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OF EDUCATION n ' " THE CI Twenty -third Annual Report OF THE Superintendent of Schools 1921 REPORTS ON SPECIAL CLASSES MENTAL DEFECTIVES — OPEN AIR CLASSES — THE BLIND AND SIGHT CONSERVATION — THE DEAF — THE CRIPPLED — INDUSTRIAL AND PLACEMENT WORK — THE CARDIAC — SPEECH IMPROVEMENT — TRUANT AND PROBATIONARY SCHOOLS — VISITING TEACHERS PRESENTED TO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION JANUARY 25, 1922 O^ LidRARY OF C0;4GR£SS RECEIVED NGVl 9 1323 • DOCUMENTS DIVISION j TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE Foreword 8 Letter of Transmittal 10 Physical Training 21 Dr. Smith's report 21 Present registration 21 Growth 21 Outdoor and open air classes 24 Outdoor classes 25" Open air classes 27 Open window classes 29 Part time classes 31 Rest period 32 New schedule 33 Prophylactic treatment 34 Cardiopathic children 38 School program 44 Chart for observation 47 Results 51 The deaf 56 The blind and sight conservation 59 Crippled children 61 Orthopedic defects 64 Records of treatment 66 Graduates 67 Classes in high schools 69 Helpless cripples 69 Physical records 70 School progress 71 Occupation therapy 74 Results 74 Milk service 76 Ungraded Classes 78 Miss Farrell's report ". . . 78 Status and statistics , 78 Extension of classes needed 79 Assistance needed 80 Psychological examination and educational tests 81 Examination of elementary school pupils 82 Procedure 82 Individual examination 83 Group examination 83 Educational tests 85 Individual psychological examination . 85 Correlation 86 Reports to school principals 86 Clinics 89 Bureau of Attendance hearings 89 Washington Irving High School 90 Examination of children of pre-school age 93 Report of visiting teachers 94 Reason for reference to visiting teachers 96 O- PAGE Cases investigated 96 Survey of nationality of children 97 Points of interest 100 Open Air Classes 102 Dr. Baker's report 102 Scope of work 102 Advancement of work 102 Part time classes 103 Extra feeding 104 Records 105 Statistics 106 Scholarship record 107 Equipment 109 Teachers' meeting 110 Increase in classes 110 Teachers Ill Mothers' meetings 112 Conclusions 112 Summary 113 Dr. Smith's report 2 1-34 The Blind and Sight Conservation Classes 115 Miss Moscrip's report 115 Distribution of classes 115 Function of the department 116 New salary schedule 116 Mental survey 116 Eye hygiene 116 Recommendations 117 Dr. Smith's report 59-61 Dr. Baker's report 119 Eye clinics . 119 Refraction work 120 Aim of sight conservation work 121 Results noticed 121 Educational value 123 Cause of loss of vision 123 Cooperation of the eye clinics and the schools 1 24 Handicap of defective vision 124 Importance of proper light 125 Skillful refraction 125 A pressing need 126 The Deaf 128 Miss Kearns' report 128 Growth and progress 128 Statistics 130 Partially deaf children in schools 131 Medical staff 132 Progress in language work 134 Contributions 134 Our associations 135 Graduates 135 Our big need 136 Dr. Smith's report 56-59 PAGE The Crippled 61 Dr. Smith's report 61-74 Helpless cripples • 69-137 Cardiopathic Cases 140 Dr. Halsey's report 140 Facts sought 140 Medical supervision 141 Classification of patients 141 Importance of certain features 142 Results accruing 143 Mrs. Scheider's report on attendance at Educational AlUance 143 Dr. Smith's report 38-56 Industrial and Placement Work 147 Miss Ronzone's report 147 Statistics ' 147 General purposes 147 Educational value 148 Trade value 148 Physical value 149 Teacher's training classes 151 Progress in industrial training 152 Placement work 153 Follow-up system 153 Pressing needs 154 Speech Improvement 155 Dr. Martin's report 155 Composite report 155 Stammering, stuttering 155 Lisping 156 Lallation 156 Acute defective phonation 157 Foreign accent 157 Acute nasality 158 Aphonia 158 The deaf 158 Unclassified defects 159 Advancement and need 159 Parental and Truant Schools 160 Mr. Fitzpatrick's report 160 Statistics 160 Location and buildings 162 Supervisors and teachers • • • ■ 162 Commitments, paroles and discharges 1 64 Industrial assignments 164 Aims and methods 164 Results •. . ■ ■ 165 Graduates 168 Work done 168 Distribution of pupils 170 <0^ PAGE A school day 171 The Brooklyn Truant School 172 Recommendations 172 The Manhattan Truant School 173 Miss Leonard's report 173 Statistics 173 Program of daily work 174 School work 174 Environment 174 Probationary Schools 176 P. S. 120, Manhattan, Miss Jones' report 176 Admission and discharges 176 Aims of the work 177 Grade and intelligence surveys 177 Case histories 182 Home mechanics and sanitary engineers 184 Printing room 187 Drives for relief funds 189 School lunch service 189 Entrance class 191 Speech correction 191 Typical instances 193 Advance steps 195 P. S. 61, Brooklyn, Miss Nicol's report 202 Problem of changes 202 Nationalities represented 204 Follow-up 206 Morning inspection 207 Canteen 207 School bank 207 Garden 207 Work shop 209 Novelty shop 209 Physical training 210 Business methods and school work 210 Drives 212 Suggestions 213 P. S. 37, Manhattan, Mr. Chatfield's report 214 Organization 214 The annex 214 Purpose 214 Manual work 215 Typewriting 216 Health 217 Visiting Teachers 219 Assignments 219 Scope of work 219 Helpful agencies 219 Plan of work 220 Interesting cases 220 Members of the Board of Education Anning S. Prall, President George J. Ryan, Vice-President A. Emerson Palmer, Secretary Harry B. Chambers Mrs. Emma L. Murray John A. Ferguson, M.D. Arthur S. Somers M. Samuel Stern FOREWORD TO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION. Ladies and Gentlemen : I beg leave to submit herewith, the report of Associate Super- intendent Andrew W. Edson, which deals with the special classes subject to his supervision. The report also presents in detail the work done in the truant and probationary schools and also the work of visiting teachers. Although the report deals with children, the majority of whom are handicapped because of bad health or poor physical and mental endowments, it carries a message of good cheer and of democratic schooling. One cannot read these pages without being impressed with the fact that the children who are now so admirably cared for are similar to those who in earlier days were either totally neglected or were placed in unfair competition with normal children. To- day the modern school, when properly organized, provides for these children special care and skillful instruction which not only insures their physical and mental growth, but in a larger sense transforms the entire spirit of their daily lives. Instead of being objects of scorn, pity or neglect, these children live in a school atmosphere of sympathetic guidance and helpfulness which serves to create a self-esteem and a self-confidence which are the basis of fine character development. As one reads the report, perhaps the most appealing cases encountered are those of the helpless cripples, the harvest of the poliomyelitis epidemic, who formerly remained at home and were denied organized instruction and training. Since these children could not come to the school, the Board of Education, in its wis- dom, decided to send the teacher to them. These excerpts from Dr. Edson's report reveal the spirit and the effects of this service: "The coming of the home teacher is the sunny hour of the day for the helpless child. One teacher, through illness, was unable to visit her pupil and notice was sent to the mother. She telephoned to inquire about the teacher the next day. On the second day the child said : 'Mother, don't telephone. I am afraid they will say my teacher cannot come and that would finish me.' " "One little girl said : 'Oh, Mother, today I had a real teacher. It's just like hearing a fairy-tale and waking up and finding it true.' " These excerpts are suggestive of the Hght that has come into the Hves of children who formerly were unhappy and inefficient and at times even totally neglected, in school organizations that consisted of class units made up of children promiscuously grouped on the assumption that mentally and physically they con- formed to a mythical average. The sole criticism of these special classes is the high per capita cost due to the need of well-paid technically trained teachers, the special equipment needed for such classes, and the small register maintained. However, a democratic scheme of education must not subordinate the imperative needs of the child to the mighty dollar that appears so formidable during budget hearings. Our schools must stand ready to receive all types of children who can profit by proper instruction and supervision to the extent that on leaving their benevolent control they can become independent economic units, making the reasonable contributions to citizenship and the productiveness of the community. In concluding this brief foreword, I wish to express my deep admiration for the devotion and intelligence with which Associate Superintendent Andrew W. Edson has given himself to this work. In entering upon his well-earned retirement, after many years of honorable service. Dr. Edson carries with him the good opinion and the good will of a host of friends, but in addition, I am sure that the gratitude of these children whom he has so long super- vised will be with him all his days. His reward will be that which comes to those who say, with the Master : "Sufifer little children to come unto me." Very truly yours, WILLIAM L. ETTINGER, Superintendent of Schools. Dear Sir: 10 Sept. 30, 1921. DR. WILLIAM L. ETTINGER Superintendent of Schools I submit herewith a report for the year 1920-1921 on the edu- cation and training- of mental defectives; of the blind, near-blind, deaf, cardiopathic and crippled children ; of children having speech defects ; of children in the truant and probationary schools ; and the reports of visiting- teachers. Owing to the great expense of supporting special classes, the teachers in charge were required to hold their attendance as far as possible to the following maximum : Crippled 25 Open air 25 Ungraded 18 to 20 Cardiac 25 Blind 15 to 18 Sight Conservation 15 to 20 Deaf 10 to 12 And in order to insure an average attendance of this number, it was suggested that the register of the classes be 5 or 6 more than the number indicated. The teachers were requested to report on the 15th day and at the close of each month whenever the attend- ance falls below the number suggested; to give close, individual attention to each jnipil ; and to make home visits as often as pos- sible. This action has tended to increase the attendance of chil- dren in these classes and to improve the conduct of the work. During the past year the schedules of salaries for the teachers of special classes were raised, and the by-laws were amended so as to call for higher eligibility requirements for license as follows : "The completion of courses of study, aggregating not less than 120 hours along lines appropriate to the applicant's specialty, 60 hours of which shall be in technical training and pedagogy, and 30 liours in clin- ical study, and 30 hours in specialized training." The adoption of this by-law and the better salary offered have tended very perceptibly to raise the standard of teaching in these special classes. 11 Physical Training. — Dr. Smith, Assistant Director of Physical Training, on special assignment to the supervision of physical training of children in open air and outdoor classes, and of children blind or having serious defective eyesight, of deaf and crippled children, and of children having serious heart trouble, gives a very complete report of her work. Dr. Smith also assists in the organization of many of these classes, in arranging transportation routes for crippled children, in recom- mending equipment for the classrooms, and in preparing the budget estimate for the coming year. Her work is of the highest value and her rank should be that of director. Mental Defectives. — Miss Farrell, Inspector of Ungraded Classes, presents a bird's eye view of the great problem in con- nection with the education and training of young people of low mentality, of children at least three years below grade. The term ungraded was adopted to designate classes of chil- dren of low mentality, of slow development, so-called sub-normal, but yet susceptible of mental growth and development. It was thought that this term would lead pupils and parents to look with greater favor upon the organization of such classes than would be the case if the term "mental defective" classes were used. If a child is not educable he has no place in the public schools. Idiots and low grade imbeciles should be placed in institutions. Morons and border line cases in the sub-normal group are merely the low end of the intelligence distribution, not in a class differing essentially from the so-called normal. The difference then between the normal and sub-normal is a difference in degree of mental acumen. In the latter case the education and training must necessarily advance more slowly and may never attain the degree of advancement expected of the former class. Miss Farrell reports in some detail upon intelligence tests given to children three or more years retarded. The first test was a group test to determine the children who fell below 70 12 I. Q., and then the individual test to determine what children of this group should be placed in an ungraded class. Intelligence tests should be given to all children in ungraded classes at least once a term, to all children committed to the truant or probationary schools, and to all children recommended by principals for examination because of maladjustment of one kind or another. In the near future all progressive educators will insist upon a regrading and classification of their schools based upon intelligence tests, upon their ability to do work, rather than upon age or attainments. Open Air Classes. — Dr. Baker, Director of the Bureau of Child Hygiene, presents a report on the work of her department in connection with the public schools. Dr. Baker would extend the opportunity of open air instruction to every child in the school system, as the ultimate solution for preserving the phys- ical condition of our school children and thereby rearing a healthy nation. She states that it would require 560 classes to provide accommodations for all children exposed to tuber- culosis in their homes. In order to fairly accommodate the children in our schools there should be at least one class in each school as it is difiicult if not impossible to get parents to consent to a transfer of their children to an open air class in another school. Dr. Smith in her report has covered the ground of open window and outdoor classes as well as of open air classes. The Board of Education makes this clear distinction between open air, open window, and outdoor classes. Open Air classes are organized for contact cases — cases exposed to tuberculosis in their homes and for arrested cases of pulmonary tuberculosis. The sources of supply are contact cases and arrested cases of tu- berculosis registered in the Board of Health Tuberculosis Clinics, or registered in the clinics of the Brooklyn Bureau of Charities and the New York Association, and similar cases referred by family physicians. Open Windoiv classes are for diathesis cases — not contact cases — and malnourished or so-called anemic cases 13 uncomplicated by tuberculosis. The sources of supply are pupils transferred from open air classes, anemic and malnutritions chil- dren selected through school surveys, children who show languor and fatigue before the close of the day, children who are fre- quently absent from school because of colds, and children of these types referred by physicians. Outdoor classes, located on abandoned ferryboats, on the roofs of hospitals and in sani- tariums, as annexes of public schools, are organized for pul- monary tuberculosis cases. The sources of supply are all cases of pulmonary tuberculosis registered in the Board of Health Tuberculosis Clinics, or in the clinics of the Brooklyn Bureau of Charities and the New York Association. Open Air classes have special equipment in most cases, cots, movable chairs, and sleeping bags, and a rest period of an hour is allowed either immediately preceding or following the noon luncheon. Pupils in the open window classes have no special equipment, save extra clothing of their own on cold days. Open window classes should be organized in every school. Very many children will gain in health and strength if their school hours are spent in the open air. The Blind and Sight Conservation Classes. — Miss Mos- crip, Inspector of Classes for the Blind, reports upon eleven classes of blind children, two in the high schools and nine in the elementary schools, and upon twenty-seven sight conserva- tion classes. There are a few blind children attending the Brooklyn high schools not properly cared for, and over five hundred pupils with defective vision who have been examined and placed upon the waiting list because of a lack of funds. Miss Moscrip urges as the most pressing needs — (1) a visiting teacher to investigate cases of low vision, to get children to clinics, to see that prescrip- tions for glasses are filled, to arrange transportation to and from school, to provide guides, and to secure school and home coopera- tion; (2) an assistant supervisor to assist in class organization and to render assistance to children in high schools; and (3) 14 the assignment of a teacher of music to give piano instruction. Her requests are reasonable and should he granted. Dr. Baker, in reporting upon the work of the eye clinics, indicates the aim of sight conservation classes — to provide con- ditions under which the partially sighted children may study without further injury to the eyes, and to provide an oculist for the proper supervision and treatment of children with defective vision. She explains the relation of the eye clinics to the schools and urges as a pressing need a dissipation of the fixed impression that there is some stigma or disgrace attached to sight conservation classes, so that parents and pupils will cooperate more readily in carrying on the work of saving the eyesight of these many children with poor vision. Dr. Beals, supervising oculist at the clinics, is rendering remarkably fine service along the line indicated. Dr. Smith reports upon the value of physical training of the blind in giving these children good posture, an alert and lively step, confidence, courage, and a more perfect body control. This is brought about in the best way by training in regular classes. Dr. Smith calls attention to the fact that no provision has been made for the extension of specialized physical training for blind children attending secondary schools, and thus much of the benefit which these children derived in elementary schools is gradually lost. Under the double session plan in the high schools no opportunity is afforded for association of blind children with the regular classes in physical training. The Deaf. — Miss Kearns, principal of the School for the Deaf, reports a very gratifying growth and progress of the ichool since its organization ten years ago. Of the 326 at pres- ent on register, 169 are totally deaf, 96 partially deaf, and 61 who have some perception of sound but not enough to aid instruction. As a result of circular letter to principals last term, over 600 pupils were reported to the school as having imperfect 15 hearing. Of the 105 that were examined by the aurist, 'hi were recommended for admission to the school as they were quite deaf, while others were recommended to attend clinics. Dr. Smith calls attention to the need of suitable space for physical training. The crowded conditions in the old building present obstacles to effective work in specialized training. The poor lighting facilities make it extremely difficult for the children to see what the teacher says to a group as directions are given. The great need of the school is a larger and more suitable building. At present two classes occupy each classroom while many of the rooms are dark and unsuitable. Well Hghted rooms are especially needed in a school for the deaf where the children depend entirely upon movement of the lips and tongue to guide them in their conversation. The need of a new building cannot be urged too strongly. The Crippled. — Classes for 2,000 crippled children in 44 pub- lic schools and classes for over 500 crippled children confined to children's wards in hospitals have been organized. These children are intellectually keen and are anxious to receive an education. They are delighted with the opportunity to attend school and work earnestly to gain the education they so much desire. There is an insistent demand for more classes, the increase due largely to the poliomyelitis epidemic of 1916-17. The chief item of expense in the education of crippled children is transportation. The Department of Education through the Bureau of Supplies provides two motor drawn stages, but the greater part of the transportation is provided through contrac- tors who operate stages. There would be a more economical and more satisfactory service rendered if the transportation were provided by city owned stages. These stages could then be used for additional service in transporting children to and from clinics, in transporting supplies and equipment to schools, and in trans- porting milk and lunches to the schools. The most appealing cases, without question, in the list of exceptional children in need of special care and treatment are 16 helpless cripples, confined to their homes, nnable to be trans- ported to nearby schools, but anxious to receive an education. By careful management we have been able, w^ith the limited appropriation, to provide instruction for 172 such children at their homes, but we have upon our waiting list 250, and the number is increasing daily, for whom no instruction can be provided by the Board of Education.' The instruction offered to the 172 children is limited, the most of them receiving only one and one-half hours of instruc- tion per day, three days per week. This is provided by substitute teachers who serve eight children at their homes, four per day, three days per week. By outlining work for these children, by guiding and directing them in their study, by cooperating with the parents, these teachers are rendering fine service to these sadly handicapped children. In a few instances the children are taught by teachers from nearby schools after the regular school session of the day is over. There is a pressing need, an imperative demand, for an appropriation large enough to provide all of these helpless crip- ples with teachers. And this instruction should be at least two hours per day, five days per week, rather than one and one-half hours, three days per week. Each teacher could then have the instruction of three children throughout the week for the school year. Cardiopatiiic Cases. — Dr. Halsey, of the New York Post Graduate Hospital, reports briefly upon the medical problem of educating children with serious heart trouble. His report is of a preliminary nature, merely indicating the line of study that he and his associates are making, the purpose in view, the classification agreed upon, the importance of certain features, and the results accruing. Mrs. Scheidcr, principal of Public School 75, Manhattan, gives a comparative study of the attendance of cardiopathic pupils in regular and s])ecial classes in the annex to Public School 75 for the past three years. This record shows an average gain of 36 days per term for the pupils attending the cardiac classes. 