LA 333 N5T4 IV1 ■ i Some Effects of the Duplicate Schools TAYLOR Some Effects of the Duplicate Schools BY JOSEPH S. TAYLOR, Pd. D. «* District Superintendent of Schools. New York Published by the Board of Education WILLIAM G. WILLCOX, President 1917. Z-/733? , /Vs 7> Paul Baron printer 176 PARK ROW, NEW YORK D. of D. NOV 13 1337 X? V =N TABLE OF CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. Page Effect upon Part-Time and Double Sessions 5 CHAPTER II. Economic Effect : The Cost of Duplication 9 CHAPTER III. Effect upon Academic Studies 13 CHAPTER IV. Effect upon the Curriculum 19 CHAPTER I. THE EFFECT UPON PART-TIME AND DOUBLE SESSIONS. This is the third of a series of reports the writer has published on the Bronx experiment. The first* gave an account of the operation of Public School 45 on the duplicate plan from March 1 to June 30, 1915. The second** discussed the special activities of six schools for the year 1915-1916 under these heads: aim, equip- ment, course of study, handicaps, and results. The present report covers the operation of eleven schools for the current year and treats chiefly topics that have not previously been touched upon. It does not include the entire Bronx situation, but only the schools of the 25th and 26th districts, which are under my supervision. Two Bronx duplicate schools in district 23 (P. S. 30 and P. S. 43) already in operation are omitted. Mr. Wirt made his report upon the situation in twelve Bronx schools in April, 1915. In January of that year these schools had a register of 35,566 children, 13,388 of whom were on part-time. On April 30, 1917, the register of the fourteen schools scheduled in the reorganization program of the district (including two new schools whose registers were derived from the original twelve), was 40,909; and the part-time was 6,090. The following table gives the facts in detail : * A Report on the Gary Experiment in New York City, Educational Review, January, 1916. ** Duplicate Schools in The Bronx, Published by the Board of Education, 1916. 6 Table I. Register and Part-time. Register Register Part-time Part-time Schools Jan. 30, 1915 Apr. 30, 1917 Jan 30, 1915 Apr. 30, 1917 2 2735 2416 4 3987 3687 2565 1535 5 1381 1195 6 1724 2297 218 28 3212 3096 1142 32 2792 3773 1367 2815 40 4570 3573 2746 1740 42 3249 3048 1196 44 3256 2929 1463 45 3065 3314 1250 50 2906 2958 1441 53 2689 2811 54 ............ 3238 55 2574 35,566 40,909 13,388 6.090 The above exhibit, however, does not tell the whole story of accomplishment in part-time reduction. A few years ago the Board of Education applied the ostrich's remedy for trouble by enacting a law which declares that four hours of instruction shall constitute a full day for first-grade children. Since then "full" time in New York has meant four hours in the first year and five hours in the remaining elementary grades (kindergarten excepted). "Part-time" means four hours or less in grades above the first. In the part-time shown by Table I the first grade children are not included. The following table supplies information concerning these: Table II. First-year Children on a Four-hour Day. School Jan. 30, 1915 Apr. 30, 1917 classes children classes children 2 11 548 4 13 644 13 553 5 6 302 6 7 303 8 358 28 10 451 2 83 (Annex) 32 14 691 16 786 40 12 600 9 381 42 5 317 ...... ~.™ 44 11 492 45 11 514 50 13 640 11 471 53 9 441 9 361 54 3 169 55 .._. — „..