School Credit for Home Work

by L. R. Alderman

Something more may be added later.

Yours for a good fair,

The Teachers.
H. W. Elliott,
City Superintendent.

Mr. Elliott writes: "I believe there is nothing that will link the home and school more closely than the system of credits. There is one danger, however, of cultivating dishonesty on the part of the over-anxious one. This we watch, but this tendency is sometimes noticeable. Occasionally we find a youngster attending Sunday school or church fifteen or twenty times a month."

Examples of the scheme of a weekly record with monthly report are plans in operation in Jackson County, and in Weston, Umatilla County, Oregon. The rules and schedule following were published by Mr. J. Percy Wells, county superintendent of Jackson County.

Rules governing Home Credit Work

1. No pupil shall be required to enter the home credit contest, and any pupil shall be free to quit the contest at any time, but if any one quits without good cause, all credits earned shall be forfeited.

2. Once each month the parent or guardian shall send to the teacher, with signature affixed, an itemized statement containing a record of the work each child has done during the preceding month. The child may make out the list, but the parent or guardian must sign the same.

3. At the end of each school month the teacher shall enter on the pupil's report card the total number of credits for home work during the month, as certified to by the parent or guardian.

4. Any pupil who has earned at least two hundred credits for home work during any school month shall be entitled to have 10 per cent added to his grade in any subject, or distributed among several subjects, and 1 per cent additional for each twenty additional credits up to four hundred credits.

5. All pupils who shall have earned four hundred credits or more during any month shall be entitled to a half-holiday, and shall have their names entered on a roll of honor.

6. Forfeitures—Dropping out of contest without cause, all credits earned; unexcused absence, all credits due; unexcused tardiness, 25 per cent off all credits due; less than 90 per cent in deportment for any month, 10 per cent off all credits due.

These rules may be modified by teachers to suit local conditions. If the half-holiday system of awards is not satisfactory, some other system may be substituted.

To parents and guardians:

In this plan for giving school credit for home work it is not the intention of the school to intrude upon the domain of the home, but to coöperate with the home in the interest of the boys and girls. Here is a splendid chance for the school and the home to come closer together, and we believe both will be improved thereby.

Home Credit Schedule, School District No. 2
Jackson County, Oregon

Name of Pupil, Goldie Trefren. Age, 11. Grade, 4th.
Month ending March 23, 1914