GIFT 
 
 A NOVEL EXPERIMENl 
 
A NOVEL EXPERIMENT 
 
The Newton Vocational School 
 Print Shop, Newton vi lie. Mass. 
 
O / 
 
 FOREWORD 
 
 EVERY boy and girl of high school age belongs in 
 the high school regardless of the completion of the 
 grammar school course. It is the function of the high 
 school to welcome every such boy and girl and to 
 adapt subject-matter, methods and organization to the 
 needs of such boys and girls. The only conditions of 
 admission to the high school and of retention therein 
 to be imposed upon the young person of high school 
 age are that such young person be educable and that 
 he try according to his ability. 
 
 Such is a summary statement of the policy that has 
 been carried out in the Newton school system during 
 the last three years. In pursuance of this somewhat 
 radical policy, within this period of three years more 
 than two hundred boys and girls have been taken 
 bodily, so to speak, from the Newton grammar schools 
 and placed in the Newton Technical High. High 
 school age" varies somewhat with individuals. With 
 rare exceptions fifteen is considered the maximum age 
 up to which a pupil should be retained in grammar 
 
 [Hi] 
 
 261348 
 
school, and many pupils who have not completed 
 grammar school work are transferred to high school 
 several months before the fifteenth birthday is reached, 
 in some instances at barely fourteen years of age. 
 One result of this policy is that the distinctly over-age 
 pupil is practically unknown in the higher grades of 
 the Newton elementary schools. 
 
 What this policy is doing for the young people di- 
 rectly affected by it, it is the purpose of this little pam- 
 phlet to show. At my request, Miss Mary A. Laselle, 
 who, from the beginning of this policy has been held 
 responsible for the success of the "transferred" girls 
 during their first year in high school and has given these 
 girls all their instruction in academic subjects, has 
 written the following description of the transfer" 
 work and of the subsequent success to date of the first 
 class of girls to be admitted to the high school under 
 this policy. As Miss Laselle shows (pp. 10-12) not 
 only did nine-tenths of the fifty girls admitted remain 
 throughout the year, but more than two-thirds of those 
 who remained through continued their schooling the 
 following year, twenty-seven of them in regular courses 
 of the Technical High; and of the latter twenty-seven, 
 nineteen are now halfway through their second regular 
 high school year. Not only have these girls continued 
 their work, but they have been remarkably successful, 
 decidedly more successful in avoiding failures" than 
 the average girl who is admitted in the usual way. 
 
 From the enumerations of the "reasons why the 
 special course was successful" (p. 12), Miss Laselle 
 
 [iv] 
 
has modestly omitted one reason, undoubtedly the most 
 important of all, that is, the teacher who taught the 
 girls their academic subjects, whose room was the girls' 
 "home" room, who was responsible not for the main- 
 tenance of any fixed school standards but for the best 
 possible education of every one of that particular group 
 of girls for one year. Her guiding thought and aim 
 was to give these girls something to learn that they 
 could learn, something that would be of the greatest 
 practical value to them, to encourage them to do what 
 they could do, and thus to substitute in them for the 
 habit of failure, to which they had long been ac- 
 customed, the habit of success. 
 
 What would have been the school career of this group 
 of fifty girls who were transferred to high school in 
 September, 1910, had they been compelled to complete 
 grammar school work before admission to high school, 
 can only be conjectured. Anyone familiar with the 
 records of girls of this type would probably consider it 
 a fair estimate that scarcely half would have returned 
 to grammar school; that not more than half of those 
 returning would have completed the course; that not 
 more than half of those completing the course per- 
 haps a half-dozen would ever have entered the high 
 school; and that not more than two or three of these, 
 more probably not any, would have gone beyond the 
 first year. 
 
 The financial aspect of the policy pursued with these 
 girls is interesting and important. Since September, 
 1910. w r hen special work with these girls began, there 
 
 [v] 
 
has been expended on their education probably be- 
 tween $4000 and $5000 more than would have been 
 expended had they simply been left to the usual fate 
 of such girls as estimated above. And to continue the 
 education to the completion of some high school course 
 of the goodly number of that group of nineteen now in 
 their sophomore year who will probably remain to grad- 
 uate, will cost at least $2000 more. We might have 
 economized and saved money by shutting our eyes to 
 the needs of these girls; instead, we practiced a higher 
 economy by saving and developing human talent, that 
 will surely pay not only to these girls but to society 
 large dividends for many years on the money invested. 
 