17 Dr. Smith gives a more detailed report on the organization and conduct of these classes, the after school activities, and the results so far attained. The whole efifort thus far is to attempt to find out the neces- sity of segregating- pupils with serious heart trouble, of placing them in small classes, under favorable conditions, with close medical supervision, in order to enable them to gain physically and to improve their school attendance and record. Thus far the reports are most encouraging. Industrial Work for the Physically Handicapped. — Miss Ronzone, Inspector of Industrial and Placement Work for Physically Handicapped Children, reports upon the general pur- poses of her work, the educational trade and physical value, the progress made, and the pressing needs. Miss Ronzone has con- ducted a training class with the teachers throughout the. year in order to bring the preparation for trade work up to a high standard. She has been very successful in finding places for many handicapped children in the trade of their choice. She urges that more time for hand work be given these children in order to better prepare them to enter trades. Speech Improvement. — Dr. Martin, Director of Speech Im- provement, summarizes the work of his department for the past year along the lines of stammering, stuttering, lisping, lallation, acute defective phonetics, foreign accent, acute nasality, aphonia, and other voice defects. The fact that 2971 children in the elementary schools received treatment for stammering and stut- tering the past year and that from reports of principals at least 3,000 suffering from this defect received no attention whatever from the department shows the need of an increased number of teachers for this work. Speech defect is such a serious handi- cap in securing desirable positions in business and in carrying on work in high schools that great efforts should be made in early life to remedy the defect. Dr. Martin has rendered fine service to the department in his five years as Director of Speech Improvement. 18 Truants. — Mr. Fitzpatrick, principal of the Parental School in Flushing and of the Brooklyn Truant School, and Miss Leonard, in charge of the Manhattan Truant School, present the aim of these schools, the scope of the work carried on, the methods employed, and the results attained. The work in these schools is well organized and well con- ducted. The three truant schools have a steady register of 400 boys and for a good share of the year a long waiting list. Owing to a plan carried out the past year, more particularly in the Brooklyn school, the boys were paroled after a short time at the school, and as a consequence nearly 1,000 boys were com- mitted to the truant schools for longer or shorter periods. It is the consensus of opinion of the teachers employed that the short term commitments are of little value. No one is sent to the truant school unless the case is serious and a short commit- ment has little effect in changing the boy's attitude towards school attendance. The great need at present is the erection of the three addi- tional cottages at the Parental school, a cottage-home for the principal, an infirmary, a barn, and hen house, as planned, and for which funds are available. When these buildings are erected, the three schools can be consolidated, and the work carried on more economically and efficiently. Miss Jones, Miss Nicol, and Mr. Chatfield, in their report of the three probationary schools, state in some detail the prob- lem involved, the plan of procedure, and the results attained. These schools have a register of nearly six hundred boys, and they serve an excellent purpose in checking truancy. There is a crying need of several more such schools in the city — at least two more in Manhattan, two more in Brooklyn, two in The Bronx, and one each in Queens and Richmond boroughs. The Teachers' Council recommends that "at least one probationary school be established in every two districts in the city." The causes of truancy are parental neglect, bad environment, physical and mental defects, overage, desire to work, poor teach- ing and poor management. Tn a city as large as this and made 19 up as it is with its many nationalities and its outside attractions, the temptation to truancy is ever present and in many cases proves irresistible. If every child has the right to an education, the State also has the duty to compel every child to go to school up to a certain age, even if the child and his parents do not recognize the value of an education and refuse to cooperate with the school authorities in providing this education. Visiting Teachers. — The six visiting teachers and the three teachers of German (on special assignment) have contin- ued their good work in bringing about a closer relation between the home and school, in leading parents to cooperate in securing attendance and effort on the part of their children. The visiting teacher as representative of the school discovers the educational needs of the children as seen in the home and neighborhood, and she cooperates with the community organizations in connect- ing the work of thesd organizations with the life of the school. She adjusts out-of-school difficulties for the backward, discipli- nary, and wayward children, so that in many cases impediments to scholarship are removed and much better attendance secured. The call for a very considerable increase in the number of teachers assigned to this work, a call that comes from principals, district superintendents, and local organizations, is so loud and insistent that it should be heeded. There should be a visiting teacher in each of the 48 districts, and there would be if the value of the work were well understood. The Board of Superintendents, in a report adopted April, 1921, states: '"The remedy (truancy) most clearly indicated, however, is the Visiting Teacher,' is a statement embodying a recommendation of far- reaching importance. If we had a visiting teacher for each school dis- trict, the problem of incipient truancy and delinquency would be mini- mized. This would be especially evident in the case of girls and would save the necessity of organizing probationary and truant schools for them. The visiting teacher is a cooperating agency between the home and school. She explains the law, the value of an education, the necessity of maintaining prompt and regular attendance at school, and she stimulates parents to have an interest and pride in a good school 20 record on tlio part dI llioir iliildri'ii. Slie is one of the i)olciit agencies ill making Rood citizens. She is a treincndons force in preventing cliiUlren from heconiing criminals and deliiKinents. "The report (qnoting from tlie report of the Teachers' Council) concludes with the following: "'If an adetpiale iiunilier of visiting teachers is employed, and ahove all, il a sysU'iii ol i)n>hatioii;iry schools is cstahlished, the prob- lem of triiaiuN will di'crcase as liki'wise tlic piH>l)leni of deliniiuency. The preventive method is more economical, more effective, more wise, more linmanc than the penal method. The greatest waste occurring in school administration is that which arises when a school is com- pelled to retain among its jnipils exceptional children whose physical, mental or moral condition is sucli ihat an excess of lime and energy, without proi>ortionate result, must be continually bestowed upon them, to the delriment oi normal pupils.'" This report is siihiuittod for your consi? new classes organized in 22 1921, has increased more than 100 per cent., as the following summary indicates : SUMMARY — PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED CHILDREN — 1918 TO JUNE, 1921 Type of Class Register Number of Classes Schools, Annexes Hos- pitals, Etc. 1918 1921 1918 1921 1918 1921 Crippled Children, Public School Classes 1,194 218 72 467 2,616 3,440 130 83 304 Exper- imental study with volun- teer teach- ers 92 32 150 1,981 533 470 660 3,223 3,720 123 430 337 172 251 1,105 63 9 3 22 109 86 13 8 33 75 volun- teer teach- ers 79 22 18 27 117 94 9 26 36 32 home teach- ers 23 7 2 9 79 22 12 7 2 I Center 29 Crippled Children, Hospital Classes 15 Cardiopathic Children Tuberculous Children, Out- door Classes 14 15 Pretuberculous Children, Open- Air Classes Malnutrition and Anaemic Children, Open-Window Classes 100 26 Blind Children 7 Sight Conservation Classes Deaf Children 23 -> Helpless Crippled Children Home Instruction Waiting List After School Recreation Centers for Physically Handicapped Children. . 20 Totals 8,798 In- cluded above 13,005 225 346 In- cluded above 428 37 164 In- cluded above 251 New Classes, 1921 In- cluded above Totals 8,798 13,130 346 462 164 251 23 Even this rapid growth cannot keep pace with the demand from anxious parents, physicians, hospitals, health centers and the Bureau of Attendance for special school care for the physically handicapped children of New York. Although the recent poliomyelitis epidemic increased the regis- tration of crippled children over 100 per cent, from 1918-1921, nevertheless, all the 1916-1917 poliomyelitis cases have not been provided with special school care. In 1918 transportation routes were arranged for 1,194 crippled children; in 1921 for 2,206 crippled children, yet many cripples who wanted to attend second- ary schools could not do so for lack of stage transportation. The demand for special school accommodations for cardio- pathic children is greater than the number of classes allowed each year. It would take fifty additional classes in five boroughs to supply this need in all school districts. According to the records of the Board of Health, there are over 20,000 pretuberculous children, i. e., those exposed daily to tuberculosis in their homes, who are waiting admission to open-air classes, and more than five times as many of malnutrition cases and anaemic children to open-window classes. The School for the Deaf, for years, has had a larger registra- tion than it can properly accommodate. Two classes occupy each classroom, although each is suitable for one class only. There is urgent demand for a new and larger school with special equip- ment. Regardless of these conditions, less new classes for physically handicapped children and less additional home teachers have been allowed for 1922 than in any other year. There is urgent need for the extension of classes for physically handicapped children, so that every one of them may receive the same educational ad- vantages as other children, and at the same time have the protec- tion provided through such special class with technical supervision and treatment of their physical deficiencies. These children need a more thorough education than physically normal, for it is by this means only that they can be trained to be happy, useful and 24 self-supporting citizens instead of an inevitable burden to the city in later life. OUTDOOR, OPEN-AIR, AND OPEN-WINDOW CLASSES Since the organization of open-air classes in the public schools of the City of New York in 1910 no regulation in the administra- tion of these special classes has had such an extension and bene- ficial influence as that adopted this term, whereby pretuberculous children or contact cases have been designated as the type of case in open-air classes. This group includes not only pretuberculous children, i. c, those exposed daily to tuberculosis in their homes, but also the arrested cases of pulmonary tuberculosis, recent his- tory cases and cases of gland and skin tuberculosis. This decision of the Department of Education, aft'ecting as it does over 20,000 pretuberculous school children, is the most important and progressive work accomplished this year for this large group of physically handicapped children. It marks a long step forward in the crusade for the prevention and eradication of tuberculosis. In 1920 the annual report of the Bureau of Child Hygiene showed that only 491 pretuberculous children were recommended by that division for admission to open-air classes in a total register of 2,726. In 1921 only 806 pretuberculous children and arrested cases of tuberculosis were referred in a total register of 3,223. The great majority — 2,088 children — were those afflicted with defective teeth, defective nasal breathing or those who showed some evidence of defective nutrition. The balance of 329 cases were children with cardiac, pulmonary and nervous diseases and orthopedic defects, all of whom .could be accommodated in classes of crippled children, cardiopathic children and outdoor classes. This summary indicates that in the present organization of open-air classes there are accommodations for 2,417 pretuber- culous children and in the sixteen new classes for 400 children, or a total of 2,817. With the present 806 cases now in these special 25 classes, the total register would be 3,623, reducing the number of pretuberculous children without special school care by nearly one-fifth. In consideration of the facts shown by this survey, the Depart- ment of Physical Training in the last annual report recommended that the type of physical defect be the basis for the segregation of groups of physically handicapped children requiring open-air treatment in outdoor, open-air, and open-window classes. The outdoor classes were to be reserved for cases of pulmonary tuber- culosis, the open-air classes for pretuberculous children or contact cases and cases of arrested tuberculosis, and the open-window classes for diathesis cases — not contact cases — and malnourished or so-called anaemic cases uncomplicated by tuberculosis. Since the open-window classes could be organized with prac- tically no more expense than regular classes, it would be possible under the administration recommended to accommodate all the malnutrition and anaemic children in special classes, besides 3,623 contact cases, with no additional cost. For the purpose of considering these recommendations a con- ference was held with representatives from the Department of Physical Training and Educational Hygiene, from the Board of Health, the New York Tuberculosis Association and the Com- mittee on the Prevention of Tuberculosis of the Brooklyn Bureau of Charities. At this meeting the recommendations were adopted and later approved by the Superintendent of Schools, who issued a general circular to principals of elementary schools with refer- ence to the administration of outdoor, open-air and open-window classes. OUTDOOR CLASSES In the present organization of outdoor classes, there are 660 tuberculous children registered in 27 classes in 15 day camps on ferryboats, hospital roofs, and in resident classes in sanitariums. Since 1918, there has been an extension of these classes to accom- modate 100 additional cases of lung tuberculosis in children of school age, or the equivalent of four classes. 26 o H c/^ W -J Q Q < o I < <: w < x" u "A i-M Z I '^ < U ^ Pi o o Q H D O 27 One new outdoor class will be organized in 1921 for twenty new cases. OPEN-AIR CLASSES These classes were established primarily in public schools of the City of New York so that, through prophylactic measures, pretuberculous children or contact cases, could be aided in build- ing up their resistance to tuberculosis infection. In the present organization, there are 3223 children registered in 117 classes in 100 schools and annexes. This year, the register in all classes of physically handicapped children has been in- creased from 20 to 25 children. Under this regulation, 585 addi- tional children have been accommodated in the present organi- zation. Since 1918, there has been an increase of only 607 children in eight new classes, although the conservative estimate of Dr. Royal S. Copeland, Commissioner of Health, the New York Tuberculosis Association and the Committee on the Prevention of the Brooklyn Bureau of Charities, shows that there are over 20,000 school children exposed daily to tuberculosis in their homes. Sixteen new open-air classes will be organized in five boroughs during 1921, and this extension includes that for 1922 also, or accommodations for only 400 additional contact cases, in two years. In contrast to this, a study of the records of tuberculosis clinics shows that the Mt. Sinai Hospital district, with a register of 4,036 contact cases, the Harlem district with 4,592 contact cases and the Lenox Hill Hospital district with 1,950 contact cases have no open-air classes, while the Tremont district and Mott Haven districts in the Bronx, and the Bellevue Hospital district in Manhattan with respectively 6,438, 3,861 and 2,736 contact cases have but one class each. Considerable difficulty has been experiencerl in procuring suit- able rooms for open-air classes. This is due mainly, in congested 28 29 districts, to part time and double session classes. Nevertheless, it is in these congested districts, as one would expect, that the tuberculosis clinics show the largest groups of contact cases. Through the courtesy of the Children's Aid Society and other philanthropic associations it has been possible to provide suitable open-air classrooms in districts where rooms were not available. The new school buildings to be opened in The Bronx and Brooklyn during the September term will contain open-air class- rooms fully equipped. This will greatly facilitate the organiza- tion of the new classes of pretuberculous children to be organized next term. The foundation of these new classes should mark the be- ginning of a movement for the extension of open-air classes throughout the school system of the City of New York. This expansion should continue until every pretuberculous child is receiving open-air treatment during the school day, associated with the present prophylactic and medical care of the tuberculosis clinics. Tt is by means of these special classes that handicapped children are enabled to keep pace in their education with physi- cally normal children in regular classes. In most cases, handicapped children in regular classes, through irregular attendance caused by illness, are the repeaters in these classes. Repeaters are expensive. Money used in providing classes for open-air treatment of pretuberculous children is there- fore a practical economy besides an effective and progressive method of combating tuberculous infection. OPEN WINDOW CLASSES There are two large divisions included in the classification of school children assigned to open window classes. 1. Physically normal children attending regular classes. 2. Physically subnormal children. Experiments in open air treatment of school- children have proved that an abundance of fresh air and the stimulation of a lowered temperature during the period of artificial heating, react 30 il 1 z ■ ■ - <^«'^ 1 ^ IT 1 1 I^Sr 3 s * HH O 31 favorably for both mental and physical development, and further- more, show the percentage of cases of illness are much below that of the closed school room. In view of these results, in many schools classes of physically normal children indicated in Group 1 are placed in open window classrooms. Group 2 includes diathesis cases — not contact cases — mal- nourished or so-called angemic cases uncompHcated by tubercu- losis and children discharged from open air classes so that the transition to the closed classroom will not be too abrupt. In the present organization, there are 3,720 children in ninety- four open window classrooms in twenty-six schools and annexes. Since 1918, there has been an increase of only eight classes. Open window classes should be organized next term in every school having open air classes, and as soon as possible in every pubHc school throughout the city) so that the diathesis cases and the malnourished and anjemic children now registered in open air classes, and upon the waiting lists of these classes could be transferred to open window classes to provide extensive accom- modations for the great group of contact cases. Through this extensive organization of open window classes, practically all malnourished and anaemic children could receive the benefit of open-air treatment, school lunches and milk service, a relaxed curriculum if necessary, without the expense of equipment re- quired in open-air classes. Furthermore this segregation would give ample opportunity to correct the physical defects causing the physical and sometimes mental handicap, such as defective nasal breathing, hypertrophied or diseased tonsils, defective nutri- tion, and defective teeth, vision and hearing, and thus through improved health enable these children to return to regular classes. PART-TIME CLASSES In several congested districts principals have organized part- time open-air classes. Some of these classes are operated on the plan of one continuous four-hour session from 8 to 12 a. m. for the early class and 12 to 4 p. m. for the late class; other classes from 8.30 to 10.30 A. M. and from 12.30 to 2.30 p. m. for the early class and 10.30 to 12.30 a. m. and 2.30 to 4.30 p. m. for the late class. 