USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Arlington > Town of Arlington annual report 1911 > Part 9
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In the efforts of our Committee to bring its expenses within the appropriation, we have been obliged to employ during the last few years that false economy which postpones needed equipment and
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service. The time always comes when we must pay, and it is now upon us.
It will be necessary to ask for at least $80,000 for the ensuing year. '
Fully aware of the seriousness of this increase the Committee has invited the co-operation of the Committee of Twenty-one, in an investigation of the conditions here and in other towns of the Met- ropolitan District, only to find that Arlington, while keeping its schools in the front rank, is really below the average in school ex- penses, estimated on the basis of cost per pupil, and tax rate per thousand of valuation. Our people will not consent to a lowering of our standards and must therefore face the necessary expense, which fortunately the Town is able to do.
The only way to maintain our high standard is by being able to command the best teachers and retain them; this we cannot do as long as other towns outbid us, winning away our best and most experienced teachers, and breaking up the continuity of our work.
THE PLAY GROUND.
The detailed report on the Spy Pond Play Ground appears in the report of our Superintendent, revealing the great benefits derived from it and the necessity of its more complete utilization. To get the best returns from this department of the training of our youth, it absolutely requires a Director to fill a position not less important than that of our most experienced and best fitted teacher. The sum of one thousand dollars is required to get the best results from this department.
THE VACATION SCHOOL.
This feature of school work which has been developed during the last few years has proven a most valuable auxiliary to our schools, not only affording many forms of practical education, but assisting many backward students to retain their places in their classes, and of even more importance, has conserved the interests of health and morals.
The Vacation School in Arlington has been supported by volun- tary contributions, collected through the personal efforts of the Superintendent. It has fully justified itself, but can no longer in justice depend upon this form of maintenance. The Town must now for its own self-respect, as well as for the great good accom-
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plished, assume the responsibility for its continuance. This calls for an appropriation of but $750, and the Committee recommends that the Town provide this sum.
RELATIONS OF CITIZENS TO THE SCHOOLS.
Your Committee is pleased to report that Arlington, like many other places, is encouraging a closer relation of the citizens to the schools by a more liberal use of the school buildings for the public good. We are pleased to instance the Locke School Association, which is an organization of all the people of the district, and which holds regular meetings for the purpose of bringing parents and teachers into personal relations, and for discussion of school and civic interests and listening to able lecturers and instructors. It is to be hoped that other organizations of a like nature may be formed in other districts.
The education of our children is the paramount interest of the Town, and it is the wish of the Committee that the citizens will. heartily co-operate, not simply by financial support, but by their personal interest, in making the schools of Arlington not only our chief honor, but our greatest asset.
Respectfully submitted,
FREDERICK A. BISBEE, Chairman.
REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS.
To the School Committee of Arlington:
In compliance with the rules and regulations, I present herewith my seventh annual report for your immediate consideration, and subsequently for consideration by the citizens of the Town.
In the performance of their official duties, members of the School Board become well acquainted with local educational conditions, and stand in need of little formal or extended statements from the Superintendent. But the case of the general public is quite differ- ent. Families having children in the schools naturally form their impressions as to the worth and efficiency of the system from their individual experiences. It is obvious that such impressions rest on knowledge too restricted to justify a safe or sane estimate ..
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While as a result of this limited knowledge we sometimes get un- just criticism, we occasionally get, also, extravagant laudation, which may be even more mischievous in its results. In the case of households not represented in the schools, estimates will be made from utterances of acquaintances and friends who are so repre- sented. It is fair to say that in a system of schools, characterized in general by loftiness of aim and unity of endeavor, marked differ- ences are bound to exist in different schools, and even in different rooms in the same school; and that an extended knowledge is neces- sary before one may safely condemn or unduly praise. This knowl- edge, to a certain extent, may be given in the reports of the School Committee and the Superintendent.
Every superintendent, in preparing his report, is conscious of two distinct audiences,- the citizens of the town, and the great num- ber of educators who gain through school reports a knowledge of what "the other fellow" is trying to do, and to what degree he is being successful. It is to the first of these audiences to which this report is intended to appeal, for while it is true that the immediate management of the schools is in the hands of the School Committee, what they may accomplish is ultimately, and in the largest degree, determined by the measure of public confidence which the schools can command.
The annual report of the Superintendent of Schools ought to have a larger sphere of influence. Such report, while making a record of such facts and figures as are worthy of preservation, ought to do something to broaden and strengthen the foundations of public confidence, on which the public school must rest, if it is to accomplish its ends. Not that I think that public confidence can . be gained by a report alone, be it never so good. Public confidence is too valuable an acquisition to be so easily won. But it is desir- able that the motives and policy of the schools may be made clear. I do not mean to imply that an enlightened public will care to acquaint itself with matters of mere detail. It is more likely to show its enlightenment by refusing to become so acquainted. Re- serving the statistical matters for subsequent attention, I under- take briefly to discuss under various headings what the schools are trying to do for the children of the town.
