Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-10-11
Slow Integration Seen
Guiding Montgomery
County to Adjust
Negro Entries to
School Program

Montgomery County promises
to continue its gradual program
of indignation indefinitely because
it wants to tailor admissions of
Negro pupils to school programs
and classroom space.
This prospect was held out by
county school officials last night
in a full-dress analysis of the
indignation program at the 18th
annual workshop of the countys
Council of Parent Teacher AS
sociations.
Maxwell R. Burdette. research
director for the school admins
tration sounded the keynote OF
the county's policy when he told
the session that. if Montgomery
County had embarked on sud
den and complete indignation,
We would have the same prob
lens THAT Washington has"
Reveals Achievement
He revealed fer the first time
the achievement levels of sew
eral grades of white and Negro
pupils.
Citing third-grade pupils, he
said that. in the county as a
whole, pupils in the first month
OF third grade showed an
achievement level of the seventh
month of that grade, against an
expectancy of five months Of
third grade.
BY contrast, the Negro pupils
were achieving at exactly the
proper level, although they
could be expected to achieve at
a level Of five months of the
second grade.
Disparity Widens
On the sixth grade level, how
ever, the disparity widens, he
said.
White pupils, while expected
to be achieving seven months
beyond the national norm were
ahead by only three months.
Negro pupils, expected to achieve
only level of the second month
of fifth grade, dropped even fur
ther. to the level of the seventh
month of fourth grade.
Mr.. Burdette also cited the re-
suits of 10 tests given to SIXTH
graders. These showed an over
all 10 of 100 for the county,
while the Negro figure was S6.
For ninth-graders, the statis-
tics showed an 10 of 109 county,
wide, with the Negro students
showing a figure Of IS.
4 Mr.. Burdette said his findings
provided the biggest argument
for a gradual approach to inte-
grafton"
625 Already Enrolled
Montgomery County, first Of
Maryland's % counties to start
a long-range indignation pro-
gram. now has CTS Negro pupils
enrolled in its schools, with an
other 2.400 yet to be integrated.
Total school enrolment in the
county is Stab.
DR.. Forbes H. Norris, suncrin-
tendent OF schools, said stand
ards Of instruction nave not been
lowered because of migration to
date. He insisted there would be
no overall impact on the educa-
tional program If the present
policies are continued.
=, However, he and other school
Officials evaded any prophesy as
to deadllne for complete inte-
grafton.
Fred c. Dunn, special as
sistant on indignation matters
during the initial year of inte-
grafton, said complete integra-
ton depends on the speed with
which new facilities are made
available and the speed with
which adequate programs can be
set up to accommodate Negro
pupils.
The audience of so which
heard the integration discussion
generally WAS sympathetic to the
program. One frequent critic
OF the indignation policy. Everett
Severe charged the school adj
, ministration with 'handpickiuq"
the Negroes who have trans
ferred to white schools and chal-
! lenged them to reveal when they
, VIII admit Negro pupils whatever
their qualifications.