ability, physical health and strength?" when put to the preparatory schoolmaster, receives the answer, "Examinations better eight; certificates better one." To the chairman of the admission committees of seventeen colleges, "Examinations better one; certificates, five." Some one should be appointed to look after the physical and mental health of the examination candidate between the time he leaves school and enters college. Such a sudden decline is dangerous. Aside, however, from the questions discussed in Mr. Ramsay's report comes that of the effect of the examinations upon the secondary school curriculum. So much has already been said and written upon this phase of the question that I need only mention it here. Few men of experience in preparatory work can deny that they have at times made sacrifice to the personal whims of an examiner who is mainly interested in and familiar with the more advanced stages of his subject. He feels that to do justice to the pupil who is looking forward to the trial by questions he must keep him primed on small technicalities, as well as forge him ahead in his subject, and his ideals are in danger of being upset; the integrity of course and curriculum of being shattered. 3. But for our third question. What is the effect of all this upon the college? The higher institution wants well-prepared students, and its principal interest is in getting them. What do the college men themselves think of the relative perfection of preparation of students under the two plans? Mr. Ramsay shows us that of the definite answers from the seventeen colleges, the certificates lead in matter of scholarship three to one, of general mental ability three to one, and in general performance of college duties five to one. In explanation of this to him unwelcome disclosure he says: "When a college admits on certificate, all but the very poorest pupils in the school from which certificates are accepted will accept these certificates." Hence he argues that the comparison is not valid. Is it not, however, also true that the most brilliant and best-prepared pupils from these schools, led on by the hope of entrance honors, prizes, and scholarship, will refuse the certificate, thus equalizing matters at least partially in this respect? An attempt on my part to ascertain the relative class standing of the freshmen entering by the two plans at the large eastern colleges was not eminently successful, because of the labor involved by officers of those institutions in securing the data; but the following figures from perhaps the largest offering both plans are interesting and to the point. STANDING OF FRESHMEN AT THE END OF THE FIRST TERM, FEBRUARY, 1902 Another comparison which I was able to make between the percentage of failures in first-year subjects by the freshmen in one of the large Atlantic coast universities, which admitted only by examination, and those of five of the large state universities of the Middle West, where 80 per cent. of the students enter without examination, shows very plainly either that the criterion for grading is very different for the two regions, or that the western institutions get much better prepared pupils. The figures are as follows: Failed, Algebra EAST WEST 25 per cent. Failed, Algebra 15 per cent. 11 per cent. Failed, Trigonometry These western institutions covered stand as high in the educational world as do the eastern; but since we cannot be sure of their criteria we cannot perhaps base upon the figures an argument in favor of the certificated freshmen. They are, however, very suggestive. From the standpoint of administration the entrance examination is not open to very wide criticism, at least on the part of the higher institution. It is inexpensive, except to the pupil who has to make a journey to some examining center, and it works, on the whole, with very little friction; in fact on this score, and on this score only, does it show any points of advantage. It costs some money to examine the schools properly, tho, as will perhaps be shown by the next speaker on this program, the expense may be reduced to a minimum thru organization. The sport, if I may return to my biological figure, of the examination of the school to determine the qualifications of the pupils for college entrance made its appearance at the University of Michigan in 1871. It has had its principal growth in the West. Till within a very few years, however, the examination was not strictly of schools, but of departments of schools, if I may make a distinction—and it is an important one to my mind-instructors from the colleges examining the teaching in their special subjects in the preparatory schools. Its latest modification is, however, the examination of the school as a whole by a special university officer whose sole duty it is to perform this function and to report to a committee of the college faculty which makes the final recommendations. It is precisely this form of examination of schools which I wish to contrast with the type form of the examination of the pupil. In applying our pedagogical criterion, we find that such examination has not the slightest effect upon the pupil, and that it lacks all the unpedagogical features of the college entrance examination. The examiner never announces — or should not-the exact date of his visit, and the pupils need not know that he is present. From the pedagogical standpoint, too, the college is not the sufferer so long as the examiner does his duty and keeps up the standard, and we have already shown that the non-examined freshmen do not suffer in comparison with the examined. It is in its effect upon the school that we find the principal arguments in favor of the plan; first, because in doing away with the entrance examination it does away with its narrowing effect upon the curriculum, and, second, because it furnishes the school authorities, master and board, with an efficient and sympathetic advisor of the widest experience, whose salutary influence in the states within my observation can hardly be overestimated. The higher institution has other obligations to the lower than simply to set a mark for them and see them jump; it must act as trainer as well as marker, and in the inspecting officer we have these two functions combined. Questions of the course of study, of the program, of equipment, both as to buildings and laboratories, of teachers, and the many other problems which are puzzling the principal, who, under the atomistic conditions of our secondary school system, has heretofore had no one to consult, are helped to a solution by the broader experience of the high-school visitor. He is the concrete personification of the college influence-the present positive element which brings the influence into activity and effectiveness. Could it be shown, even, that the entrance