USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Reading > Town of Reading Massachusetts annual report 1928 > Part 10
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Adult Education
A backward step was the omission of an evening school for adults this year. Reading has never done much in this line compared with what might be accomplished. This was summarized in my annual report for 1926, to which I would again call your attention. When a program of Adult Education is again established, it should be made more extensive and much more worthwhile than anything attempted here in the past. Adult pupils are attending Industrial and Home Economics classes in Wakefield and Stoneham and young men and young women are attending Industrial and Trade Schools in Boston and elsewhere, as in other years. Their tuition is paid by the town and one-half of it is repaid to the town by the state.
Changes in Classroom Procedure
Nearly all of my report for 1927 was devoted to an account of the re-organization of the whole system of Reading schools made possible by the opening of the new building of the Junior High School. Consequently the progressive account of our changing technique of teaching related in my reports for 1924, 1925 and 1926 was interrupted in 1927. The sum- mary given in 1926 describes the Winnetka and Dalton plans of instruction and refers to other progressive schools as sources of our new procedures. Since that time our methods have been materially developed and standard- ized. The most important source upon which we have drawn has been the plan of lesson assignments for different levels of attainment or degrees of difficulty as outlined by Harry Lloyd Miller in the "Self-Directed School." The Miller plan, Assignment "C," contains the minimum essentials of tool-knowledge corresponding roughly to the Winnetka "goal" or indivi- dual assignment; Assignment "B" contains outlines for a more extended and thorough treatment of the topic under consideration and is correspond- ingly more difficult and requires more ability on the part of the pupil; As- signment "A" suggests problems of research or creative effort on the part of the pupil. At Winnetka the creative activities are not closely related to the attainment of the goals of tool-knowledge but half of each school day is set apart for "creative activities," largely of the pupil's own choosing, and not necessarily related to the particular goals of tool-knowledge with which he is concerned at the time. At Winnetka each pupil proceeds at his own rate regardless of any other pupil. There are no time allotments for the completion of the individual assignments; consequently, under the Win-
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netka plan the class is constantly scattering in respect to the goal each one has reached at any particular time.
Under the Miller Plan a time-limit is set tentatively for the study of the matter from which the "C," "B,"" and "A" assignments are made up. Everyone is expected to complete the "C" assignment and pass the diagnostic test before the class receives the next assignment, although in- dividual exceptions are provided for by the remedial club. The abler pupils complete the "C" assignment ahead of the time-limit and go on with the "B"' assignment and, if time permits, to the "A" assignment. They are marked as "A,'' "B" cr "C"" pupils according to the assignment com- pleted. In this case the creative work, differing from the Winnetka plan, is directly related to the tool-knowledge which is more or less utilized or applied in a creative way in the "A" assignment. As might be supposed, the classroom procedure under this plan is vastly different from the con- ventional recitation. Prof. Thayer of Ohio State University emphasizes this fact pointedly in the title of his recent book, "The Passing of the Recita- tion" which makes a survey of the origin and development of classroom procedures, closing with a description of the Miller plan as outlined in "The Self-Directed School." Two other books on the Miller plan contribute materially to its use. One entitled "Creative Learning and Teaching" sets forth the pupil's self-directed activity and stimulus to creative effort; the other Maguire's "Group Study Plan" describes a suitable organization of class-room activities to carry on the Miller plan.
Homogeneous Grouping
Along with the Miller plan of different levels of assignment but secondary to it, we are carrying on a plan of homogeneous grouping based upon five or more factors of personal traits including of course the I. Q. Homogeneous grouping helps the teacher to handle successfully a larger class, because when the spread becomes tco great the teacher loses track of individual pupils in a large class and it becomes impossible for her to direct each one and make proper assignments and give adequate tests. On the other hand homogeneous grouping destroys the opportunity for the kind of social integration attributed to the DeCroly class where the older help the younger and the principle is applied, "from each according to his abil- ity, to each according to his need" in the co-operative project. Another
aspect of adaptation to individuals is receiving our attention. Trinidad, Colorado, according to the account given in the book "After Testing What ?" has undertaken to classify the pupils in the schools definitely by their I. Q's. on five levels and to put into operation a separate curriculum for each level. The five levels may be roughly designated as moron, dull- normal, normal, bright-normal and genius. One difficulty with this plan is that there are numerous other factors besides the I. Q. that condition suc- cess. Another is that the present state of the art of testing is not suf- ficiently reliable for so critical and important a classification, if it bars the pupil from the possibility of gaining a higher level. Another objection is the feeling of inferiority likely to be felt by the individuals in the lowest
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group. This is of course more or less inevitable, but, if the door of op- portunity and hope is left open, the feeling of inferiority is not so acute. The Miller plan may be adapted to the three middle levels very successfully, (the dull, normal, and bright,) giving all three groups the same assign- ment, graded so that the dull may be expected to complete the "C"' as- signment, the normal most of the "B"' assignment, and perhaps some of the "A" assignment, while the bright can do all of the "C" and "B" as- signments and go as far in the "A" assignment as the time permits. In other words, the "A" assignment is open to everyone if he can "make the grade." The lowest and the highest level of the Trinidad classification should probably be grouped separately and have appropriate treatment both in assignments and in technique of teaching. Pupils of the lowest level need to be given something they can do well enough to receive commendation and thus gain self-respect, the most important thing for them to attain as well as the most difficult to keep. Whatever special ability they may have should be capitalized and made the most of. As for the rest, only palliative measures are worth the effort and these should be selected by the pragmatic test, "does it work out advantageously in the life situations in which the pupil finds himself or is likely to attain?"