32 Part time cannot be viewed in a favorable light from a hygienic point of view for physically normal children, and when applied to handicapped children it must be seriously considered whether a four-hour session of open-air treatment out of twenty-four hours a day could possibly outweigh the evils of such school care. The additional hours out of doors, in pleasant weather, might be made beneficial for these children if they were properly super- vised in a suitable environment; but in stormy weather it would be a hazardous procedure, favoring attacks of tonsillitis, colds and pulmonary difificulty, which are serious conditions for pretuber- culous children. REST PERIOD The most serious consideration is the loss of the mid-day rest period in school. The children in part-time open-air classes have been requested to take their rest period at home, but it is not diffi- cult to believe that the attractions of the street when school is over make this advice difficult to enforce. Many of the homes in congested districts afford no facilities for quiet and undisturbed rest, while sleeping in the bustle of crowded quarters at mid-day is practically impossible. In view of the fact that such administration offers practically nothing more from a hygienic point of view than regular part-time classes, it is recommended, therefore, that there be no extension of such classes for the handicapped and that these classes in the present organization be discontinued with the beginning of the extension of open-window classes. CONFERENCES City conferences have been held for all teachers of outdoor and open-air classes each term. At these conferences an outline and review of the work of the term has been presented. Teachers are encouraged to present the problems of their work for discus- sion and the meetings have proved to be of much benefit in co- ordinating the work of the class teacher with that of the various divisions interested in the care of their group of physically handi- capped children. 33 COURSES OF STUDY FOR TEACHERS For the past three years through the Department of Physical Training and Hygiene, technical courses for the training of new teachers of special classes of physically handicapped children of advanced study for trained teachers have been arranged at Hunter College of the Department of Education, without tuition for teachers in New York City schools. This arrangement has made it possible for all teachers to obtain special training for this work and to keep in touch with the new and advanced methods which are developed for the care of physically handicapped children. NEW SCHEDULE The adoption of the new salary schedule for all teachers of special classes of physically handicapped children has been of great value in obtaining earnest, sympathetic and technically trained teachers for these special classes. No longer is it possible to assign the substitute teacher, the inexperienced teacher or the sick teacher to the special class of many grades, because it was intimated that the conduct of such classes was easy. The higher schedule carries with it certain definite require- ments before a teacher can be assigned to a special class, the most important being that the teacher must have had three years of experience under License No. 1 and at least 120 hours of technical training, specialized physical training and clinical study for the handicapped group she has elected to teach. These regulations have reduced to a minimum the kaleidoscopic change of mistaken teachers in many of the special classes, which has heretofore been to the detriment of the instruction of the children. The new administration is producing a working corps of efficient, earnest and painstaking teachers who had a sympa- thetic interest in the development of the handicapped children under their guidance — teachers many of whom are doing helpful and encouraging things, both in school and after school hours, for the benefit and uplift of the unfortunate little children in their charge. 34 PROPHYLACTIC TREATMENT OF CONTACT CASES AT STUYVESANT TUBERCULOSIS CLINIC Seven years ago the Department of Education, at the request of the Board of Health, through the Division of Preventable Dis- eases and the Ladies Auxiliary of the Stuyvesant Tuberculosis Clinic, provided a technically trained instructor of physical train- ing and hygiene, to cooperate in the prophylactic treatment of pre tuberculous school children. This experimental study and admin- istration thereof was assigned to the Department of Physical Training. The prophylactic treatment introduced by tliis Department con- sists of a system of health building which includes corrective and preventive exercises in the open air, prescription and supervision of diet, investigation of home and school hygiene and the correc- tion of physical defects noted upon the clinic record cards of each child, through thorough physical and medical examinations given at regular intervals. RESULTS This work has passed the experimental stage as the definite results obtained have demonstrated. The most important influence has been upon the rate of inci- dence of tuberculosis among the contact cases of school age in this clinic. In 1915, when the after school centre was organized by the Department of Physical Training, this rate was four per 100. Each year the rate has shown a gradual decrease. Further- more, the working" group has been practically free from colds, and there have been no cases of active pulmonary tuberculosis in this group, while there have been active cases in the control group. A marked physical improvement has been noted, also in com- paring the records of the working group not only with those of the control group, but also with their own previous records. This is indicated by the great increases in weight and height. The improvement in chest expansion and chest capacity have reacted in a remarkable manner upon the posture and there has 35 been a noticeable increase in the power of endurance and mental alertness. Better habits of breathing have been established and improved habits of home hygiene, such as earlier bedtime hours, ventilation of bedrooms, more frequent bathing and a more whole- some diet. TYPE OF CASE The children registered in the after-school centre at this clinic are pretuberculous children of tuberculous parents, and are, there- fore, predisposed to tuberculosis, and the contact cases- — ^those in daily contact with tuberculosis in their homes through some member of their family. These are children of school age, most of them attending regular classes in the public schools. It is this type of case, numbering over 20,000 school children now registered in the tuberculosis clinics of the Board of Health, the New York Tuberculosis Association and the Committee on the Prevention of Tuberculosis of the Brooklyn Bureau of Charities who will be affected by the recent regulation in this reorganiza- tion of open-air classes. It is difficult to portray the tremendous significance of this decision upon the physical welfare of pre- tuberculous children. It will have the effect of placing them under open-air treatment not only for the full school day, but this will be supplemented by the after-school care in the clinics. This correlation will make it possible to enforce hygienic mea- sures which will be of lasting benefit after school days are passed. PHYSICAL DEFECTS The work of the clinics includes thorough physical and medical examinations made at stated intervals, and unremitting efforts are made to remedy physical defects so that each child may be in a condition to profit by the prophylactic treatment. In the Stuyvesant Tuberculosis Clinic, for instance, 120 cases of adenoids and diseased tonsils were referred for treatment to hospitals cooperating with this clinic and fifty-five successful operations were performed in the past year. Children afflicted with other physical defects such as tuberculous glands, eye de- fects, skin diseases and discharging ears, were placed under treatment until the case was terminated. 36 The record of the Stuyvesant dental clinic is one of the best in the city. Ninety per cent, of the children under treatment have all dental work completed. The clinic nurses make frequent home visits for the instruc- tion of parents in home hygiene, suitable diet and other impor- tant matters pertaining to the health care of children. This helpful cooperation of the clinic nurses and doctors will be of great value in establishing systematic medical care for the con- tact cases in open-air classes. Furthermore, it will be an eco- nomical method of administration for it will relieve the over- burdened school nurses and doctors of the additional service of children in regular classes. NEW CENTRES A request to the Department of Physical Training was re- ceived from the Chelsea Tuberculosis Clinic of the Board of Health for the services of a teacher to aid in the prophylactic treatment of the contact cases in this clinic. Lack of funds made it impossible to comply with this request this year. Later through the efforts of Mrs. Ned Arden Flood, Chair- man of the Chelsea Clinic Committee of the Society for the Prevention and Relief of Tuberculosis, money was provided for a teacher, and, through cooperation with the Department of Physical Training, prophylactic care based upon that in operation in the Stuyvesant Clinic was instituted with very good results. Even in the short time this new centre has been in operation much progress has been made in remedying physical defects. The dental clinic shows 39 new cases, with a record of 44 tooth extractions, 27 fillings, and 8 cleanings. The medical records indicate a good start in treating adenoid and tonsil cases, and the services of a prominent surgeon have been secured for the correction of orthopedic defects. The Lenox Hill Hospital has established a nutrition clinic for the pretuberculous children of school age registered in the tuberculosis clinic. Z7 38 CLASSES OF CARDIOPATHIC CHILDREN Three experimental classes for the special school care of cardiopathic children were organized in the public schools of the City of New York in 1918, one class in Public School 168 Annex, Manhattan, in conjunction with the cardiac clinic in the Dispensary of the Mt. Sinai Hospital, and two classes in Public School 75 Annex, Manhattan, in the Educational Alliance Build- ing associated with the cardiac clinic of the Beth Israel Hospital. These clinics were two of those established under the auspices of the Association for the Prevention and Relief of Cardiac Disease. PRESENT ORGANIZATION NEW CLASSES In the present organization — June, 1921 — there are 470 car- diopathic children registered in 18 classes in 14 schools, annexes and convalescent homes. Since 1918 there has been an increase of 398 children in 15 classes in 12 schools and annexes. Each of these classes is associated with a cardiac clinic in a hospital within the school district for medical care and super- vision and nurses are provided either through these hospitals or by the Association for the Prevention and Relief of Cardiac Disease. The classes and their associated clinics are located in the following schools and hospitals : No. of P. S. Classes Cardiac Clinics Manhattan 17 1 New York Nursery and Children's Hospital, Dr. May G. Wilson in charge. 41 Annex (Greenwich House) 1 New York Hospital, Dr. Harold E. Pardee in charge. 39 P. S. No. of Classes Cardiac Clinics MANHATTAN (Continued) 58 Annex (Children's Aid Building). 64 Annex — 1 (Children's Aid Bldg.) . 64 Annex — 2 (Mineola Home, Mineola, Long Island New York Nursery and Children's Hospital, Dr. May G. Wilson in charge. New York Post-Graduate Hospital, Dr. Robert H. Halsey in charge. 1 70 Annex (Lenox Hill Settlement) .... 1 Convalescent Home ; Dr. Robert H. Halsey, Visiting Physician. Lenox Hill Hospital, Dr. A. L. Goodman in charge; Dr. Walter Bopp, Chief of Clinic. 75 Annex (Educational Alliance Bldg.) 2 Beth Israel Hospital, Dr. Joseph Barsky in charge. 168 Annex— 1 (St. Lucy's Church) 1 Mt. Sinai Hospital, Dr. Herman Schwartz in charge. 168 Annex— 2 (Settlement House) 1 Mt. Sinai Hospital, Dr. Herman Schwartz in charge. 192 Annex (Mary Zinn Home), White Plains 2 Convalescent Home ; Dr. Saul Schlegman, Resid- ing Physician ; Dr. Wal- lach, Visiting Physician. Bronx 4 1 Montefiore Home and Hos- pital, Dr. Maximilian W. Goldstein in charge. Brooklyn 34 1 Greenpoint Hospital, Dr. Walter F. Watton in charge. 75 1 Long Island College Hos- pital, Dr. C. M. Ander- son. 147 1 Greenpoint Hospital, Dr. Watton. 40 NEW CLASSES This summary includes five of the new classes to be organized during 1921. Three new classes will be formed during the September term, namely : No. of P. S. Classes Cardiac Clinics Manhattan 70 Annex — 2 (East Side House Settle- ment) 1 Lenox Hill Hospital, Dr. A. L. Goodman in charge ; Dr. Walter Bopp, Clinic Chief. 190 Annex (Emanuel Sisterhood) 1 75 Annex (Educational Alliance Bldg.) 1 Beth Israel Hospital, Dr. Joseph Barsky in charge. ADMINISTRATION OF CLASSES Efiforts have been made to standardize the administration of special classes of cardiopathic children in order that there might be a common basis for the study of results obtained in eighteen classes associated with twelve different clinics and twelve cardiac specialists. With this purpose in view, a number of conferences were arranged to which were asked representatives from the Depart- ment of Physical Training and the physicians in charge of cardiac clinics associated with the cardiopathic classes. Follow- ing this, discussion of all the meetings were summarized in the form of the following questionnaire: QUESTIONNAIRE TO THE PHYSICIANS IN CHARGE OF CARDIOPATHIC CHILDREN Dear Doctor : A'^arious efforts have been made to standardize the administra- tion of special classes of cardiopathic children in public schools. 41 As a result of the conference held in the office of Dr. Andrew W. Edson, Associate Superintendent, on October 27, 1920, it was evident that a uniform basis of management for these spe- cial classes was necessary for the purpose of study and report and final recommendations to the Department of Education. It is with this purpose in view that we are sending" you the enclosed questionnaire for your suggestions and recommendations, QUESTIONNAIRE Concerning the standardization of administration of classes of cardiopathic children. Please indicate approval or recom- mendations and return this questionnaire to Dr. Andrew W Edson, Associate Superintendent. A. PEDAGOGICAL ADMINISTRATION 1. Routine School Day, 9 a. m to 3 p. m. 2. After School Recreation Center for Cardiopathic Children, 3 P. M. to 5 p. M. (See attached exhibits 1 and 2.) B. Medical and Health Administration. 42 EXHIBIT 3 1. Do you wish to adopt this card? 2. Indicate alterations if any. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION— THE CITY OF NEW YORK HOSPITAL RECORD CARD— CARDIAC Last Name First Date of Birth Address Floor Name of Teacher School Borough Date entered Grade RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING Check Exercises Indicated Gymnastics Breathing exercises For improving posture For alert response — control For physiological (circulatory) results Class room — Seat Games Recreative Exercises Exercises contra indicated Quiet Games Adapted Playground Games Should the child rest (prone) in school? Yes No How long? RETURN TO OFFICE OF DIRECTOR OF PHYSICAL TRAINING, 157 EAST 67th STREET, N. Y. C. Last Name Date Hospital Physician Cardiac Classification (Class I. II. HI. IV. V.) Check (W) type of case in column. I. Organic (Sympts. of Insufficiency — never evident) IV. " Possible " Cardiac disease (Doubtful Murmurs: Mainly func- tional, possibly organic) II. Organic ( " " " — past, not present) III. Organic ( " " " — present ) V. Potential (Predisposing history) Should the child be in a hospital? Yes. No. If not. is he physically able to attend school? Should he be in a special class for cardiacs? Yes. No. Should he be permitted to climb stairs? No. of flights Physical Defects. Def. Vision Yes. No. Def. Hearing Yes. No. Discharging Ears Yes. No. Def. Teeth Yes. No. Def. Nasal Breathing Yes. No. Chr. Nasal Discharge Yes. No. Hypertrophied Tonsils Yes. No. Nutrition Grading 1-2-3-4 Pulmonary Def. Yes. No. Chorea Yes. No. Code: Nutrition Grading 1 Excellent. 2 Good. 3 Fair. 4 Poor. 43 EXHIBIT 4 Saturday and Sunday care. For approval or alterations. EXHIBIT 5 Clinical chart for general observations for cardiopathic chil- dren. For approval or alterations. 1. Shall temperature of children be taken daily by nurse? At what hours? Rectal? Mouth? 2. What degree of elevation of temperature should exclude child from school? 3. What routine school or home care do you recommend for such case. 4. Type of case for admission to special class. (See classifica- tion on Hospital Record Card — Exhibit 3.) (a) Shall Type I be admitted? (b) Shall Type II be admitted? (c) Shall Type III (Symptoms of insufficiency present) be admitted? (d) What grade of Type III — (a) Children with organic heart disease at time of observation, who show symptoms of insuffi- ciency following ordinary exertion. (b) Insufficiency present without exertion. (c) Hospital cases. (d) Shall Type IV be admitted? (e) Shall Type V be admitted? 5. Follow up system after discharge from class for cardiopathic children. RECOMMENDATIONS (a) Home care. (b) Hospital care. (c) Sanitarium. (d) Regular class in public school. 44 6. School Lunches : OutHne foods — (1) To be inclutled. (2) To be avoided. 7. Duties of nurse. EXHIBIT I ROUTINE SCHOOL DAY CLASSES OF CARDIOPATHIC CHILDREN MAXIMUM ATTENDANCE 25 The followini^" routine school day has been suggested for experimental study : Time Activities 8 :30 — 9 :(X) Arrival. Children are given a large glass of hot water with bouillon cube or beef tea or tomato bouillon. 9:00 — 9:15 Rest in reclining chairs: 1. Daily morning hygienic inspection to deter- mine early signs of illness — contagious diseases, etc. 2. To determine pulse rate and temperature. 9:15 — 10:15 School program — Studies. Modified two-minute drill at 10:00 a. m. Windows open. 10:15 — 10:35 Recess and recreative exercises. (In playground — windows open — or outdoors in pleasant weather.) 10:35 — 12:15 School program — Modified two-minute drill — (11:00 a.m.) Windows open. (12:00 a.m.) 12:15 — 12:45 Lunch period; warm lunch served. 12:45 — 1:45 Rest period for all children in reclining chairs. 45 1:45 — 2:50 School program — ^Studies — Modified two-minute drill at 2 :00 p. m. ; windows open. Also indus- trial work. Five-minute periods for classroom games should be used for mental and physical relaxation during school day. 1. After 3:00 p. m. specialized physical train- ing exercises. These special exercises are for selected groups, arranged in accordance with the recommendations for physical ex- ercises provided by the cardiac specialist in charge of each child. 2. If the physician prefers, the specialized physical training may be conducted by the class teacher at 2:00 p. m. The time after 3 :00 may then be assigned to recreation and industrial work. Indicate preference. EXHIBIT II AFTER SCHOOL RECREATION PERIOD Time Activities 2 :50 — 3 :05 Rest in reclining chairs for observation. Only necessary for those eliminated in the morning, to determine pulse rate, temperature and other physical conditions in relation to the amount of school work done during the school day and as a guide for after-school recreation activities. 3 :05 — 3 :35 After-school recreation period. Outdoors in pleasant weather. 1. Specialized physical training for selected groups or 2. Active playground games adapted to car- diac reserve of each child. 3 :35 — • 4 :00 — Quiet games for all children. Hot drink in cold weather, or glass of milk and graham cracker before dismissal. Industrial work, etc., may be tausfht also. 46 4:00 — 4:15 1. Active games for selected groups. 2. Quiet games for selected children. Indus- trial work could be continued from previous period for selected groups. 4:15 — 4:40 Story Hour for rest period before dismissal. Children occupied with hand work as knitting, crocheting, weaving, etc., as optional occupa- tion. 4:30 — (Note: — Dismissal for group requiring bus service.) 4 :40 — 5 :00 Walk home for exercise. Children unable to walk use trolley. Dismissal in winter at an earlier time, because of the shorter daylight hours. 5 :30 Indoors. Dinner not later than 6. After dinner, quiet occupation. In bed before 7 o'clock. EXHIBIT IV TENTATIVE PROGRAM SUGGESTED FOR SATURDAY AND SUNDAY In bed until 10 a. m. Co-operation should be encouraged in the home to keep the children in bed until 10 a. m., and then to continue the following program if possible: 10-12 Quiet recreation. 12 Dinner. In bed until 2 p. m. Quiet play until 4:30. 5 P. M. At home. Dinner before 6 p. m. In bed before 7 p. m. In connection with feeding in school there should be a proper co-relation between the type and quantity of food supplied at that hour with the type and amount supplied at home. This should be accomplished through the co-operation of the Social Service Department of each cardiac clinic after consulting with the physician in charge. Suggestions to parents concerning proper diet should be made by the Social Service Nurse. In case anv of the physicians wish to try out the experiment of taking the temperature in the afternoon, it is requested that they do this in addition to the taking of the morning temperature. 47 All children should be weighed Monday and Friday of each week; in this way it is hoped to check up the child's condition during the time that he or she was not under school observation. Note should be made of amount of clothing worn at each weigh- ing. Height shouldi be taken on second and fourth Monday of each month. Children should be measured without shoes. It will then be the duty of the Social Service nurse to study each individual case and ascertain the causative factor, be it a dietetic error or over-activity. On stormy days, severe cases should remain at home, unless bus service has been arranged, provided home care and super- vision is adequate. Such children should be selected by the car- diac specialist. EXHIBIT v CHART FOR GENERAL OBSERVATION OF CARDIOPATHIC CHILDREN 1. Name. 2. Age. 3. Number of children in family. 4. Kind of control at home : Good : Fair : Poor : 5. Number of times in bed or in hospital for heart conditions. Before observation. After observation. 6. Approximate Duration of Disease in months or years. 7. Etiology. 8. Diagnosis. *9. Hypertrophy or not. 10. Irregularity. 11. Average pulse rate at rest. *By Hypertrophy we designate easily demonstrable enlargement of the heart. It is advisable that the children admitted to the cardiac classes should fit into Class III of the classification adopted by the Association of Cardiac Clinis, namely, "Patients with organic heart disease at the time of observation who have symptoms of cardiac insufficiency following ordi- nary exertion." It might be preferred to have cases of mitral stenosis or sortis insufficiency given the preference. The class for experiment is to be limited to twenty-five. 48 49 12. Pulse rate immediately after jumping with both feet ten times. 13. Pulse rate 3 minutes after having jumped with both feet ten times. 14. Weight every week. 15. Hemoglobin taken once a month. 16. Lungs : Rales : Dullness : Dyspnea : 17. Liver — palpable: not palpable: 18. Spleen — palpable: not palpable: 19. Morbidity — Days absent from school during term — (1) Before segregation — cause. (2) After segregation — cause. 1. Days in bed — cause of absence — (1) Before segregation — cause. (2) After segregation — cause. 2. Days in sanitarium — cause of absence — (1) Before segregation — cause, (2) After segregation — cause. 