examination to college is a real boon to the secondary school, it could, in my opinion, be sacrificed ten times over, in return for no other benefit than the invigorating stimulus which the college gives thru its official examiner. It is true that his influence would be greatest in parts of our country where, because of lack of previous development, secondary school growth is most rapid; but conditions have not yet reached such a stage anywhere as to make him a supernumerary, and I see no more hopeful thing in our educational development than this sport of high-school examination. REPORT OF THE COMMISSION ON ACCREDITED SCHOOLS GEORGE N. CARMAN, DIRECTOR OF LEWIS INSTITUTE, CHICAGO, ILL. The North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools was organized in 1895 for the purpose of establishing closer relations between the colleges and secondary schools of the north central states. At the sixth annual meeting held in Chicago last year, Dean Forbes, of the University of Illinois, read a paper in which he urged that the time had come when the association should attempt a practical solution of the problem of "so connecting a widely various and freely elective high school. with a still more widely various and more liberally elective college that it shall be but a single unobstructed step from any part of the one to any part of the other." He proposed that we build with grateful confidence upon the foundation laid by the Committee on College Entrance Requirements of the National Educational Association in its report of 1899, by establishing a commission that should: 1. Define and describe courses of work in the various subjects of the high-school program which can be accepted by high school and college men alike as practically unvarying units of instruction, from which uniform current units the curriculum of the pupil, the graduation requirement of the high school, and the entrance requirement of the college may everywhere be made up. 2. Determine upon a certain number of constants, subjects which should be taught in every secondary school, and required for entrance to every college. 3. Make a list of high schools whose graduates are entitled to admission to college, and a list of colleges accepting and maintaining the uniform standard of entrance, and acting together on all related matters. 4. Make a list of high-school subjects, and the amount of work in each, for which the colleges will give advanced standing when offered in excess of the entrance requirement, together with a scale of values according to which such accepted high-school work may be translated into college credits. As an outcome of the discussion of Dean Forbes' paper, the association established the Commission on Accredited Schools. It was made the duty of the commission: 1. To define and describe unit courses of study in the various subjects of the high-school program, taking for the point of departure the recommendations of the National Committee of Thirteen. 2. To serve as a standing committee on uniformity of admission requirements for the colleges and universities of the association. 3. To take steps to secure uniformity in the standards and methods and economy of labor and expense in the work of high-school inspection. 4. To prepare a list of high schools within the territory of the association which are entitled to the accredited relationship. 5. To formulate and report methods and standards for the assignment of college credit for good high-school work done in advance of the college entrance requirement. The commission was duly organized in the course of the year, and its first report was adopted at the meeting of the association held in Cleveland in March of the present year. The action taken as to unit courses of study in general is as follows: 1. A unit course of study is defined as a course covering a school year of not less than thirty-five weeks, with four or five periods of at least fortyfive minutes each per week. 2. The graduation requirement of the high school and the entrance requirement of the college shall include fifteen units as above defined. 3. All high-school curricula and all requirements for college entrance shall include as constants three units of English and two units of mathematics. The following is an outline of definitions of unit courses of study in particular subjects: The three units in English are those recommended by the Conference on Uniform Entrance Requirements in English. The four units in mathematics are: (1) elementary algebra, (2) plane geometry, (3) algebra and solid geometry, (4) algebra and trigonometryas defined by the College Entrance Examination Board. The four units in history are: (1) ancient history, (2) mediæval and modern European history, (3) English history, (4) American history, or American history and civil government-in accordance with the recommendations of the Committee of Seven of the American Historical Association. In Latin the commission adopts the first two units as defined by the American Philological Association, and the third and fourth units as defined by the College Entrance Examination Board. In Greek the definitions of the three units of the philological association are adopted. The definitions of the four units in French and the four units in German are those recommended by the Committee of Twelve of the Modern Language Association. In Spanish the commission adopts the definitions of the two units of the College Entrance Examination Board, which are in close harmony with the definitions of French and German of the Modern Language Association. One unit each is defined in physical geography, botany, physics, chemistry, biology, and zoology. The definitions in the sciences are based on the recommendations of the committees of the Department of Science of the National Educational Association. As to secondary school inspection it is enacted: 1. That the minimum scholastic attainment of all high-school teachers should be the equivalent of graduation from a college belonging to the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools, including special training in the subjects to be taught, altho such requirements. should not be retroactive. 2. That in the opinion of the commission the number of daily periods of class-room instruction given by any one teacher should not exceed five, each to extend over a period of forty-five minutes. 3. That high schools should be adequately equipped with library and laboratory facilities. 4. That a board of inspectors should be appointed by the commission to ascertain the schools within the territory of the North Central Association which are entitled to accredited relationship under the above limitations. 5. That the commission cause to be printed and distributed to the several inspectors for the use of high schools and academies certain uni |