Gifford, W. J.

English

James Madison University

34 THE V1RGB V EDUCATIONAL TESTS AND MEASUREMENTS NEWS FROM ALASKA The first report1 of the Commissioner oi Education for Alaska devotes several pages to a report on the use of standard education- al tests and measurements which were given during the year 1917-18, and repeated dur- ing the year 1918-19. The tests given in- cluded One Hundred Spelling Demons, Kansas Silent Reading Tests, Starch's Arith- metical Scale and Starch's Punctuation and Grammatical Scales and English Grammar Tests. Of something like a thousand pupils tak- ing the tests ranging from the third to the twelfth grades, the scores indicate a very close approximation to the standard and in many cases, a slight superiority over the standard. This is an interesting comment on the efficiency of Alaskan schools particularly when one calls to mind how recently this work has been organized. Moreover the approximation to the standard is practically the same in silent reading as it is in the spell- ing and arithmetic fundamentals, a thing which is evidence of good teaching. One finds in this report many other in- dications of progress, such as the develop- ment of Visual education ithrough moving pictures in five different places, the building of teacherages in twenty districts, the devel- opment of citizenship education, and the building of excellent new school buildings, several of which are pictured on pages 44 and 45. INTELLIGENCE TESTING IN NORFOLK Miss Elizabeth Grubb, who together with Misses Dey and Nicholson, has been giving intelligence tests in Norfolk first grades, sends an interesting report of the re- sults of giving a Kingsbury Group Intelli- gence Test to her iB Class in the James Monroe School, January 12, 1922. Mi->s Grubb was chairman of the Committee of the First Grade to investigate tests and made iReport of Commissioner of Education, Territory of Alaska, for the years ending Jan- uary 30th, 1918, January 30th, 1919, and Jan- uary 30th. 1920. A TEACHER [Vol. Ill, No. 2 her study the basis of report at a recent meeting of second grade teachers. In the table of results given below the pupils are arranged according to their intel- ligence quotients (I. Q.) which represent as nearly as possible the actual general intelli- gence of each child. One notices at once the great variation in scores and also considerable discrepency between the pupils' rating by the test and the teacher's ranking before the test. It should be said that the median score for the group is 18.5 while standard lA score at the end of year is 21. table 1 Note—Column A, Pupil; B, Score, C, Chro- nological Age, yr., mo.; D, Mental Age, yr.. mo.; E, Intelligence Quotient; F, Teacher's Hanking1. A B C D E F 1 50 6 8 8 9 131 A 2 51 7 2 8 11 124 A 3 41 7 1 8 1 114 A 4 31 6 7 7 3 110 A 5 28 6 6 7 0 107 A 6 32 6 11 7 4 106 A 7 37 6 10 6 11 101 A 8 20 6 5 6 4 99 C 9 26 6 11 6 10 99 A 10 26 7 0 6 10 97 A 11 26 7 0 6 10 97 A 12 33 7 9 7 5 96 A 13 33 7 8 7 5 96 A 14 24 6 11 6 8 96 A 15 22 6 9 6 6 96 A 16 19 6 7 6 3 95 A 17 18 6 6 6 2 95 r> 18 24 7 2 6 8 93 A 19 20 6 10 6 4 93 B 20 19 6 9 6 3 93 A 21 15 6 4 5 11 93 A 22 19 6 11 6 3 90 A 23 17 6 9 6 1 90 B 24 13 6 5 5 9 90 A 25 14 6 7 5 10 87 A 26 11 6 5 5 7 87 A 27 18 7 4 6 2 84 B 28 8 6 4 5 4 84 C 29 32 8 10 7 4 83 A 30 9 6 7 5 5 82 D 31 6 6 4 5 2 82 A 32 12 7 0 5 8 81 A 33 9 6 8 5 5 81 A 84 23 7 3 6 7 80 D 35 6 6 7 5 2 78 C 36 3 6 5 5 0 78 A 37 8 6 5 5 0 78 n 38 6 6 10 5 2 76 A 39 8 7 1 5 4 75 D 40 4 6 10 5 0 73 T> 41 5 7 3 5 1 70 C 42 9 7 0 5 5 65 A 43 0 6 4     A 44 0 6 11 — — — T) Inasmuch as the teachers felt some sur- prise with some of the individual scores it was decided to give the test over to a few of the children. In Table II the comparison of scores in the first and second tests are given. While a comparatively small num- ber of children were tested the second time it was interesting to see that one