 The work with classes of girls that have been 'trans- 
 ferred" to High School since September, 1910, prom- 
 ises to be just as successful as the w r ork with that first 
 class, chosen for presentation here simply because more 
 of the results extending over a larger period are becom- 
 ing apparent. 
 
 Work with transfer" boys in the high school has 
 proved no less successful than that with girls. This 
 work and its results will be described in a pamphlet 
 similar to this. 
 
 FRANK E. SPAULDING, 
 
 Superintendent of Newton Schools 
 NEWTONVILLE, MASS., 
 January 20, 1913. 
 
A NOVEL EXPERIMENT 
 
 WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS 
 
 HEN it was found some years ago 
 that in the Newton schools, as in 
 the schools of many other cities, 
 there were in the eighth year of the 
 grammar grades a rather large num- 
 ber of girls over fifteen years of age 
 for whom there was little hope of promotion to the 
 High School by the ordinary methods of school 
 grading, a special class for these girls was organized in 
 the Newton Technical High School. It was the 
 Superintendent's belief that to the many and varied 
 appeals to the mentality that would be made in tin- 
 special courses in that school there would be an intel- 
 lectual response that would cause these girls to become 
 eventually efficient wage-earners instead of the un- 
 skilled workers that they gave promise of becoming if 
 they left school in a somewhat discouraged condition 
 at the end of the eighth grade. 
 
 [i 1 
 
The total number of these girls from all of the 
 grammar schools was fifty, and their average age in 
 September, 1910, was fifteen years and eight months. 
 There were fourteen pupils over sixteen years of age. 
 
 CAUSES OF RETARDATION 
 
 Thirty-five out of fifty pupils had repeated a grade. 
 The causes of retardation, as given upon the personal 
 record cards which are sent on with the pupil from 
 grade to grade, and which contain a valuable fund of 
 information in regard to each one, were (l) sickness 
 by which a grade was lost ; (2) entering school late 
 four did not enter until eight years of age ; (3) unfor- 
 tunate home conditions making home study impossi- 
 ble ; (4) slow mental development. 
 
 ATTITUDE OF GIRLS TOWARDS SCHOOL WORK 
 
 The mental attitude of the most of the girls towards 
 school work might be described by the words ''apa- 
 thetic," stolid/' slow," ' sluggish," and in a few 
 cases, befogged." We will quote here from some of 
 the personal records, which are in many cases most 
 interesting and sometimes pathetic human documents. 
 Of one pupil the record is this: Grade V. ''This pupil 
 is energetic, faithful, and has a good mind. She was 
 out of school during the last months of the year because 
 of sickness." Grade VI. This girl was not prepared 
 for the work of the grade and was not promoted. She 
 seems dull and listless, and shows little interest in her 
 work. Poor in arithmetic. Little mental ability." 
 
Grade VII. "The pupil is a faithful worker hut can- 
 not understand her work in arithmetic. Sent to the 
 eighth grade on trial." Grade VIII. ' Transferred 
 to special class in Technical High School." 
 
 This seems a clear story of a normal, healthy mental 
 growth up to the end of the Fifth grade when a few 
 months of sickness so retarded the pupil that her work 
 in the grammar school after that date was unsatis- 
 factory. Possibly it would be well at this point, to 
 finish the record of this girl up to date by saying that 
 after doing good work in the special class, she is now 
 in the Clerical Department where she has not failed 
 in any study thus far this year. 
 
 Another girl's record reads as follows: Grade VI. 
 Little power of concentration, will not study except- 
 ing under compulsion; promoted to Grade VII on 
 trial." Grade VII. ' Pupil must repeat the grade, 
 not interested in studies; good in drawing and hand 
 work; attendance poor; no help from the home." 
 Grade VIII. Poor work. On account of age trans- 
 ferred to special class at High School." 
 
 As might be expected from this record this pupil 
 was aroused and reached through her work in design, 
 sewing, and cooking. She is now a pupil in the Extra 
 Technical Course, where she is doing second year work 
 in household economics, and is said by her teacher to 
 be one of the most expert needle women in the course. 
 She now plans to become a teacher of sewing. 
 
 The two cards above quoted are typical of a great 
 number of records in which sickness or lack of interest 
 
in studies are given as the causes of failure to do 
 satisfactory work in the grammar grades. 
 
 PHYSICAL AND MENTAL CONDITION OF GIRLS 
 AS THEY ENTERED THE HIGH SCHOOL 
 
 The physical condition of the girls as they entered 
 the High School was fairly satisfactory. Only three 
 out of the fifty were found in a condition that would 
 necessitate their being excused from gymnasium work. 
 There was, however, a lack of robustness, of power of 
 resistance, which made many of the girls fall easy 
 victims to colds, headaches, and other minor ailments, 
 and this condition, of course, meant many days of 
 absence from school. 
 
