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TABLE 33.-Method used in securing survival percentages in 80 city school systems in 1908 and 1918.

TABLE 33.-Method used in securing survival percentages in 80 city school systems in 1908 and 1918—Continued.

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• The estimated number of beginners in 1905 is 90,223; in 1906, 92,447; and in 1907, 94,671.

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TABLE 34.-Method used in computing the retardation and acceleration factors shown in figure 31.

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1 In 1908, 37.7 per cent of all pupils were over age; in 1918 only 20.8 per cent were over age. For 1907 it is estimated that 39.4 per cent of all pupils were over age. It is assumed that there has been the same rate of decrease in the percentage of over-age pupils in each grade from 1908 to 1918. Thus in 1907 the per cent of over-age pupils in the first grade is found to be 19.3 (10.2 times 39.4 divided by 20.8); in 1909 the per cent of over-age pupils in the third grade is 39.6 (22.9 times 36.0 divided by 20.8), etc.

2 In 1907.

3 In 1908.

11 In 1916. 12 In 1917.

13 In 1918.

14 In 1908 only 4.6 per cent of all pupils were under age; in 1918, 12.2 per cent were under age. For 1907 it is estimated that 3.84 per cent of all pupils were under age. It is assumed that the rate of increase has been uniformly distributed over the period 1908 to 1918. In 1907 the per cent of under-age pupils is estimated to be 5.1 (10.3 times 3.84 divided by 12.2).

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CITY SCHOOL MORTALITY.

There is probably no better single criterion by which to judge the efficiency of a school system than a high percentage of pupils kept in school throughout the entire course. Other things being equal, a school system which keeps one-third of its pupils in school until they have reached the fourth year of high school is more efficient than one which retains only one-fifth of the children to this advanced grade. An attempt has been made in Table 33 and figure 30 to arrive at a series of survival percentages sufficient in scope and reliability to characterize city school practice in general. The results are based upon a study of over a million children enrolled in 80 city school systems of various sizes and located in nearly all sections of the country. Having corresponding data for these cities for 1908 and 1918, very reliable survival percentages have been computed. The exact method used in eliminating duplicates, in distributing the enrollment by grades, in ascertaining the survival percentages, etc., is explained in Table 33.

The first part of figure 30 relates to the history of a single class which entered school in 1907 and reached the fourth year of high school in 1918. The second part of the diagram shows present conditions for 12 different classes reaching the different grades in 1918. Thus, the number surviving to the third grade in 1918 entered school in 1916, and the number in the fourth grade in 1918 entered school in 1915. In each diagram the number enrolled in each of the first six grades exceeds the number of beginners. In the fourth year of high school the number of suvivors is the same in each figure since the bars represent the same class. A marked tendency is evident when one compares carefully the two diagrams. In the first figure the excesses above 100 in the lower grades are greater than the corresponding excesses in the second figure. On the other hand, the numbers surviving in the different grades shown in the second figure are greater than the corresponding numbers in the first part of the diagram. Since the right-hand figure portrays present progress and the left-hand figure past practices, it is evident that city schools have been reducing retardation in the lower grades and retaining relatively more children for work in the higher grades. This comparison shows unmistakable progress in city school success. It is very evident that age-grade studies previously made have borne fruit. Cities are reducing the proportion of repeaters and increasing the proportion of survivals.

NORMAL-AGE, UNDER-AGE, AND OVER-AGE PUPILS.

Each bar in the figure has been broken up into three parts, showing the number of children of normal age, under age, and over age. The details of the method used in securing these sections are ex

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were over age. When this class advanced to the second grade in

1908, 88 children were of normal age, 4 were under age, and 43 were over age.

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PERCENTAGES:

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ELEMENTARY SCHOOL GRADES.

HIGH SCHOOL.

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13 3

PUPILS OF NORMAL AGE.

WWW PUPILS UNDER AGE.

FIG. 30.-Number of pupils surviving out of each 100 beginners in 80 cities.

531

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551

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PUPILS OVER AGE,

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plained in figure 33. Thus, in the first part of the diagram, of the 166 children enrolled in this grade (compared with the 100 beginning children) 129 were of normal age, 5 were under age, and 32

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