„ — TVal 122 5,943 71 3,162 In 6, 50, 53, and 54 the first-year children (or some of them) do not go to the auditorium; and as they have no shop assignment, their school day at present is less than five hours, though in some cases more than four. In order to distinguish the statistics of first-year chil- dren from those of the remaining grades, I shall use the term "short-time." This designation will be understood to mean children who have less than five hours of instruc- tion, but who are not technically on "part-time" because a by-law says four hours is full time for them. From Table II we learn that duplication has reduced the number of short-time pupils from 5,943 to 3,162. The difference is 2,781. If we add the short-time chil- dren to the part-time children in Table I we shall have these results: Table III. Summary of Part-time and Short-time. Jan. 30, 1915 Apr. 30, 1917 Part-time Short-time 13,388 5,943 6,090 3,162 Total 19,331 9,252 The difference is 10,079. Before reorganization the twelve schools had 25,073 sittings and 35,566 on register. They should normally, therefore , have had 20,000 chil- dren on part-time and short-time. They actually reported only 19,331 such children because many of our class- rooms were crowded beyond their capacity. At present the fourteen schools have 9,252 on part-time and short- time. The following table shows in detail the extent to which the duplication of the schools has reduced part- time and short-time: Table IV. Summary of Part-time and Short-time Reduction. Increase of register in two years 5.343 Accommodations provided by new schools and annexes 3,819* Net increase still to be provided for 1,254 Part-time that would have resulted from a net increase of 1,524 in register (about) _. 3.000 Part-time and short-time on Jan. 30, 1915 - 19,331 Total part-time and short-time we should have had at present under old conditions _ _ 22.331 Actual part-time and short-time April 30, 1917 9,252 Reduction of part-time and short-time due to duplication of eleven schools 13.079 In all the reorganized schools part-time has been en- tirely eliminated. The three schools which still report 6,090 part-time children are waiting for their additions, ♦Derived as follows: New Schools (54=1,574; 65=1, 900) = 3, 474, plus Trinity Annex of P. S. 4, (675)=4,149. Deduct 330 for Annex of P. S. 2 given up. This leaves a net increase of 3,819. which they must have before they can be reorganized. The reduction of part-time is 7,298 ; that of short-time, 2,781. In addition to this the schools have absorbed 5,343 new children in two years. Allowing for new buildings and additions that we should have had even if the new system had not been adopted, there remains to the credit of the duplicate plan the elimination of 13,079 part-time and short-time children. CHAPTER II. ECONOMIC EFFECT: THE COST OF DUPLICATION. In a pamphlet containing the report adopted by the Board of Estimate and Apportionment on May 18, 1917, authorizing $4,659,036 for school building purposes, there is included (pp. 38-39) a complete summary of appro- priations made up to that time for the purpose of the duplicate schools in The Bronx and other boroughs. The following table is quoted therefrom: Table XII. Appropriations from June 20, 1915, to May 18, 1917. School Sites New Buildings Alteration and Equip. Total 2 4 5 6 28 32 40 42 44 45 50 53 $40,000 35,000 47,500 160,000 $180,000 3,000 143,750 120,000 187,685 Miscellaneous* 62,500 $12,875.12 $52,875.12 50,046. 230,046. 4,625.33 7,625.33 5,621.63 5,621.63 10,220.43 10,220.43 38,000. 216,750. 21,350. 188,850. 14,266.80 14,266.80 5,877.52 5,877.52 10,537.83 358,222.83** 3,743.55 3,743.55 7,116.39 69,616.39 47,989. 47,989. Total $345.00 $634,435 $232,269.60 $1,211,704.60 * Grading and equipment of Playgrounds for Public Schools 2, 6, 28, 44, 45, 53. ** Of this total ?100,000 was appropriated for a large playground which is available for neighboring schools as well as for P. S. 45. The cost of this playground was only ?91,000. 