ATTENDANCE AND ELIMINATION.

At the outset we may notice, with respect to attendance and elimination during the period covered by the questionnaires (from the entrance of the class of 1894 to the graduation of the class of 1909), some interesting variations from what is now expected on the basis of recent investigations.*

Of our enrollment 46% are boys; i. e., for every hundred girls in high school there are 86 boys, instead of 75 as reported by Thorndike, or 79 by Ayers, as obtaining for city high schools.

Of our graduates 45% are boys; which shows that boys are not eliminated by more than a negligible amount more than girls, (boys 60%, girls 59%), as against Thorndike's finding that boys are eliminated to such an extent that in the fourth year there are 60% more girls (by which with our 54 girl graduates we should have 34 boys instead of 45); or Ayres' report that but 25% of the boys, while 31% of the girls enrolled continue to the fourth class. Here 40% of the boys and 41% of the girls were graduated. (In Riverside 49% and in San Bernardino 44% of the boys who enter high school, stay until the fourth year.)†

It therefore could not be shown by elimination statistics that this school is "better fitted to the needs and the natures of the girl than the boy," as is currently argued. It fits both equally well or ill, as far as elimination indicates.

But since 60% are eliminated during the four years the popular presumption would be that the school fits both equally ill, and in order to remove or confirm this presumption the causes of elimination must be inquired into. Thorndike says that a large share of the fault lies with the kind of education given in the high schools, and Ayres marvels that school authorities in their reports ascribe but 5% of the cases of elimination to such causes as would show ill-adaptedness on the part of the school (under headings of

*Thorndike. E. L.: Elimination of pupils from school. Bureau of Education. Gov't Ptg. Office, '08. Bulletin No. 4. 1907, and Ayres, L. P.: Laggards in our schools. N. Y. Charities Pub. Comm. 1909. 158 pp.

tClark. E. P.: How shall we keep the boy in school? W. Jr. Ed. (June '10) 15: 306-323.

"Lack of success," "failure in studies," "Dissatisfaction," "Lack of ability," etc.), but he quite reasonably, in the absence of adequate data, leaves the question open as to the real causes of elimination, and hopes that the significance of the problem will impel students of educational questions to give the matter more careful and searching study.

If pupils who have been eliminated were to express themselves on the matter, more headway might be made. Their opinions about their school experience might reasonably throw some light on both the causes of elimination and the advisability of taking elimination as an inverse index of school efficiency.

As to the causes of elimination, the replies to our questionnaires can scarcely be taken as thoroughly representative, since possibly only those reply who have a good reason to offer or who are courageous enough to confess a poor one. Yet, as questionnaire investigations go, the percentage of replies will be seen to be not excessively low, and their data should not be wholly disregarded on the ground of "selection." With respect to school efficiency, they will show that to drop out does not mean to be "wasted" by the school, does not mean that attendance was not worth while, or that the school necessarily suits them ill. The probable causes of elimination from high school will be discussed later.

THE QUESTIONNAIRES.

To turn from the statistics of attendance and elimination, furnished by the school records, the particular interest of the investigation may be seen from the questions on the following questionnaire and the instructions on the accompanying letter, both of which, in printed form, were sent by mail (1) to pupils (of classes 1894 to 1909) who had dropped out; and with the noted changes in the questionnaire (2) to graduates of the same classes.

Dixon, California, April 15, 1910.

Greetings from the D. U. H.' S.!

Enclosed you will find a "Questionnaire", the purpose of which is to collate some first-hand data from Dixon Union High School students, the generalizations from which, it is hoped, will prove of benefit to the school and to the community which it serves.

Your school associations and your readiness to render the school a kindly service, are relied upon to fill in the blank candidly and carefully. You are assured that the data will be considered confidential.

A prompt response will be much appreciated. Find enclosed a self-addressed stamped envelope.

Sincerely yours,

J. EDGAR COOVER,
Principal.

P. S.-If for any reason you prefer not to sign your name and address, you may omit them. The data, however, will be considered better if they are not omitted.-J. E. C.

1. (Name).

2.

