Report of Ogden public school survey commission

Front matter

REPORT of

Ogden Public School

Survey

Introduction

*

THE HALF DAY SESSION PLAN.

By Supt. J. M. Mils.

A year ago a proposal was made in Ogden for vitalizing the schools by reorganizing them on an industrial plan, having a half day of academic and a half day of industrial, social and physical work, and in certain cases boys and girls were to be excused from the industrial half day of the school to take their industrial work in some of the approved industries of our city on the co-operative plan, on the theory that the real, practical work of life should be an essential part of our educational system; provided that it shall be thoroughly supervised and that the intellectual, physical and social progress of the student shall not in any way be hampered. Some kinds of work have little or no educational value. Other kinds are injurious to body, mind and morals. The child should be protected by the school from entering such employments. It was also thought that the educational value of earning and saving money was an important thing in the training of young people. This plan was intended to make full use of the school plant all the time — day and evening — the year around. The proper mingling of work, play and study can lengthen the school day without injury to any child, while under the present system the present day is too long. Cramming the child with a mass of unrelated, disconnected, disassociated, meaningless abstract formalities is making a generation of mental dyspeptics unfitted for usefulness. The benefits of longer supervision in related activities are numerous. The rights of every individual child should be safeguarded, and in some cases it is known that the home can provide better training than the school for a part of the time each day. Great care should be taken by the school officers, however, that careless and grasping parents should not exploit their children for mere financial gain. Junior and Senior High School boys and girls may be directed by the home, with great profit, in housekeeping, dairying, cabinet making, gardening and many other occupations, as well as in private lessons in art, music, languages, elocution, etc. The daily program should be such that the book-minded or the hand-minded child can be cared for and his choice under guidance should be encouraged. Many boys and girls, too, could be brought back to school for the academic half day, who are compelled to leave school, continuing the industrial half day away from the school plant. If their necessities demand their full time outside, their academic training could be obtained in the evening school, provided in the Social Center.

The Social Center.

Every school building should be kept open all day and evening. Work, play and study should be the program of each session. Running a school system should receive as much business sense as any other big business. Any other business, after having built a large expensive plant would want to use that plant to its capacity. School buildings are generally used five and a half hours a day, five days in a week, nine months in the year, and stand idle the other half of the time. Why this appalling loss? The Ogden Plan calls for the full use of the plants all the time, each building containing full facilities for all lines of development — be they manual training, sewing, cooking, swimming, bowling, hand-ball, gymnasium work, reading, lectures, music, dancing, dramatics, or any training wanted by both young and old of both sexes.

Work.

There is no one thing in all the experience of youth that does more to develop men and women of common sense than work. The weakest point in our American school system is that there is little provision for training boys and girls to be useful. A little work scattered along in all the years of the student's life will make him more reliable, his reason more logical, his judgment more sound, his aspirations more lofty, and his ambitions more enduring. The tendency of physical work is to promote and sustain the mental and physical organization in an uninterrupted action of health until it shall be broken up and dissolved in death. Man is kept in life by work, and dies because he will not or cannot work. Every boy should know how to make a living when he leaves school, and every girl how to make and keep a pleasant home.

Education is the acquisition of power; not an accumulation of facts. The one who is best educated is the one who is best fitted for life, and it often happens that a man is best educated who has never been in school, and that a man who has been through college is most unfitted for life. When the time comes that anyone may properly fit himself in the school-room for life's duties, our schools will serve their best purpose. The kitten in its play imitates the more serious work of the grown animal. This helps to fit it for its later work. There can be no valid reason given why the training of children should be entirely unlike their later duties. The school should be industrial, cultural, and social, and should provide training along all these lines. "We learn to do by doing." The school should provide as nearly as possible the laboratories for training in the various lines that may be taken up later in life. It is especially difficult to see why the school plant should open for operation at nine o'clock in the morning and close at three o'clock in the afternoon. In most places there is no reason except an ancient tradition, why it should not run on Saturday and in the summer. School should be made as much like real life as possible since its purpose is to prepare for life.

