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period the percentage of pupils retarded four years or more has been reduced 61 per cent; the percentage of those retarded three years, 56 per cent; the percentage of those two years over age, 49 per cent; and the percentage of those only one year over age, 39 per cent.

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FIG. 8.- Per cent of pupils retarded one, two, three, and more than three years in 80 cities in 1908 and 1918. It is seen, therefore, from these percentages that the greatest reduction in retardation percentages has been made among pupils who are decidedly over age. Marked reductions have taken place, however, in each over-age group within this 10-year interval. By

Items.

5 years

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

or less. years. years. years. years. years. years. years.

13 14 15 16 17 18 years. years. years. years. years. years.

19 20 years years. and over.

Total.

TABLE 7.-Enrollment of pupils by ages in 80 cities in 1908 and 1918.

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2,716 29,509 37,314 40,015 38,494 39,218 38,108 39,487 2,894 28,388 36,373 39,936 37,633 38,813 37,943 39,086 5,610 57,897 73.687 79,951 76, 127 78,031 76,051 78,573

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Pupils in group A cities, 1918:
Boys.
Girls.

3.781 32,559 41,058 43.882 42,256 3,960 31,361 39,976 43,864 41,410 42,616 7,741 63,920 81,034 87,746 83,666 85,775

43, 159

41,983 43,324 41,753 42,909 83,736 86,233

42,446 31,752 19, 120 10, 735 5,998 3,088 1,103 41,008 30, 156 19,871 12, 189 7,381 3,582 1,204

379

406,623

301

403,541

83,454 61,908 38,991 22,924 13,379 6,670 2,307

680

810, 164

Total.

8,278 52,677 55,301 54,094 54,645 8,405 51,376 55,193 53,913 54, 184 16,683 104,053 110,494 108,007 108,829

53,376 50,221 49,642 47,644 36,362 22, 109 12,243 7,487 3,525 1,223 52, 872 50,859 49,449 48,363 36,801 24,257 14,475 8,959 4,019 1,210 106,248 101,080 99,091 96,007 73, 163 46,366 26, 718 16,446 7,544 2,433

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1,272 5,452 5,871 5,884 5,969 5,841 5,526 5,120 5,055 4,373 3,303 2, 135 1,430 709 269 1,270 5,150 5,844 5,878 5,875 5,794 5,532 5,228 4,991 4,579 3,676 2,663 1,927 2,542 10,602 11,715 11,762 10,348 10,046 8,952 6,979 4,798 3,357 1,625 552

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Pupils in group B cities not having kindergartens, 1918.

1,387

Pupils in 80 cities having kindergartens, 1918.

5,642 6,035 6,029 6,038 6,077

5,534 5,901

16, 208 100,502 106,380 104,075 104,924 102,044 96,638 95,365

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Pupils in 89 cities not having kinder

gartens, 1918.

Group A, 1908.

1918.

Group B, 1908.

3,017

14,153 15,829 15,694 15,749 15,839 15,500

14,074

13,535 11,711 8,684 5,822 3,867

1,886

619

193

156, 172

Per cent of pupils of each age:

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1918..

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2.1

9.0

9.9

10.0

10.0

9.9

9.4

8.8

8.5

7.6

5.9

2.8

1.4

1.0

7.9

10.0

10.8

10.3

10.6

10.3 10.7

10.3

7.6

4.8

1.7

.8

.1

1.7 10.0

10.7

10.5

10.6

10.3

9.8

9.6

9.3

7.2

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11211

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This totai exceeds the corresponding grade enrollment by 158. This total is less than the corresponding grade enrollment by 345.

Includes 1,270 pupils enrolled in the ninth grade elementary not included in corresponding grade table. See footnotes to Table 36. This total exceeds the corresponding grade enrollment by 103. This total exceeds the corresponding grade enrollment by 113.

• Includes 700 pupils enrolled in the ninth grade elementary not included in the corresponding grade table. See footnotes to Table 36.

comparing the bars representing the two groups of cities, it is found that larger percentages of over-age pupils are found in the cities of group A than in the cities of group B. It will be observed also that the percentages of over-age boys are invariably greater than the corresponding percentages of over-age girls. In every instance the percentages are less in 1918 than they were in 1908. As in the two preceding figures, the medians represent city practices, while the averages stand for the retardation of individual pupils enrolled in city schools. The relationship of the "bars" and "pins" in this diagram is significant. Thus in group A cities for boys in 1908 the median is less than the average percentage, indicating that the larger cities of this group had greater percentages of boys retarded one year than did the smaller cities of this class. In 1918 the reverse condition is shown, the larger cities having the smaller percentages of children one year over age. The larger cities of group A have made greater progress during this 10-year period in reducing the proportion of pupils one year over age than have the smaller cities. of the same group.

PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION OF PUPILS BY AGES.

In Table 7 and figure 9 the percentage distribution of the total number of pupils of each age in 1908 and in 1918 is shown. At first glance the two curves appear somewhat similar in structure. A closer inspection reveals the fact that the curve for 1918 has shifted slightly to the left. The cause of this displacement is due to the fact that a larger percentage of children 5, 6, and 7 years of age is enrolled in school in 1918 than was enrolled in 1908. This situation partly explains the large increases in the percentage of under-age pupils since 1908, as pointed out in figures 6 and 7. The large increases in the percentage of under-age pupils, therefore, is not wholly due to a greater flexibility in school curricula, thereby permitting pupils to advance from grade to grade as soon as they have mastered the required subject matter, but partly due to the earlier enrollment of children in school. This tendency for children to enter school earlier reduces correspondingly the percentage of over-age children. Too much credit, therefore, should not be assigned to enriched curricula or to better teaching in explaining the reduction in the percentage of over-age pupils.

Another very significant tendency is portrayed in this figure. There has been a decided decrease in the percentage of pupils 11, 12, and 13 years of age within this 10-year period. This condition may imply that over-age pupils are dropping out of school at these ages. This theory is supported by the fact that the percentage of over-age pupils decreased rapidly at these ages, as shown in figure 26, and

further by the fact that most compulsory attendance laws become less effective at these ages. During the high-school ages, 14 to 18, the two curves in figure 9 are not essentially different.

In 1908 the largest percentages of children in school are found to be 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 years of age, while in 1918 the largest percentages are enrolled at the ages of 7, 8, 9, and 10. The average of these age groups probably best represents the number of beginning pupils,2

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FIG. 9.-Per cent of pupils of each age in 80 cities in 1908 and 1918.

as well as any single number can characterize it. To include other ages in these particular averages would reduce the number of beginners below what it should be for the largest number of classes. To use the largest age group, as has been done in this study to secure

3

1 Ayres, Leonard P. Laggards in our schools (ch. 5).

3

Strayer, George Drayton. Bulletin No. 5, 1911, Bureau of Education. Age and grade census of schools and colleges.

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