10 Public Schools 4, 32, and 40 have not yet been reorgan- ized because their additions, which are to contain the required special facilities and new classrooms, have not been completed. The addition to Public School 45 is approaching completion, but no part of it is available for use. The total appropriations for Public Schools 4, 32, and 40, and the appropriation for the addition and site for Public School 45 (as shown in the foregoing table) are given below, together with additional funds made available by the Board of Estimate and Apportion- ment on June 15, 1917, because appropriations previously provided were not sufficient to meet increased building costs : Table V. Appropriations Total P.S. June 25,1915 Appropriations Appropriations No. to May 18, 1917 June 15, 1917 to Date 4 $230,046 $70,000 $300,046 32 216,750 86,935 303,685 40 188,850 90,247 279,097 45 (Addition & Site 207,685 20,000 227,685 Only) $843,331 $267,182 $1,110,513 No part of the amount of $1,110,513 appropriated for these four schools has thus far rendered any service for us in the administration of the duplicate schools. Hence of the total amount appropriated to date ($1,478,886.60), which is made up of the appropriations from June 25, 1915 to May 18, 1917 ($1,211,704.60) plus the appro- priations of June 15, 1917 ($267,182), only $368,373.60 has been provided for the nine schools reorganized with- out the need' of new additions.* * Two of the eleven duplicate schools are in new buildings which had been partly built before the duplicate plan was adopted. 11 We have already seen that the part-time and short- time reduction effected by the duplicate schools is 13,079, which reduction was accomplished by an appropriation of $368,373.60. It appears, therefore, that $368,373.60 is the real cost to date of giving 13,079 children who formerly had a four-hour day, a school day of from 5 to 6Ys hours.* To take 13,079 children off part-time in the old way would require about 6,540 sittings, and these would cost at the current price of $11,112** per classroom unit, at least $1,733,472. Deducting from this amount the total appropriation of $368,373 applicable to the nine schools, we find that the city has saved $1,365,099 by the process of duplication; and has at the same time provided an enriched curriculum of work, study, and play for 30,000 children. The $1,110,513 appropriated for the additions to Public Schools 4, 32, 40, and 45 will give us four swim- ming pools, numerous industrial shops, science labora- tories, auditoriums, gymnasiums, and regular classrooms. If we had these annexes for use to-day we should be able to abolish all the remaining part-time; for the duplicate capacity of Public Schools 4, 32, and 40 will be 11,382, while the present register of these schools is only 11,033. Hence the total appropriation of $1,478,- 866.60 will secure capacity for 41,000 children. Under the old plan of operation we should have had to-day 29,431 seats. There would then have been 11,500 chil- dren to be provided for. To accommodate these at least five new schools would be required. These new schools would cost more than $2,600,000. By duplication we shall have accomplished the task with $1,478,886.60 and * See page 8. ** The latest cost figures for new building accommodating 48 classes under the old plan are $533,381. 12 shall have given all of the children an educational equip- ment incomparably superior to anything we could have secured with $2,600,000 under the traditional plan. The city has made other appropriations for my district during the last two years to which no reference has been made in the above statement for the reason that the funds thus given were not included in the original plan of reorganization, but were provided to accommodate increase of population. Following are the appropriations alluded to: May 19, 1916, New School and site at Cotona Ave. and 180th St 1 $668,474. May 18, 1917, Addition to P. S. 6 235,000. May 18, 1917, New School and site at Washington Ave. and 180th St 285,541. $1,189,015. Appropriations for reorganization as shown in previous tables 1,478,886.60 Grand Total. $2,667,901 .60 The addition and two new schools provided for in this table will supply additional accommodations for about 5,000 children. As it would have cost approxi- mately two million six hundred thousand dollars under the old plan, to secure proper accommodations for our present register, while $2,667,901.60 applied to the dupli- cate system does the same thing and gives us 5,000 additional sittings, the economy of duplication is clearly demonstrated. But the mere mechanical process of providing more seats is not the chief advantage of the new plan. The educational superiority of these schools, as explained in another section of this report.