|
HOW WELL ARE INDIAN
CHILDREN EDUCATED?
Summary of results of a three year program testing
the achievement of Indian children in federal,
public and mission schools.
by SHAILER PETERSON, Ph.D.
University of Chicago
With a summary chapter by
Ralph W. Tyler and Willard W. Beatty
UNITED STATES INDIAN SERVICE
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
J. A. Krug, Secretary
UNITED STATES INDIAN SERVICE
William Zimmerman, Jr., Acting Commissioner
John H. Provinse, Assistant Commissioner
EDUCATION DIVISION
Willard W. Beatty, Director
P. W. Danielson, Associate Director
Authorized by Congress
Printed at
Haskell Institute Print Shop
Lawrence, Kansas
September, I 948—3M
CONTENTS
Charts and Graphs
Preface
- What the Tests Proved-A Summary
- Methods of Study and Interpretation
- Differences in Student
Backgrounds
- Results on Standardized Tests
- Results on Tests Constructed
for the USIS Program
- Facts Clear the Air
- The Problems Faced by Indian Service
Schools-by Willard W. Beatty
- The Significance
of this Investigation to School Administrators, to Teachers
and to Students of Education-by
Ralph W. Tyler
Appendix
A. Construction of Special Tests for the USIS Service-wide Testing
Program
Appendix B. Tests Used in the 1946 USIS Testing Program
Sample
Questions
Background Information
Tests in Rural Practices
Use of Resources
Home Economics
Health and Safety
Appendix C. Administration of the Service-wide
Testing Program
Manual of Instructions for Test Administration
Suggested Administrative Schedule for Grade IV
Specific Instructions
Directions for Scoring the Tests, Grade IV
Suggested Administrative Schedule for Grade VIII
Specific Instructions
Directions for Scoring the Tests, Grade VIII
Specific Instructions, Grade XII
Directions for Scoring the Tests, Grade XII
Appendix D. Scoring
and Interpreting the Tests
Free Writing
CHARTS AND GRAPHS
Status of Children in Indian Schools
1945 Distribution of Students
Tested
1946 Distribution of Students Tested
II- 1. Tests Used, April
1944
II- 2. Tests and Materials Used, April 1945
II- 3. Tests and Materials
Used, April 1946
III- 1. Indian Blood
III- 2. Education of Parents
III- 3. Language Spoken in the Home
III- 4. Home Stability
III- 5. Age of Students in Relation to
Grade Placement
Number of
Years of School Attendance in Relation to
Grade Placement
III- 6. Characteristics of Students in
Different Types
of Schools
III- 7. Median Achievement
of Indian
And White Fourth Grade
Students
in Public Schools
III- 8. Subject Preference
III- 9. Type of Reading Preferred
III-10. Leisure Time Interests
III-11. Academic Ambition
Evaluation of Test Items:
V- 1 General Resources Test (Southwest
Area)
V- 2
General Resources
Test (Dakota
Area)
V-
3 Health
and Safety
Test (Southwest
Area)
V-
4 Health
and Safety
Test (Dakota
Area)
V-
5 Home
Economics Test
(Dakota Area)
V-
6 Home
Economics Test
(Southwest Area)
III-
1. Number
of Schools
Which Students
in the Different
Types of
Schools Have
Attended
Factors
Which Affect
School
Achievement
in:
III-
2. Arithmetic
Computation,
Grade
4, 1946
III-
3.
Arithmetic
Computation,
Grade
12,
1946
III-
4.
Reading,
(Gates
Basic
Reading,
Type
D) Grade
12,
1946
III-
5.
General
Resources,
Grades
8
and
12,
1946
IV-
1.
Explanation
of
Legends
on
the
Norm
Sheets
Distribution
of
Test
Scores:
IV-
2.
Gates
Basic
Reading,
Form
A
IV-
3.
Gates
Basic
Reading,
Form
B
IV-
4.
Gates
Basic
Reading,
Form
C
IV-
5.
Gates
Basic
Reading,
Form
D
IV-
6.
Gates
Reading,
Adv.
Primary,
Type
1
IV-
7.
Gates
Reading,
Adv.
Primary,
Type
2
IV-
8.
Pressey
Vocabulary
IV-
9.
Arithmetic
Computation
IV-10.
Arithmetic
Reasoning
IV-11.
Pressey
English-Capitalization
IV-12.
Pressey
English-Punctuation
IV-13.
Pressey
English-Usage
IV-14.
Pressey
English-Sentence
Structure
IV-15.
General
Science
V-
1.
General
Resources,
Total
Score
V-
2.
Health
and
Safety
V-
3.
Home
Economics
V-
4.
Credit
V-
5.
Free
Writing
V-
6.
Thorndike
Handwriting
Scale
V-
7.
Bronxville
Manuscript
Writing
Scale
V-
8.
Penmanship-Cursive
V-
9.
Penmanship-Manuscript
PREFACE
When the general plans far a study of the achievement of
students in Indian Schools were formulated, Mr. Willard W. Beatty,
Director of Education for the Office of Indian Affairs, consulted
with Mr. Ralph W. Tyler, Chairman of the Department of Education
of the University of Chicago, and asked the university to provide
assistance in planning this project, in guiding its execution,
and in analyzing the data gathered. As a result, the Indian Office
contracted with the University of Chicago to furnish a coordinator
for this study of educational achievement. The functions of the
coordinator were to act as adviser and consultant to those in
the Indian Service working on the project. During most of the
first year Mr. Vernon Beggs and Mr. R. H. McCurtain worked with
Mr. Beatty in outlining the aims and objectives and formulating
plans. Miss Hilda Taba, Research Associate and Assistant Professor
of Education in the University of Chicago was coordinator.
During
the progress of this project, there have been changes in personnel.
When Miss Taba joined the American Council on Education
in January, 1945, the author of this report became coordinator
of the project and continued with it until July 1, 1946, when he
assumed full-time duties as Director of Educational Measurements
for the Council on Dental Education of the American Dental Association,
though retaining a courtesy connection with the University of Chicago.
In the summer of 1945, Mr. Sharon Mote and Miss Frances Cushman
took over the responsibilities in the Chicago Indian Office when
Mr. Beggs became Superintendent of Education at the United Pueblos
Agency and Mr. McCurtain’s other responsibilities forced
him to give up direct connection with the evaluation project. From
July, 1946, to January, 1947, Mr. Cyril Hoyt, Visiting Assistant
Professor of Education, acted as coordinator of the project.
Mr. Chester W. Harris, Assistant Professor of Education, has
taken over the coordination since then.
It is impracticable to give
recognition and credit to everyone who has made significant contributions
to this investigation by
collecting data, assisting in the construction, administration
and scoring of tests and the compilation of results. The author
has been particularly impressed by the unusually fine spirit
of cooperation on the part of Mr. Beatty and the staff, in fact,
of all who have worked directly with the selection and preparation
of materials. The administrators and teachers in the Indian,
Public and Mission schools, cooperating in this study deserve
an
expression of appreciation. It is hoped that those who have been
so eager to participate in order that they might get a more
objective view of the results they are attaining, will find something
in this report to assist them in their continued efforts to
improve their programs. The author is deeply indebted to Miss
Frances Cushman who has helped in the assembly of various data.
Special
credit is due Mrs. Kruse and Miss Blakeslee, associates at the
university, for the construction of tables and charts.
Shailer
Peterson.
June 1947.
| 