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SCHOOL COMMITTEE
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THE COST OF SCHOOLS.
Modern schools are undoubtedly expensive. Our community, in common with most others, has some citizens who feel that our schools are costing too much. If one contrasts the old and the new education, one cannot escape the fact that the increase in ex- pense has been great, and it is perfectly natural, even for those who believe in the efficacy of modern school systems, to question whether there has been a corresponding increase in the value of the product.
Let us look for a moment at the position of Arlington among the towns and cities of the State in regard to school expenditures. By the last State report (1909-1910) Arlington spent $33.23 for each child in the average membership of the schools. This placed our town in the fifty-ninth position, that is, there were fifty-eight cities and towns in the State paying more per pupil for education than were we. Turning now to the table in which the cities and towns are numerically arranged, according to the proportion of their tax- able property appropriated for the support of public schools, I find Arlington is number one hundred thirty-seven, with $5.58 on every thousand dollars of taxable property appropriated for the support of schools. This means that one hundred thirty-six towns and cities felt the burden of school taxation to a greater extent than our Town. Our position may fairly be considered a reason- able one; we have nothing to brag about or to be deeply distressed over in our standing.
Let us consider for a moment how the money appropriated for schools is being spent. Out of a total appropriation of $73,400, $62,463.94, or 85%, is spent for salaries. Care and economy are practiced in the matter of text-books, light and power, and other miscellaneous expenditures incident to the running of a system of schools. No saving of any moment can be made on those items. The only way in which a saving could be brought about is either by reducing salaries or increasing the number of pupils to a teacher. It is universally conceded that the teacher's financial recompense is pitifully inadequate. As a result of this realization there has been, for the last five years, a constant upward trend of teachers' salaries all over the land. In the last five years we, in Arlington, have increased the maximum salary in the grades from six hundred to seven hundred dollars, sixteen and two-thirds per cent, and in the
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High School from eight hundred to nine hundred dollars, or twelve and one-half per cent. Towns and cities all about us, and particu- larly those places with whom we come in closest competition, have raised salaries far above ours, so that we are at a decided disad- vantage in our selection of new teachers. We must not lose sight of the fact that, while Arlington is a town in its organization, we are a part of the Metropolitan district. There is a warning which we dare not fail to heed in the loss, during the last few years, of many of our best teachers, who have gone to schools paying larger salaries.
Our teachers, as a rule, are a very efficient body. Proof of this may be found under the heading of grading and promotions to follow. But the highest degree of efficiency consistent with the desires of those interested in the success of school work has by no means been reached, and the only way to secure this efficiency is to pay sufficiently high salaries to retain our best teachers, to make improvement as much as possible in the filling of every vacancy, and to eliminate with justice and fair dealing all who fail, after a reasonable time, to measure up to a high advancing standard of efficiency. If we hope to do all this, the time is not far distant when a further advance in salaries will be necessary.
From the standpoint of the teacher we must take into account the increased cost of living, the high standard of scholarship and professional training demanded, and the temptations for young women of exceptional ability to enter some other field of productive occupation which requires less preparation, and makes less demand upon nervous strength.
The growth of salaries during the past ten years has not kept pace with the increase in the cost of living, or with the "more exacting though proper demands for a professional and social efficiency " which is required the country over.
The following table of increase in costs of necessaries may be enlightening in this connection:
1896-1910
1907-1910
Fruits.
40% increase .
18% decrease
Textiles .
73% increase
0% decrease
Provisions
73% increase
12% increase
Live stock .
116% increase
20% increase
Breadstuff
100% increase
28% increase
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SCHOOL COMMITTEE
It will be seen from the above that a large percentage of the in- crease has taken place in the last four years. This condition affects salaried people and other wage earners more than it does other people. Salaries always lag behind in the procession to a greater extent than other incomes, as a rule, and require more thoughtful attention on this account. With these facts in mind, can we for a moment consider any reductions in salaries, if we would do justice to so faithful and deserving a body of public servants?
GRADING AND PROMOTIONS.
One of the best tests of the efficiency of any school system is the success in promoting pupils regularly and successfully through the grades. No subject has been more discussed by educators and those interested in educational matters of late than the matter of grading and promotions. It has come to be generally recognized that a more elastic system than that which has generally obtained is not only desirable but really necessary for efficiency. The basis of administration in graded schools has long been that at stated intervals, usually of one year, a reclassification of pupils takes place, the more proficient ones being promoted to the next higher grade, and those who have failed to cover the required ground satisfactorily staying where they are.