Our education is continuous. It begins in the cradle and ends with the grave, and is made up of work, play and study. Too often one or two of these sides may be overlooked or eliminated from our training, giving us at best an imperfect preparation. The man or woman who does not know how to work is handicapped through life even though a legacy might have been left to him through the death of a wealthy ancestor. One who does not know how to play becomes old while yet young and misses the pleasures of his own life and fails to know those of the lives of others.

The Bad Boy.

In every school there should be lines of preparation for the hand-minded as well as the book-minded boy. In our bookish schools, the boy who does not fit becomes nervous and irritable. His very being revolts against what is to him meaningless abstration. This type of boy is extremely energetic, and must express himself in some manner that gives to himself satisfaction. The ordinary school does not provide the opportunity except through truancy and worse misbehavior. Truant officers and probation officers are put on his track.

They hound him about. Much effort and energy are put forth to make him fit the school. Half the effort to make the school fit him might solve the problem. He is called a bad boy. A bad boy is simply a misfit. Bad boys are often the best boys in the community. They revolt against the so-called cultural education. Their teachers have failed to comprehend them.

These proposals aroused considerable opposition in the community, and the Superintendent proposed the appointment of a commission to survey the schools. This commission was appointed by United States Commissioner of Education, P. P. Claxton, President J. T. Kingsbury of the University of Utah, and Professor Milton Bennion of the Utah State Normal School. They in turn appointed as the Survey Commission, Professor W. S. Deffenbaugh, Specialist in School Administration of the United States Bureau of Education at Washington, Professor Edward J. Ward of the University of Wisconsin, Superintendent Charles S. Meek of the Boise, Idaho, Schools, Professor W. G. Roylance of the University of Utah, and Professor George A. Eaton, Principal of the Salt Lake City schools.

These men worked earnestly and vigorously during the time that they were in Ogden, but their time was limited to one week.

Following is a copy of their report:

REPORT OF SCHOOL SURVEY COMMISSION.

Ogden City, Utah, May 11th, 1914.

To the Board of Education of Ogden City, Utah.

Gentlemen: We recognize that a comprehensive inquiry into the efficiency of any public school system, such as you have requested the committee to make for Ogden, has two main aspects, first, the aspect in which the school system is considered specifically as the actual machinery for the instruction of children, and second, the aspect in which it is considered as the potential machinery for the whole community's co-operation in an educational process that includes also the systematic organization of the political, economic, and recreational life of adults and older youth. On account of shortness of time, the committee has divided its labor, allotting to three of its members, Messrs. Deffenbaugh, Meek, and Eaton, the study of the public school system under the former aspect: and to two of its members, Messrs. Roylance and Ward, the study of the school system under the latter aspect; and we beg leave to submit the following report:

School Organization, Curriculum, and Instruction. By W. S. Deffenbaugh, George A. Eaton, Charles S. Meek.

The treatment of the topics alloted to us partakes more of the qualities of a school investigation than of a survey. The policy of the administration in organizing sub-high schools, establishing a very liberal elective system in the high school, and reorganizing the sub-high schools on a half day plan, has aroused much discussion in your city. Our report, therefore, may appear to give undue emphasis to these phases of administration.

School Board and Superintendent.

Your committee has been asked to define the relationship that should exist between a school board and the superintendent of schools, and between the individual members of the board and the superintendent. The following is our report:

Legally the power of a school board when in session as a board is supreme, but when not in session, the individual member is only a citizen; hence he has no right to attempt to dictate school policies or to listen to complaints from principals, teachers, or parents. All such should be referred to the superintendent. An individual board member does not have even the authority of the lowest paid employe, unless the board by resolution has delegated him to exercise authority in certain matters. A board of education should employ a superintendent of schools to act as its executive officer. To him it should delegate the authority to nominate teachers and recommend their dismissal, to select text books, to formulate courses of study, to recommend increases in teachers' salaries for efficient service, and to have general supervision of instruction. The affairs of the school board are largely matters of business. A somewhat similar relation should exist between a board of education and the superintendent of schools as exists between a board of bank directors and the cashier of the bank, or as exists between a board of directors of a hospital and the superintendent of the hospital.

