The High School Failures Part 11

Total A B C D

11,029 Boys 256 2225 5543 3005 11,941 Girls 198 2064 6604 3075

Per Cent of Total 1.9 18.6 53.1 26.4

The facts not only show a lower percentage (by 6.9 per cent) of unsuccessful grades in the new work, but they also show a higher percentage of A's, of B's, and of C's than for the repeated subjects.

There is definite suggestion here that often the particular subject of failure may be more responsible and more at fault than the particular pupil. Certainly uniformity and an arbitrary routine of tasks ignore the individual differences of interests and abilities. But by their greater and their repeated failures in the same deficient subjects (see p. 66) these pupils seem to have rea.s.serted stoutly the facts ignored.

They have been asked to repeat and repeat again subjects which they have already indicated their unfitness to handle successfully. This pursuance of an unsuccessful method is not good procedure in the business world. The doctor does not employ such methods.

_d. The Number and Results of Identical Repet.i.tions_

It has become apparent before this that some pupils fail several times and in identical subjects because of their unsuccessful repet.i.tions after each failure. Final success might at times justify multiplied repet.i.tions, but in such instances it becomes increasingly important that the repet.i.tion should eventually end in success after the subject has been repeated two, three or four times. If such is not the result, then the method is at best a misdirection of energy; or still worse it is an irreparable error, expensive to the individual and the school alike, which only serves to accentuate the inequalities and perversions of opportunity imposed by an arbitrary requirement of the same subjects, the same methods, and the same scheme of education for all pupils alike, regardless of their capacities and interests. In using the term identical it is intended to designate just one unit of the course, as English I, or Latin II. The following table will disclose the facts as to the success resulting from each number of such successive and identical repet.i.tions per pupil.

TABLE X

THE NUMBERS AND RESULTS OF REPEATED REPEt.i.tIONS, FOR IDENTICAL SUBJECTS

NO. OF Grades No Per Cent REPET. A B C D Grade Totals Failing 1 Boys 62 532 1727 880 216 3117 Girls 80 702 2329 1180 342 4633 32.5 2 Boys 1 15 106 77 3 202 Girls 3 17 154 89 2 265 36.6 3 Boys .. 0 26 33 0 59 Girls .. 5 19 36 3 63 59.0 4 Boys .. .. 4 11 .. 15 Girls .. .. 8 25 .. 33 75.0 5 Boys .. .. .. 2 .. 2 Girls .. .. .. 5 .. 5 100.0 6 Boys .. .. .. 0 .. 0 Girls .. .. .. 2 .. 2 100.0 Tot. Boys 63 547 1863 1003 219 3695 Girls 83 724 2510 1337 347 5001

Although a smaller number of pupils make each higher number of repet.i.tions, a higher percentage of each successive group meets with final failure in the subject repeated, and the facts are indicative of what should be expected however large the numbers making such multiplied repet.i.tions. It seems almost incredible that pupils should anywhere be required or permitted to make the fourth, fifth, or sixth repet.i.tion of subjects so manifestly certain of leading to further disappointment. It must be understood, too, that five and six repet.i.tions means six and seven times over the same school work. The existence of such a situation testifies to a sort of deep-seated faith in the dependence of the pupil's educational salvation on the successful repet.i.tion of some particular school subject. It shows no recognition that the duty of the school is to give each pupil the type of training best suited to his individual endowments and limitations, and at the same time in keeping with the needs of society. Such indiscriminate repet.i.tion becomes a matter of thoughtless duplicating and operates, first, to increase the economic, educational, and human waste, where the school is especially the agency charged with conserving the greatest of our national resources. Second, it operates to fix more permanently the habit and att.i.tude of failing for such pupils, and bequeaths to society the fruit of such maladjustments, which cannot fail to function frequently and seriously in the production of industrial dissatisfactions and misfits later in life.

Such probabilities are merely in keeping with the psychological fact that habits once established are not likely to be easily lost.

Indiscriminate repet.i.tion is an expensive way of failing to do the thing which it a.s.sumes to do.

