Study Shows N.C. Students Often Not at Grade Level, April 16, 1926

Note: The word "retarded" does not refer to intellectual ability. It means a child was behind the grade level expected for their age.

Nearly Half White School Children Now Retarded. . . State’s Negro School Children Make an Even Poorer Showing

Raleigh, April 16 (AP)—Less than half the rural white children in North Carolina schools during the school year 1924-25 were as far advanced in school as their age indicated they should be, it is shown in the April 15th issue of State School Facts, off the press today.

School Facts, a publication of the department of public instruction, has been discussing what it terms the “age-grade distribution” of North Carolina school children; that is, the number of children in the various grades, and especially with reference to age. The present issue is the third devoted to that subject, and summarizes the “age-grade distribution” situation in the states.

While the percentage of rural white children who are as far advanced in respect to their ages they normally should be is only 49.1, the percentage in the city schools is 65.47, a difference of 16.37 per cent, between rural and city children.

In the negro schools, the percentage of children who are as far advanced as their age would normally presuppose that they should be are: in the rural schools, 27.66 per cent; and in the city schools, 40.01.

The publication divided school children into three classes, “normal,” “accelerated,” and “retarded.” It assumes that a child enters school at the age of 6, and that the normal rate of advancement is a grade a year. Hence, if a child makes such advancement, it is classed as “normal.” Children more advanced than in accordance with this standard are classed as “accelerated,” and those less advanced, as “retarded.” The figures above include both the normal and accelerated children.

Camden county, according to the reports made to the department, led in the percentage of white rural children as far advanced as they normally should be, with a percentage of 45.34. In seven counties—Yadkin, Stokes, Graham, Madison, Johnston, Cherokee and Surry—less than 40 per cent of the white pupils were as far advanced as they normally should be. In the negro schools, Alleghany is the only county having 100 per cent of its children normal or better, in respect to advancement as regards age. Only nine counties, says the publication, claimed more than 50 per cent of their negro pupils were in the “under-age or normal-age group.”

Coming to the “retarded” group, School Facts makes this comment:

“There were 262,679 white children and 174,107 colored children in the group during the year 1924-25. These figures represented 46.05 per cent of the white enrollment and 69.52 per cent of the colored enrollment. Of the number of white pupils retarded, 214.341, or 81.8 per cent, were rural pupils and 47.738 o, or 18.2 per cent were city pupils. These pupils were retarded all the way from one year to as much as 14 years.”

“Over 106,000 white children were retarded one year. Over 71,000 were retarded two years; over 44,000 three years; over 23,000 three years, and over 10,000 five years. Nearly 4,000 white children have been delayed six years, and over 1,400 seven years. “These facts are enlightening. Here is a situation that needs investigation. The causes of this condition should be ascertained, and the remedies applied to improve it. Many of these pupils are being taught over and over again. Every time a child repeats a grade, the expenditure for teaching that child must be repeated.”

Figures and tables are devoted to enrollment by grades, showing increase in enrollment over preceding years, decrease in enrollment each year by grades—that is, fewer children in the second grade than in the first, fewer in the third than the second, etc.; and figures showing the number failing of promotion. For example, it is shown that, in 1923-24, nearly 16,000 white children out of 43,500 in the seventh grade “failed of promotion.”

Of the causes for the facts revealed by the “age-grade distribution” survey contained in School Facts, the publication has this to say:

“The primary causes are three: First—The pupils themselves. We all know that people are endowed with certain mental traits and that at these traits differ among individuals. These differences range all the way from the child with few mental talents to the child with extraordinary mental superiority, the genius. Second—teachers. These same characteristics apply to the teachers as well as with a range perhaps not quite so wide. As measured by scholarship we know these facts to be true. City teachers are on an average better prepared than rural teachers. Third—The system. Under this head is included length of school term, physical property, types of schools, and the various aspects of the school system itself. Do all the pupils have equal opportunities in these respects?”

From the front page of The Concord Daily Tribune, Friday, April 16, 1926 newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn92073201/1926-04-16/ed-1/seq-1/