score was unchanged, three were practically un- changed and three were noticeably raised. This probably indicates the desirability of giving a second summary, but unlike tests, as FEBRUAKY, 1922] TEE VIRGINIA TEACHER it is hard to determine whether these high- er scores in the second test were due to practice or due to some adverse condition in the first test. The parallel forms of the National Intelligence Test and Otis Intelli- gence Test have been provided with this in view. TABLE II Comparison of First and Second Tests. Mental Age Score 1st 2nd I. Q. Pu'l 1st 2nd yr. mo. yr. mo. 1st 2nd 25 14 23 5 10 6 7 87 103 27 18 19 6 2 6 3 84 85 31 6 21 5 2 6 5 82 101 32 12 9 5 8 5 5 81 77 33 9 9 5 5 5 5 81 81 36 3 36 5 0 7 8 78 119 38 6 12 5 2 5 8 76 83 W. J. Gifford VI HOME ECONOMICS NOTES NEW ORLEANS CONFERENCE The Fifth Annual Conference of State Directors, State Supervisors and Teacher Trainers in Agricultural and Home Econom- ics Education for the Southern States, was called by the Federal Board for Vocational Education to meet at New Orleans January 9, io, ii and 12. There were about one hundred persons in attendance. The states comprising the Southern Division, with the Home Economics Supervisor of each, are— Virginia Ora Hart Avery Tennessee Lena Pierce North Carolina Edith Thomas South Carolina Lillian Hoffman Georgia Epsie Campbell Florida Lucy Cushman Alabama Ivol Spafford Mississippi Guyton Teague Louisiana Cleora Helbing Texas Jessie Harris Assistant—Lillian Peek Arkansas Stella Palmer Oklahoma Maude Richman Virginia's delegates were: Mrs. Ora Hare Avery, State Supervisor of Home Economics, Mr. T. D. Eason, State Supervisor of Agri- culture, Richmond; Miss Carrie B. Lyford, Head Department of Home Economics, and Mrs. W. K. Blodgett, Department of Agri- culture, Hampton; Mr. D. S. Lancaster and Mr. McGill, Department of Agriculture, V. P. I, Blacksburg; and Miss Grace Brin- ton, Head Department of Home Economics, Normal School, Harrisonburg. The Home Economics meeting was open- ed with Miss Anna E. Richardson, Chief of Home Economics Education Service, presid- ing. After a few introductory remarks Miss Adelaide Baylor, Federal Agent for the Southern region, took the chair and presided during the following program: HOME ECONOMICS SECTION Monday, January 9 Brief responses from supervisors and teacher- training staff on special undertakings for 1921-22. Cominercial Education for Girls, Isabel Bacon. Organization of committees for work during conference. Committee I—Evening Schools and Class- es. Committee II—Interpretation of Minimum Essentials in Teacher-Training Course of Study. Committee III—The Vocational Half Day. Committee IVi—Content of Course in Special Methods. Committee V—Program for Supervised Ob- servation and Teaching. Committee work. Joint committee meeting on rural program for agricultural and home economics educa- tion. Tuesday, January 10 Reports of suh-committees on negro education, 1. Content of courses in vocational schools. a. Poods. b. Clothing. c. Health and Sanitation. d. Plant and equipmenit. e. Text books and illustrative materials. f. Use of dormitories in supervised home management. g. Sources and use of private funds for negro education. General discussion. 1. Next step in study of negro education. 2. State conferences for teacher-training staff, 1921-22. Committee work. Wednesday, January 11 Joint session with Agricultural Section. 1. A state program for vocational education for rural schools wihch includes agricul- ture, home economics and prevocational work. a. Program. b. Finances. Committee work. Report of committees. Committee I—Evening Schools and Classes. Committee II—Interpretation of Minimum Essentials in a Teacher-Training Course of Study. General discussion. Thursday, January' 12 The Home Making Survey, Anna E. Richard- son. Round table on home economics in part-time schools. Round table on home projects. 