Surely one finds in the preceding pages rather slight grounds to warrant the almost unqualified faith in repet.i.tion such as the school practice exhibits (Table X), or in the importance of the particular subjects so repeated. There may be evidence in this faith and practice of what Snedden[43] calls the "undue importance attached to the historic instruments of secondary education ... now taught mainly because of the ease with which they can be presented ... and which may have had little distinguishable bearing on the future achievement of those young people so gifted by nature as to render it probable that they should later become leaders." But such instruments will not lack direct bearing on the productions of failures for pupils whose interests and needs are but remotely served by such subjects.

A recent ruling in the department of secondary education,[44] in New York City, denies high school pupils permission "to repeat the same grade and type of work for the third consecutive time" after failing a second time. And further it is prescribed that "students who have failed twice in any given grade of a foreign language should be dropped from all cla.s.ses in that language." Our findings in this study will seem to verify the wisdom of these rulings. Another ruling that "students who have failed successfully four prepared subjects should not be permitted to elect more than four in the succeeding term," or if they "have pa.s.sed four subjects and failed in one," should be permitted to take five only provisionally, seems to judge the individual's capacities pretty much in terms of failure. We have found that for approximately 4,000 repet.i.tions with an extra schedule, however or by whomever they may have been determined, the percentage getting A's and B's was higher and the percentage of failing was substantially lower than for approximately 4,700 repet.i.tions with only three or four subjects for each schedule. It does not appear that the number of subjects is uniformly the factor of prime importance, or that such a ruling will meet the essential difficulty regarding failure. The failure in any subject will more often tend to indicate a specific difficulty rather than any general lack of 'ability plus application' relative to the number of subjects. The maladjustment is not so often in the size of the load as in the kind or composition of the load for the particular individual concerned. The burden is sometimes mastered by repeated trials. But often the particular adjustment needed is clearly indicated by the antecedent failures.

2. DISCONTINUANCE OF SUBJECT OR COURSE, AND THE SUBSt.i.tUTION OF OTHERS

Earlier in this chapter appears the number and percentage of failures whose disposition was effected by discontinuance or by subst.i.tution.

Twenty-four and five-tenths per cent of the failures were accounted for in this way. This grouping happens to be a rather complex one. Many of such pupils simply discontinue the course and then drop out of school.

Some discontinue the subject but because they have extra credits take no subst.i.tute for it; others subst.i.tute in a general way to secure the needed credits but not specifically for the subject dropped. Only a few shift their credits to another curriculum. In some instances the subject is itself an extra one, and needs no subst.i.tute. For the graduating pupils only about 5 per cent of the failures are disposed of by discontinuing and by subst.i.tution of subjects. This fact may be due to the greater economy in examinations, or to the relatively inflexible school requirements for completing the prescribed work by repet.i.tion whether for graduation or for college entrance. In only one school was there a tendency to discontinue the subject failed in. So far as failures represent a definite maladjustment between the pupil and the school subject, the subst.i.tution of other work would seem to be the most rational solution of the difficulty.

A consideration of the success following a subst.i.tution of vocational or shop subjects, to replace the academic subjects of failure, offers an especially promising theme for study. No opportunity was offered in the scope of this study to include that sort of inquiry, but its possibilities are recognized and acknowledged herein as worthy of earnest attention. In only two of the eight schools was any shop-work offered, and only one of these could probably claim vocational rank.

Apart from the difficulty in reference to comparability of standards, there were not more than a negligible number of cases of such subst.i.tution, due partly to the relative recency in the offering of any vocational work. In this reference a report comes from W.D. Lewis of an actual experiment[45] in which "fifty boys of the school loafer type ... selected because of their prolific record in failure--as they had proved absolute failures in the traditional course--were placed in charge of a good red-blooded man in a thoroughly equipped wood work shop." "The shop failed to reach just one." At the same time the academic work improved. One cannot be sure of how much to credit the type of work and how much the red-blooded man for such results. But we may feel sure of further contributions of this sort in due time.