* is even more impressive than the financial advantage. * See pages 20-24. 13 CHAPTER III. EFFECT UPON ACADEMIC STUDIES. In Table VI are presented the results of a uniform graduation test given to the graduating classes in January, 1917, by the six district superintendents of districts 1, 2, 3,4,5,6,7,9, Manhattan, and 23, 24, 25 , 26 , Bronx. The questions were prepared by a committee of the six district superintendents. The papers were rated by the teachers under the supervision of principals and after- wards filed in the office of the district superintendent. The results shown are those of my two districts. Neither the principals nor the teachers knew at the time of the test that the results would be used for comparative pur- poses. In fact, I did not myself have such a use in mind at the time. The examination was just the usual one that I have employed each term for fifteen years to determine the fitness of pupils for graduation. 14 TO 3 c & TO -u •—> tr - J2 c O S bo — 7" u J3 h-1 n TO 3 0> ^3 O T) -u W TO t-. o "3 O H o 0> H c Ml o U fl w TO c o E 0) 0- X Ml W <-, ja TO H M) O o tNWOHONH oor^t-^oooocor^oo 03 00co-*oi s TO M o 1— 1 T3 TO ©t^O COCO-* 05 r^coi>r^t^cocor^ t^ d S o O t^ O tN 00 CM ^h CO CO 00O5000000000000 00 n, (OOOONMHCO 0005050005050500 05 00 OTjHf~^Ht^©eoC5 00COiO00cOt"»00CO 1> NNONIOOCCN t>OOOOC50000G500 CO 00 * "o o ,4 u < 1 15 a: Hi o c a u < o CQ G Ha GO o o -G 3 ^H,Wh4^^'cfiH'd , tfcoHP>^>< 16 Table VII. Graduation Test. Summary. (Average Percentage of Groups of Schools). Subject Duplicate Regular Arithmetic No. 1 85.3 80 Arithmetic No. 2 74 68.4 Spelling 89 82.2 Composition 84 80.7 Reading 71 72 Grammar 74.1 74.4 Total English 75.7 75.3 History 77 77.7 Geography 77.7 79.8 707.8 690.5 On the basis of the total number of points scored, the duplicate schools are 2.5 per cent, better than the regular schools. GAIN AND LOSS. In the preceding tables we have dealt with resources and liabilities. We shall now turn our attention to profit and loss. In making up a balance sheet for a business corporation the accountant follows the same procedure. He compares the net resources at date with the net resources of the last balance sheet, and thus determines the net profit. It has been a bad year for the business of education in New York. At the beginning of the year we lost two weeks on account of infantile paralysis. We have had the usual religious holidays and contagious diseases, but an unusual amount of interruption through parades, farming, and various other forms of patriotic service. In Table VIII are shown the marks obtained in certain subjects in classroom examinations during the school year 1915-16 compared with similar results obtained in 1916-17. 17 a os IC CN 00»# -«#0000O0CNiO<>>CDt- OOOOt^t^t-^OOt-t^OO © 00 <2 OS N0CXNNXNN0O OS OS I- — S fc< co °2 CNOOHNTfHiO O0 0OI>COt>»COl>t^t^ CO COOOSIO'-h-'^OOCO'-h cot^t^r^oooor^r^oo CO J*5 =3^ LO IC "* t^ co to C5 00NONO05 00O OS 00 g g-cscokOi> os 00 CO ^2 coi>co»ocNr--ooior^ OSOSOSOCSOSOSOSOS co OS ^2 COCN C<1 t^CO CD icoo»ococor>-coooco CSCSOSOSCSCSCS00CS to US OS c 2 T3 ■*CC COIN Id ^^iOCC«©o6w50sr>- CSO5CSOS0CGSCS00OS CO CO OS 0? ^ 2 OS cn co b- N©ifl bi>©co©ooeio6-* O3OSOSOSCSOSGS00GS OS V fed a u > < o o I>c©^-l>t^tXDI>t^t^«O00t>.00 OtO-i^O. . CiC5OOO0©C5i>^ OSt^ ■HiONWOHHMON'O O5O3OiO5O500O5«O00O5O5 oo (N "* CO ■*© CN ■* lO »d lO -h O < « 6 Q H fe O W hh' ^ W i-5 S £ 6 Pl." G^Ph DQ E-i < O o • •-2 Jj t o "S £ s i -. — >— -a a =r 3 * g r.O e C •~ 5 3 3J a- > § 01 00 3 CBO0 _aoj r^ IN tfio CN -a a CN MO 49 go 5. »C CN at» ■13 CQ CO 1 CD 1 co «o d^ J2 © «- d CD ■3 «} -3 