MUSCATINE COUNTY, IOWA SCHOOL NEWS

Source: Muscatine Daily Journal, Thursday, September 21, 1886, page 2
Submitted by Beverly Gerdts, May 6, 2020

Grading of the County Schools

One of the best systems devised for the grading of the County schools has been put in operation by Supt. Covertson with the beginning of the present Fall term. It will be particularly interesting to the patrons and pupils of the county schools to be informed of the practical results to be achieved by this system. Heretofore, not only every country school has stood isolated by itself, with little relation of any with its sister schools in the county or same township, but every term of the school has held wholly independent relations with its predecessor or successor. This latter defect has been cured to a large extent in cases where the same teacher is employed for a number of terms, but even in such instances, the want of a systematic and progressive course of study has materially affected the interests of the school; and in cases where a change of teachers is the rule, the confusion in the course of instruction has been lamentable.

To illustrate, where a new teacher enters a country school, with no systematic record of the scholarship of the school to consult, she must be governed, in the "classing" of her pupils, by their own reports or estimates of their standing in the different studies, and half the term will be taken up in correcting the mistakes of her classifications. On the other hand, with no record of his progress or scholarship to refer to with pride, the pupil loses a valuable stimulant to study and good behavior. When the school committee and others, or the Superintendent, visit the school, and enquire of the scholarship of this or that pupil, the teacher can only answer from her few weeks' acquaintance, and the chances are that she has not had time or opportunity herself, to learn of the real standing and aptitudes of the pupil.

The system adopted by Supt. Covertson, includes a classification register for every school, in which the names of the pupils are entered, with the membership of every class, and different columns in which to note the proficiency of each pupil in every class, as also his deportment, attendance and absences, punctuality and tardiness, etc. This registry, thus kept, is the property of the school and becomes the legacy of every new teacher, who has only to consult its pages to learn the standing of every member of the school, except the new ones who are easily classified. She sees, too, by this register, how far each class has progressed in arithmetic, grammar, geography, etc., and the new term takes up the study where the old term left it, and there is not that going over and over again of the same lessons at every successive term because of the teacher not knowing anything about the pupils' capabilities, or of their past progress.

Copies of this registry record are sent every month to the Superintendent. He looks over the report of a certain school and sees what work it is doing. He notes its sloth or its progress. He observes what percent of the membership is absent or tardy. If these absences or tardiness are unusually numerous, it will be his business to visit the neighborhood and enquire into the cause. If parents come to him and complain that their children are not making due progress he has this monthly report to turn to and will see how much absenteeism and tardiness or bad deportment have to do with the children's slow advancement. If the record shows that a particular class is not doing good work, the Superintendent will know what trouble or hindrance to enquire into when he visits the school.

There are so many aids to the efficiency of pupil, teacher and Sup to come from this register, that one wonders how it has been dispensed with in the past. Another benefit to be derived from the system will be the coincident course of study in the same branches, in every township, in place of the present dissimilarity and confusion. It is the Superintendent's intention to mark the inauguration of his new system by having a public exhibit of the scholar of the country at the next County Fair, which will include samples of the average work being done in the different schools. This will also tend to stimulate teacher and pupil to their best effort. We have treated the new system at some length, but not to more, we are convinced, than its importance entitles it.