3. Days in hospital — cause of absence — (1) Before segregation — cause. (2) After segregation — cause. AFTER SCHOOL RECREATION CENTRES Teachers have been provided by the Department of Physical Training for 14 after-school recreation centres for 470 cardio- pathic children in order that, through supervised play and recrea- tion, these children can be under observation for the entire day. These teachers have been of great assistance in teaching the children the type and a;mount of activity they may safely under- take. Furthermore, this supervision is correlated to the special school care from 9 :00-3 :00 of the class teacher, all of which would be nullified by undue activity on the streets after school in all sorts of weather. Emphasis has been placed upon the recreative sides of the after-school activities of these special centres, so that the children 50 will thoroughly enjoy this period which replaces the after-school freedom of physically normal children. In some of the centres, the physician in charge of the cardiac clinic associated with the special class has introduced formal gym- nastics. While this form of exercise may be beneficial, it is given at a time when the children are inclined to feel it encroaches upon their play time, and thus the mental reaction is not so effective as when formal gymnastics are given in correlation with the school program. Furtherore, the class teachers have had technical training in specialized physical training and are therefore pre- pared for such technical work. The following programme has been followed in most of the centres. The supplies have been provided by the Department of Physical Training. AFTER-SCHOOL RECREATION PERIOD Time Activities 2 :50 — 3 :05 Rest in reclining chairs for observation. Only necessary for those eliminated in the morning, to determine pulse rate, temperature, and other physical conditions in relation to the amount of school work done during the school day and as a guide for after-school recreation activities. 3 :05 — 3 :35 After-school recreation period. Outdoors in pleas- ant weather. 1. Specialized physical training for selected groups or 2. Active playground games adapted to cardiac reserve of each child. 3 :35 — 4 :00 Quiet games for all children. Hot drink in cold weather, or glass of milk and graham cracker be- fore dismissal. Industrial work, etc.. may be taught also. 51 4:00 — 4:15 1. Active games for selected groups. 2. Quiet games for selected children — Industrial work could be continued from previous period for selected groups. 4:15 — 4:40 Story Hour for rest period before dismissal. Chil- dren occupied with hand work as knitting, cro- cheting, weaving, etc. — as optional occupation. 4:30 — (Note: — Dismissal for group requiring bus service.) 4 :40 — 5 :00 Walk home for exercise. Children unable to walk use trolley. Dismissal in winter at an earlier time, because of the shorter daylight hours. 5 :30 Indoors. Dinner not later than 6. After dinner, quiet occupation. In bed before 7 o'clock. RESULTS An extensive comparative study and summary of the school records of children in cardiopathic classes, both before segrega- tion and thereafter, has shown results which indicate that these classes are no longer an experimental study. Seventeen classes in 13 schools in four boroughs, with a total register of 420 cardiopathic children, were included in this survey. The ages of the children in each class ranged from 6 to 16 years and all grades were represented, from lA to 8B inclusive. The comparative study of the absences before segregation and thereafter has given extremely interesting and helpful in- formation. The total absences of 470 children during the year preceding segregation was 18,783.5 days, while in the year after admission to the class of cardiopathic children, the total absences were only 7,939.5 days — a tremendous and significant improve- ment. 52 Twenty cases have been selected to show the greatest number of individual absences in each class for the year preceding segre- gation and the improvement after segregation. TOTAL ABSENCES BEFORE SEGREGATIOX 1 year 1 year 1 term 4 terms 195.5 days Never attended school 50 days 119 days 98 days 110 days 123 days 100 days 106 days 1 year 1 year 69 days 1 year 9 months 64 days TOTAL ABSENCES FROM SPECIAL CLASS 7 days 26 days 45 days absences 8 days 1 day 7 days 5 days 1 day 19 days 22 days 14 days 18 days 14 days 14 days 1 day 70 days in three terms 57-10/2 days 3 days 10 days 66 days The causes of absence were the same reasons, both before segregation and thereafter; namely, hospital treatment, surgical operations, stormy weather, religious holidays, personal illness, such as tonsilitis, rheumatism, quarantine or visits to convalescent homes. It is noticeable, however, that the number of hospital cases after segregation were reduced over 100 per cent. The records of promotion bear a definite relation, as one would expect, to the great increase in attendance after segregation. The total number of grades covered by the 420 pupils in the school year preceding" their admission to the special classes was 555. and after seoregation, 727 orades. 53 There were 29 graduates from the classes of cardiopathic children. Fifteen of these have improved to such an extent that they will be able to attend secondary schools. Eight had made no choice of occupation. Six of this number want to attend second- ary schools, but would require transportation to do so. Of the remaining six, one is studying music, one has a position as filing clerk, one as office boy, one attends a business school and one is associated in business with his father. The transferring of 113 cardiopathic children in one school year from these special classes to regular classes would indicate marked physical improvement of over 37 per cent, of the children admitted as serious cardiopathic cases. The weight records show that nearly all of the 420 children gained in weight, or a total of 2,043 pounds in one school year. The greatest individual increases in weight, selecting one from each class of the 17 classes, are 2, 4, 7, 7.5, 11, 12, 14, 14, 14, 15, 15, 17, 20, 21, 21.75, 22, 31.25 pounds respectively. This increase in weight is not of; much significance unless it is com- pared with the physical endurance, and the medical records of cardiac conditions. These records were not available except for one clinic from which record cards were received at this office throughout the year. These records indicate that, for the most part, the children who lost weight were those whose cardiac condition indicated little or no improvement, or were losing ground. A total of fourteen deaths occurred in 17 classes in the past school year. Seven classes had no deaths while the greatest number in two classes was three each ; the smallest number, one. In organizing special classes for cardiopathic children, the Department of Education is endeavoring to make provision for children who cannot keep pace, under existing school condition, with average children, physically and therefore mentally. A sys- tem of special classes, therefore, that affords physical protection for physically handicapped children and enables them to increase their attendance during the term, the number of grades per year and eventually to graduate, -is a helpful and practical organization. 54 It is to be expected that, in the medical treatment of cardiac disease in school children there is still much that must be experi- mental, especially in view of the fact that some physicians are opposed to the views of others as to the suitable amount and type of physical activity for cardiopathic children, the type of case suitable for segregation and other factors. Nevertheless, the association of these special classes with physicians in charge of cardiac clinics will keep these classes free from hospital and convalescent home cases,, and the problem becomes mainly one of improved attendance, and the amount of school work accom- plished without detriment to the child. Special classes in public schools would be short lived if such results could not be obtained. The results may be summarized, therefore, in regard to : 1. School Attendance. — In all the classes of cardiopathic children, the attendance shows remarkable improvement over that of the year before segregation. These records show an increase in attendance of over 125 per cent. Individual records show that children who were unable to attend regular classes in public schools before segregation, were able to attend the special class with very good records of attendance and marked progress in their school work, while less severe cases showed few absences in the school year and were able to complete two grades, and some three and even four grades after segregation. Twenty-nine graduates, or over 4 per hundred registered, completed the elementary school course this year, as compared to 6 per hundred in regular classes. 2. Hospital Attendance. — A study of the causes of absence show a decrease in the number of children requiring hospital treatment as bed cases. In some classes, this has been reduced from 20 cases to none. 3. Economical Aspect. — These special classes are an eco- nomical measure in that the improved attendance of the children has enabled them to complete the school work of a term in the required time. Repeaters and "left-backs" are an expense to an educational system. 55 Furthermore, cardiopathic children in special classes can be educated to be self-supporting and thereby placed in occupations subsequently adapted to their physical handicap. Many children have improved physically to such an extent, through temporary segregation in these special classes, that they have been able to return to regular classes. 4. Psychological Aspect. — Heretofore, many physicians have 'believed that it was inadvisable to segregate large groups of cardiac cases in special classes, fearing morbid mental reaction. This experimental study throughout has proved that the children in these special classes are very happy and contented. They have found that through these special classes their attendance has been improved and that thereby they have been able to cover more school work in a given time than heretofore. Consequently, the cause of worry and) resulting physical deterioration in trying to keep pace with normal children was eliminated. Furthermore, the anxiety of the parents concerning the education of their children was relieved and this had a favorable reaction upon the children themselves. 56 PHYSICAL TRAINING FOR THE DEAF PRESENT ORGANIZATION There are 2>?)7 deaf children registered in 36 classes in Public School 47 — The School for the Deaf. This includes the two classes of post-diphtheritic intubation cases in the annex located in the Willard Parker Hospital. SPECIALIZED PHYSICAL TRAINING Over 66 per cent of the children attending the School for the Deaf have become deaf through serious illness, the remainder being congenitally deaf children. Not only has their vitality become seriously impaired by disease, but their permanent handi- cap has limited their opportunities for exercise and play in their home environment in a large city. One of the most im- portant considerations, therefore, in the health, care and edu- cation of deaf children is that ample facilities for systematic physical training and adequate play space should be provided. URGENT NEED FOR SPACE FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING Each term since the opening of the School for the Deaf the space for physical training and play has been decreased. The present crowded condition of this old school building, lack of a gymnasium and very limited and dark play spaces are dis- couraging obstacles to the hygienic administration of specialized physical training for the deaf, for progressive results. The poor lighting facilities makes it extremely difficult for the children to see what the teacher says in the large group taught in physical training. Each year these unfavorable conditions have been increased. At present two classes occupy each classroom. Physical train- ing must therefore be conducted in the basement and the assem- bly room, part of which is now used for the office of the clerk. Furthermore, the children remain at school for the entire day, and therefore at noon the small basement playgrounds are used for lunch service which is operated in squads. Many 57 ingenious plans are made to relieve this congestion to allow some space for physical activities. Playgrounds and gymnasiums in nearby schools were utilized for basketball and games until the congestion of regular classes prevented further use. Hikes and swimming lessons at the East 23d Street pool for the older boys, under the supervision of two men teachers, has afforded some relief. This has the effect of adding valuable activities to the physical training for the boys while providing space in the assembly room for folk dancing and quiet games for the girls, with a third division at lunch and the other children in classrooms. Stormy weather is a great disorganizer of this program. SWIMMING Sixty-eight boys received instruction in swimming this year. Of these, fifty could not swim. The other eighteen had received some instruction last year, but were not sufficiently advanced to compete for the swimming pins. Eighteen new swimmers were added to the list this term. There were 297 corrections of stroke and the attendance was 1,013 for the year. This is excellent progress when it is con- sidered that these boys had only twenty minutes practice every two weeks, and, furthermore, this instruction is much more difficult to present to the deaf. ATHLETICS The same regulations governing athletic contest for regular classes are observed by the boys in the School for the Deaf. Under these rules fifteen boys qualified for the athletic pins, eight in class A and seven in class B. Many of the boys have qualified in the pull-up and broad jump, but the practice in swimming is hampered by lack of space. The basketball and baseball teams have had very few oppor- tunities to practice. There are no basketball courts in this school and none to be borrowed within walking distance of the school.- 58 HIKES These walks have been very successful in providing exercise for the children in the open air and also in enabling them to see interesting and instructive sights of the greatest city in the world. The Junior boys took fifteen hikes, covering a distance of fifty miles ; the Senior boys, fourteen hikes covering a distance of sixty miles. JUNIOR boys' hikes Places Visited During Hikes. — Union Square, Fifth Avenue shops, Metropolitan Building, docks at 23d Street and East River, St. Mark's Church, grave of Peter Stuyvesant, Madison Square Park, Central Park, St. Gabriel's Park. Objects of Interest Seen on Hikes. — Birthplace of Theodore Roosevelt, statues of Washington, Lincoln, Lafayette and Seward, loading and unloading of large ships, dredging by largest dredge in the world. SENIOR boys' hikes The New York Telegram (Herald). A trip through the composing room. The Allied Printing Exhibition — 69th Regiment Armory. The 71st Regiment Armory — 34th St. and Park Avenue. Statue of Nathan Hale and Metropolitan Building. East River shipping. To 23d Street and Avenue A — to play baseball. To Gramercy Park — for walking matches around park. To 14th Street to see landing of ships. To printing plant on 23d Street to see automatic presses. To 69th Regiment Armory on 34th Street. To horse sale on 24th Street, to 34th Street, and return. To Flatiron Building and West 23d Street. To wholesale paper manufacturing company, West 25th Street, To see linotype machines, West 23d Street. 59 PHYSICAL TRAINING FOR THE BLIND The supervision of physical training and hygiene for the blind children in the public schools is in charge of the Department of Physical Training. This instruction is provided for the 123 blind children registered in nine classes in seven elementary schools in four boroughs. The special attention to the health care of this group of handi- capped children is an extremely important factor in their educa- tion in the public schools, for thereby they are associated with the norrhal children in their games, folk dances, athletics, and other physical activities. The reaction of this association has been of great value in obtaining a more normal mental development. The basic principle underlying the specialized physical train- ing for the blind has been this association through previous train- ing in segregated groups. Through various devices and special methods of teaching the blind children are taught, first, the fundamental activities of the normal child. Later these are com- bined and formulated into the various types of physical training of the regular classes. Gradually the blind children are trained in this manner to take part in the physical activities of the normal children. The girls have been admitted to the athletic clubs of their school, and each year take part in the May Day Fete at Central Park. The boys contest for athletic pins under the same requirements as normal boys. Thus the old and slow habits of motor response of the blind have given way to a more normal reaction to their surroundings. The slow groping, shuffling walk has been overcome and changed to a more alert and lively step. The blind children have been taught to skip and even run and roller skate. Poor posture has improved, and physical endurance also. Confidence, courage and more skillful body control has been obtained through use of flying rings, athletic slides and pull-up bars. This proficiency in physical activity has been one of the most helpful influences in leading the blind from the segregated group toward that of the normal. 60 PHYSICAL TRAIXIXG FOR THE BLIND IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS No provision has been made for the extension of speciaHzed physical training for blind children attending secondary schools. As a consequence, much of the benefit which these children de- rived through the supervision of their physical activities while in classes in the elementary schools is gradually lost. Under the present administration of double session classes in high schools blind children have no opportunity for association with the regular classes in physical training. There is urgent need for this training" for, aside from health consideration, an alert attitude, quick response and erect posture will be an extremely valuable asset to these blind children in their efforts to earn a livelihood. SIGHT COXSERVATIOX CLASSES There are 430 children registered in 26 classes in 23 elemen- tary schools. These are children who are handicapped by greatl\ impaired, defective, or partial vision. PHYSICAL TRAIXIXG The children in sight conservation classes are physically able to take part in all the physical activities of the children in regular classes, and are. therefore, assigned to such classes for this training. In addition to this physical training, special attention is re- quired to correct certain characteristic physical defects. This specialized physical training is conducted with the segregated groups. Poor posture is characteristic and there is a marked impair- ment of chest expansion and lung capacity, with resulting physi- cal deterioration. This is the reaction of years of poor posture induced by trying to do the work of normally sighted children while handicapped by seriously impaired vision. 61 CRIPPLED CHILDREN PRESENT ORGANIZATION — NEW CLASSES Two thousand five hundred and fourteen crippled children are registered in 101 classes in 44 public schools, annexes, hos- pitals and convalescent homes in five boroughs. Five hundred and thirty-three of these are resident patients in children's wards of hospitals. Since 1918 the registration of crippled children, including 172 helpless cripples receiving home instruction, has increased nearly 100 per cent. Most of this increase is the heritage of the poliomyelitis epidemic of 1916-1917. From 1918 to 1921 thirty-nine classes were organized to ac- commodate this tremendous increase of crippled children requiring special school care. Twenty classes more would have been re- quired in that time but by increasing the register in each class from twenty to twenty-five, thus allowing for absences for illness and hospital treatment, 555 additional children were accommo- dated in the classes of the present organization, and the new classes of 1921. Ten new classes of crippled children will be formed this year, eight in public school buildings and two hospital classes. This will increase the present register by 500, or a total of 2,764 crip- pled children and 172 helpless cripples. Not until 1923 will all the crippled children resulting from the poliomyelitis epidemic be of school age, and as a consequence a large increase of new classes, above the average will be required until that date. TRANSPORTATION Without stage transportation it would be impossible to pro- vide educational facilities for the physically handicapped children in classes of cripples in the public schools. In the present organi- zation 1,981 crippled children are transported to school and to their homes daily, and after all the new classes are formed this will be increased to 2,181 children, or approximately 109 stage loads, requiring 55 stages, each making two or more trips. With the exception of two stages supplied by the Department of Education through the Bureau of Supplies, and two through 62 63 the Lehman Foundation for the transportation of some of the cripples to the Crippled Children's East Side Free School (P. S. 75, Manhattan), the stages are supplied through contractors who operate stages in given stage territories for a stated number of crippled children. The expense of this service is one of the largest items of the education of crippled children. This service was practical when less than one thousand chil- dren were transported, but with the large and rapid increase in the number of crippled children requiring special school care, a more economical method could be devised through stages owned and operated by the Department of Education. Each year a cer- tain proportion of the transportation fund would purchase several stages, the operation and upkeep thereof would be covered by the additional transportation service, and for which money is now expended. Under the present service, transportation of children to the schools in the morning, and to their homes after school, is all that is provided. No use of the stages are permitted to the De- partment of Education during the day, or on Saturdays and in the summer vacation for other service. Stages owned by the Department of Education could be used for transporting school supplies and equipment, summer school transportation of handicapped children, school lunch and milk service, hospital transportation of handicapped children, trans- portation of cardiopathic children and of cripples to secondary schools. All of this service now requires additional funds to the money spent for the transportation of crippled children to special classes. Several years ago, by way of experiment, two stages were purchased and operated through the Bureau of Supplies for the transportation of crippled children to two schools. During the remainder of the day, and on Saturdays and during the summer vacation, these stages were utiHzed for the transportation of supplies, and other service. This experiment has been remark- ably successful. This transportation service for crippled children through stages of the Department of Education is the most satisfactory in the city for systematic and prompt service. 