3. EMPLOYMENT OF SCHOOL EXAMINATIONS

The school examinations employed to dispose of the failures are of two types. The 'final' semester examination, employed by certain schools and required of pupils who have failed, operates to remove the previous failure for that semester of the subject. The success of this plan is not high, because of the insufficient time available to make any adequate reparation for the failures already charged. Of the 1,657 examinations of this kind to satisfy for failures, 30.7 per cent result in success. The boys are more successful than the girls by 4.5 per cent. This particular procedure is not employed by more than two of the eight schools. The other form of school examination employed for disposing of failures is the special examination, usually following some definite preparation, and given at the discretion of the teacher or department head. Its employment seems also to be limited pretty much to two of the schools, because for most of the subjects the Regents'

examinations tend to displace it in the schools of the New York State and City systems. As only the successes were sure of being recorded in these tests we do not know the percentage of success attributable to this plan of removing failures. It probably deserves to be credited with a fairly high degree of success, for relatively few pupils (less than 200) utilize it, and then frequently after some extra preparation or study--such as summer school courses or tutoring. These two forms of school examinations jointly yield 37.5 per cent of successes on the number attempted, so far as such are recorded.

4. THE SERVICE RENDERED BY THE REGENTS' EXAMINATIONS IN NEW YORK STATE

Whatever may be the merits or demerits of the Regents' examination system in general for academic school subjects, these tests certainly perform a saving function for the failing pupils, by promptly rectifying so many of their school failures and thus rescuing them from the burden of expensive repet.i.tion. A pupil's success in the Regents'

examination has the immediate effect of satisfying the school failure charged to him. At the same time, it is possible, as is sometimes a.s.serted, that the antic.i.p.ation of these tests inclines some teachers to a more gratuitous distribution of failing marks as a spur to their pupils to brace up and perform well in reference to the Regents'

questions. However, there is no trace of that policy found so far as the schools included in this study are concerned. For the three New Jersey schools considered jointly have a higher percentage of failing pupils, and a slightly higher average in the number of failures for each failing pupil than have the three New York State schools.

But it is more probable that the att.i.tude referred to operates to exclude the failing pupils from being freely permitted to enter the Regents' tests in the failing subjects, and thus to restrain them from what threatens to lower the school percentage of successful papers, except that in New York City such discrimination is prohibited.[46] On the percentages of success for these examination results teachers and even schools are wont to be popularly judged. Annual school reports may feature the pa.s.sing percentage for the school in Regents' examinations, with a spirit of pride or rivalry, but with no word of what that percentage costs as real cost must be reckoned. It is interesting to note in this connection that the percentage of unsuccessful repet.i.tions for the three New Jersey schools is 13.7 per cent lower than for the three New York schools. In addition to this, for the latter schools 22 per cent more of the subject failures are repeated than for the former ones mentioned. It is important also to bear in mind that the success percentage for the Regents' tests is computed on the number admitted to the examinations--not on the number instructed in the subject. The regulations are flexible and admit of considerable lat.i.tude in matters of cla.s.sification and interpretation. Accordingly, if it happens anywhere in the state that those who are the less promising candidates, in the teacher's judgment, are debarred from attempting Regents'

examinations by failing marks, by demotion and exclusion from their cla.s.s, or by other means, the school's percentage of pupils pa.s.sing may be kept high as a result, but the injustice worked upon the pupil in such manner is vicious and reprehensible. Yet the whole intolerableness of the practice will center in the rule for exclusion of pupils from these examinations because of school failure. No one can predict with any safe degree of certainty that the outcome of any individual's efforts will be a failure in the Regents' tests, even though he has failed in a school subject. If failure should happen to result, it is chiefly the school pride that suffers; if the pupil is denied a free trial, he may suffer an injustice to aid the pretension of the school.

Our school sanctions are not characterized by such ac.u.men or infallibility as to warrant our refusing to give a pupil the benefit of the doubt. He is ent.i.tled to his chance to win success in these examinations if he is able, and it appears that only results in the Regents' tests can be truly trusted to tell us that he is or is not able to pa.s.s them.

The facts depicted here may lead to the belief that the recorded success in Regents' examinations may sometimes be artificially high, due to the subtle influences at work to make it so. In New York City absence is the sole condition for debarring any pupil, since he must have pursued a subject the prescribed time. Such a ruling is highly commendable, and it should not in fairness to the pupil be otherwise anywhere in the state. The following distribution discloses that 72.8 per cent of the 3,085 failing pupils who were recorded as taking the Regents' examinations were successful, and that 78 per cent of those succeeding pa.s.sed in the same semester in which the school failure occurred.

