The High School Failures

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The High School Failures

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Title: The High School Failures A Study of the School Records of
Pupils Failing in Academic or Commercial High School Subjects
Author: Francis P. Obrien
Release Date: April 22, 2005 [EBook #15683]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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THE HIGH SCHOOL FAILURES

A STUDY OF THE SCHOOL RECORDS OF PUPILS FAILING IN
ACADEMIC OR COMMERCIAL HIGH SCHOOL SUBJECTS
By
FRANCIS P. OBRIEN
Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy in the Faculty of Philosophy, Columbia
University
PUBLISHED BY Teachers College, Columbia University NEW
YORK CITY 1919
Copyright, 1919, by FRANCIS P. OBRIEN

PREFACE
Grateful acknowledgment is due the principals of each of the high
schools whose records are included in this study, for the courteous and
helpful attitude which they and their assistants manifested in the work
of securing the data. Thanks are due Dr. John S. Tildsley for his
generous permission to consult the records in each or any of the New
York City high schools. But the fullest appreciation is felt and
acknowledged for the ready criticism and encouragement received from
Professor Thomas H. Briggs and Professor George D. Strayer at each
stage from the inception to the completion of this study.
F.P.O.

CONTENTS
PAGE I.--THE GENERAL INTRODUCTION OF THE SUBJECT
1. The Relevance of This Study 1

2. The Meaning of Failure in This Study 3
3. Scope and Content of the Field Covered 4
4. Sources of the Data Employed 6
5. Selection and Reliability of These Sources 8
6. Summary of Chapter, and References 11

II.--HOW EXTENSIVE ARE THE FAILURES OF THE HIGH
SCHOOL PUPILS?
1. A Distribution of All Entrants in Reference to Failure 12
2. The Later Distribution of the Pupils by Semesters 14
3. The Distribution of the Failures--by Ages and by Semesters 14
4. Distribution of the Failures by Subjects 19
5. The Pupils Dropping Out--Time and Age 24
6. Summary of Chapter, and References 27
III.--WHAT BASIS IS DISCOVERABLE FOR A PROGNOSIS OF
THE OCCURRENCE OR THE NUMBER OF FAILURES?
1. Some Possible Factors--Attendance, Mental and Physical Defects,
Size of Classes 29
2. Employment of the School Entering Age for the Purpose of
Prognosis 31
3. The Percentage of Failure at Each Age on the Possibility of Failures
for That Age 36
4. The Initial Record in High School 37

5. Prognosis of Failure by Subject Selection 39
6. The Time Period and the Number of Failures 40
7. Similarity of Facts for Boys and Girls 45
8. Summary of Chapter, and References 45
IV.--HOW MUCH IS GRADUATION OR THE PERSISTENCE IN
SCHOOL CONDITIONED BY THE OCCURRENCE OR BY THE
NUMBER OF FAILURES?
1. Comparison of the Failing and the Non-failing Groups in Reference
to Graduation and Persistence 48
2. The Number of Failures and the Years Required to Graduate 49
3. The Number of Failures and the Semesters of Dropping Out, for
Non-graduates 51
4. The Percentages That the Non-graduate Groups Form of the Pupils
Who Have Each Successively Higher Number of Failures 55
5. Time Extension for the Failing Graduates 56
6. Summary of Chapter, and References 57
V.--ARE THE SCHOOL AGENCIES EMPLOYED IN REMEDYING
THE FAILURES ADEQUATE FOR THE PURPOSE?
1. Repetition as a Remedy for Failures 60 a. Size of Schedule and
Results of Repeating. b. Later Grades in the Same Kind of Subjects,
Following Repetition and Without it. c. The Grades in Repeated
Subjects and in New Work. d. The Number and Results of Identical
Repetitions.
2. Discontinuance of the Subject or Course, and the Substitution of
Others 68

3. The Employment of School Examinations 69
4. The Service Rendered by the Regents' Examinations in New York 70
5. Continuation of Subjects Without Repetition or Examination 73
6. Summary of Chapter, and References 74
VI.--DO THE FAILURES REPRESENT A LACK OF CAPABILITY
OR OF FITNESS FOR HIGH SCHOOL WORK ON THE PART OF
THOSE PUPILS?
1. Some Are Evidently Misfits 76
2. Most of the Failing Pupils Lack Neither Ability nor Earnestness 77
3. The School Emphasis and the School Failures Are Both Culminative
in Particular School Subjects 81
4. An Indictment Against the Subject-Matter and the Teaching Ends as
Factors in Producing Failures 83
5. Summary of