Educational Tests and Measurements

317 THE VIRGINIA TEACHER [Vol. II. No. 12 After you have examined the above fig ures carefully, think for a few minutes of these striking facts: In 1871 sixty per cent (60%) of all the public school buildings, in Virginia were log houses. The value o!f all public school buildings in Virginia in 187 S did not exceed in total amount the present estimated combined value of the two high school buildings in Richmond and Norfdlk, namely, the John Marshall High School, and the Matthew F. Maury High School. The present value of the grounds, buildings, equipment and endowment of the Hampton Normal and Industrial Institute for colored teachers exceeds by approximately $1,000,000 the total value of all public school buildings in Virginia in 1905. Notice these,:month]y salary schedules for 1905 as reported by the State Board, of Ex- aminers for Superintendent Eggleston in their reports for the year of 1905: Danville $40-$45; Sjtaunton $43-$46; Franklin Coun- ty $25, $20, $15; Halifax County $34, $27, $22; Highland County $25, $20, $10; Mecklenburg County $35, $25; Patrick County $25, $22, $18. Superintendent Eg- gleston said in his report of xgo5-'o6: "There are white teachers in Virginia who last session received only fifteen dollars pei month for a term of five months. Scores of them get $20 and $25 per month for terms not exceeding six months; and yet the cry goes up from some quarters that we must call a halt, that public education in Virginia is being 'overdone'." Approximately fifty per cent of the division superintendents of schools in 1905 received salaries under $500 per year. The salary and traveling expenses of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction in 1901 was $2,150. The present State Department bf Education is well organized with an ex- cellent staff representing a wise and economi- cal expenditure of $50,000 (in round num- bers) per year. In 1905. the highest paid public school official in Virginia was the superintendent of the Norfolk City Schools who received the munificent sum of. $2,468. The present sal- aries of the superintendents of Richmond and Winchester approximate $7,000 per year and there is at least one| county in the state wise enough to pay its Superintendent of Schools $4,500 per year. Classroom teachers in Virginia today receive salaries ranging as high as $2,400 per school year, and princi- pals' salaries range as high as $4,000. In 1905 thq yearly average salary of all teachers in Virginia wa^j $192,.84; iti 1920—$560, an increase of almost 300%. There were, 495 teachers in the public schools oif Virginia holding professional cer- tificates in 1905. There were 6,400 teach ers in 1920 with some .professional training. The State expended $4,040 for summer schools for teachers in 1905. The summer sessions of the teacher training schools of Virginia for 1921 expended more than $100,■ 000 for all purposes. The State-appropriation for the only nor- mal school for white teachers, the Farmville School, in 1905 was $41,666.66. In 1920 the annual appropriation for the four normal schools for white teachers exceeded $300,- 000. Virginia bolasted 74 public high schools with an enrollment of 12,199 in 1905. In 1920 she can modestly claim 486 high schools, 218 accredited, with a total enrollment ot 30,9I9. Although the last fifteen yeajs have wit- nessed a substantial increase in the population of Virginia, the number of illiterates be- tween the ages of 10 and 20 years of age in our state has decreased from 55,815 to 28,- 900. Ponder on these figures, fellow teacher. Take heart,. Things are not as bad as some would have you believe. We may have a long way to go, but we have already passed over a long stretch of bad road and the way ahead looks smoother. Samuel P. Duke III EDUCATIONAL TESTS AND MEASUREMENTS THROUGH COLLEGE ON BRAINS NOT COURSES Barnard College is this year trying a novel and promising experiment. Thirteen students, about two per cent of the student body, who have been found to have excep- tional ability, have entered the Special Hon- ors Course. They will be freed from a good share of the routine and required work of the college course and will be allowed to major December, 1921] TEE VIRGINIA TEACHER 318 in one field and become schdlars in that field. It is not the intention of the authorities ever to allow a large number of such choices. It is their hope that in this way a few creative specialists may be discovered who will lie freed from certain unfortunate tendencies of college teaching, namely, to cater to medi- ocrity, to measure scholarship in terms of numbers of lectures attended and grades or points obtained, and to split up courses in "half-yearly fragments". The interest which attaches to this experi- ment on the part of those outside of college circles will be that the college is coming to do what our best city systems have been prac- ticing for several years, that is to segregate the brighter pupils for especially enriched cur- ricula and work suited to their abilities. This is undoubtedly but one of the many ad- justments that will shortly be made by our higher institutions now that it is an assured fact that students may safely be entered by means of intelligence and that tests in intelli- gence indicate pretty accurately what is the likelihood of a pupil's success in the college. In this connection it is interesting to note that students entering Columbia University by means of intelligence examinations when compared with those entering on the old sub- ject- matter examinations do work which cor- relates much more highly with their entrance examination standards. DR. OTIS JOINS STAFF OF WORLD BOOK CO. The World Book Company, which has of late been specializing on intelligence tests, has now engaged the services of Dr. Arthur Otis, the author of the Otis Intelligence Tests and joint author of the Army Tests. This is an important step, as it means that teachers and administrators who desire as siatance in the choice of tests and in the diag- nosis of the results of testing can obtain what might in some cases be, otherwise un- available, namely, expert advice. It also means' that another of 'the leaders in the test- ing movement will be largely freed, as Dr. E. L. Thorndike has been by Columbia University, for investigation and research work in this field: Dr. Otis has just announced standards or norms for his primary and advanced exami- nations. These will appear in the revised manual soon to be issued, but in the mean- time can be secured by those interested upon request. These tables give in brief form the norms for children ranging from six years to nineteen- years. Formerly