The superintendent should be the head of the system and not a figurehead to be ignored by employees of the board. The highest compliment that can be paid a superintendent is that he will not be dictated to by individual members of the board or by politicians who wish to exploit the public schools; that he exacts obedience from his teachers; and that he will not permit disloyalty.

Your committee commends the stand taken by the school board of Ogden in the management of your schools, whereby the superintendent is permitted to be the head of the school system. Any other plan is to be condemned.

The School Plant.

The commission finds that the school plants in the city of Ogden are not up to the standard of cities of the same size in other parts of the country. From the standpoint of school hveiene and sanitation the Madison School is unfit to house school activities.

Below the High School there are 150 class rooms. Of these only 31 have a fair system of ventilation. No building in your city, not even the High School, has an automatic thermostat system of control. You have 21 rooms in basements used as class rooms. If the city of Ogden were under a system of State sanitary control, the Madison building would be condemned. The Dee, the Five Points, and Central Junior High are not up to any accepted standard from the standpoint of sanitation and hygiene.

The city of Ogden has not done its duty to its children in furnishing adequate buildings and equipment. It has but a $195,000 school bond, with a bonding limit of $441,735.00 Within that limit it can yet vote $246,735.00 Few cities in this growing Western country have so low bonded indebtedness, and such a broad margin for the voting of additional bonds. The city should immediately awaken to the duty it owes to its children.

Average Enrollment of Pupils per Teacher — Average Salaries.

In the city of Ogden grades seven and eight are organized into three sub-high schools. Grades one to six are termed elementary schools.

The average salary of the teachers in the sub-high schools is $841.00. The enrollment of pupils per teacher in the sub-high schools is 29. The average salary of teachers in the elementary school is $649.00. The average enrollment per teacher in the first grade is 50, in the second 48, in the third 44, in the fourth 36, in the fifth 36, and in the sixth 37.

The average enrollment of pupils per teacher in the first grade is almost double that of the eighth grade. The large number of pupils in the first three grades necessitates an arrangement whereby, one group of pupils attend school in the forenoon and another in the afternoon. This policy of half-day attendance of children in the first three grades may be accepted because of over-crowded condition of schools, but it should not be dopted as permanent educational policy, though there is educational authority for half-day sessions in the first primary grade.

The salaries of teachers in the elementary schools (grades one to six) average, $192.00 less than teachers of the sub-high schools. Eightytwo teachers in the elementary schools have salaries ranging from $700.00 maximum to $300.00 minimum. These relatively lower salaries mean that very large numbers of young teachers with limited experience and limited professional training are in the primary grades. Furthermore each of these teachers is intrusted with a much largei number of pupils than in sub-high schools.

The Commission does not believe that the sub-high school teachers should have more pupils per teacher and be paid less, but that the elementary schools should immediately be given more teachers, and salaries so increased that teachers of extended training and long experience may be attracted to this department, which is certainly as important as any other part of the system.

The Teaching Force.

Ogden does not present a situation regarding teachers materially different from that of many cities throughout the country. The necessity for professional training of teachers has long been recog nized. The average salary for teachers in the eight grades of the Ogden schools for the past four years has been:

Grades 1 Year High School to 8 inc.

This low salary schedule necessarily means that a high standard of professional efficiency is impossible. The increase of salary during four years demonstrates that the school management has recognized the necessity for raising the standard.

The Commission has investigated the educational equipment of the present teaching force to determinate the extent of the academic and professional training the teachers have acquired beyond the usual high school courses. It finds that no teacher is employed who has not had at least some training beyond the high school. Ten have attended summer schools, 10 have had one half year's college or summer school training, 54 have had one year, 48 two years, 9 three year, 25 four years, 11 five years and more.