64 TREATMENT OF ORTHOPEDIC DEFECTS Great stress is placed by the Department of Physical Training and Hygiene upon the establishment of treatment of orthopedic defects which are the cause of the admission of a child to a class of crippled children. L\n-thermore, every effort is made to en- courage systematic and continuous visits to clinics, hospitals and private physicians, until a case is terminated. This work has been ably furthered l)y the untiring" efforts of the special teachers of physical training, the class teachers and principals in obtaining hospital record, cards each term, as a basis for the special school care. Through this co-operation of the school and the hospitals, clinics and private physicians, the advice of the most eminent orthopedic surgeons in the City of New York are obtained for the crippled children in the public schools. In Manhattan and the I'.ronx the social service nurses provided for each class of crippled children by the .Vssociation for the Aid of Crippled Children, have rendered extremely valu- able assistance in securing lioth time and hospital treatment in these boroughs, while the nurses of the \'isiting Nurse Associa- tion of Brooklyn and the Committee on Crippled Children of the Brooklyn Bureau of Charities have been equally helpful for the crippled children in special classes in Brooklyn and Queens. Through the Department of Education, the children are in- spected several times each year, besides the investigation of in- dividual cases referred for through the recommendations of physicians for admission or discharge. This has proved to be an economical method of administration, as it is possible thereby to reserve accommodation in classes of cripples for handicapped children who could not attend school otherwise. Much time and effort have been spent this year, therefore, in trying to have 100 per cent, of treated cases through the co- operation of all agencies interested in the case of crippled chil- dren with the Department of Education. Besides the surgeons and social service nurses of 33 hospitals and clinics, the helpful services of 45 associations have been enlisted. 65 < o o Pi CO < u Q O S W Ph o « u w Pi ^■^ w p I— I K u p w h-1 Ph Of I— I Pi u 66 Experience has shown that systematic and continuous treat- ment through clinics, hospitals and private physicians has re- duced considerably the length of time required for practical results, and therefore, the shorter the period of treatment, the sooner is the crippled child enabled to return to a regular class. Through this insistence upon treatment of orthopedic defects, therefore, not only is the physical condition of the child improved as much as possible, within the shortest period of time, but by frequent transfers of such pupils, the existing organization of special classes can accommodate a greater number of crippled children in a term, without additional expense. RECORDS OF TREATMENT All of the 533 children in 22 hospital classes in the present organization are under systematic medical and surgical treatment. Of the total registration of 1,981 children in 79 classes of cripples in public schools, 1,540 are now under treatment. This is the greatest number recorded since the organization of these special classes. Five hundred and seventy-six, or the equivalent of 23 classes, are the result of the recent poliomyelitis epidemic. This does not include the epidemic cases registered in hospital classes. Of the remaining cases, 287 children receive treatment irreg- ularly and 154 are not under treatment. Of the 441 crippled children receiving treatment irregularly or not at all, 378 are in need of transportation to hospitals. This is due to several causes. In many instances the adult members of the family are wage earners and, therefore, cannot afford the time each week for hospital visits. In a large proportion of cases, the children are so seriously handicapped that it is impossible to use surface cars for conveyance. The parents of 63 children are indifferent to the needs of their children and neglectful of the opportunity ofifered by the hospitals and clinics for skillful treatment. Their excuse for such neglect is that they "do not believe in hospitals." Repeated eflFort has been made to obtain transportation for the children with severe physical defects requiring frequent 67 hospital visits. .During the poHomyelitis epidemic there was abundant transportation service provided through the Bureau of Charities, but when this service was discontinued no other organization, not even the Red Cross, had funds to continue it. This difficulty would be readily solved if school stages were owned and operated by the Department of Education. Much additional transportation service could be secured through this method of administration for practically no additional cost. Through systematic treatment, 56 crippled children, or the equivalent of two classes, were improved to such an extent that they were transferred to regular classes this! year. Thirty-eight were cured cases. ADMISSIONS AND DISCHARGED CASES Seventy-one children were discharged for physical dis- ability and their names placed upon the waiting list for the services of home teachers. Sixty-four crippled children attending classes of cripples moved from the City of New York this year. Of the new admissions to these classes, 375 children in the past year attended school for the first time — mostly 1,916 polio- myelitis cases. There were 191 crippled children transferred from regular classes to classes of cripples because they were reported as physically unable to attend school regularly or to climb stairs to their classroom. GRADUATES — CLASSES OF CRIPPLED CHILDREN There were a total of 70 graduates this year from the classes of cripples in public schools, and in addition' three from classes of cripples in hospitals and four helpless crippled children through the services of home teachers. Of these 21 will require transportaion in order to attend secondary schools. Owing to the lack of a sufficiently large ap- propriation in the budget of 1921 for this service, only five pupils could be transported to high schools. 68 Q O I — I Pi w < fin 69 Of the total number, 38 graduates are planning to attend high schools, four to attend trade schools, one to a private school, five have positions as clerks, one has been admitted to a hospital for treatment, one moved to Italy, ten are at home without occupation at present. One of the graduates from the hospital classes has been taught watchmaking, one must remain in the hospital for further treatment, and one is anxious to attend a secondary school but is too helpless to do so. SPECIAL CLASSES IN HIGH SCHOOLS FOR PHYSICALLY HANDI- CAPPED CHILDREN For the increasing number of graduates from classes of physically handicapped children who are anxious and mentally able to profit by a higher education, adequate transportation service and special school care should be provided in high schools and vocational schools for these courageous and ambitious chil- dren. Ample encouragement should be given them in their efforts to become happ)^, self-supporting and useful citizens. Nothing can be more discouraging to them than their irregular school attendance caused by weather conditions, and their physical inability to utilize the crowded surface cars in rush hours, with a consequent lowering of their school record in spite of their mental ability to succeed. Many of the handicapped children have been forced to leave school after a courageous effort to overcome physical obstacles. Help should be extended to these pupils, whereby their physical strength could be conserved for the main issue — their higher education. HELPLESS CRIPPLED CHILDREN HOME INSTRUCTION Since December, 1918, home teachers have been provided through the Department of Education for the instruction of helpless crippled children of school age who, though mentally able to profit by school instruction, could not attend school, owing to" their helpless physical condition. 70 At present (June, 1921) there are 32 home teachers, 1 vol- unteer home teacher and 1 volunteer teacher of occupation therapy giving home instruction to 173 home-bound children. Twenty of these home teachers, with eight pupils each upon their assignment, are giving instruction in elementary school subjects, three times per week for one and one-half hours each visit. Thus a full-time teacher works six days per week. The volunteer home teacher has one pupil, while the teacher of occupation therapy, provided by the Occupation Therapy Society of New York, has instructed 15 children, making sev- eral visits each week, on alternate days with the home teacher. The after-school home teachers, from nearby schools, are as- signed to helpless children preparing to graduate, or to severely handicapped children residing in districts at great distances from the route of the home teacher. PHYSICAL RECORDS Each helpless crippled child referred for the services of a home teacher is carefully investigated through the Department of Physical Training to determine whether such service is in- dicated. In case either medical or surgical treatment is needed, this has been instituted either through the family physician or otherwise through the special clinics for children in the hospital zone in which the child resides. Through the establishment of persistent supervision of the hospital treatment of each child, through the home teachers, there has been noticeable improvement in the physical condition of these helpless children. Last year 19 helpless crippled chil- dren were thus improved to such an extent that they were able to attend classes of crippled children in public schools. This year 25 helpless children have been taught to walk and have been admitted to these special classes. Of the 173 helpless children receiving home instruction, 112 are infantile paralysis cases, mostly the heritage of the recent poliomyelitis epidemic, 14 are muscular dystrophy cases, 10 71 spastic paralysis, Little's disease, Oppenheim's disease, 4 con- genital cripples, 2 Pott's disease, 2 hip disease, 4 epileptics, 2 cardiacs, 15 doubly handicapped: i. e., crippled and mentally de- fective, 1 both blind and crippled, 1 amputation case, 1 ele- phantiasis, 1 amputation case, 2 accident cases, 1 case of chorea. One hundred and twenty-seven of the 173 helpless children are receiving systematic hospital or clinical care. Forty-six are having little or no medical attention due to the great difficulty in getting these children to the clinics. Transportation for these children is an urgent need. The Brooklyn Bureau of Charities and the Association for the Aid of Crippled Children have pro- vided this service in some cases, but funds are not available for the transportation of all these children, and the new cases, to the extent it is needed, as a necessary aid in the proper physical care of these unfortunate children. SCHOOL PROGRESS Each of the 173 pupils is registered upon the roll of the class of cripples in the stage district in which the child resides, or in outlying districts, in the nearest school. Through the helpful co-operation of the principals of these schools, the home teacher is able to grade her pupils in accordance with the monthly plan of grade work of the school in which the pupil is registered. Progress sheets report the advance of the pupil each month. The promotions are made each term through examinations from each school similar to those for pupils in regular classes. Last term 154 children were promoted, a number of them completing two grades and one pupil three grades. Nineteen were not promoted. This was caused by the admission of chil- dren to hospitals for operations, personal illness, quarantine, three are mental defectives, and there were several new pupils under instruction for less than a school term. There were two graduates who completed their work with honors, graduating under the same conditions for the mental tests as the children in the regular graduating class, in their school district. 72 73 These graduates are anxious to continue their education, and should have' secondary school teachers. By way of experi- ment, one pupil has been given home instruction in secondary school subjects. This boy was stricken with poliomyelitis in 1907, and although he has had systematic treatment he is unable to walk today except when he is supported. He graduated from an elementary school in 1918 and was very anxious to continue his education. His disability made it impossible for him to attend the high school in his neighborhood. The boy was referred to this department by the principal of the high) school and in 1920 a home teacher was provided. He received instruction in commercial subjects four times a week. His progress was very favorable. In the Regents examinations in June, 1921, this boy passed both the stenography and type- writing examinations successfully. He can write 100 words a minute on prepared matter in stenography and about 38 words a minute on the typewriter. He is now supplementing his work with instruction in office practice and business English. This training has been of practical value. This boy has typed a series of reading lessons for the principal of the school from which he graduated, and he has been able to earn money by other typing. In view of the success of this experimental study, it is re- spectfully recommended that after-school teachers of secondary schools be provided next year for the instruction of such gradu- ates in order that they may become self-supporting. Treatment was established for 58 children, crutches and braces were provided, and they were thus able to attend classes of cripples. URGENT NEED FOR ADDITIONAL HOME TEACHERS All the helpless crippled children requiring home teachers could not be accommodated. There are over 200 now upon the waiting list — more than the number of children under instruc- tion at present. One of the most pathetic phases of this situation is the pitiful and repeated appeals of the parents of these helpless home-bound 74 children waiting for their turn to have a home teacher. Mothers have carried their helpless cripples in their arms many miles to this office hoping to impress their need of a teacher by the help- lessness of their unfortunate child. Funds are urgently needed for additional teachers to give every child upon the waiting list the opportunity for a common school education. TEACHERS OF OCCUPATION THERAPY Through the valuable co-operation of the Occupation Therapy Society of New York, a teacher of occupation therapy has been provided since February for some of the home-bound children. This service was necessarily limited to 15 children, in two districts. This teacher taught on alternate days with the home teacher, visiting the same children. A careful individual study was made of each child by this teacher in co-operation with the Department of Physical Training in order that the occupation and muscular training and re-educa- tion would be in accordance with the physical disability of the child and his physician's recommendations. The object of the experimental study was threefold — 1st, therapeutic ; 2d, educational, and, 3d, pre-vocational and vocational. RESULTS This experimental study has been very successful. It has aided in improving the children physically, by providing muscular training and re-education for weak and unused muscles, by im- proving posture developing co-ordination. The work has had a distinct educational value. The work was graded both from a mental as well as from a physical stand- point. The children became more skillful in the use of their hands. For the older children, this training suggests one of the prac- tical means of aiding some of them, who are not interested in a . 75 secondary school education, to become self-supporting. It is, therefore, respectfully recommended that this work of occupation therapy be continued next year. teachers' reports At the conferences for the instruction of home teachers^ a short time has been used in having the teachers talk of their results of their home visits and the interest of the pupils. Their reports have been pictures of the happiness of the children and the grate- ful appreciation of their parents for the educational advantages provided by the Board of Education. Dull, listless, hopeless children have been changed to happy, bright, busy little folks with a new interest in life when they found they could have the same school advantages as their more fortunate brothers and sisters. The sympathetic interest of the whole neighborhood has been aroused through the work accomplished by the home teacher. One boy, although just home from the hospital, with both lower limbs encased in plaster, completed three terms' work in one. In the June examination in arithmetic he scored 100 per cent. Another small lad of six completed two terms' work in one. He has never attended school and he has been taught to read, write and speak English, although his parents speak a foreign language. Another helplessly crippled boy had never attended school. He was taught to read by his home teacher. His mother says : "He's the happiest boy in the Bronx since he has learned to read." The coming of the home teacher is the sunny hour of the day for the helpless child. One teacher, through illness, was unable to visit her pupil and notice was sent to the mother. She tele- phoned to inquire about the teacher the next day. On the second day the child said : "Mother, don't telephone. I am afraid they will say my teacher cannot come and that would finish me !" One little girl said : "Oh ! Mother, today I had a real teacher. It's just like hearing a fairy tale and waking up and finding it true." 76 ( )ne small l)(\v has had no use i)f his anus since Ihe poHo- niyelitis cpidciiiit-. lie was ver\ anxious to learn to write. Through ihi' kind to-operalion of one of the principals a s|)ecial ap|)liance was niadi- and the child has learneus organizations. This conunittee recommended that all associations providing milk for school children in classes of physicallv handicapped children in Manhattan and the P)ronx, excepting the I'nblic School Lunch service, would work through the School (.'hildren's Welfare League, and in I'.rooklyn, Oueens and Richmond through the I'.rooklyn Hureau of Charities, the delicit to be paid each month In these- organi/ations. after receiving all the av.ail- ablc limds that could In- proxided b\ the \arious associations interested. hurtbermore. it was recommendi-d that, as far as ]>ossible, the st-luu)ls should ludxidc funds for the actual cost of 77 the milk, not inclLuJin;^ service, either through the children re- ceiving the milk, or through the parents' association of each school. The milk service in Brooklyn, Queens and Richmond has been in operation many years and is working smoothly. This organization will j^rovide milk for all classes of physically handi- capped children ujjon the same basis as that of the School Children's Welfare I.eague. 78 UNGRADED CLASSES Elizabeth E. Farrell, Inspector The report of the Department of Ungraded Classes is sub- mitted in 6 sections : 1. Status and Statistics. 2. Recommendations. 3. Report of Psychological Work. 4. Report of Medical Inspectors. 5. Report of Visiting Teachers. 6. Survey of Nationality of Children in Ungraded Classes. STATUS AND STATISTICS There are at present 258 ungraded classes with a total register of 4,896 children. The average register per class is 19. Seven thousand five hundred children were proposed by school principals for examination during the year. Of this number 6,000 were examined. One thousand one hundred and seventy-two children were ad- mitted to ungraded classes. This large number of admissions was possible only by increasing the register of each class from 16 to 19. In September, 1921, the average register will be 20. The necessity of increasing registers to this extent is deprecated, for the essence of good, ungraded class teaching is the work with individuals and small groups. This type of teaching is not practicable with a class of 20. Present equipment and floor space is also inadequate for such large classes. Ungraded class equipment is movable. Additional tables and chairs have been placed in class rooms intended for sixteen pupils, leaving in- sufficient space for manual work and physical training. In many cases sand trays and other much needed equipment had to be removed from the room in order to make space. The state law regarding instruction of mental defectives states clearly that classes are to be limited to "not more than fifteen." The present large classes are a direct violation of this law. 79 It is earnestly hoped that the future development of the department can be in the direction of smaller classes. 1668 children were re-examined during the year, some being examined by both medical inspector and psychologist and some by one of these two. Re-examination is necessary to ascertain the progress of the child, and to furnish data for recommenda- tions for discharge, exclusion, or promotion. 768 children were discharged from ungraded classes this year. They were discharged for the following reasons : Over schpol age 481 Promoted to grade 122 Excluded on account of low mentality 94 Other reasons, death, removal from city, physician's certificate, etc 61 768 Examinations were made at 921 clinics during the year. Of these 471 were in schools, 325 in the office of the inspector, and 125 at the Bureau of Attendance The status and present needs of the department are shown in the accompanying graphs. NEEDS OF EXTENSION DEPARTMENT OF UNGRADED CLASSES EXTENSION OF CLASSES NEEDED Present organization 257 classes Increase allowed 1921 5 classes Increased asked 1922 26 classes Required by State Law 1,000 classes EXTENSION OF STAFF NEEDED 6,000 children only can be examined by present stafif. 5 examiners doing this work at present, 1 per 1,200 children. 