the index of brightness, as used in the interpretation was not easily comparable to the intelligence quotient of other tests, such as Terman s Revision of the Binet-Simon Test. These standards have been based upon many thous- and examinations and will be gladly-, re- ceived by all users of intelligence tests. THE INGLIS INTELLIGENCE QUOTIENT TABLES* This1 little booklet of Dr. Inglis' is the first effort to reduce to a minimum the labor of computing quickly the- intelligence quo- tients of pupils when the mental and chrono- logical ages are given or similarly of finding the mental age when the intelligence quotient is given. An immense amount of labor is saved, the tables being usable with whatever intelligence tests have made use of the in telligence quotient (for example, the Ter- man and the Otis tests). One regrets that the amount oif labor involved makes the pamphlet so expensive, but in cases where large numbers of students are examined the expense might soon be saved in clerk hire made unnecessary. The question naturally arises as to whether such a table is of permanent value, inasmuch as it is possible that more testing will with some tests make a change in the norms now in use, and further whether it is feasible or desirable at the present to accept as likely the equivalence of the results of different tests. It has for example been found that the intelligence quotients derived in group testing with the National Intelli- gence Tests differ at times from those derived by the use of the Terman Revision of the Binet-Simon Test given individually by one to three year in the case of given children. This of course does not invalidate the use of either test or of these tables. EDUCATIONAL DIAGNOSIS As the testing movement gains headway among educators and teachers, the stress is coming within the last two years especially to fall upon their usability for diagnosis. In the case of intelligence tests the questions are largely, What can the child do? What can be expected of him? How far will he be able to advance in school; of the *Inglis Intelligence Quotient Values, Tables Derived and Arranged by Dr. Alexander In- glis. Yonkers-on-Hudson: World Book Co. 1921. 16 pages. ($1.25). 319 TEE VIRGINIA TEACHER [Vol. II, No. 13 achievement and subject-matter tests the ques- tions is not only, What is his relative status in the school or grade and in relation to national standards developed through test- ing great numbers of children? but also, What are his peculiar weaknesses and what remedies can be applied to these? In other words, education becoming scientific as is medicine by using tools which will give an accurate diagnosis or description of the in ■ dividual's status and needs and then apply- ing those correctives and aids that will bring the individual to a higher and desired efficiency. Without measures students are won't to get discouraged, fail, become re- tarded, get the habit of failing and finally drop out of school unequipped for life's simpler duties. A good illustration! of the point of view expressed in this paragraph and of successful remedial instruction is found in the article by Miss Vada Miller in this issue of The Virginia Teacher. W. J. Gifford IV WHAT IS GOOD TASTE IN DRESS ? The five characteristics that serve as evi- dence of an education, according to Presi- dent Butler, of Columbia University, are; "First, correctness and precision in the use of the mother tongue; second, refined and gentle manners, which are the expression of fixed habits of thought and action; third, the power and habit of reflection; fourth, the power of growth; fifth, efficiency, or the power to do-" These characteristics may or may not be cultivated in the schoolroom, but it is gener- ally thought that a person who has had the opportunities of higher learning should be educated; nevertheless, many people who have not gone beyond the gramfnar grades in school have all of these evidences of an edu- cation. It is in connection with the second char- acteristic that I wish to say a few words. Refined and gentle manners, as you know, can not be learned from a book on deport- ment or from one on social etiquette- They are the result of the cultivation of an inborn feeling for refined and gentle thoughts and actions; and as you know, they are most easily cultivated in an environment where one is constantly associated with refined and gentle folk. Clothes. have the power of enhancing or detracting from one's manners. As Pope said, "Dress makes the man; the want of it, the fellow." Since the introduction of Home Eco- nomics into the schools, a great deal of effort has been made to instruct the girls in the art of dressing. The material has been taken up not only from the phase of the con- struction of the garments but also from the economical and artistic phases as well. The results of this teaching, in the clothing and fine arts classes, are being noticed throughout the country. George Brandes, a we'll known literary critic of Denmark, has recently said that America dominates the world. She is the winner of the War. She is at "the stage of her development in which she is rapidly becommg the great center of art and learning. He also said that we are at the same stage in our de- velopment that the Italian cities, Florence and Venice, were before they became great centers of art and learning. Before they were the centers of culture they were great commercial cities- If this country does become such a center, it will be because the schools of the countrv have spread the knowledge that goes to pro- duce observing, thinking people. We must educate our pupils so that they will realize that the vulgar display of wealth is not beauty, Whether that display be in their homes or in their costumes. Walter Crane, an English artist, a few years before his death wrote a book on "Ideals in Art," in which he said, "Before we have art, we must be sensible to beauty, and before we can have either we must haye conditions which favor their existence and growth." Every one of us has an inborn desire for beauty. Even primitive peoples prove this. If we stop to think of the Navajo blankets of the American Indians, the beautiful fur garments of the Eskimos, and the handwoven textiles of the Indians of Peru, we shall realize how strong the desire for beauty is, even among such primitive people. All through the ages, people have sought beauty in some form or other. Some people have felt. \as Keats did, that "Beauty is truth," and they have searched the universe 

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Educational Tests and Measurements

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