For the eight grades the present standard of eligibility is two years of college or normal training beyond the high school. Candidates for positions in the high school must be graduates of standard colleges. In the high school at present all teachers are college graduates, except the teachers of art, music and manual training, who have had training in special schools. The teachers of household economics have college degrees. These facts demonstrate that the school authorities recognize the necessity of professionally trained teachers, and have already reached a standard which is distinctive when considered in the light of low salaries paid.

Particularly commendable is the policy of the school board to increase salaries of the present force, as they present their certificates showing they have pursued college extension courses. Eight-seven are now doing college extension work, certificates for successful completion of which will be factors in determining salaries for next year.

Retardation and Elimination of Pupils.

Table One.

A comparison with respect to retardation was instituted between Ogden and 386 other cities on the scale of 1,000 pupils in the first grade. The eight grades are designated by the figures 1 to 8; the high school is designated by the Roman numerals I to IV.

386 Cities—

Grade — 1.

1,000

3. 4. 5. 692 640 552

6. 7.

462 368

IV. Ogden City

Grade — 1.

1,000

3. 4. 5. 766 762 660

6. 7. 632 589

458 362

II.

III.

Table One shows the comparison of the grade distribution of pupils in the Ogden City schools with that of 386 cities as compiled by Doctor Leonard Ayres, of the Russel Sage Foundation. The 2,421,988 pupils distributed throughout the grades of these cities were arranged in a scale of 1,000 in the first grade and the proper fraction of that scale for each of the twelve grades. Measured by this scale, the city of Ogden makes a favorable showing, particularly for the first eight grades. For every 1,000 in the primary grades, Ogden has 458 in the eighth grades, while the 368 cities have 263 in the eighth grades. The high school does not show as favorably but is above the Ayres' scale. For every 1,000 in the first primary grade, Ogden has 91 in the fourth year of high school, while the 368 cities have but 56. The fact that the high school does not retain as large a relative number of pupils as do the grades, may be explained by the fact that there are in Ogden two other secondary schools — Weber Academy, the enrollment of which is 400, and the Sacred Heart Academy, the enrollment of which is 260.

TABLE TWO.

Ogden Public Schools.

All Schools.

AGE

II.

III.

IV.

Totals

Five

Six l

Seven

7 93 l

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven

Twelve

Thirteen

Fourteen

S

Fifteen

U

Sixteen

Seventeen

Eighteen

Nineteen

Twenty

Over Twenty

TOTALS

No. above

Normal

Age

SO

% above

Normal

Age

.035

.14

.20

.24

.25

.21

.22

.39

.32

.18

.198

September 1, 1913, basis of calculation.

Table Two.

Table Two shows the extent to which children are retarded or are above the normal age to which they belong.

In an investigation of 318 cities of the United States it was discovered that one-half of the cities had more than 36 per cent of their children over age for the grade in which they were found. In the City of Ogden, in the present year, but 19 per cent of the children are over age. This is a very favorable indication as to the successful handling of the problems of retardation. (Table Two on page 6).

Table Three.

Number School out of

Age Census Enrollment School

Six years 1,155

Seven years 683

Eight years 598

Nine years 646

Ten years 581

Eleven years 510

Twelve years 586

Thirteen years 528

Fourteen years 495

Fifteen years 496

Sixteen years 506

Seventeen years 502

Eighteen years 577

Table Three.

Table Three shows the age distribution of pupils and the number out of school for each age. The students in the two church schools and resident were added to the attendance of those in the public schools, and the children of each age were subtracted from the number of like age from the school census. A study of the table shows the following: Children 12 years of age, but 9 per cent are eliminated; of these thirteen years of age, 16 per cent; of these 14 years of age, 23 per cent; 15 years of age, 38 per cent; 16 years of age, 52 per cent; of 17 years of age, 61 per cent and of 18 years of age, 81 per cent. The large per cent of elimination of boys and girls 17 and 18 years of age is caused by graduation from the high school or academy. These two comparisons show that the Ogden schools retain a large proportion of the children until graduation from the high school.

