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Page 39
The facts depicted here may lead to the belief that the recorded
success in Regents' examinations may sometimes be artificially high,
due to the subtle influences at work to make it so. In New York City
absence is the sole condition for debarring any pupil, since he must
have pursued a subject the prescribed time. Such a ruling is highly
commendable, and it should not in fairness to the pupil be otherwise
anywhere in the state. The following distribution discloses that 72.8
per cent of the 3,085 failing pupils who were recorded as taking the
Regents' examinations were successful, and that 78 per cent of those
succeeding passed in the same semester in which the school failure
occurred.
SUCCESS OF THE FAILING PUPILS IN THE REGENTS' EXAMINATIONS
Pass the Pass a Fail First,
Same Semester Later Semester then Pass Only Fail
1333 Boys 809 143 38 343
1752 Girls 946 193 117 496
------------------------------------------
Per Cent of Total 72.8 27.2
The divisions of the above distribution are distinct, with no
overlapping or double counting. Of the pupils who pass these
examinations in a later semester than that in which the failure occurs,
a major part belong to the two schools which restrict their pupils
mainly to a repetition of the subject after failing before they attempt
the Regents' tests. Otherwise many of them would pass the Regents'
examinations at once, as in the other schools, and would not need to
repeat the subject. It was pointed out in the initial part of this
chapter that 3.2 per cent of the instances of failure were followed by
both repetition and examination. In one of the two schools referred to
90.8 per cent of the pupils failing and later taking Regents'
examinations repeat the subject first. That most of such repetition is
almost entirely needless is suggested by the fact that only 2.1 per
cent more of their pupils pass, of the ones attempting, than of the
total number reported above, and that too in spite of the loss of
pupils' time and public money by such repetition. It may be, and
doubtless is, true that an occasional omission occurs in recording the
results after such tests have been taken, but, since it is the avowed
policy of each school to have complete records for their own constant
reference (excepting that the practice of the smallest of the five
units was not to record the Regents' failures, and for this school they
had to be estimated), the failing results would not be expected to be
omitted more often than the successes, so that only the totals would be
perceptibly affected by such errors.
One may rightly be permitted to speculate a bit here as to the most
probable reaction of the pupil in regard to his respect for the school
standards and for the judgment and opinion of his teacher, when he so
readily and repeatedly passes the official state tests almost
immediately after his school has classed his work as of failing
quality. Perhaps it becomes easier for him to feel that failure is not
a serious matter but an almost necessary incident that accompanies the
expectations of the usual school course, just as gout is sometimes
regarded as a mere contingency of ease and plenty. If such be true, and
the evidence establishes a strong probability that it is, then it is
not a helpful attitude to develop in the pupil nor one of benefit to
the school and to society.
5. CONTINUATION OF SUBJECT WITHOUT REPETITION
A limited number of records were available in one school for the pupils
who failed in the first semester of a subject, and who were permitted
to continue the subject conditionally a second semester without first
repeating it. Not all pupils were given this privilege, and the
conditions of selection were not very definite beyond a sort of general
confidence and promise relative to the pupil. The after-school
conference was the only specific means provided for aiding such pupils.
But 52 per cent of such subjects were passed in this manner, and the
subsequent passing compensated for the previous failure as to school
credit.
GRADES FOR FAILING PUPILS WHO CONTINUE THE SUBJECT WITHOUT REPETITION
A B C D
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