Evening star., 1955-11-21
Revived System
Omits ABCs
Until February
BY JAMES G. DEANE

Sixty seven thousand Wash.
Iineton elementary school pupils
got their first look today at the
public school systems new ABC-
TYPE report card.
Teachers across the city sent
home a revised report form for
the first time. The four-page
forms. however, were minus the
lnew letter marks.
This is because school officials
decided teachers needed more
time to decide how to award
them. So only check-marks, in
dicating things in which teachers
feel Improvement is needed, ap-
peared on the sheets sent home
today. The letter marks won't
start going home until February.
ABC marks have been out Of
use in Washington elementary
schools since 1899. Officials de-
ctded to revive them with the
aim of giving parents more spe-
Icific information. which they
say parents themselves requested.
Yardstick Established
Along with the letters, the
school system has set up a
specific city-wide yardstick for
using them, which also repre-
sents a change.
The old report card labeled
pupil progress merely as out
standing. satisfactory, or need
ling Improvement, although it
also had a series of spaces for
checking of specific points about
pupil work. There was also no
official city-wide standard for
deciding how well the pupil was
doing.
The change has already
aroused some controversy. Some
leaders in parent-teacher organi-
cations recently asked a number
lof pointed questions and indi-
Gated more will be asked later.
i However, officials have urged
parents to withhold their criti-
lcism until they learn more.
Supt. Hobart NJ. Corning last
week said he hoped the new
system would be permitted a fair
trial.
! DR.. Corning said the new re-
port form is strictly expert
mental. 1t will be changed at
; the end of the year, he told
principals last week. If it does
: not prove, satisfactory.
j. A mimeographed letter was
. sent home to all parents with
1.-the new cards today. The letter
expressed the hope that parents
slwould study the cards thought
, fully,
4 The experimental card, the
letter explained. ''is an attempt
to rate your child in the various
areas of learning on his per-
Torrance as it is measured by
Standards for his grade"
I Consider Six Questions
!, The letter asked parents to
consider six questions. These
were:
/. How does the child's phys
iical, mental. emotional and So
Iciai development condition his
Iilearning?
/ 2. What do I really want to
know about my child in school?
| 8 What does, this report tell
me about my child?
4 4 Should evaluation be con-
cerned with his performance in
relation to his ability in COM
IpariSon with his classmates, or
i'm relation to a uniform grade
standard?
5. Is 1t possible that a different
reporting form is needed for
different age groups or grade
levels?
/ 6. What changes can I sug-
lgeSt for improving this report
card?
School officials do not expect
to get full parental reaction be-
fore February, when the cards
will carry home the new letter
marks for the first time. How
lever. they are preparing to dis
lcuss them with PTAs and par
ents individually.
Although marks aren't being
sent home now, teachers are not
ling them down experimentally.
Summaries are to be collected
from all schools SO that officials
can see how many marks of each
kind are given.
These summaries aren't ready
yet, but several principals said
today that first returns were liv-
ling up to expectations.
Few AS Given
Miss Grace Bush, principal Of
Draper School, said the first
mark sheets turned in showed
very few AS and mostly C's.
Miss Mildred Green, principal
lat Raymond School, said one
sixth grade had four BIS, 100 C's,
67 DIS. 10 US and no A. One
first grade class had three AS
land 80 US, and the rest mostly
lC's, she said. These marks are
flor various subjects. including
behavior.
The school system has off,
cially discouraged giving any AS
on this first experimental run
Through. Under the new letter
system. A means excellent prog
iress for grade; B, very good prog
ress for grade; C. good progress
for grade; D. acceptable prog
ress but improvement needed.
and U. unsatisfactory progress.
much Improvement needed.
One of the criticisms already
voiced by some parents is about
the prospect that most children
will be getting C's.
John B. Gillilland, president Of
the District Congress of Parents
q nd Ten cheers sold today he eY.