 The mental attitude of the girls toward the new 
 work seemed one of vague hope mingled with some 
 definite fear. 
 
 ATTITUDE OF HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS 
 AND PUPILS TOWARDS SPECIAL CLASS 
 
 The special class was received with the greatest 
 kindness by every one connected with the High 
 School. The class was given all the privileges of the 
 other pupils and in every way the girls were encour- 
 aged to feel themselves an integral part of the student 
 body. 
 
 SPECIAL COURSE PLANNED FOR CLASS 
 
 In planning the special course for the girls many 
 avenues of approach to their mentality was open for 
 
them. They were given ten periods of academic work 
 commercial geography, hygiene, household accounts, 
 and English; ten of household economics; four of design; 
 and one of physical culture. The physical conditions 
 under which they worked were of the very best. They 
 were given a large, sunny home" room, a cooking and 
 a sewing laboratory that were supplied with every ar- 
 ticle of equipment that could possibly be required, and 
 a large well-lighted room for work in design. 
 
 SEGREGATION AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT 
 IN SUCCESS OF CLASS 
 
 The segregation of the class was an important ele- 
 ment in the success of the undertaking. Many of 
 the pupils were of the self-effacing, retiring type of 
 pupil, who, in a mixed class, or in a class in which are 
 rapid workers, is almost inevitably thrust into the 
 background, where she persists in remaining despite 
 the earnest endeavors of her teachers. With no large 
 element of rapid or more accurate workers to make 
 them timid, the girls developed a self confidence, and 
 an ability to take a leading part in discussions in 
 English and in other subjects that was very satisfac- 
 tory, and that has enabled them this year to perform 
 work required in the regular mixed classes of the Hio-h 
 School in a creditable manner. 
 
 METHODS OF AROUSING GIRLS TO EFFORTS 
 
 From the very first the attempt was made to cause 
 the girls to realize the splendid advantages given them 
 [5] 
 
iii their new environment, and the appeal was made to 
 them that fair play and a sense of justice demanded 
 strenuous effort on their part to show their appreciation. 
 Suggestions of success in vocations were used as a 
 powerful incentive to effort, and the attempt was made 
 to give each girl a hopeful outlook upon life. In the 
 belief that nothing will clear a 'befogged mind or 
 quicken sluggish mental processes so well as a strong 
 desire to better one's condition, an effort was made to 
 arouse the imagination of each pupil until she saw 
 herself working successfully in some honorable voca- 
 tion. Success in any part of the daily school work 
 was commended in the effort to establish the 'success 
 habit." 
 
 STUDY OF VOCATIONS 
 
 A brief study of some of the more common vocations 
 for girls was made, and some most interesting talks 
 were given the class by the head nurse of the city 
 hospital, a woman physician of Newton, the director 
 of the Boston School of Salesmanship, the head librarian 
 of the Newton Public Library, a member of the. School 
 Board, the Superintendent of Schools and other persons 
 competent to speak upon special subjects. 
 
 These talks were all intended to stimulate thought 
 along vocational lines. Some of the subjects were: 
 What Qualities are Necessary to Success in Any 
 
 Vocation :" 
 
 "What Should Determine One's Choice of a Voca- 
 tion ?" 
 
 L*3 
 
Healthful and Unhealthful Vocations.' 9 
 "A Mother's Helper/* 
 
 The Kind of Girl Who would make a Good Nurse." 
 'Florence Nightingale: The Ideal Nurse." 
 "The Life of a Sales Girl." 
 
 Work in a Well-Managed Manufacturing Establish- 
 ment.*' 
 
 " What Positions are Open to a Skillful Needle- 
 woman ?" 
 
 "Books that Every Girl Should Know." 
 "The Efficient Girl." 
 
 MIND AROUSED TO ACTION BY STUDY OF VOCATIONS, 
 THEN EDUCATIONAL NEEDS PRESSED HOME 
 
 In the study of vocations the aim was to place the 
 vocation as a shining mark towards which to aim, but 
 the fact was everywhere and at all times emphasized 
 that to fill any vocation with credit one should possess 
 a fund of mental resources in excess of those required 
 in the actual w r ork of earning a living and that one 
 always needs a liberal supply of what is commonly 
 called good sense and good judgment, in order to 
 accomplish any worthy undertaking successfully. 
 