9 A -5 03 ffi K 19 Table IX. Gains and Losses (Points). Duplicate Regular Gain Loss Gain Loss 1. .7 2.1 Reading .9 Spelling .5 Etymology- 22. Mean. & Use 2.3 Grammar Arithmetic .3 1.7 1.3 Total 26.0 .3 1.7 5.1 Table IX summarizes the comparison. Here we see that the duplicate schools have made progress in five subjects and suffered a slight loss in one; while the regular schools show gain in one subject and loss in five. Only nine of the eleven duplicate schools are considered in this comparison because two of the eleven were not in existence last year. Eight of the nine were regular schools at the time of last year's survey. We have here therefore the first statistical evidence as to the effect of duplicating these nine schools. The net gain of the duplicate schools in English and arithmetic is 25.7 points, while the net loss of the regular schools in the same items is 3.4 points. CHAPTER IV. EFFECT UPON THE CURRICULUM. Each school has play facilities for all children and has been giving to them as a matter of course practically all the physical training which the new Welsh law now requires for all the children of the State from the third year up. Each school has an auditorium where the class- room lessons are supplemented' by lantern slide, moving picture, lecture, music , dramatics , and other exercises. In addition to these features, we have an extensive enrichment of the curriculum which is exhibited in the following table : 20 Table X. Special Activities. Schools Subjects 2 5 X 6 X 28 X 42 X 44 X 45 X 50 X 53 X 54 X 55 Auditorium X X Drawing X X X X X X X X X X X Nature study X X X X X X X X X X X Sewing X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X Music X Plav and phys. tr. . . X Science X X X X X X X X X X X Domestic science . . . X X X X X X X X X X Library X X X X X X X X Manual training. . . . X X X X X X X X Commercial X X X X X X X X Printing X X X X X Millinery X X X Dressmaking X X X Woodworking X X X Sheet metal X X X Trade drawing X X X Carpenter shop X Steam and gas fitting X Machine shop X Pottery X Book-binding X Spanish X X German. . .* X X X X X French Farming Biology X X Pattern making and cabinet X Home-making X 11 11 15 12 X 17 12 12 19 Total 9 10 20 The changes in equipment are indicated in Table XI, which shows the number of rooms in the eleven schools that were devoted to the several activities before and after reorganization. In some cases the equipment is meagre, but in all cases we have the room, and with a little more time we shall improve the equipment where it is defective. 21 e a '3 w X 02 1- 1 (N ■ 0> os H In Or 1 CO 4) — CQ O a s o IV < iHHCOCCHN^COCOiN o ■ oj CQ O o r-l g o o O 3 CO 1— 1 cq o HHINHHrtH 00 3 -4-3 ,_H,_ )r H,-< 02 S-i e 3 ^H 1— 1 1— 1 !N 1— 1 »-H i— 1 T-H i— 1 1— 1 >— 1 ■ V CQ O - g > -t-3 ««2 ~ - [0C npg o 22 Public Schools 54 and 55 had been planned before the duplicate school was introduced into the district. Three kitchens had been planned for each of these schools; but the kitchens were not used until the schools opened under the duplicate plan. In each school one of the three kitchens has been converted into a library. Similar re- marks apply to the manual training shops in these schools, with this difference, that when the schools opened the shops were still unequipped ; so that I am crediting in the table only those that finally became woodwork shops. In the matter of gymnasiums an explanation is needed. In the duplicate schools we do formal gymnastic work with apparatus in the covered playgrounds. These yards are therefore in a real sense gymnasiums, and I am so crediting them. The increase of facilities in terms of equipment may be summarized thus : Table XII. Summary of Equipment. From To Special Activities and Equipment never before had 36* Drawing and Music Studios 5 30 Sewing Rooms ... - 1 1 1 Nature Laboratories . 15 Cooking Rooms - _ 8 13 Gymnasiums . ~ 10 20 Manual Training Shops :. 