3 visiting teachers, 1 per 2,000 children. 75,000 children should be examined yearly. 80 30 psychologists asked for in 1922. Including' present staff, 1 per 2,143 children. 7 visiting teachers asked for 1922. Including present staff, 1 per 6,818 children. ASSISTANCE NEEDED This department is the only organization in the city devoted to the education of mental defectives. The need for this kind of work is very great. There is much more to do than can be done in daily office hours from nine to five o'clock. The State Department of Education has recognized the urgency of the need, and now requires all communities having a group of ten seriously retarded children to provide suitable instruction for them. The Department of Ungraded Classes provides for only one-fourth of the defective children in this city. Owing to the necessity for economy, however, our recom- mendations represent only our most pressing immediate needs, as follows : a. Twenty-six new ungraded classes. These have all been asked for by principals, and class rooms are available for them in present school buildings. b. Seven additional visiting teachers. These visiting teachers are much needed to secure data for the use of the psychologists and psychiatrists, to follow up recommendations for physical treatment, to aid the teacher in caring for difficult cases, and to secure institutional care for children who require it, through the Mental Clinic at Bellevue Hospital, Randall's Island, and State Institutions. c. Thirty psychologists. Appointment of these psychologists is asked in accordance with a report approved by the Board of Superintendents in April. 1921. Every backward child, every incorrigible child, every truant, every troublesome child should have a mental examination for two reasons. First, the child is entitled to it so that he may have the benefit of proper school classification. Second, the school benefits greatly by the re-classi- fication of these misfit children. 81 Problem children this year reached a total of 75,174 children as follows : 7,500 Proposed by principal and others because of poor school adjustment. 15,000 Three or more years retarded in development (as estimated by the Bureau of Reference and Re- search). 47,674 Truants, as shown by the last annual report of Bureau of Attendance. 5,000 Must be re-examined each year for promotion, dis- charsre and exclusion. Total 75,174 These three recommendations are amplified in the following sections of the report. PSYCHOLOGICAL EXAMINATION AND EDUCATIONAL TESTS In the last annual report it was pointed out that a method of work which made certain the identification of practically all children in need of ungraded class work had been tried in two school units. A survey of this kind gives the right basis for the organization of a school, but in view of the fact that the Board of Education has not yet made any adequate provision for psychological examination, a modification of this method had to be effected. Educational psychology has made possible the classification of children on the basis of intellectual ability. Colonel Pearce Bailey, Chairman of the New York State Commission for Mental Defectives says, "When, after thousands of experiments, dififerent examiners, working in dififerent places can come to approximately the same general conclusions, the value of psychological tests, as measures of mind and means of sifting out the dull from the normal and the superior, cannot be denied." Psychological tests are of two kinds, group and individual. Group (psycho- logical) examinations, by means of which large numbers may be 82 tested out in a few hours, are more economical than individual examinations. Success in them may be taken as a reliable indica- tion of intellectual ability. Failure in them may be due to many factors, such as reading disability, deafness, the breaking of a pencil point and so on. For this reason, children who fail on the group examination must be given an individual examination before they can be finally classified. EXAMINATION OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PUPILS Ecor>omy and efficiency demanded that a procedure be adopted which would bring into use here the contributions made available by modern science for the identification and classification of the children who fail to succeed in the regular grades in the ele- mentary schools. The procedure decided upon was as follows : PROCEDURE 1. Principals were asked to report all children three or more years retarded, in addition to those children for whom they had requested an examination. From this group were excluded recently arrived immigrants where language difficulties existed. It has been found by investigators in this field that 50 per cent, of school children who are three or more years retarded are in need of ungraded class work. For various reasons many of these children are overlooked by school officials until it is too late to help them. 2. To obtain a measure of the intellectual capacity and of the educational attainment of these children, group psychological and educational tests were given to all children reported for examination who were in grades above 2B. By this objective method choice and surmise in the identification of children in the need of ungraded class work was minimized. From the great variety of group psychological tests available, the test finally decided upon was Haggerty Intelligence Examina- tion, Delta II. This was selected because it has well established norms of performance on the basis of mental age and school grade, and because it measures a wide range of functions. In 83 order to find out to what extent the group examined had profited by their school Hfe, group educational tests were used. Here, as in the psychological group test, it was necessary to choose from the large variety of excellent tests available a few which could be given in a minimum of time and which would reveal fundamental educational attainment. The tests chosen were Trabue Language Complete Scales B and C, Woody-McCall Mixed Fundamentals in Arithmetic and Thorndike-McCall Read- ing. These are all well standardized according to school grade. INDIVIDUAL EXAMINATION The individual examination which always included the Stan- ford Revision of the Binet Simon Tests, with such performance tests as were indicated, was given to the following groups of children : (a) Those who fell below 70 I. Q. on the group examination. (b) Those, children below 3A grade, and certain others, who were reported for examination by the school principal. (c) Those who showed marked irregularity in the group examination. (d) Those of foreign birth who had been in school long enough to have learned English but who failed to make satisfactory progress. (e) Those suffering - from partial or complete deafness. GROUP PSYCHOLOGICAL EXAMINATION The group psychological tests have been given to 815 overage children. This work was done in twenty-two half days. The antiquated method of individual examination under which the Board of Education expects us to work would have required 117 days for the completion of the task. The overageness varied from six months to seven years. 492 were from one to three years retarded. 323 were three or more 84 years retarded. These overage children came from grades 3A to 8A inclusive. Figure 1 shows the retardation of the 815 chil- dren examined by the group psychological test. FIGURE 1 Years retarded y, 12 3 4 5 6 7 Total Number of children I'z 156 263 202 89 18 13 1 815 The examination revealed the fact that the great majority of these retarded children are below average in general intelli- gence. The range of I. Q. is from 38 to 121. The group clusters around 70 I. Q. Only 93, or 11 per cent, had I. O.'s above 90. (50 per cent, of all children in our schools fall between 90 I. Q. and 110 I. Q. They constitute the "average" who fit well into the present school curriculum.) These 93 chil- dren could probably profit by work in the regular grades proper to their ages. They are retarded for reasons other than lack of general intelligence. Nine of this group had I. O.'s above 110 (superior intelligence). 722 are below average in general intelligence. Of those, 404 have I. Q.'s below 70 (seriously retarded). They need indi- vidual examinations upon which school classification can be pre- dicated. 318 of this group are really wasting their time in the regular grades. They need a course of study different from that offered to the average children and also different from that given to ungraded class children. They should be in opportunity classes, with a curriculum suited to their needs. Such a cur- riculum would be based on the fact that these children do their thinking on the sensori-motor and perceptual level, rather than on the higher conceptual and abstract level. Figure 2 gives the I. O. (Haggerty) distribution of these 815 children. I. Q. Below 70 Number 404 Per cent 50 FIGURE I 70 to 79 80 to 89 90 to 109 109 to 121 Total 201 119 84 9 815 25 14 10 1 100 85 EDUCATIONAL TESTS The results of the group educational tests furnished addi- tional information upon which to base recommendations for school re-classification. There was a close correspondence between ability to do school work as revealed by educational tests and the ability of the child, as revealed by intelligence tests. In most cases the results of the standardized educational tests showed that the children were in grades far beyond their ability to do school work. In some instances, however, they did work of a higher grade on the educational tests than that required in the grades in which they were. For example, one boy in a 5A grade showed good 6th grade ability. His conduct, which was rated "C," was undoubtedly due to lack of interest in his school work, which was so easy that he was obliged to find other outlets for his energy. Another boy in a 5B grade showed 7th grade ability on the educational tests. Inquiry brought out the fact that the boy had been committed to a juvenile reform school four times. Is it too much to believe that had the school known his ability and worked him to the limit of his capacity that his history would have been dififerent? INDIVIDUAL PSYCHOLOGICAL EXAMINATION 404 children fell below 70 I. Q. on the group examination. They needed individual examinations in order to eliminate factors other than inferior mentality as the reason for the low score. Because of the inadequate provision made by the Board of Education for service of thisi kind only 269 of the 404 children who needed individual examinations could have them. For the same reason first attention was given to those making the lowest scores on the group examination. Figure 3 shows the I. O. (Stanford Revision) distribution of 269 children who had individual examinations. I. Q. .. Number FIGURE 6 Above 30 to 69 70 to 79 80 to 89 90 to 110 110 Total n 122 58 12 269 86 CORRELATION The correlation, rank order method, between the Haggerty IntelHgence examination and the Stanford Revision of the Binet- Simon Test is 65. This indicates that for the majority of cases the group examination has rehabihty in getting the mental level. The general tendency was to grade lower on the group than on the individual examination. In 38 per cent, of the cases the scores remained about the same ; in 50 per cent, of the cases the scores were 16 td 25 points higher ; in 3 per cent. of the cases the scores on the individual examinations were 6 to 8 points lower than those made on the group examination. REPORTS TO SCHOOL PRINCIPAL The results of all the group and individual examinations were tabulated for each school. These results were sent to the school principal. This tabulation gives information on problem children that has resulted in a modification in school environment, affording a better educational opportunity for the individuals concerned. The following letter was sent to the principal of one of the schools examined and the report on the first eight of the thirty- two pupils examined. Date, April 11, 1921. TO THE PRINCIPAL, P. S. My Dear Miss I beg to report as follows on the mental survey of over-age pupils in Public School , Brooklyn, which has been conducted since April 25th in accordance with your request. 1. Over-age children and those proposed by the principal for un- graded classes, from grades 3B to 7 A, inclusive, were the subjects of examination. 2. Thirty-two children were surveyed on April 25 by means of group tests. Those were Haggerty Intelligence Test, Delta 2, Trabue Language Scales B and C and Woody-McCall Arithmetic, Mixed Fundamentals, Form II. 3. The results of the Haggerty Intelligence tests are listed in the accompanying tabulations in terms (a) of points, (b) of mental age, (c) of school grade and (d) of I. Q. The I. Q. is the ratio between birthday age and mental age. A child with an I. Q. of 100 is exactly at 87 "par," his birthday age and his mental age being identical. (Fifty per cent, of all children in our schools fall between 90 I. Q. and 110 I. Q. and they constitute "the average" who fit well into the present school curriculum.) The Trabue Language and Woody-McCall arithmetic results are given in terms of the school grade. 4. The results of the group examination show that over-age chil- dren in Public School 169 are below average in intelligence in nearly all cases. Only eight children reached or exceeded 90 I. Q. These children could probably profit by work in the regular grades proper to their ages. They are retarded for reasons other than lack of general intelligence. What these reasons are could be determined only by in- dividual inquiry. With the exception of the children mentioned, these over-age pupils have less than 90 per cent, of average intelligence. The majority cluster around 72 I. Q. and should have a different curriculum from that prescribed for average children. Under present organization they do best in Opportunity Classes, when they fall between 75 and 85 I. Q. According to our findings twenty children should be in Opportunity Classes. Nineteen of those measured by the group test fell below 75 I. Q. Every one of these should have an individual examination, as it is probably that the majority belong properly in an ungraded class. Wt undertook to make as many individual examinations as we could and we have actually examined sixteen children, individually, up to date.* Because of the small number of examiners on the staff it has been impossible to give more individual examinations at this time. *Seventeen children in classes below the 3A were given individual examinations, making a total of thirty-three individual examinations. 5. Of the children individually examined, thirteen have been recommended for ungraded class work. They are indicated on the tabulations by a red star. Additional cases would no doubt be so recommended if individual examination could be made. Some of the mentally deficient boys can do the work in the grades in which they are placed ; as, for example, a mentally defective boy of 14 years ; if he has a mental age, 9 years may be fair work in a 4A grade. However, through many repetitions of grade, the habit of failure has become firmly fixed in such a boy by time he has reached that status. Trusting that this report may be of service to you, I am Very truly yours, ELIZABETH E. FARRELL, Inspector, Ungraded Classes. 88 «s "3 n! ii n! 0) OS w c >,'a3 o " G'-ji'a ' >> t o y o >. a (b > ^^ Moi 2£4J^S.SE e° 013 62 Ct3 ((! 1- O ,C a) (D g .. o tic i 2f >-' .. . c .Ex: be P •a E rt 1-5 ^-°-« d a c V- ^ n ^ P- ° E^^-^i p-g.- «;iE; E „ Sijbt . g c c c ™ Ol V-. o S< n! O r^O c3 ^ 89 CLINICS Previous to February, 1921, the extravagant and wasteful method of individual examinations had been followed, except in the case of those children who were to be promoted from or discharged from ungraded classes. These children came to clinics and could be given the group examination. Figure 4 gives a statistical summary of these examinations. FIGURE 4 Cases No. Individual examinations exclusive of 269 children whose L O.'s were below 70 in the group examination 1,603 Group examinations of children proposed for promotion or discharged from ungraded classes. 757 Total 2,360 BUREAU OF ATTENDANCE HEARINGS The Bureau of Attendance has reported for examination 823 children. Examination shows their m.ental status as follows : Normal 283 Borderline 436 Mentally Defective 104 Total 823 The age-grade distribution of 714 of this group is seen in Fisfure 5. 90 FU'.rKK 5 GRADES Years 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 6 7 6 11 1 8 3 20 2 9 13 15 6 1 10 1 11 25 20 12 3 11 1 1 18 18 37 15 1 12 1 12 29 S7 32 3 13 5 18 54 50 23 3 14 2 6 40 45 34 3 15 4 21 32 *> 3 16 1 Total . 11 49 80 101 223 177 64 9 10 Total 10 25 35 72 91 134 153 130 63 1 714 It will be seen that six are aceelerated. 200 are elassitied in grades normal for their ages. 508 are retarded. WASHINGTON IRVING HIGH SCHOOL In order to understand certain of the failures in the \\'ashing- ton Irving- High School the principal sought help from this de- partment. He reported that there were eighty-seven girls who presented serious problems, individual or social in nature. In order to be in a position to help them he requested that a study of these girls be made. Sixty-one had the benefit of individual psychological examination. Twenty-two were below average in- telligence. Sixteen were within the average range. The I. 0. distribution of thirty-eight of them is shown in Figure 6. FIGURE 6 I. Q 60 to 70 71 to 78 79 to 89 90 to 110 Total Number 5 9 8 16 38 91 The cost to the city of this unintelligent classification of these thirty-eight high school pupils is shown in Figure 7. U5 w normal. 6. Cardiac cases, kept under proper medical supervision, im- prove markedly. 7 . Capacity for doing work is increased to at least a normal average. 8. Absence from school, on account of illness, is greatly re- duced. 9. The number of infectious disease cases is greatly reduced. 10. Food is correctly prepared and a proper diet follows. 11. Good habits are, established and followed. 12. Hygienic rules are introduced into the homes and followed in later life. 13. Average normal children do not lose as they progress in their school life, but maintain, at least, a normal average physical condition. 14. The parents acquire the same knowledge as regards diet, good habits and hygienic rules as the children do. 15. The children learn how to do the right thing at the right time, for the rest of their lives. 114 It has been repeatedly stated by us that this work must, sooner or later, be extended to include all the pupils of the reg- ular classes. This would insure better physical condition, less sickness, and better scholastic results for the pupils. All members of the Bureau of Child Hygiene whose work has brought them in touch with the open-air classes take this opportunity to express their thanks for the hearty co-operation of the Associate City Superintendent-in-Charge of Special Classes, as well as for that from principals and teachers and the various committees on the preventioji of tuberculosis. 115 BLIND AND SIGHT CONSERVATION CLASSES Frances E. Moscrip, Inspector distribution of classes for the blind During- the year there have been in operation eleven blind classes and twenty-seven sight conservation classes. The classes for the blind were located in the following schools : Manhattan: 54, 110, DeWitt Clinton High School, Wadleigh High School. The Bronx : 16, 45. Brooklyn: 127 (3 classes), 157. Queens : 11 . The Kindergarten conducted in the Sunshine Home for the Blind has been discontinued because of an insufficient number of pupils of Kindergarten age. The class for the blind in Public School 45, The Bronx, was discontinued because of its small registration. In order to accommodate the pupils of the New York Guild Home for the Jewish Blind, a class for the blind was opened in Public School 16, The Bronx. DISTRIBUTION OF SIGHT CONSERVATION CLASSES Centers for sight conservation classes were located in the following schools : Manhattan: 6 (2 classes), 13, 17 (2 classes), 21, 57, 65 (2 classes), 84, 89 102, 103 (2 classes), 119, 160, 166, 188B. The Bronx : 6, 30. Brooklyn: 47, 75, 83, 93, 147G (2 classes). Queens : 11 . The sight conservation class in Public School 13 was dis- continued to make room for the influx of foreign children requir- ing instruction in English. Five hundred and twenty-two pupils with partial vision have been accommodated in these classes. Owing to lack of funds and to inadequate housing facilities, the names of more than five hundred pupils have accumulated on a waiting list of exam- ined candidates for sight conservation classes. 