 The necessity of an educational equipment for work 
 in any vocation was pressed home in many different 
 w r ays; as was also the need of having a reserve supply 
 of mental and moral force. If the talk was on nursing 
 it was easy to see that the nurse must be well-trained, 
 and it was also easy to imagine that she would be a 
 dull companion for her patient if she knew nothing of 
 [7] 
 
literature, biography, and history, or took no interest 
 in important current events. 
 
 If the talk was of the work of a salesgirl, it was not 
 hard to prove that the ability to enjoy a good book 
 would enable a tired girl to spend her evenings 
 happily, profitably, and economically. 
 
 As has been suggested the sluggish mental forces 
 were first aroused by the study of possible vocations 
 and as is always true, the mental and moral fibre of 
 the pupils strained to its utmost under the stress of a 
 compelling purpose. 
 
 VOCATIONAL TALKS MADE BASIS OF WORK IN ENGLISH 
 
 The girls wrote reports of each one of these talks 
 upon vocations both as an exercise in English and also 
 for the purpose of impressing upon their minds the 
 facts given in regard to the vocations. 
 
 HOME CONDITIONS STUDIED 
 
 As far as possible the home conditions of the pupils 
 were studied, and calls were made at a large number 
 of homes during the year. In this manner much valu- 
 able information was obtained which could be used in 
 advising the pupil as to her course in school and her 
 preparation for later work. 
 
 APPEAL THROUGH LITERATURE 
 
 During the year each pupil memori/ed and recited 
 ten choice poems. About fifty carefully selected books 
 from the Public Library were kept in the schoolroom 
 and fifty small volumes of English Classics were bought 
 
by the class as a nucleus of a permanent schoolroom 
 library. Every Friday a report was made upon the 
 reading that the pupil had done through the week. 
 After an hour spent in reading some delightful book 
 the pupils realized something of the value of literature 
 as a means of recreation, and in giving more color, 
 action, and a broader human canvas to the reader. 
 They were made in some degree to realize that litera- 
 ture is a "talisman and spell ?? that will entertain, 
 comfort, broaden, and uplift the one who loves it. 
 
 WORK IN ARITHMETIC, HYGIENE, AND COMMERCIAL 
 GEOGRAPHY 
 
 In arithmetic all work was eliminated, excepting 
 practical problems in housekeeping, sewing, millinery, 
 and expense accounts. The work in hygiene was made 
 very practical and helped several girls to rid themselves 
 of tendencies to spinal curvatures and of bad habits of 
 living. The improvement in the physique of the girls 
 at the close of the year was a matter of comment. 
 
 In commercial geography a talk illustrated by the 
 reflectoscope summed up the lessons of each week, and 
 the gift of a large number of minerals by the 
 Smithsonian Institute and other specimens from several 
 manufacturing plants made it possible to present the 
 lessons in a concrete manner. 
 
 WORK IN COOKING, SEWING, AND DESIGN 
 
 In cooking each girl learned to make over seventy 
 different articles of food, the most of which were 
 
 [*] 
 
thoroughly tested in the school lunch room; besides 
 this, each girl learned valuable lessons in neatness 
 and care of equipment. In sewing, a complete set of 
 underclothes was made, besides a cooking uniform, 
 and some of the girls made dresses. In design, much 
 valuable information was received in regard to harmony 
 of line and color; hats, many articles for household 
 use, and a few dresses were designed; the dresses were 
 afterwards made in the sewing department. 
 
 WHERE ARE THE GIRLS NOW? 
 
 Of the fifty girls in the class at the beginning of the 
 school year (September, 1910), forty-five remained 
 until the end of the year. Of these forty-five, twenty- 
 seven entered regular courses of the Technical High 
 School in September, 1911, sixteen the Clerical, one 
 the Fine Arts, and ten the Extra-Technical courses; 
 two entered the Newton Classical High School, one a 
 boarding school; two returned to the Special Transfer 
 Class for a second year's work, which was so successful 
 that both entered regular courses in September, 191^?: 
 four went to work in the Martin Manufacturing Com- 
 pany, where they had been employed afternoons during 
 the school year (1910-1911); two went to work in fac- 
 tories; two became clerks in stores; one of the most 
 promising was obliged to leave school to become a 
 nursemaid; two remained at home and two removed 
 from the city. 
 
 Of the five girls who left school during the year. 
 
 [ 10 ] 
 
three of them became wage earners at once, as home 
 conditions made this necessary. 
 