Social-Age Factor in Grouping
For the sake of genuine social integration which is the most im- portant general objective of education it is essential that pupils of the same social age should be together and engage in various co-operative ac- tivities regardless of the differences in their I.Q's. This idea is basic in the Trinidad plan and the Miller plan. But in the Miller plan the "C" "B" and "A" assignments are too much and too abstract for the lowest of the five levels of the Trinidad plan and not sufficiently enriched and crea- tive for the highest level. Special opportunity groups are therefore needed for the lowest and the highest levels. These groups for the lowest level are carried on in the Reading schools from the first grade through the Senior High School. The needs of the supernormal child have not been sufficiently provided for in general in our schools. This is the second year of experi- mental work in this matter in the Intermediate school (grades 5 and 6.) Homogeneous grouping in the Junior High School contributes materially to this end and the freedom of electives in the Senior High School affords a flexibility cf program that goes a long way in this direction. However, some new technique should be devised to free the supernormal pupil from the limitations imposed by the scope of work and rate of progress possible for the average normal mind.
The Super-normal Pupil
The superior initiative and creative ability of the supernormal pupil must somehow be freed from limitations, stimulated, and given an ample and relatively unrestricted field of action in which his powers of creative endeavor may be in full expansion and feel the natural joy of achievement. Bergson somewhere has said: "Philosophers who have speculated on the sig-
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nificance of life and the destiny of man have not sufficiently remarked that Nature has taken pains to give us notice every time this destiny is accom- plished ; she has set up a sign which apprises us every time our activity is in full expansion; this sign is Joy."
The mechanisms of mass education have heretofore been singularly deficient in challenging the supernormal child to "activity in full expan- sion." The champion can not be stimulated to maximum effort by matching him with the tyro; he must have "a foeman worthy of his steel," an ad- venture that will extend his powers to the utmost. Somehow we must or- ganize a technique to accomplish this for the supernormal child, in connec- tion with his school activities; otherwise, the tendency to laziness and other interests is almost inevitable. Sometimes these other interests and extrane- ous opportunities of leadership are his only salvation.
Educating for Responsibility
Miss Lucy Wilson, Principal of a High School for Girls in Phila- delphia, has published a book entitled "Educating for Responsibility." It is essentially an account of the application of the "Dalton Plan" of class procedure in which assignments are made covering the pupils' studies in the subject for a longer period than the customary daily assignment for ex- ample, for two weeks cr for a month. The pupil is then free to pursue his work on his own initiative, being checked up or required to report progress to the home-room teacher daily and to the subject teacher at conferences called by her as she deems necessary. The pupil thus assumes responsibility for getting his work done on his own initiative. These procedures bring out the fact that there are two kinds of knowledge: the tool-knowledge that each person must acquire individually and the socialized knowledge that can be acquired best only by the participation of members of a group. If the group is highly organized for the attainment of a specific object (as a foot- ball team for example) a high degree of integration and specialization of function becomes necessary for different individuals but the specialization is done to promote the success of the whole team rather than for the ad- vantage of the individual. The good of the whole takes precedence over the interests of any individual.
This is a kind of education for responsibility to which the extra-cur- ricular activities perhaps appear to contribute more readily than the activi- ties within the curriculum. However, more and more means are being or- ganized to contribute to this end. I would especially call attention to vari- ou's devices now in operation in the Junior High School as set forth by the report of the Principal whereby pupil-participation in the activities of the school is educating them for responsibility. In the Junior High School to a greater degree than elsewhere in our system, an organization of the ad- ministrative staff has been effected to deal with the problems of homogene- ous grouping, individual lesson assignments, pupil-participation in adminis- trative responsibilities, social integration in group activities, and scientific educational guidance through knowledge of scholastic achievement, person-
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ality traits and behavior. All the pupils of the school are assigned among three Guidance Teachers; one teacher for each grade, seven, eight and nine. The guidance teacher keeps informed of each pupil's activities and through personal conferences guides the pupil in choice of studies, habits of study and social behavior. The methods in general are based on the Allen plan in operation in Providence.