116 FUNCTION OF THE DEPARTMENT The Department for the BHncl not only offers educational opportunity to the bHnd and partly sighted child, but it eliminates a vast amount of educational waste in that it removes pupils from the regular grades, who, because of their inability to receive instruction in the usual way, would become repeaters and disciplinary problems in the classes. Besides the regular aca- demic work, instruction is provided in typewriting and forms of manual, work that will aid in establishing the handicapped child in the social and economic life of the community. NEW SALARY SCHEDULES A big impetus to the work of the department has been af- forded by the special license demanded of the blind and sight conservation teachers with its accompanying higher salary schedule. Better preparation is required of the teachers, con- tented teachers are the rule rather than the exception, and the standards of the whole department have been raised to a higher level. MENTAL SURVEY A survey of the Department was made through the use of the revised Binet-Simon IntelHgence Tests, in order to effect a better classification of pupils, to determine their educational needs and capacities, and to eliminate waste in education. Of four hundred and two cases tested, two hundred and fifteen pupils showed normal intelligence, forty-one superior, and the remainder of varying grades below normal. If the pupils doubly handicapped through serious visual and mental defects are to be kept in the schools, it will be necessary to establish centers of small registra- tion for the worst cases, where suitable training may be given and more intensive individual work conducted. EYE HYGIENE The efficient work of the Eye Clinics conducted by the Depart- ment of Health under the supervision of Dr. Beals has been maintained through-out the year through treatment and refrac- 117 tion. It has been possible to improve the vision of twelve pupils sufficiently to enable them to return to the regular grades for the continuance of their school work. Pupils who, before their entry into the sight conservation classes, were dull and indifferent, have developed into keen and industrious students, oft-times lead- ing the normal pupils of their grades in scholarship. The clinic directions for treatment and for proper use of the eye for study have been carefully carried out by the teachers. RECOMMENDATIONS Among the most pressing needs for the coming year are a visiting teacher, a teacher assigned at large to the Department, a music teacher for the blind, and suitable classrooms to be used by blind and sight conservation classes. The visiting teacher is needed to investigate cases of low vision, to arrange to get children to clinics, to see that prescrip- tions for glasses are filled, to arrange transportation to and from school, to provide necessary guides and secure school and home co-operation to the fullest extent in all cases. To assist me with the supervision of my work, particularly with duties connected with class organization, with assistance to high school students in schools having no special teacher of the 'blind and in preparation and distribution of special supplies and textbooks, a teacher with an understanding of educational policies should be assigned for this purpose. I cannot urge too strongly the assignment of a teacher of music to give piano instruction, practice in reading music and Braille musical notation to the blind pupils of the elementary schools. No educational system for the blind is complete without musical training. No outside organization can supply this need, because there is not time for the instruction after school hours, the facilities are not ample for all and the pupils cannot travel long distances in rush hours to take advantage of instruction which might be available for them. 118 Altogether too large a percentage of my time is consumed in locating rooms for the use of bUnd and sight conservation classes. Many times the only rooms that can be found in this connection are wholly unsuitable for the purpose. For one reason or another — the small size of a room, the lack of ventilation, un- suitable lighting conditions, the sharing of the room with some other activity, many of the rooms now occupied by blind and sight conservation classes offer very unsuitable quarters. 119 SIGHT CONSERVATION S. Josephine Baker, M. D., D. P. H. DIRECTOR, BUREAU OF CHILD HYGIENE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH EYE CLINICS The eye clinics of the Bureau of Child Hygiene of the De- partment of Health of New York City are now nine in number, located, with one exception, in public schools : five in Manhattan, two in Brooklyn, one in The Bronx and one in Queens. They are maintained under the jurisdiction and in accordance with the rules and regulations of the State Board of Charities. Only children whose parents are unable to pay a private physician are accepted for treatment. There exists a system of close co-operation with the school medical inspection work of the Bureau of Child Hygiene to produce : 1. The detection and treatment of all contagious eye diseases among school children. 2. The detection and correction of refractive errors in school children, not already under private treatment. 3. The examination of all candidates for, and the supervision of, the sight conservation and blind classes in the public schools. In response to the recognized harmful effects of refractive errors in the mental development of the growing child, the refrac- tion work of the clinics has increased enormously and the clinics have a highly developed staff of ophthalmologists, expert in the refraction of young children, mentally defective children, and partly-sighted children. In^ the line of experimental research, groups of hundreds of mentally defective children and "habitually left back" children have been refracted, and those with refractive errors have been properly fitted with glasses. These cases have been followed up for months and years, for data on the effects of eye strain upon the child mentally. 120 REFRACTION WORK There are several reasons why these chnics are needed, in addition to the several large public eye dispensaries of the city : 1st: Correct refraction of the young- child is a tedious and tiresome task and in nearly all eye dispensaries the refraction, for this reason, is passed on to the novices or lowest assistants in the clinic and, in some cases, to the optician who has the contract to fill the prescriptions for eyeglasses. Refraction of the very young- child, the backward child and the mentally de- fective child calls for the very highest skill on the part of the oculist and should never be entrusted to the novice or optician. The oculists of the clinics of the Bureau of Child Hygiene are highly trained oculists, with years of ex])erience in refracting these cases. 2nd: It has been impossible to obtain sut^cient facilities in the public eye clinics of the city to handle the great mass of re- fraction work. The sight conservation and blind classes are under the direct supervision and care of the supervising- oculist. All candidates for these classes are examined by an oculist of our clinics and the report sent to the supervising oculist, who makes the final recommendation as to the assignment of the child to a normal or a sight conservation class or to a blind class, and in cases not under private treatment (which include the great majority of these children) he assumes the active treat- ment of the condition of the eyes where any treatment is in- dicated. A vast amount has been acconi,plished by this intensive, systematic work in the sight conservation classes. About 2,000 candidates have been examined. One hundred and ten were recommended for the blind classes, where blind children are taughti the Braille system of finger reading. One thousand two hundred were assigned to the sight conservation classes. Chil- dren in these classes who are not under private treatment, and where such care is indicated for existing eye conditions, are cared for under a co-operative plan between the special teachers of these classes and the supervising oculist of the Bureau of 121 Child Hygiene. In this way it has been possible to accomplish a great amount of improvement in many cases, as by this co- operation the child is kept constantly under observation and treatment, . thus overcoming the great obstacle to the achieve- ment of good results in the treatment of this class of cases at public eye clinics where there is no official connection with the Department of Education. AIM OF SIGHT CONSERVATION WORK The sight conservation work in the public schools aims 1st: To provide conditions under which the "partially- sighted" children may study without injury to the eyes. 2nd: To provide supervision and treatment by an oculist of the Bureau of Child Hygiene of the Department of Health. The equipment of these classes consists of special large print, proper light, raised maps, adjustable desks and individual assistance by the teachers, who prepare all the work in large, easily read copy, which permits the partially sighted child to keep pace with its normal grade, without further loss of vision. Con- stant supervision and treatment are given by the oculists of the Bureau of Child Hygiene of the Department of Health, who examine the eyes of all candidates and assign the children to the blind, sight conservation or normal classes, as indicated. The oculist makes a full diagnosis and prognosis, and outlines the kind and quality of work that may be permitted for each in- dividual child. He also strives to improve the eye condition found, using the indicated treatnnent, either for disease or re- fractive error. Each child suffering from any disease of the eye or from refractive error is instructed to go to its private oculist for treatment, if financially able to do so. In the great majority of cases, however, the children are unable to pay, in which event, if the parents' consent is obtained, the children are treated in the Child Hygiene Special Clinic maintained for these classes. RESULTS NOTICED The oculist care of these classes has been under the direction of the Bureau of Child Hygiene of the Department of Health for 122 about four years, with most .yratifving results in a large number of instances. The hearty co-operation of Miss Moscrip, In- spector of Blind and Sight Conservation Classes for the Depart- ment of Education, and her splendid corps of teachers has been of great assistance. The blind classes continue to teach the Braille system and other usual educational work for the blind. Some highly practical results have been obtained since the Bureau of Child Hygiene took over this work, results that would not have been obtained otherwise. For example, through the combined efforts of principals, teachers, medical inspectors and nurses, a large number of children with vision in the better eye of 20/70 or worse, have been taken to these clinics, and over 900 have been returned to school with practically normal vision, after treatment or refraction. These children had all been through the routine of school medical inspection but, due either to error! in the original vision test, unsuccessful follow-up work or lack of co-operation by principals and teachers, caused in most cases by a lack of thorough understanding of the impor- tance of this work, there had been failure to get these children under proper treatment. Of those admitted to sight conservation classes with vision that could not be improved at once by refraction sufficiently to do normal work, many have been improved by combined treatment and proper use of eyes to such a degree that they have been reassigned to normal classes. All children with a vision in the better eye of 20/70 or worse, are candidates for sight conservation classes. If the oculist cannot improve this vision, the child may be assigned to the sight conservation class. If the vision is improved to better than 20/50, by glasses or treat- ment, the oculist decides if sight conservation work would be beneficial in each case, as in many instances of progressive myopia the vision can be improved with glasses to a greater degree than 20/50 or to even normal vision, 20/20. A final recommendation is given by the oculist in charge of each case as to the extent to which use of the eyes shall be permitted, with full instructions as to glasses, revisits to the oculist, etc.. 123 as by this method only can most children be kept under most favorable conditions. EDUCATIONAL VALUE The educational feature of the work of the eye clinics is becoming more and more prominent, not only with the parents, teachers and children of the sight conservation classes, but with principals and teachers throughout the city. Many principals today have but a very vague idea of what a sight conservation class is, but nearly all are intensely interested and cooperative, after hearing the subject fully explained, with the other very im- portant activities of the eye clinics, especially the subject of the harmful effects of refractive errors on the mentality and school progress of the growing child. CAUSE OF LOSS OF VISION By far the most common cause of loss of vision, as found in children assigned to the sight conservation classes, is progressive myopia. Progressive myopia is a subject with which the general practitioner and the school teacher should be far more familiar than they are now. They should be sufficiently familiar with this subject to be able to explain intelligently to parents and children why the myopic eye needs so much more careful and constant attention than other forms of refractive errors. It is here that the sight conservation class is of inestimable value in cooperating with the oculist in saving these nearsighted children from irreparable injury to their vision. The constant strain of nearsighted eyes can be relieved by wearing glasses, if the glasses are properly fitted, combined with proper use of the eyes, but it is only through the cooperation of family physicians, teachers, social workers and school nurses that parents and chil- dren can be educated up to the point of giving these eyes proper and sufficiently sustained care. The ciHary muscle spasm of myopic eyes in children,, and therefore the necessity for the use of a mydriatic in the proper refraction of these cases, is clearly explained to the parents in non-technical language, and it is thus made clear to them why the child should be taken to an experi- 124 enced oculist and not to an optician, who is not permitted by law, to use a mydriatic, because he is not a physician. The public schools have blind and sight conservation classes sufficient to care for less than one-half of the children found by the sight conservation clinics to be in need of sight conservation teaching. Good results have been secured in the removal of corneal scars by the prolonged application of negative galvanism, in clearing up old trachoma cases, in keeping progressive myopes under constant observation and closely following their sometimes rapidly changing refractive conditions, which are so important in these cases. COOPERATION OF EYE CLINICS AND THE SCHOOLS The system now in operation between the eye clinics and the schools in caring for eye cases without loss of school tim'e to the child and to avoid confusion and overcrowding at the clinics is for the school nurse, principal, teacher, social worker or attendance officer to call up the nearest eye clinic by telephone and make appointment for a certain number of cases on a certain day. It is required that the parent sign a consent card in each case and that the parent or some older person accompany the child, if a mydriatic is to be used. School nurses, attendance officers, social workers, and others, often bring groups of these children to the clinics, saving the parents the loss of time from their work or home duties. HANDICAPPED BY DEFECTIVE VISION In the child of normal mentality, defective vision is a great handicap, as is shown in every large school or group of schools. In a group of 400 "habitually left back" children found in one of our large schools, more than 100 had decided refractive errors. Glasses were prescribed for about 110. 100 of this number pro- cured the glasses and in less than three months, out of this 100, more than 98 of the "habitually left back" children passed the regular school examinations, many skipping classes, and 125 one boy, far behind his grade for his age, skipped five grades on the examination. Of the ten who did not have their prescriptions for glasses filled, only one was promoted. In the same school, we had the walls of a sm'all room nearly covered with test papers showing the startling improvement made in writing, drawing and arithmetic, in remarkably short periods of time,^ by children of all ages, after correction of refractive errors. IMPORTANCE OF PROPER LIGHT Those having control of children of school age should know the importance of proper Hght in the conservation of eyesight, and the harm done by working the growing eye in improper light. The starting of nearsight in a normal eye is undoubtedly very often caused by the eyestrain necessary to read and study in a poor light. The question of light receives but scant consideration in many schools. Many classrooms are lighted very poorly, by gas, on all but the very brightest days, and the study room of one of our high schools, in the auditorium, has practically no daylight. No more favorable setting could be imagined for the develop- ment of myopia, blepharitis, headaches and all that long list of neuroses caused by eyestrain in the growing child. It will be necessary to do a great deal of educational and propaganda work before we shall be able to correct these defects in our schools and guard against repetitions in new buildings. Many of the schools used for night schools are not provided with proper hghting equipment, and the work done in these schools by the pupils, under this poor illumination, is producing the same bad results as in the poorly lighted day schools. SKILLFUL REFRACTION A large part of the good results of the work of the sight conservation clinic is obtained by skillful refraction, which is the proper fitting of glasses. Refraction of the partially-sighted child, the mentally defective, backward, or very young child, requires the highest skill of the experienced oculist and is usually beyond 126 the skill of the oculist of little experience and of the optician. This work calls for the constant use of "skiascopy" or the "shadow test" by which the measurement of refraction of the eye is nuule without any assistance from the child, as in these groups, the child can be of but very doubtful assistance to the oculist. After considerable practice, a high degree of accuracy is obtained by this method of refraction. A great deal of harm may be done to defective eyes by their improper use. and harm may be done to the physical well-being of the child, from the effects of eyestrain in producing reflex nervous symptoms. WORK OF THE BUREAU OF ClllU') IIVGIEXE EVE CLINICS — DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH \'isits to clinics 7*^,2?3 New cases 1*^\639 Refractions 30,128 Prescriptions for glasses 10.021 Medical prescriptions S4.C)68 A PRESSING NEED A pressing need is the dissipation of the firmly tixed im- pression of a large number of parents, principals, and teachers that there is some stigma or disgrace attached to the sight con- servation classes. They seem to have in mind the ungraded classes and the slow progress of the ungraded children. Prin- cipals and teachers should be taught that the purpose of a sight conservation class is to assist partially-sighted children to make the same progress as the normal-sighted child in school work, without injury to their crippled eyes and to relieve tiie regiilar teachers of large classes of the labor of giving the extra help and instruction required by partially-sighted children. Every prin- cipal should be informed of the success attained in this work, as shown by the last examination. A list of children in sight conservation classes who have ilone unusually well — as the twelve-year-old girl of the sight conservation class of P. S. 84 who is graduating at the head of her class, and the ten-year-old bov of the sight conservation class of the same school who is 127 being promt Acd from 2A to 3I> on this last examination as a result of tlie help of the sight conservation classes — should be brought to their attention, that they may in turn instruct parents as to the desirability of sight conservation instruction for the jjartially-sightcd child. We believe that if the rather large number of ungraded children in the sight conservation classes could be cared for in special ungraded sight conservation classes, the partially-sighted children of normal mentality in the sight conservation classes would make a really brilliant showing in school work, surpassing the records of the large classes of normally-sighted children, as a result of the individual help and instruction given by the specially trained sight conservation teachers. A conservative provision for the partially-sighted children would be one sight conservation class to every 10,000 school children registered, as the maximum register of a sight conser- vation class should not be over 20. 128 SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF, P. S. 47, MANHATTAN Carrie W. Kearns, Principal growth and progress On June 27, 1911, this school graduated its first class of six pupils. The school was then but three years old, a little strug- gling school, with big possibilities. A glance at conditions then and now will give an idea of the growth and progress of the school in these ten years and of the present inadequacies of housing. June, 1911 June, 1921 Register 192 326 Number of classes 21 34 Number of teachers 23 34 class teachers 5 trade teachers 1 visiting teacher 1 clerk Kindergartens 1 Assistant to principal .... 1 Vocational work Cooking - sewing Cooking-sewing shop, shop. printing, hand letter- ing, sign painting, brush making, basketry, mil- linery, flower making, fringing, tasseling. Total number of gradu- ates 6 106 Graduates in high school with hearing pupils... 3 now in high school, 3 have been graduated from high school, 1 in his senior year at Ste- vens Technical Col- lege. Children placed in posi- tions Every graduate is placed in a position if he de- sires one. Number of vacant rooms 10 Today we are so crowd- ed that twenty classes are massed in ten rooms all day. No room for new pupils. 129 Nature room. June, 1911 School lunches. (Be- cause these pupils come from all Boroughs, thejr must remain in the building at noon.) Medical service. (Many of these children are weak, especially those who are deaf through illness.) Parents' Association.... Alumni Association. Cup of cocoa served. One doctor. In fine condition, helping in every way. Course of study. In process of planning. June, 1921 A little corner of our yard is kept supplied with nests, flowers and other nature material by the School Nature League. Warm, nutritious lunch served for 7 cents every day. An Aurist for ears, eyes, nose and throat; a doctor for general ex- aminations; a dentist; a nurse in daily at- tendance to carry out instructions. 280 members. Has al- ways been a strong aid. Our parents appreciate the school. This is es- pecially marked when the child of 5 or 6 years of age, who has been "dumb" until he came here, is able to say to the parent, "I love you." A membership of 200 holding monthly meet- ings at the school. One planned and ap- proved by the Board of Superintendents. Now in process of en- tire revision, because of improved methods and results gained. Language principles carefully worked out by grades, "and, under the guidance of the as- 130 Course of studv — Cont'd June. 1"11 In process of planning — Cont'd Juno. VUl sistant to principal, a committee of teachers have published a series of books embodying the language principles for the first three years. These are now used in schools for the deaf throutihout the I'nited States a n d Canada and England. All consonant sounds, except zh and j, all vowel sounds, 80 nouns, 18 verbs, 19 conversational expres- sions. Forty commands, 90 nouns. Three sentences, using simple and conip. subj., pred., obj. and phrase with preposition "to." Nine adjectives. Pronouns : I, he, she, it, we, they, me. Swimming, hiking, Camp Fire Girls' Circle, 100 per cent, membership in Tunior Red Cross. ST.\TISTICS OF THE SCHOOL — jrXE 30. 1921. Register, September, 1920 287 Number of admissions during the year 79 Number of discharges 40 Register, Jime 30, 1921 326, plus 25 hospital children, making final total of 351. Average amount of lan- guage acquired in first year by begin- ners : Speech Most of conso- nant sounds, most of vowel sounds, 20 nouns, 6 verbs. one or two sim- ple expressions. Speech Reading About 20 com- mands, about 40 nouns. Journals None. Adjectives None. Pronouns I, he. she. we, me. Outside activities 131 Age at which deafness occurred : At birth 140 Before 2 years of age 31 Before 5 years of age 92 After 5 years of age 63 AMOUNT OF DEAFNESS Totally deaf 169 Some perception of sound, but not enough to aid instruction. . 