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Indiana University Studies 



50 per cent are working on something else. Theoretically, a 

 system might be m.ade perfect in this manner without changing the 

 median of the group. The progress would show in the form of 

 decreased variabilities. (Variability shows how far the individuals 

 in a distribution are distributed from the median; a decreased 

 variability shows that the individuals are clustering more closely 

 to the median.) Such analytical work is now being attempted in 

 Wabash county. The conditions of the entire township are first 

 studied in a township institute; then the teachers with the help 

 of the supervisor take up their individual problems, using the 

 individual score sheets as guides. Care is taken to keep the 

 teachers from overrating the importance of this work. 



Factors Affecting Achievement in the Fundamentals of 



Arithmetic 



The Graded vs. the District School. — The district scores exceed 

 the graded as follows: (1) Wabash county regulars (Table 11)^ 

 in 8 out of 11 determining cases :^ (2) Huntington county regulars 

 (Table II), 9 out of 15; (3) Wabash county totals (Table I) in 

 10 out of 12; (4) those from the sixth and the seventh grade in 

 three townships in Lake county (Table I) in 4 out of 6. 



The graded exceed the district in the Huntington county totals 

 (Table I) in 8 out of 15 determining cases. 



These data point to the conclusion that the district schools 

 are more efficient in procuring achievement in the functions 

 measured than the graded. This is probably due to the emphasis 

 placed on the newer lines of work, such as drawing and manual 

 arts, in the graded schools. The fact that Huntington county, 

 having but i wo teachers in each graded school, has not emphasized 

 the newer hues so much probably accounts for the exception to 

 the conclusion given in the last statement of the summary of the 

 data. 



"Explanation to Table II: The Variabilities are from the totals. The Regulars 

 are those who have made a grade each year. The Retarded are those who have 

 repeated one or more grades, one or more times. The Accelerated are those who have 

 skipped one or more grades so that they are in advance of the classes with which they 

 entered school. The Graded groups are those who have spent more than one-half 

 of their school life in schools with more than one teacher. The District groups are 

 those who have spent more than one-half of their school life in one-teacher schools. 



•5 A "case" is the comparison of scores for one function, such as addition in any 

 grade; a marked difference in scores is considered a "determining case". 