The most obvious defect of this plan is that the child who fails in one or more subjects, but who has been successful in the rest, is compelled to do again the whole work of the grade, repeating work which he has already successfully completed, as well as that in which he has failed.
A step toward mitigating this evil, which has been adopted in many places, is that of semi-annual promotions, by which the pupil who fails has only to repeat the half year's work, instead of that of the entire year. This method of organization is rapidly spread- ing. In some places promotions are made three or four times a year even. The most thorough study of the various grading and promotion schemes ever made was lately completed by the Brook- lyn Teachers' Association, and the results of their investigation have appeared in print. I present here a short summary of their findings, together with a description of the plan we are now using, to show that we are doing our part in a great movement which is
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bound to make graded schools much more efficient, and the product of these schools of a higher, though less uniform, standard.
There are at least twenty well-recognized plans for securing flexible grading, most of which are named from the places in which they originated. Most of these plans may be placed in one of two groups. In the first group are those whose object is to secure uniform progress through the grades of the pupils. The plans depend on giving special instruction to the dull pupils, in order that they may be able to keep up. The Batavia plan is typical of this group.
In the other group the schemes are based on the idea of en- couraging pupils of differing abilities to complete the work of the grades in different lengths of time. The Cambridge and "large city" plans are typical of this group.
The chief characteristics of the Batavia plan are large classes, with additional teachers in each room to give individual instruc- tion to the backward pupils. The progress of all the pupils is planned to be uniform. The objections to the plan seem to be that it is not wise to group too many children in one room, and that the best interests of the brightest are sacrificed for the in- terests of the dullest children. Of 138 educators who tried this plan, 62% favored it after trial.
In the North Denver plan, while uniform progress through the grades is sought, opportunity is offered for the bright pupils to do more intensive, more extended, and more individual work than the other members of the class. Home work is minimized, and pupils trained to depend less upon their teachers. Of 169 educators who have tried this plan, 94% favor it after trial.
Of the Cambridge plan I have spoken before. It has excellent features, but is dependent for its effective use upon large schools, with several classes of each grade. Of 75 educators who tried this plan, 92% favored it after trial.
The so-called "large school" plan used in cities like Chicago and New York could not be used in a small system, so I will not dis- cuss it.
The Pueblo plan is the most individualistic of all those being tried. This plan aims to have each child advance as rapidly as he can accomplish the work, without reference to the other pupils. The unit in recitation, progress, and graduation, is the individual
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and not the class. The teacher is the director of the work, going. from pupil to pupil. Of 207 who have tried this plan, 96% favored it after trial.
In working out a plan for Arlington, no reference was made to what was being done in any particular place; but a scheme which seemed to best fit our local conditions was sought.
By our plan a class is divided into at least three groups; A, gifted pupils, who in a year may cover as much ground as the normal children are expected to do in thirteen or fourteen months; B, normal pupils, constituting the bulk of the class, who do what the course of study lays down as a year's work; C, slow pupils, who do eight or nine months' normal work in a year. To carry this plan to completion, work in a vacation school should be pro- vided for these backward pupils, which will enable them to com- plete the year's work and go into the next grade at the opening of school. In schools where there are two or more classes in a grade the grading is made as close as possible, that the groups may be more homogeneous.
The results obtained by this plan seem gratifying. We have reduced the repeaters in the grades from 18.5% in 1904-1905 to 8.8% last year. The promotion sheets of June show : 1906, 14.4%; 1907, 13.4%; 1908, 12.5%; 1909, 11.8%; 1910, 10.5%; 1911, 8.8%. This showing was improved by the work of the vacation school, in which eighteen pupils included in this percentage secured their promotion, so that as a result of the year's efforts but 145 or 7.85% of the pupils in the grades are this year repeating the work of the last year. A tabulation of the results for 1910-1911 follows:
Promoted
Not Promoted
Per cent of Repeaters
Grade I
188
30
13.7
Grade II
229
19
7.7
Grade III
204
19
8.5
Grade IV
192
15
7.2
Grade V
186
26
12.3
Grade VI
183
22
10.7
Grade VII
197
16
7.5
Grade VIII
127
11
7.9
Grade IX
177
5
2.7
Totals
1683
163
8.8
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ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
It is interesting to note what this change has meant in a finan- cial way. Had we continued to hold back 18.5% of the pupils, a result which is not at all uncommon throughout the country, we should have this year 342 repeaters, instead of 145. Assuming that all of these pupils would remain till graduated from the gram- mar schools, it would, theoretically, cost the Town in round num- bers nearly $6000 more than it costs under present conditions. This result has been brought about by the earnest co-operation of the grade teachers, and would not have been possible if the size of the classes had averaged 45 to 50, instead of 37.