11 13 Science _ 9 12 Total ._ _ 44 150 Per cent, increase 240 In terms of the number of pupils who profit in the course of a year from these activities, the increase is shown in the following table : * Derived as follows : Commercial 8 ; Printing 5 ; Millinary 3 Sheet-metal 3 ; Library 8 ; Carpenter 1 ; Steam and Gas 1 Machine 1 ; Pottery 1 ; Book-binding 1 ; Garden 1 ; Farming 1 Dressmaking 2=36. 23 Table XIII. Showing the Number of Children Receiving Instruction Before and After Reorganization. From To Auditorium 10,741 26,487 Nature Study 1 7,281 20,678 Play 17,024 28,347 Science - 2,766 6,938 Domestic Science 3,054 4,264 Library - 8,123 Manual Training - 3,044 3,634 Comme rcial 4,41 8 Printing .. 1,067 Millinarv 924 Dressmaking 805 Woodworking 1,204 Sheet Metal 928 Trade Drawing 1,669 Carpenter Shop.- . - 144 Steam & Gas Fitting 501 Machine Shop 315 Pottery 144 Book-binding 400 Spanish 548 German 523 1 ,341 French 164 Farming 380 Biology _ 437 Metal Shop 240 Homemaking 208 Total 54,433 114,308 Per cent, increase* 110 Classifying the special activities into industrial and miscellaneous, we see by the following tables in still another form what the duplicate school has done for Bronx children : * But even these figures do not tell the whole story. For Instance, the 10,741 children who formerly had auditorium exercises had only fifteen minutes a day of such work; but the 26,487 who now go to the auditorium have an entire period (forty or fifty minutes) each day. Science work formerly was limited to boys of the seventh and eighth years ; now both boys and girls receive such instruction In some schools from the fifth year up. Domestic science and manual training were given only to children of the seventh and eighth grades (In a few cases to sixth-year children) : now children from the fifth year up in some schools receive such instruction. The 17,024 children who formerly played in school went to the yard for fifteen or twenty minutes a day in charge of class teachers ; the 28,347 who now play have an entire period and are In charge of specialists in play and physical training. 24 Table XIV. Showing the Number of Children Receiving Industrial Experience, Who Had No Such Opportunity Before Reorganization. Industries for girls only 3, 147 Industries for boys only 5,971 Industries for both boys and girls- 6,029 Total 1 5, 1 47 Table XV. Showing Miscellaneous Subjects In Which Children Receive Instruction Not Given To Them Before Reorganization. Library work 8,123 Foreign languages 1,530 Science and Nature 8,006 Auditorium - 15,746 Total 33,405 CONCLUSION. Such, then, are the effects of duplicating eleven Bronx schools ; viz. : 1. Reduction of part-time and short-time by 13,079. 2. Cost to date of the above reduction of part-time and short-time, $368,373.60. 3. Not only, according to these tests, did the academic subjects suffer no harm, but they improved apparently as a result of the change, the duplicate schools showing in these subjects both higher percentages than the regular schools and greater progress during the year. 4. The duplicate schools have enriched the curriculum by providing play and auditorium exercises for practically all the children, and by so increasing the facilities for special work in shops, studios, and laboratories that 15,147 children are receiving industrial experience who had no such opportunities before, and 8,123 children are having library training where none had it before. .-■■■*-■■'■ HSR : ''■:. ' ■■■."•--''■■■ ! •''■'■ : ■■•■.■■■'■. -.■,■■'••■ . .'■': -V ■'""■' : '■■■ ' '.■/■'.■'.;■-.■'"■ ■■■•'■■■■...■■''■. :■'■ " ■■■ -■-'''-.•''-:■-■■'■ '•'' : '.-•.'.■'■'''■■'■'. ' •■'-•'•-''■'■ , - -:' ■':■ :'■'.■.••—■■-.■■■•'■■■■■'•■' '-' ■.■"•■■'• .■■■■•■■■>.■''■•'■■■■ • -'■•'■■■■...■.'--■•■■■■■... ■HI ■ '.V' -,''.;-'•"■ ■.. "■' I '''-';■■'''■ Hi ■■• BRKSSg ■/•''■'■"'.•"'■•■■•.• :-■''■.■■:■•■.•■■ ■:■.■■■.■ i " • , ; ";vy. i «•■■• LIBRARY OF CONGRESS llll! Mil 1111 III llll; llll! I II 022 118 189 A