B
marks are earned by only about rs
per cent of the pupils. These rep
resent superior cases that measure
a year or two above the standard
average or median for that class or
grade. Most grade schools, high
schools and colleges use this standard
normal curve system.
Teachers Marks.
There is a tendency for most rural
teachers to mark too high. Stand
ardized tests will show most pupils
to be average or below average for
their grade location, yet many teach
ers are very apt to give most of their
pupils marks of or A. This is not
fair to the parents, the pupils or to
their future teachers.
Parents should not expect and de-
mand from average children any
marks above c. The mark of c is
average and is standard that should
be the aim of all normal children.
Causes, of Low Marks.
If a pupil has low marks or is do
ing poor work you will find that it is
due to one or more Of the follow
ing reasons:
Cd III health or other defects such
as poor eyesight, poor hearing, etc.
(2) Inherited slow ability for con-
Stunning books and book learning. The
child may be specially gifted in other
ways, however.
90 Poor or irregular attendance.
"a Lack of good books, work.
books, and other up-to-date teaching
tools. (Past and presently
(5) Poor start or poor preparation
in preceding years or grades.
(6) Lack of educational devices at
home, such as books, radio, etc.
CD Lack of interest, or lack of
ambition on the part of the pupil.
(8) Poor teaching. This may date
back to the first year in school.
Measuring a Teacher.
So do not always blame your pres
ent teacher if the child is doing poor
", and do not measure the teaching
done by the marks on the report
cards. Very few teachers are in
tentionally unfair, but all are apt
IN make mistakes.
The time is coming when most
schools will use two marks only. One
will be satisfactory" and the other
will be unsatisfactory. This will
be another step in the history OF
education. After all is said it has
been proved that less than ten per
cent of ones preparation for life
comes directly out of school books.
Do not measure a teacher by the
marks she gives on the pupils re-
port cards. Unless standardized tests
are constantly used, or unless the
average grade group is large enough
to apply the normal curve in the
daily work, it is very easy to make
mistakes in marking.
Others Worried About Aids.
A letter from Supt. H. E. Sorvie
of Crookston, dated February 6, 1941
states,
Apparently the rural schools OF
Minnesota are again facing a battle
for their existence. The report Of
the legislative Interim Commission
on Education gives plenty to think
about.
Naturally any loss of revenue
from state sources will have to be
made up from local taxes if oul
schools are to maintain efficiency. i
appears to me that the proposal:
affecting aid to rural schools are
decidedly unfair"
We may add to this that Pine
county is strictly rural. More thar
half of our $4,000 state aid loss ir
Pine county for the past school veal
(because aids that were earned were
not paid in fully was lost by ou1
high and graded districts. Write tt
your state senator and state repre-
sentative.