For the 318 cities of which figures are available, one-half have more than 20 per cent of their children eliminated by the time the fifth grade is reached, and more than 50 per cent eliminated by the time the eighth grade is reached. The City of Ogden has no figures to show definitely the grade elimination, but it does eliminate 52 per cent at the age of 16. By this time the great majority of children are far beyond the eighth grade, and some of them have reached their senior year in high school. Few citites can make a better showing of retention of pupils in school and a smaller per cent of those who have been eliminated from school in the early elementary grades.

Average Cost Per Capita.

The following tables represent the relative cost of elementary and high school educated in groups of cities selected for the most part from cities of 25,000 to 100,000 population. Some larger Western cities were selected. Had the list of cities been continued to twice the number, the same story would have been told, revealing that is Ogden is considerably below the average in per capita cost of education in both elementary and high schools.

Average Cost Per Capita Per Annum for Elementary Schools.

1. Berkeley, California $51.32

2. New Rochelle, N. Y 49.51

3. Clinton, la 48.47

4. Oakland, California 43.64

5. Newton, Mass 41.41

6. Spokane, Washington 41.05

7. East Orange, N. J. 40.54

8. San Diego, California 39.64

9. Riverside, California 41.24

10. Fresno, California 39.42

11. Salt Lake City, Utah 38.34

13. Quincy, Mass 37.15

14. Holyoke, Mass 37.41

17. Santa Cruz, California 37.00

18. Tacoma, Washington 36.32

20. Fresno, Cal 36.14

22. Denver, Colorado 35.04

23. Eureka, California 35.32

24. Saginaw, Michigan 34.07

25. Youngstown, Ohio 34.94

28. Meridian, Conn 33.08

29. Topeka, Kansas 33.66

31. Evansville, Indiana 33.38

32. Dayton, Ohio 33.54

34. New Bedford, Mass 32.58

35. Sioux City, la 32.61

36. East St. Louis, Mo 31.03

37. South Bend. Indiana 32.27

38. Fitchburg, Mass 31.33

39. OGDEN, UTAH 30.37

40. LaCross, Wisconsin 30.64

43. New Luchet, Conn 29.59

44. Altoona, Pa 28.22

45. Sheboygan, Wisconsin 28.29

47. Elizabeth, N. Y 28.77

Average Cost Per Capita Per Annum for Secondary Schools.

2. Seattle, Washington 101.00

4. San Diego, California 99.04

5. East Orange, N. J 98.70

6. Evansville, Ind 92.78

8. Watertown, N. J 87.75

9. Dayton, Ohio 86.87

10. New Rochelle, N. Y 86.56

11. Riverside, California 85.33

12. Pueblo, Colorado 85.35

13. Spokane, Washington 82.78

14. East St. Louis, Mo 82.75

15. Fresno, California 82.32

16. El Paso, Texas 81.35

17. Cambridge, Mass 79.98

18. Muskogee, Okla 79.83

22. Montgomery, Ala 79.63

23. Santa Cruz, Cal 79.63

24. Salt Lake City, Utah 79.19

26. San Jose, California ^^

27. Hoboken, N. J To.80

28. Elizabeth, N. J 75-40

29. Torrington, Conn 75.14

30. Eureka, California 75.09

31. New Bedford, N. Y 75.00

32. Denver, Colorado 72.93

34. Waterbury, Conn 69.73

35. Tacoma, Washington 69.66

36. Poughkeepsie, N. Y 69.44

37. Evansville, Indiana 69.09

40. Maldon, Mass 68.55

44. Everett, Mass 64.00

45. OGDEN, UTAH 60.83

46. Fitchburg, Mass 56 - 24

47. Canton, Ohio 5S - 30

48. Topeka, Kansas 54 -93

50. Green Bay, Wisconsin 52.25

51. Kingstown, N. J 50 - 64

COURSE OF STUDY— ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.

Your committee has not attempted to make a thorough study of every phase of the curriculum, but only of those points that have been the subject of criticism.

The course of study is comprehensive and rich in educational subjects. Many useless topics have been eliminated, but the fundamentals have been retained and more modern material introduced.