D. U. H. S. QUESTIONNAIRE NO. 1.*

(Address).

3. Occupation.

4. If on Salary, How much per year?

5. *Year you entered High School?

6. *How long did you attend?

7. Was it worth while? Why?

8. Which do you consider to have been the most valuable ?

1 Knowledge gained.

2 Development of mental and moral powers.

3 Association with other students.

4 Acquaintance with teachers.

(Underscore first choice twice; second choice once.)

9. *Why did you quit school?

10. *What change could have resulted in your completing the course?

11. *What advice would you offer a pupil about to quit?

12. *Have you attended any other school? How long? Were you graduated? When?

13.

(Date).

*In Questionnaire No. 2 the following changes were made:

Question 5 changed to "Year of Graduation?"

6 omitted.

9 Changed to "Did you at any time during your course seriously consider quitting school?"

10 Changed to "What induced you to continue?"

11 Changed to "If you were to offer a word of advice to high school pupils, what would it be?"

12 Omitted.

Table 2 gives the general statistics involved in the investiga

It is seen that a third of those who dropped out (29% of the boys and 37% of the girls), and slightly over half of the graduates (64% of the boys, 45% of the girls), to whom questionnaires were sent, responded. But some of those who dropped out of our school were graduated elsewhere, which decreases the number of replies from pupils who quit school.

Table 3 gives the absolute numbers of replies for the three sets of data upon which the investigation is based:

TABLE 3. NO. OF REPLIES.

A. From pupils who dropped out of school..

graduated elsewhere

B. From pupils who dropped out of our school, but were

C. From our Graduates

Total

29

(10 boys, 19 girls)

.13

(6 boys, 7 girls)

45

(23 boys, 22 girls)

As stated above, the percentages of replies are quite satisfactory. Yet the reader should be cautioned to inspect the data with a sense of evaluation; in order to avoid giving the generalizations from them more validity than the case warrants.

RESIDENCE AND OCCUPATION.

To follow the questions in their order on the questionnaires we find, first, that these former members of our school are distributed fairly broadly over northern California, only two living outside of the State, and that they are engaged in the following occupations:

Boys: Farmers (9), Bookkeeper, Railway postal clerk, clerk, bank cashier, accountant, Railroad agent, salesmen (2), mercantile manager, transfer man, merchants (2), apprentice machinist, machinists (2), foreman printer, electrician, horticulturist, civil engineer, government surveyor, editor, ministers (2), physician, and students (2).

Girls: Married (18), houskeeper, bookkeeper, clerk, secretary, stenographer, nurses (4), grade teachers (6), high school teachers (2), students (4).

A comparison of the occupations of those who dropped out and those who were graduated reveals a somewhat greater versatility on the part of the latter, particularly for the boys; and the better positions are also in their hands. The boys who dropped out of school report salaries as, $600, $780, $1400, $1800; while the graduates report: $1000, $1200, $1500 (5), $1800, $2400 (2), $2500. Their averages would compare about as $1100 to $1700. Of the two who report as salesmen the graduate received $2400 as against $1800 received by the boy who dropped out. If the data reflect the facts, we may suppose that a cultural high school course has a considerable economic value for boys.

As to the girls, 11 out of 19 who dropped school are married, as against 7 out of 29 graduates; and none of the girls who dropped out report on salary, while the graduates report salaries ranging as follows: $675, $700, $800, $840, $900 (2) $1200, in clerical or teaching positions to which high school training would be an almost direct preparation. Hence the girl graduates appear to be economically more independent.

Such facts have weight with the boy or girl who is deciding whether or not to enter high school, or to continue in school; and they may even help to give shape to the family's ambition for its children.

ATTENDANCE.

Replies to Questions 5 and 6 show that the attendance of the writers was so evenly distributed over the eighteen years that no period is unrepresented by both those who were eliminated and those who were graduated. The following data may be regarded therefore, as adult opinion of students who were graduated and of those who were not, in expression upon the activities of the high school for a continuous period of eighteen years.

Table 4 shows the rate of elimination for those who replied.

TABLE 4. RATE OF ELIMINATION.