Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 82.djvu/252

Latin
Total number of pupils	15
Number marked "Excellent"	1
Number marked "Good"	6
Number marked "Fair"	3
Number marked "Weak"	1
Number "Not passed"	3
Number "Left"	1
Algebra
Total number of pupils	20
Number marked "Excellent"	2
Number marked "Good"	4
Number marked "Fair"	3
Number marked "Weak"	5
Number marked "Not passed"	3
Number marked "Left"	3

 

It is plainly evident that a large number of ninth grade pupils need greater direction than they receive at present, and I am convinced that we must resort to some plan to give them this additional help, if we are to eliminate excessive mortality in this grade.

The double period plan is in use in many schools. In the Joilet Township High School for some years two periods per day, ten hours per week in all, have been given to all science work, manual training, domestic science and mechanical drawing, this period being used both for study and recitation. This school has also used this plan with beginning algebra, beginning geometry and beginning history. In Joilet the consensus of opinion of teachers is that the plan is successful. Principal J. Stanley Brown states that by such a scheme "the percentage of failures may be reduced to a minimum, and that is a compensation for the slight increase in teaching force and extra amount of money spent for teaching."

At Murphrysboro, Ill., an experiment (in manual training) has been under way which, while not bearing directly upon our question, has a collateral bearing upon it by indicating that even single periods and more prolonged periods of class instruction may sometimes be used in such ways as to make the shorter and not the longer period desirable, though doubtless longer periods usually are desirable.

A small class of boys in manual training was divided, one section being given single periods for this work, the other the same number of double periods. The principal, Mr. G. J. Koons, stated that the single period pupils were not above the double-period boys in their general class standing nor in ability. All were given piece work and records were kept of the hours used by each boy in completing each piece of work. Eleven pieces of work were completed by each pupil. The single period pupils used approximately 25 per cent, less time on an average for each piece than the double-period boys, and on the test given to all