Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-09-29

Continued From First Page
grafton pattern as a model for
other places. in view Of current
achievement and other problems.
Mr.. Cantrell answered the last
question by stating that If there
was "a thorough study and UNI
Outstanding" Of the problems in
advance, then no doubt there
would be a much smoother
operation Of indignation in those
communities" Without such
study. he said, lit would no
doubt be a mistake"
He added that migration
here had made "a tremendous
impact"
Although we had worked to-
gether at the top level, we had
not understood the problems
that existed in the classrooms, T"
he said.
Mr.. Cantrell. who formerly
headed the city's white junior
highs and now heads all OF
them, blamed the gap between
Negro and white test standings
on economic and social differ
ences.
Background Lacking
For the most part, he said
the city's colored children don't
have the cultural background OF
economic background" to COM
pete with white children coming
from better homes, although he
stressed that some of the city's
formerly all-white schools are
also in poor neighborhoods
Those schools have had lower
achievement records than schools
in better sections, too, he noted
The school administrator
stressed that the junior high.
have always organized theil
classes according to ability, 81
that the brighter pupils won't
be handicapped by sitting mex
to slow ones.
He was quizzed, nevertheless
on why pupils trailing as low Al
fourth grade or worse-as showI
on the charts-had been pro
NOTED to eighth grade. and how
they could be taught when the!
got there.
For Social Reasons
Mr.. Cantrell said there was {
social reason for the promo
tionS.
1T is not educationally sounC
to keep a child in the fourth OF
fifth grade. even though mentally
he is on that grade level, wher
he's IL, -, IA. is years of age.
The school official told thu
committee he thought it coulc
understand the reason if it coulC
imagine the embarrassment anc
disappointment a 14-year-old boy
or girl would feel in an elemen.
tary fourth grade, towering ovel
all the other children and re.
ceiving the jibes all the other
children would poke at him."
Such a pupil. he added. woulC
almost inevitably become a rea
social or behavior problem"
The school administrator adj
mitted that such children arr
actually fourth-grade children
housed in a junior high school
But many of them. he told tht
investigators. haven't the capa,
city to go above the fourth grade
if we keep them in school for.
ever" Therefore, he said, ii
isn't necessarily the teachers
fault if they don't advance will
the rest of the class"
For the extremely retarded
junior highs have separate
classes where students arr
taught apart from others, HI
pointed out. And for all pupil
far behind grade level. specia
textbooks written down" by thu
publishers are used so the pupil
can master them, he explained
Would Permit Dropping
Mr.. Cantrell admitted, undel
questioning from Representative
Williams, Democrat Of MisSis
lsippi. that he felt some student
should not be in school at all
He said he would favor a revision
of the existing District compul
lsory schooling law so that prin
cipals could have more leewa,
in dropping such students.
The present law require
school attendance until Is, ex
cept with the granting of a spe
cial work permit. starting at IA
There has been no official NOV
to change it.
Mr.. Cantrell declared h
thought there are "a great mum
Der of children so constructe,
ennotionally and mentally tina
their interest and the interes
of society would be better serve,
If they would drop out of schoo
and go to work"
! Mr. Gerber and RafAresafata