Health Program
The health promoting agencies of the schools in co-operation with the Reading Good Health Committee, the State Dept. of Health and other agencies have been in active operation during the year. The several clinics have been successful and the Posture Clinic for which we have been working so long was organized in September and has been in maximum operation since. The activities in this department have become so numercus that our School Nurse does not have time to act as the executive officer for all of them and in addition find time for teaching home nursing and the "little mother"' class for care of infants. I would recommend the employment of another nurse to work under the direction of Miss Brown.
The work of Miss Lancaster as Director of Corrective Gymnastics and remedial physical exercises has been of great importance in connection with the functioning of the Posture Clinic and it has also supplied a long- felt want in giving definite organization and supervision to gymnastics in grades one to four which previously had been left to the initiative of the different class-room teachers.
Special attention is called to the reports of Miss Brown and Miss Lancaster.
Changes in Personnel of Teachers
Sixteen names of teachers that appeared in the report of 1927 do not appear in the report for 1928. There are also two new full-time posi- tions and one part-time position filled by new teachers, making nineteen changes in the teaching staff. This is the largest number we have had in one year. Three changes were because of unsatisfactory work; four were due to the promotion of teachers to higher salaried positions elsewhere; two were due to marriage; three were due to moving to other localities for special reasons; two due to leave of absence to travel; and two took up other lines of activity from choice. Mr. Woods, Supervisor of Music, went to teach in the State Normal School at Salem; Mr. Clark Cell went to teach at Winnetka, Illinois; Miss Beil and Miss Kershaw are traveling and study- ing in Europe; Mr. and Mrs. R. P. Taylor are in Portland, Oregon; Miss Nelson is teaching in a New York State Normal School; and Mrs. Davis is teaching in a suburb of New York City. While in some cases we suffered severely, on the whole we seem to have been most fortunate in filling the vacancies and taken together our present corps seems to equal the one last year at this time.
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Agricultural Department
I wish to call particular attention to the satisfactory showing of the Agricultural Department in 1928 as set forth in the report of the instruc- tor.
A town of the size of Reading is necessarily limited in the variety of vocations to which it can open the way for its pupils to enter directly or indirectly. The Agricultural Department of Reading High School has functioned very satisfactorily in the opinion of the state authorities under whose approval the town receives reimbursement from the state for two- thirds of the salaries of the instructors. In addition to that, the town has for its own purposes one-half the tuition of the non-resident pupils. It would seem therefore highly advantageous for the boys of Reading to have the opportunities afforded by this school at only a slight cost to the town. Two boys, graduates of this school within a few years, paid last year an income tax on an income of $30,000 from the business they are carrying on in Reading. What other vocational education at moderate cost could the town substitute for it to the advantage of the pupils or to the best interests of the town iself ?
Training for Business
The Commercial Department of the Senior High School continues to be highly successful a's shown by the positions occupied by its graduates. The Reading Banks and many of the business offices in town have a strong contingent of graduates of Reading High School in their clerical staffs. There are large numbers employed in Boston and elsewhere and frequent calls for additional stenographers are received from firms already employ- ing one or more of our graduates. It is seldom that any of our commercial graduates of good ability and good habits is unemployed.
Employment Bureau
A Placement Bureau to aid in securing positions for pupils who wish to work outside of school hours and for graduates of the school was recently organized. Principals of the Senior and Junior High Schools, heads of the Commercial and Agricultural Departments, and the guidance teachers are included in the governing board of the bureau.
Besides serving the immediate necessities of those who must earn money in order to continue their studies, this bureau aims to aid its patrons to gain experience that will guide them and their advisors in finding the most suitable and satisfactory permanent vocations. This bureau functions, therefore, as a factor in the whole system of educational and vocational guidance and its activities are in a large degree the results of the integra- tion of these several agencies.
Teacher Training
Pupils from the State Normal School at Salem have done practice teaching in the Primary and Intermediate grades and the classes for re-
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tarded pupils, in the Junior High School and to a limited extent in the Commercial Department of the Senior High School. We have also had pupil-teachers from the Leslie Normal School and several other private nor- mal schools and schools of physical training. The advantages to pupils and teachers resulting from the presence of these enthusiastic young workers is a substantial contribution to our work and more than compensates for any inconvenience or extra work that they may occasion. They make possible individual tutoring in many instances where the teacher alone could not find time for it.
A large number of our teachers are taking afternoon, evening or Saturday courses in Boston and Cambridge and a goodly number enroll in Summer courses at different Normal schools, colleges and universities. There is a steady improvement in the level of professional training in our teaching corps.
