Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 78.djvu/414

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404
THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY

the effect, before the semester is over, is to discourage the efforts of some students appreciably, 23 do not; 26 believe that the effect of the system has been good, 7 regard it as bad, and 23 as inappreciable.

TABLE IV

University of Missouri

Distribution of Grades, 1910

Subjects of Study %A %B %C %D %E %Del. Total
Class. Arch, and History of Art 15 25 39 9 4 8 297
Botany 9 19 44 16 10 2 557
Physical Education 8 17 50 10 15 649
Latin 7 25 45 18 5 323
Germanic Languages 7 23 45 13 9 3 1006
Animal Husbandry 7 22 51 14 4 2 594
Economics 7 15 43 23 11 1 369
Agronomy 6 26 57 4 6 1 321
Horticulture 6 23 47 13 8 3 495
Music 6 20 58 4 11 1 280
Law 5 24 52 10 2 7 3984
Experimental Psychology 5 20 53 14 7 1 497
Mathematics 5 20 49 12 11 3 962
Philosophy 5 14 45 20 12 4 336
Veterinary Science 4 27 59 7 2 1 292
History 4 26 49 13 5 3 1023
Sociology 4 23 51 16 5 1 594
Education 4 22 50 16 7 1 751
Journalism 4 21 59 12 3 2 342
Political Science 4 21 44 22 3 6 280
Philosophy of Education 4 20 53 19 3 1 365
Home Economics 4 20 53 15 2 6 220
Physics 4 20 43 19 8 6 1030
Electrical Engineering 3 22 49 18 4 4 491
Mech. Draw, and Hydr. Engin. 3 22 49 12 8 6 726
Mechanical Engineering 3 21 53 16 6 1 642
Romance Languages 3 21 49 14 10 3 468
Shopwork 3 20 59 12 3 3 376
Theory and Practise of Art 3 19 48 15 9 6 289
English 3 18 50 18 8 3 1583
Chemistry 3 16 46 20 12 3 1379
Elocution 2 25 50 21 2 232
Civil Engineering 2 21 52 18 5 2 836
Zoology 2 19 49 20 8 2 391
Geology and Mineralogy 2 17 57 16 6 2 344
Military Education 2 16 52 6 24 293

Discarding the arbitrary divisions employed wherever undefined symbols and numbers are used, we may divide the area of the normal surface of frequency as it is always divided for other scientific purposes. We may mark off a middle area equal to the sum of the two areas left at the sides. Half the students of any group will be represented by this middle area. We may designate this group by the symbol C, or K, or 76, or 13, or 289, or we may name it after the chairman of the school board. Much will be gained when we rid ourselves of the notion that the letters and numbers we now use so widely necessarily have any particular meaning. What we call this group does not matter: the significant thing is that it stands for an ability above and below which half