Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-09-27
Negro Pupils Log Far Behind Whites,
D. c. School Investigators Are Told
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~. ~. OSIIOVI
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four different courses according
Ito ability.
Both Mr.. Davis and Mr.. Ger
Der questioned whether grad
uates reading on the sixth-grade
level should get the same di-
Iploma as an honor student.
Defends Procedure
| DR.. Hansen defended the pro-
Icedure although admitting that
lin some ways it was bad" He
Icontended a diploma should rep
resent sc holastic achieve
ment but also personal growth
and development.
| Miss Edith A. Lyons, assistant
superintendent in charge OF
Elementary schools was ques-
TONED extensively on the rela-
tive standards of the city's
white and colored school divi-
sions before indignation.
Miss Lyons. a Negro, said she
did not feel able to say whether
the standards had been the
same. She testified that in hel
lown experience she recalled nc
extraordinary disciplinary prob
lens in the colored schools.
| Asked by Mr.. Gerber to supply
Ia list of elementary schools in
the old colored division. which
ranked above national test
Inorms. Miss Lyons said she would
have to look them up.
PrObers Startled
| A veteran Eastern High School,
teacher. Miss Leila Prince, Gre
Iated a minor sensation yesterday
at the hearing.
Miss Prince, who teaches Eng.
fish, quoted several examples OF
school work done by students in
a 10th grade class of very re-
tarded pupils.
One was a spelling test. Miss
Prince startled committee mem.
bers with a list of words which
had been written down by one
pupil. The words, as written
we're completely unintelligibIe
Miss Prince translated them al
Ishe went along.
They included the following:
| CANE for ceiling;
| VAEN for foreign:
| PENA for perceive;
| BEANES for thief;
! BAEN for belief:
| MEM for niece:
| CAENCE for receipt.
Reads Book Report
The Eastern teacher also read
a book report, which had beer
submitted by a girl student. The
card on which it was written, in
pen and ink, was headed: Julia
Caerse." This was followed by
the word "Shaspeair."
The report itself read:
The book was about how lula
Coarse best friend Brutis betrade
him. i liked the book very much
because it told you how things
were long ago. And it made me
think that in those days you
didn't have a friend" (period
omitted.
Miss Prince told reporters
after finishing her testimony be-
fore the committee, that the
work was not typical of Eastern
students, but was exceptionally
low quality.
But she cited it as an example
lof children with whom she saic
her school and other Washing
ton high schools are having tc
cope.
Both the spelling list and the
book report were the work OF
Negro students, she said. She
also produced, at a reporters re-
quest, a sample of some work b.
a white boy, however. 1t in
cluded these sentences:
"A surgeon is drocker that
orporates.
"A lawyer is a man that you
hire if you haft to go to cort
for something.
"a scientist is a compleat
though.
"A college is place where
you go to get a better edgaca-
ton"
Miss Prince told the commit
tee that, in the last two years
a large number of her students
had failed to measure up to ever
passing standards in English
courses.
Many students failed not only
English but other subjects. OF
one group of 80 last year. she
said II failed everything. in
lcluding department. OF the II
four repeated and passed, seven
failed again, and six dropped
from school.
Spread in Reading
Miss Prince said she had beer
confronted recently with a wide
spread in reading accomplish
ment among her pupils, ranging
q