Administrative Authority
The administrative functions of the schools are centered in the School Committee organized with a Superintendent of Schools as its secre- tary and executive officer and a corps of Supervising Principals, each re- sponsible through the Superintendent to the School Committee for the ad- ministration of the particular school or schools of which he or she is princi- pal. The Superintendent is assisted by a staff of specialists called Super- visors or Directors who are assigned to special fields of work to act, each in his or her particular field, as a deputy of the Superintendent. Each princi- pal is the executive authority in his or her own building and any advise on directions pertaining to the work of any teacher or other employee of that building is to be given by the Superintendent or his deputy through the principal or with his knowledge and co-operation. In case a principal is not willing to accept the advise of a deputy he may appeal to the super- intendent; if not satisfied with the decision of the Superintendent he may appeal to the School Committee whose authority is final. If the directions of the Deputy to a Principal are not properly heeded and carried out it is the duty of the Deputy to inform the Superintendent of the circumstances and await an adjustment of the difficulty. If a teacher, janitor or other employee is dissatisfied with a decision of the Principal after a conference has been held he or she may appeal to the Superintendent and if not satis- fied with the Superintendent's decision he or she may appeal to the School Committee whose authority is final within the field of the responsibility delegated to them by law.
Special Reports
I would call your attention to the reports of my staff of special supervisors and directors and of the Principals of the High School, the Junior High School, the Intermediate School and Central Primary Schools, and the Lowell Street School.
In the field of Research and Guidance Mrs. Lucas and her assistant have developed their service to a higher plane and extended its scope during the past year.
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In the field of Health Inspection and Education the work has been growing constantly and will be further developed as soon as an assistant is provided. Miss Brown's report as Director in the General Field cf Health Activities is supplemented by the report of Miss Lancaster as specialist in posture work and remedial gymnastics.
In the field of Art Education, Miss Lahaise in her seventh annual report sums up some of the achievements of the year.
In the field of Penmanship, Miss Cameron in her second annual re- port shows very gratifying progress.
In the field of Music, a radical reorganization was occasioned by the loss of the services of Mr. Woods who became a member of the staff of the State Normal School at Salem. Mr. MacArthur was engaged to 'conduct the large choruses and the orchestras in the Senior and Junior High Schools and Miss Whittier was appointed Supervisor of Music in grade one to seven inclusive. Miss Whittier's report is presented herewith. The introduction of rhythm exercises in the Primary grades is progressing and several toy bands have been organized. The report of the Principal of the Senior High School contains much valuable information and shows that the school is functioning very successfully as a college-preparatory institution as well as in many other fields. The report of the Instructor in Agriculture supple- ments the Principal's report and as noted elsewhere indicates very satis- factory results. The report of the Principal of the Junior High School makes note of progress in various aspects of the experimental work in the individualizing of instruction in that school and other distinctive develop- ments incidental to the reorganization last year as a three year Junior High School. The report of the Principal of the Central Primary Schools and the Intermediate School contains interesting accounts of beginning's in in- dividualizing instruction, of new courses in science and thrift, in social studies and in health. The report of the Principal of the Lowell Street School makes note of the advantages of having only the first four grades in the school, of the posture work and of other items of interest in the prog- ress of the school. The co-operation of the parents with the Principals and Teachers in the education of their children is of the highest importance. What the home has made the children before they enter school is what the teachers have to build on, and the influence of the home must remain an important if not a deciding factor in the development of the child's person- ality and character during the period of school attendance. It is therefore of the greatest importance that schcol and home should be integrated by mutual understanding, good-will, and a common objective in the training of the child.
I wish to thank the various persons and organization's that have co- operated with the schcols during the past year. Without their good will, encouragement and assistance much that has been accomplished would have been impossible. I thank the teachers and other employees of the Reading Schools for a uniformly co-operative spirit and a cordial attitude. I thank
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the School Committee for continued evidences of their confidence and for their helpful suggestions and guidance in administering the schools. -
Respectfully submitted, ADELBERT L. SAFFORD,
Superintendent.
REPORT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF RESEARCH AND GUIDANCE OF THE READING PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 1928
Mr. Adelbert L. Safford, Superintendent of Schools, Reading, Mass .: Dear Sir :
The Department of Research and Guidance has been able this year to . accomplish more than ever before in its history. The files are at last com- plete so that the office has records of every pupil enrolled in the Reading Schools from the first grade to the junior class in the Senior High School. These records have been a great help in many ways, notably the following:
1. Through the information contained in these files this department: has been able to render valuable assistance in the formation of the remedial groups in the Junior High School and has helped to solve many a difficult problem in the other schocls. ₹
2. This information has helped in important revisions of the curric- ulum to make it better serve the needs of the pupils, as outlined below:
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