The printed course does not show what topics of arithmetic are taught, but by inquiring of teachers we find that the four fundamentals are emphasized. The work as outlined in arithmetic for the first six grades fits in with the work of the seventh as well as in other courses of study. A commendable feature is that no formal number work is required of children in the first primary grade and only a limited amount in the second grade.

The course in language for the primary grades emphasize expression through story telling, and dramatization. In the Junior High Schools grades emphasis is placed upon written composition. We find more than the usual amount of time given to this form of composition, and less time to text-book technical grammar, which is closely co-ordinated with the work in composition. This makes the study of technical grammar practical, and is thoroughly in line with the best modern theory and practice.

The course of study advises that reading in the primary grades be taught by a combination method of the strongest points of the sentence, action-word and phonic methods, all of which are important in teaching the mechanics of reading. The phonic system is likely to be unduly emphasized, but from what we have been able to observe the amount of time given to phonics in your schools is not excessive.

The subjects of history and geography are considered as one subject in the seventh and eighth grades. We believe that these subjects should be closely correlated, but we doubt whether the plan has been worked out as well as it might be. There is at least room for improvement.

Provision is made for physical training by means of plays, games, and drills. This method is in thorough accord with the best educational thought and practice. A commendable feature is the introduction of folk dancing.

To make any course of study effective, the teacher must be provided with the best text-books obtainable. The text-books used in your schools, with probably one or two exceptions, are admirably adapted to the course of study. Many of these books are the best on the market.

Sub-High Schools.

We wish to commend the school board for establishing sub-high schools. These schools are composed of the seventh and eighth grades and are conducted upon the departmental plan, a subject or two being assigned each teacher.

In this country, the movement at present is strongly toward departmental instruction in the upper grammar grades. New York City was probably the first to adopt this method of organization, and it has proved so successful that three-fifths of the grammar schools of that city are now so organized. School men throughout the country approve of the plan. Many of them have adopted it and others are preparing to do so. Of 810 cities replying to a questionaire recently submitted by the United States Bureau of Education, 416 have departmental instruction. Of these 416 cities, 240 report a lower per centage of failures since the introduction of this method of instruction; 78 report more failures and 143 have no data; 250 find a larger percentage entering high school, while 61 find no increase; 302 report that the pupils are much better prepared for high school work; and only 34 can see no improvement. We shall not discuss many of the advantages of the system, but chiefly the criticisms that have been urged against the system as operated in your city.

We find no evidence that the pupils in your sub-high schools are overworked. Assignments are not excessive. We wish to compliment the teachers upon the excellent spirit of co-operation that exists between them and their pupils. The teachers give pupils all the individual attention necessary; part of each 45-minute period is often given to individual instruction, in order to bring backward pupils up to grade. The discipline in each of your sub-high schools is excellent. The changing of classes every 45 minutes gives the pupils an opportunity to relax for a few minutes, and tends to improve discipline.

We wish to call your attention to one of the advantages of the system. The great evil in the grammar grades of the schools of our country has been that whenever a pupil fails in one or two subjects he must repeat the work of the grade for another year or half year. This is discouraging to pupils in the adolescent stage of development. Too many of those compelled to repeat subjects in which they have successfully passed drop out of school. Under the departmental plan the pupils in your school who fail in one or two subjects are not required to repeat those subjects in which they have made a passing grade, but are permitted to take up new subjects with a higher class and required to repeat only those in which they have failed.

At present no high school subjects are given below the ninth grade. Your sub-high schools should partake more of the nature of junior high schools, and two courses should be offered — one an academic or literary course, the other a prevocational course. In the literary course emphasis should be placed upon the subjects usually taught in the seventh and eighth grades. Such subjects as algebra or a foreign language could be introduced. In the prevocational course emphasis should be placed upon industrial or commercial subjects, but* in no way should the essentials in the usual subjects be neglected. At present it is not practicable for you to offer extensive work in a prevocational course as you would need more equipment, and you should have more.