 In September, 1912, nineteen of these girls entered 
 the regular second year class of the High School. 
 
 An effort is made to keep in touch with the girls 
 who were obliged to leave school at the end of the 
 Freshman Year and to make them feel that the school 
 is interested in their success in whatever work they 
 have taken up. In reply to letters sent out to these 
 girls' information as to their employment and their 
 reasons for leaving school have been frankly given. In 
 nearly every case home conditions made it necessary 
 for the girl to become self supporting at once. 
 
 THE STANDING OF THESE PUPILS IN THE REGULAR 
 COURSES OF THE HIGH SCHOOL 
 
 A careful study has been made of the standing of all 
 the girls who entered the regular high school courses in 
 September, 1911. It has been found from the rating- 
 sheets that the number of those failing to do satisfactory 
 work has been small. For the first twenty weeks of their 
 work in the regular high school courses no pupil failed 
 to secure a satisfactory general average and only two 
 pupils failed in any subject for the entire twenty weeks. 
 
 In the endeavor to compare the work of these pupils 
 in their Freshman year with the work of the other 
 Freshman pupils, this question was asked of the three 
 teachers of Freshman English; How^ does the work 
 in English of the special-transfer girls compare with 
 that of the other Freshmen?'' 
 
 in 1 
 
Teacher No. 1. "Their work is as good as that of 
 the other pupils, and, in special cases, it is better. " 
 
 Teacher No. 2. Their work is as good as any and 
 in some cases better." 
 
 Teacher No. 3. The average is as good as the 
 average of the class." 
 
 For the first ten weeks of their Sophomore year no 
 girl of the group failed to secure a satisfactory average 
 in her class. No one would be rated as a brilliant 
 student, but no one could be classed as a failure, and 
 the amount of individual achievement in the different 
 courses was considerable. 
 
 REASONS WHY THE SPECIAL COURSE WAS SUCCESSFUL 
 
 1. The new environment aroused in the pupils 
 the feeling that they must do their best to be worthy 
 of a place in the High School. 
 
 2. The work was in a most stimulating atmosphere. 
 There were large numbers and many activities. There 
 was a many-sided development. 
 
 3. Every girl could do well some one of the many 
 kinds of work in which she was engaged. This gave 
 each pupil a sense of power that helped her in all her 
 work . 
 
 4. In the academic studies attention was concen- 
 trated on a few vital points. The slow- working mind 
 was not confused by non-essentials, nor was the pupil 
 laboring under the discouragement of working with 
 more rapid students. 
 
 5. The vocational outlook upon life caused a stream 
 
 I 12] 
 
of pleasurable emotion to flow through the conscious- 
 ness. This aroused strong desire and determination, 
 (i. As far as possible each girl was made to see the 
 relation of every piece of work accomplished to some- 
 personal or social end. 
 
 7. The idea of preparation for the actual, successful 
 work of life was constantly emphasized. 
 
 8. The course was adapted to meet tbe peculiar 
 needs of the pupils. 
 
 A LOOK BACKWARD AND FORWARD 
 
 For too many years have thousands of boys and girls 
 looked wistfully over the barriers within which the 
 high schools have intrenched themselves, before these 
 pupils have turned away to go stumblingly and halt- 
 ingly out from the grammar schools to find some work 
 in life. They have not realized that there was any 
 injustice in the fact that none of the work of the high 
 school was vocational or connected in any vital way 
 with what must be their real work in life; but some- 
 times in talking of a wished for high school course, 
 there was in their eyes a puzzled look that troubled 
 their teachers, who knew that many pupils who had 
 struggled through the grammar grades could ill-afford 
 to spend four years in securing the academic culture, 
 w r hich was the only thing that the high school offered 
 them. 
 
 At last, however, a better time is coming when the 
 word * High" in High School will stand not alone for 
 [13] 
 
certain work in the* classics, sciences, and mathematics, 
 but it will also stand for high achievement in many 
 other lines of effort that lead to the strengthening of 
 character, the brightening of intellect, the developing 
 
 of skill in preparing for one's work in life. 
 
 In this better time, the High" School will con- 
 sider as its 'highest" work for society the conserva- 
 tion of all of the boys and girls to whom it can be of 
 service. 
 
 LI*: 
 
UNIVERSITY OP CALIFORNIA LIBRARY 
 
 THIS BOOK IS DUE ON THE LAST DATE 
 STAMPED BELOW 
 
 9161 
 
 DEC 10 1917 
 
 ! 
 
 
 JAN 4 1946 
 
 30m-l,'15