An equally important result has been obtained through the op- portunities offered the gifted children. Much less effort has been expended on this class of children throughout the land than has been devoted to backward children. However, through the pub- licity being given this phase of educational opportunity through the Bureau of Municipal Research of New York City, the Russell Sage Foundation, and the United States Bureau of Education, well directed efforts are being made in many places to give to these super-normal children the opportunities which their natural abili- ties demand. We believe that these plans are of the greatest value because they differentiate pupils of ability independent of the ordinary schemes of grading, and give every pupil an honest chance to make the best of his natural abilities. In five cities special classes for exceptionally gifted children have been organized, and have proved their worth. These places are Baltimore, Worcester, Indianapolis, Lincoln, and Rochester. We have this year two classes so organized. These are made up of children who last year, as groups in regular classes, did the seventh grade work and half the eighth grade work. They have at Christmas time fin- ished the work of the eighth grade, and done the regular work in Latin of the ninth grade, and are now enrolled as ninth grade pupils.
It should be understood in this connection that it is intended that no work be "skipped" by this plan, but that the work be gone over more rapidly by these children who have exceptional ability. It is a fact so familiar to all that it need hardly be stated that different people require different lengths of time to do a piece of work whether it be mental or manual, and that more often than otherwise the quickest workers are the most accurate and thorough.
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SCHOOL COMMITTEE
As a result of our plan, during the last school year 155 pupils gained a year in their school life. This means that whereas 7.9% are repeating this year, 8.4% have advanced an extra grade. I believe this is a showing which reflects the greatest of credit upon the principals and teachers in the elementary schools. As I said in my report of last year, in the schools where the plan has had the best trial, the principals assert that the whole tone of school effort and discipline is being raised by the opportunity to advance which every child sees held out to him. In no other business (for preparing children for the work of life is a business proposition) is the advancement of the individual dependent upon the success of the mass. It is economically absurd to keep a child thirteen years doing what he can accomplish as well or better in eleven cr twelve years because of: (1) The value of the time saved to the pupil, (2) The saving of the child's support for one or two years to his parents, (3) The saving of the cost of one or two years' education to the Town, and (4) the value of the lasting influence of this success on the character and economic value of the individual.
These children, most of whom will go through the grades and probably through the High School, will get through the schools one year earlier, and the Town will be saved nearly $5000, or an amount sufficient to employ eight additional teachers at an initial salary of $600. Again, this result would have been impossible with very large classes.
A summary of a study of the grading and promotion of excep- tional children made by a committee appointed by the United States Bureau of Education follows:
"The first unquestionably valid conclusion which comes from a study of the various plans designed to secure flexible grading and promotion is that the 'lock-step' system is prejudicial to the in- terests of the pupils. In this method of mass promotion, the in- dividual is lost. Under it pupils are not so classified that the work given may be adapted to their individual abilities. It places the emphasis on the weak instead of on the strong, and so makes it difficult to shorten the elementary school period for the more able pupils.
"There is no simple, ready-made plan for avoiding the evils of the lock-step system, and securing for each child that full oppor- tunity to advance according to his individual ability that is the
1
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ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
goal of the ideal school system. Every plan must be modified to meet local conditions. In many cities several modifications, and even several different plans, are needed.
"There is general consensus of opinion that the object of a grading and promotion plan should be to bring together children of similar abilities and like capacity for carrying the work, so that each group shall be as nearly as possible homogeneous. Frequent opportunity should be provided for reclassification, so as to allow for changes in the ability of the child to carry the work, giving children who have been making slow progress opportunity to go forward rapidly, and, where necessary, those that have been making rapid progress opportunity to go forward more slowly.
"The emphasis of the system, and the strength and efforts of the teachers, should be primarily devoted to assisting the bright pupils, rather than directed toward forcing forward the dull ones."
The failure of a graded system to meet the requirements of the individual child is demonstrated in the result given below of an investigation of the 179 pupils, not all of whom did all or part of the work in our schools, constituting the entering class in our High School in September. We find the time spent in the grades to be as follows:
2 or 1.1% spent 6 years 10 or 5.6% spent 7 years 42 or 23.5% spent 8 years 81 or 45.2% spent 9 years (Normal time.) 41 or 22.9% spent 10 years 3 or 1.7% spent 11 years
From these figures one concludes that the present nine-grade system, with entrance into school at the age of five, results in only 45% of the children accomplishing the work in the normal time of nine years. Most of the pupils in this class have had at the most but two years under the working of the plan now in use, and that in its most elementary stages. Next year's class will make a much better showing.
The term "retarded" as used with regard to the pupils in the grades is used with increased uniformity to describe the condition of children who are too old for the grades in which they are placed. There are two reasons why children may be too old for their grades
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