SUCCESS OF THE FAILING PUPILS IN THE REGENTS' EXAMINATIONS

Pa.s.s the Pa.s.s a Fail First, Same Semester Later Semester then Pa.s.s Only Fail

1333 Boys 809 143 38 343 1752 Girls 946 193 117 496 ------------------------------------------ Per Cent of Total 72.8 27.2

The divisions of the above distribution are distinct, with no overlapping or double counting. Of the pupils who pa.s.s these examinations in a later semester than that in which the failure occurs, a major part belong to the two schools which restrict their pupils mainly to a repet.i.tion of the subject after failing before they attempt the Regents' tests. Otherwise many of them would pa.s.s the Regents'

examinations at once, as in the other schools, and would not need to repeat the subject. It was pointed out in the initial part of this chapter that 3.2 per cent of the instances of failure were followed by both repet.i.tion and examination. In one of the two schools referred to 90.8 per cent of the pupils failing and later taking Regents'

examinations repeat the subject first. That most of such repet.i.tion is almost entirely needless is suggested by the fact that only 2.1 per cent more of their pupils pa.s.s, of the ones attempting, than of the total number reported above, and that too in spite of the loss of pupils' time and public money by such repet.i.tion. It may be, and doubtless is, true that an occasional omission occurs in recording the results after such tests have been taken, but, since it is the avowed policy of each school to have complete records for their own constant reference (excepting that the practice of the smallest of the five units was not to record the Regents' failures, and for this school they had to be estimated), the failing results would not be expected to be omitted more often than the successes, so that only the totals would be perceptibly affected by such errors.

One may rightly be permitted to speculate a bit here as to the most probable reaction of the pupil in regard to his respect for the school standards and for the judgment and opinion of his teacher, when he so readily and repeatedly pa.s.ses the official state tests almost immediately after his school has cla.s.sed his work as of failing quality. Perhaps it becomes easier for him to feel that failure is not a serious matter but an almost necessary incident that accompanies the expectations of the usual school course, just as gout is sometimes regarded as a mere contingency of ease and plenty. If such be true, and the evidence establishes a strong probability that it is, then it is not a helpful att.i.tude to develop in the pupil nor one of benefit to the school and to society.

5. CONTINUATION OF SUBJECT WITHOUT REPEt.i.tION

A limited number of records were available in one school for the pupils who failed in the first semester of a subject, and who were permitted to continue the subject conditionally a second semester without first repeating it. Not all pupils were given this privilege, and the conditions of selection were not very definite beyond a sort of general confidence and promise relative to the pupil. The after-school conference was the only specific means provided for aiding such pupils.

But 52 per cent of such subjects were pa.s.sed in this manner, and the subsequent pa.s.sing compensated for the previous failure as to school credit.

GRADES FOR FAILING PUPILS WHO CONTINUE THE SUBJECT WITHOUT REPEt.i.tION

A B C D

259 Boys .. 7 133 119 249 Girls .. 3 119 125 ------------------ Per Cent of Total .. 52 48

A difference of judgments may prevail as to the significance of these facts. Although the pa.s.sing grades secured are not high, 52 per cent have thus been relieved from the subject repet.i.tion, which on the average results in 33.3 per cent of failures, as has been noted in section 1 of this chapter.

A much more ingenious device for enabling at least some pupils to escape the repet.i.tion and yet to continue the subject was discovered in one school, in which it had been employed. Briefly stated, the scheme involved a nominal pa.s.sing grade of 70 per cent, but a pa.s.sing average of 75 per cent; and so long as the average was attained, the grade in one or two of the subjects might be permitted to drop as low as 60 per cent. Then in the event of a lower average than 75 per cent, it might be raised by a new test in the favorite or easiest subject, rather than in the low subject. By this scheme the grades could be so juggled as to escape repet.i.tion or other direct form of reparation in spite of repeated failures, unless perchance the grades fell below 60 per cent.

By a change of administration in the school this whole scheme has been superseded. But it had been utilized to the extent that the records for this school showed practically no repet.i.tions for the failing pupils.

A SUMMARY OF CHAPTER V

Among the school agencies for disposing of the failures, repet.i.tion of the subject is the most extensively employed.