248 TEE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



Latin 



Total number of pupils 15 



Number marked ' ' Excellent " 1 



Number marked ' ' Good " 6 



Number marked ' ' Fair " 3 



Number marked ' ' Weak " 1 



Number ' ' Not passed " 3 



Number "Left" 1 



Algebra 



Total number of pupils 20 



Number marked ' ' Excellent " 2 



Number marked ' ' Good ; ' 4 



Number marked ' ' Fair " 3 



Number marked ' ' Weak " 5 



Number marked ' ' Not passed " 3 



Number marked ' ' Left " 3 



It is plainly evident that a large number of ninth grade pupils need greater 

 direction than they receive at present, and I am convinced that we must resort 

 to some plan to give them this additional help, if we are to eliminate excessive 

 mortality in this grade. 



The double period plan is in use in many schools. In the Joilet 

 Township High School for some years two periods per day, ten hours 

 per week in all, have been given to all science work, manual training, 

 domestic science and mechanical drawing, this period being used both 

 for study and recitation. This school has also used this plan with be- 

 ginning algebra, beginning geometry and beginning history. In Joilet 

 the consensus of opinion of teachers is that the plan is successful. Prin- 

 cipal J. Stanley Brown states that by such a scheme " the percentage of 

 failures may be reduced to a minimum, and that is a compensation for 

 the slight increase in teaching force and extra amount of money spent 

 for teaching." 



At Murphrysboro, 111., an experiment (in manual training) has 

 been under way which, while not bearing directly upon our question, 

 has a collateral bearing upon it by indicating that even single periods 

 and more prolonged periods of class instruction may sometimes be 

 used in such ways as to make the shorter and not the longer period de- 

 sirable, though doubtless longer periods usually are desirable. 



A small class of boys in manual training was divided, one section 

 being given single periods for this work, the other the same number of 

 double periods. The principal, Mr. G. J. Koons, stated that the single 

 period pupils were not above the double-period boys in their general 

 class standing nor in ability. All were given piece work and records 

 were kept of the hours used by each boy in completing each piece of 

 work. Eleven pieces of work were completed by each pupil. The single 

 period pupils used approximately 25 per cent, less time on an average 

 for each piece than the double-period boys, and on the test given to all 