61 Partially deaf 96 CAUSES OF DEAFNESS Spinal Meningitis 45 Abscesses 12 Scarlet Fever 17 Catarrh 20 Diphtheria 7 Whooping Cough 5 Convulsions 9 paralysis 6 Typhoid 3 n ■ ^ ,/.,.. ^ Pneumonia 6 Mastoiditis 5 ,^ ^ r, • T- 1 Marasmus 2 Brain Fever 1 Influenza 2 Rheumatism 1 Accidents 5 Unknown 6 Congenital 140 Malformation of ears 1 Measles 30 Prenatal troubles 3 This year there were added to the school twenty-five chil- dren in the Willard Parker Hospital, who are what are known as "permanent tube cases." As an after result of diphtheria, they must breathe artificially through tubes and so must live in the hospital to have constant care. They can speak only in a whisper, so it was thought wise to put them in our care. Four- teen of them are in the Kindergarten and the others in Grades la — 4B. Including these in our register makes our total register 351. PARTIALLY DEAF CHILDREN IN REGULAR SCHOOLS Shortly after Health Day, a notice was sent to all the prin- cipals of elementary day schools by the City Superintendent of Schools, asking that all children discovered to have imperfect hearing be referred to the School for the Deaf for examination and advice. Over 600 were reported. Our aurist is a physician of high standing who out of the goodness of his heart has 132 given us his service ami advice every Thursday afternoon ever since the school started. 13 years ago. One afternoon has not heen sutificient for all these examinations, but 105 have been diagnosed. A report of the examination was sent to the i-jrinci- pal of the school from which the child came with the request that the jvirent be informed. Out of the 105 exaiuinetl, ^7 were recommendeil for admission here because they were (luite deaf. Others were recommended to attend clinics. A noticeable feature of these examinations was the number of children in very poor physical condition. Not only were they jvartially deaf, but they were anemic, undernourished, with bad posture, mikenipt and generally forlorn. The whole child needed building up and that is what we can do in our small school with the help of our gooil doctors and our school nurse supi>lemented by the very faithful and sympathetic attitude of the teachers. MKnUWr. STAFF 1 cannot speak too highly of the work of our medical statT. but the following- report speaks for itself. Dr. ^klcAulitTe. Dr. McCniinness and Dr. Anient give their services. Not onlv do they do this, but they give special attention anil treatment to special cases antl are constantly following up cases to note im- provement. WORK OF THE MKDUAl. STAFF October 2. U~>_'0. to Tune 16, 1^21. Dr. McAuLiFFE Ears^- Number examined 146 Number re-examinations (.one or two) 34 Number found to have nerve deafness 36 Number found to have catarrhal deafness (17 of these oases of intermittent deafness) 102 Number found to be mentally defective 7 Number found with outer ear malformed 1 • Number recommended for this school 51 Number advised to go to clinics AO (Mental defectives sent to Director of Ungraded Classes) Eyes — Number examined 35 Number re-examinations 30 Number children fitted with glasses 20 133 Dr. McGuinness Eyes^ Number examined 300 These were for heart, hmgs, spine, feet, skin, glands, general condition, etc. Number given special examinations and treatments 25 Number of parents interviewed by these two doctors, at least. 50 Dr. Ament (Dentist) Number extractions 48 Number amalgam fillings 68 Number cement fillings 20 Number cleanings 19 Number treatments 4 Number completed cases 20 > Total number completed 159 Miss Lawler (Nurse) Total number times at school 178 (Time means % hour per day and all Thursday afternoons.) Total number' treatments 1,860 This certainly shows a fine record of careful consideration of the physical side of our deaf children and I think our doctors deserve a vote of thanks for their splendid work. Another point came to our attention in examining these children reported from the regular schools. The record cards show that these children have been left back and then in all probability sent on the next term, not because they were fit to go on but because there seemed nothing else to do with them. The consequence is they bring a record card showing they are in a certain grade when in reality they cannot do the work of two or three grades below. They cannot write a straight sen- tence, their language is chaotic. This is not giving a fair opportunity to these children. I would therefore recommend that all children who are unable to go on at the end of two terms in a grade, be examined by the school physicians to discover, if possible, the cause of their failure, and that, in this examina- tion, particular care be taken to test for deafness ; that if, as a result of this examination a child is found to have defective hearing, that child be referred to this school for further investi- 134 g'ation. It is not a kindness to a child to send him on when he is unfit ; something should be done to discover where he belongs and what can be done for him at least by the end of his second school year. This is the age of intelligence tests. Let these children be so tested. PROGRESS IN LANGUAGE WORK Language is the great stumbling block for the deaf child. His language must be slowly and carefully acquired. He gets nothing subconsciously as the hearing child does. He must be taught every word he uses and he must memorize everything. Grammar comes very early in the deaf child's life. It is synthetic teaching, adding a little more each term, until at the end of the fifth school year the child has a grasp of language, from the deaf standpoint, sufficient to give him power of expression. In the later years of the course, these language principles are reviewed carefully from the standpoint of the hearing child and so the child gets a normal whole of the greatest need of the deaf — straight language. Following this method, each year we find classes coming up with a better grasp of language and with a stronger love for reading and for books. One period each week is spent by the older pupils in the public library where they browse over books, drink in the atmosphere and lay foundations for the enjoyment of future hours, many of which are lonely for the deaf. pupils' OFFERINGS TO OTHERS During the year, the following gifts have been made by the children, aided by the teachers : Near East Relief (second gift) $22.55 Deaf Children of Budapest 45.00 Starving Children of Europe 190.15 Irish Relief 36.31 French Restoration Fund 50.00 Salvation Army 34.00 100 per cent Membership in Junior Red Cross 25.00 making a total of $403.01, more than a dollar for every child in the school. 135 OUR ASSOCIATIONS Our Alumni Association has a membership of 200. It meets once a month in the school and it is a pleasure to meet these boys and girls and see how earnest they are and how loyal to their school. They value this opportunity of meeting their teachers and asking advice or telHng of their success in their work. They also like to meet each other for there is a strong bond uniting the deaf. Our Parents' Association has been very active and the meet- ings have been well attended. In order to hold on to the parents whose children have been graduated, an auxiliary committee has been formed of these parents, that they may continue to assist the Association and to aid the school as far as possible. About fifty have joined this committee. It is fine to have the continued support of these splendid people when their immediate interest in the school is past. GRADUATES The February class of graduates numbered seven, all of whom went to work. In June for the first time we had no graduating class because there was no 8B class ; but next February we shall send out our largest class. We have two 8B classes now num- bering nineteen pupils. TRADE WORK With the depression in the trades, we find it more difficult to place our boys and girls, but those who are working are hold- ing their positions and doing well. Once in a while a pupil dis- appoints us, but not very often. VISITORS Visitors have come from Japan, China, South America, Eng- land, and Scotland. They are sure to remark on the intelligent looks of our pupils and their normal bearing. This is indeed gratifying, for we are seeking to make these children as much like their hearing brothers and sisters as possible. 136 OLR HIG NEED For five years every report has spoken of our need of better lionsing. We need a new building ! We have reached our utmost capacity by making each room do the work of two, by cutting off play space and space for physical training to form some sort of classrooms. No child could run in this building, for there isn't space enough to run nor to play. There must soon be a waiting list of little children who want to come here, who ougiit to have an education, but wbo catmot be accommodated. It seems incredible that New York City cannot meet its obliga- tions to these little ones. 137 HELPLESS CRIPPLES Andrew W. Edson, Associate Superintendent In order to give a glimpse of the work of teachers with helpless cripples at their homes, a few instances are herewith cited: L "A child unable to read or write when I commenced this work in November, 1919, made remarkable progress. Near the close of the term (June, 1921) he reproduced in a very legible hand the story of the Cricket, as follows : "*A little boy went to the baker's shop to buy a loaf of bread. He was a very poor boy. " 'The baker's wife gave it to him and told him to run home, but the boy with the big loaf heard the crickets singing. "Queep, queep, queep," they said. The little boy asked the baker's wife to give him a cricket for good luck. " ' "Father is dead and mother works very hard." " *A man who was near took some money from his pocket and sent it to the boy's mother. A large boy took it to her. When this poor boy saw his mother she looked happy and he thought that the crickets brought good luck to his home.' " 2. "A lad of nine years was born with spastic paralysis. He attended school a considerable length of time, but his inability to learn to write and to grasp knowledge increased the weight of his parents' heavy burden. All school instruction was futile and Harry's mentality was recorded as retarded. When I was finally assigned as Harry's home teacher I found him unable to hold a pencil and all methods to teach him were fruitlessly employed. Observing the child's interests, I one day decided upon the appli- cation of the play spirit. Harry's affliction of spastic paralysis and his general physical inabilities were then forgotten, the inner desire to learn having been awakened manifested itself in his sudden ability to hold a pencil. The figure one, representing the soldier, in whom Harry took so much interest, was well formed, considering that it was the first written stroke. It is useless to speak except for the mentioning of a few instances of the com- mendable progress following the revelation of the power to hold a pencil. Until about two months ago Harry's figure two was always made poorly. Calling his attention to the incompleteness 138 by s;i\iliL; lie (Hliitti'd llu' IumiI, he iic\ri iiri4K'iic\\H- li.iil 110 siciii. Xow when loniiiiij; iiiiiiil)i-i six lie Iclls llic we iiiiisl makr miiuhci' six willi a loiii; stem, (it he I w im' papa will Inn 11 I lis Iiiil;i'i s w lu'ii lu- siiiokrs his pipe. Mails has iKil \ I'l (li'M'Idprd iiiiu-|i st'iise ol sNiiiiiU'l r\ and is iiu'hiu'd It) I nil li^urcs and K'ttfis inid carh nlhci. (allium; his altfiitidii to ihi'Sf collisions lu\ too, now nsis ihc term. Icllinj;' mo ol people and antoinohilcs cnllidiiiL;. ( oiisideriiiL; this bi'oadiT applieation oi knowledge, llarr\'s nieiilali(\ is not aluiornKilh' below pai . as il was loiineih thdii^hl. Ihc iliild sinipl\ needed individual c:\\\\ Mis paicnls an- oxcijoNcd at his abilil\ to read and wiile nninbcrs to and bcNond one hnndii'd, his ability to eoniit b\ J's to JO. .S's to 1(H), lO's to 100, .ind his al>ilil\ to ivad and oralis lepi odiice sloi ics lionia piiiiUT. Allhoiii^b llari"v has loarni'd lo U'L;ibl\ wiitc his name and a lew simpU' w ortls as at, oat, lat. eti'.. U-tti'i loiin.iiion still nei-ds nnuh praetieo and instruc- tion. " riie Ioiclioihl; pioL;iess look pl.ui' in less than one sehool (eiin, the child having been taiii^lil but three times per week. W ben school tiiminated lor llu> si'ason ll.iris expi I'ssed bis foi^ret b\ sa\ iiiL; he w.mt-- to Kmiii 11101 c how lo read and w 1 iU'. " rinis wilhont the pieseiit exisliiiL; home iiistinelion braueb ol ediuation, llu' child e\idenll\ could not liasi' the indixidnal opportninis to Kmiii and so lu'eome a iiselnl eiti/en." .V "( )ne pnpil who has made rapid pio^ress is . He has bei'ii t.in^hl b\ a visitiiiL; le.icher siiue \W)Vombor, U)U). In that (ime he has coinpleteil llu' nninbei work tbrou^b the .v\ i;i"ade. "He reads aiul enjoys sneb books as "Stories (.'bildun Need.' by Carolyn Sberwin l^ailex , and is able lo reprodnee those stories. .\l(ei' lames eiMumeneed to en|o\ the readiiii.;, bis nu^ther re- in. ukeil tli.it he w .IS the h.ippiest bos in The Hronx. "A pleasant liMlnic ol the ssoik is the L;r.itilndc and .ippreeia- (ion slioss n bs the p.ircnf s.'" 139 4. "''Jnc case in particular, a victim of infantile paralysis, age fourteen, confined to her IjcH for the past five years, not able to lift her head from the pillow, has accomplished wonderful results under my instruction in the nmkinj^ of. ribbon and organdie flowers and novelties, for which she has been well i^aid, enabling her to have comforts which she could not affor'l otherwise," 5. "Another pupil, aj:^e fifteen, whom J volmitwrfd to teach trade millinery Con the verge of melancholia;. I fonn'l her spe- cially adapted for this work. The work improved her entire mental condition, happy in the thought of being able to contribute to her own support and having a trade that will serve her in the future." "A iiKjihcr recently wrote me as follows: " 'My dear Mr. Edson : "'As I counted my blessings today it occurred to nit to write and tell you of the one which has brought the mo.st peace and happiness into my home during the past few months. "'My daughter, eleven years old, has epilepsy. .She is an <;xcep- tionally bright and ambitious child, but had been forbidden all study by numerous doctors. " "Ihe child brooded, became discontented and melancholy, until our home, which has been a very happy one, became one of gloom and despair, " 'Now, I believe it was fate paving the way for Mrs. to come here. She has been coming the past three months, and the change is most remarkable. Due to her methods, the child can take her full les.son and is progressing beautifully. She has made her 3A, is now finishing the 3B, and the teacher expects her soon to study the 4A work. " 'Best of all, there are absolutely no ill effects, unquestionably due to the teacher's way and manner of handling the child, and so I watit to give thanks where thanks is due, to Mrs. .-mrl the I i o u •^ .■^^1 < ON w Q % o n (J hJ CO p o o »— . Q s 2: tS ;z; ?^ rt t— 1 ««! (/) H H hJ U PU H S p Z CO w O W O o <3 CO h-5 CO ^o •-§ fe < o o ^ Q W P^ o u< * * ;z: u 0) < "" (/I p ca 2 U W 13 o NO c &^ .5 2 •+-< *w TI? t/ ^^ ft -S o «^- ^ a. "5 b ca ^3 rt 2 ■g ay-S - 0) 0) in w 03 C 13 I— i a o o CJ - d C *^ a^ dj 'd'^ r! T7- r^ •1 /• j ^ o o •+-I •^-< o o u 4; 1) 1; p^J?^: "3 of u Q u n c a o-v ^ 2 iS ■^ S3 b« 7^ 0) >. in.i •;3 .a H 4-. !^. I T-) '-Jj "! si !2 3 a b.£P t2 CQ o c 1-3 ^^ n bo 147 INDUSTRIAL AND PLACEMENT WORK FOR PHYS- ICALLY HANDICAPPED CHILDREN Caroline G. Ronzone, Inspector statistics The following report embraces the present activities, general purposes, the progress made, placement work, and the most pressing needs for the future development of the industrial and placement work for physically handicapped children. The number of physically handicapped children in the Ele- mentary Schools are: Open Sight Cardi- Hosp. Air or Deaf Crippled Blind Con. T. B. acs Classes Anem. Manhattan .... 426 1,240 51 253 340 354 105 1,710 Bronx 268 14 ... 35 25 ... 220 Brooklyn 779 30 82 90 72 ... 981 Queens 114 9 16 89 238 Richmond 106 50 426 2,401 104 351 660 451 105 3,199 Total — 7,697 physically handicapped children. At present 2,401 cripples and 426 deaf are receiving instruc- tion in industrial work. GENERAL PURPOSES Probably in no line of teaching activity is there more serious call for industrial training than in our special classes. The need for industrial training in these classes is influenced by the change in the industrial conditions, and education must meet the change. The time when the boy was apprenticed has died out. The em- ployer can no longer afford to keep an employee unless he is a producing unit; his earning capacity must be beyond his salary. The journeyman's attitude is not favorable toward the apprentice. There are many obstacles placed in the boy's way, compelling the apprentice to follow these conditions for three years. The manipulation of certain tools is restricted to a certain few. The attitude of the journeyman is predicated in the thought 148 of self defense. He feels there is a certain amount of work to be done in the neighborhood and the extra help will deprive him of it. The boy's physical defect is a great hindrance. There is no charity in business and as the crippled boy cannot run errands and move rapidly about the shop, he has no opportunity of learn- ing the necessary processes to a trade. A crippled boy faces a much more serious situation than a girl. Girls have ten chances for light and seated work to one for boys. He must either possess skill in a trade or physical strength for heavy unskilled work. To a large percentage of these physically handicapped boys who each year reach the legal working age, the call to enter industry comes with a strong appeal. Work is the only thing in some of their lives. They cannot enjoy the same privileges as the normal boys. Heads in charge of girls are more in favor of apprentices. There are more trades open to girls than to boys owing to the fact that the processes employed in girls' trades require sitting- positions. The vocational education planned for the special classes of physically handicapped children can meet this condition by taking the place of, and improving upon the former system of apprentice- ship. The trade training for physically handicapped children in the elementary schools aims to train these children for useful em- ployment in the trades, covering the appenticeship of the trades they may enter. The work planned has an educational, trade, and physical value. EDUCATIONAL VALUE In grades lA to 3B, the value of industrial work is along edu- cational and physical lines entirely. The work as a trade is not thought of at all but the educational and physical benefits derived from the first three years of training so fit the child that in 4A he begins his actual trade study. 149 In the lower grades, educationally, the work is correlated with his other studies ; his nature, drawing, English, and arith- metic work. He moves from the known to the related unknown. In nature work, for instance, he moves from the tomato as a food through the successive steps of construction until in 4A he arrives at the tomato as a dinner favor. In English his vocabulary enlarges through his introduction to different trade terms employed. In arithmetic he learns values and a sense of judgment. In lettering and drawing he receives a training in exactness and neatness. Physically, the child's hands are always being strengthened by the training in the vocational work he is receiving so that by 4A he has better muscular control to execute the necessary proc- esses in the trade work. The industrial work in the lower grades contributes to the setting of moral standards of the youth; the cultivation of self- reliance ; the spirit of initiative ; the formation of habits of neat- ness, cleanliness, deliberation, exactness, and good judgment which are necessary benefits to be developed to prepare him for trade work in the upper grades. TRADE VALUE As the greater percentage of the special children must rely upon industrial work for their future existence, much will depend upon how he is prepared for industry, and the extent to which our schools prepare the boy for industry will in many cases mark the degree of their influence in shaping him for life in a democracy. All specialization is most intelligent and appropriate if it has been preceded by a program of training in different operations. With this idea in mind the industrial work is kept closely allied to the fundamentals of the trades the children anticipate entering. 150 The habits developed in the elementary work of making fruits, vegetables, flowers, etc., develop to a trade value later inasmuch as these habits are really trade processes in the following traces : Cotillion Favors, Dinner Favors. French and Satin Flowers, used in millinery. Needlework, relating to silk novelties. Millinery, which includes all processes from the making of the frame to the finished product and the renovation of old hats. Beading, Fringing, Tassel Making. This course correlates with the sewing department. A girl who can sew and also make these acces- sories to a dress is a valuable acquisition in a work room. Lettering, Glass Sign Painting. This embraces the formation of differ- ent type letters, as full block, half block, spur block, which are all built according to different ratios by the aid of mechanical instru- ments (T square, angle), and leads to the detail work in an archi- tect's and designer's office and to ornamental glass sign painting. Later the scale of these letters is lowered by the eye and gold leaf and other mediums are used to decorate them. This course corre- lates with printing and shop work. Modeling, which leads to chandelier decorations and plaster decoration. The process of modeling is also used in strengthening the muscu- lar control in paralyzed hands. Typewriting, Calculating Machine and Telegraphy. This work corre- lates with the academic branches and is given to boys and girls who do not care for hand industrial work. Weaving, Basketry, Brushes, Chair Caning. This type of work should be set apart for the blind, mentally defective and those so badly handicapped that this is all they can do. The best trades are now open to the deaf, crippled and other handicapped children offering training and a splendid future. Pottery, Modeling, Tassel Making, French Flowers and Fringing can also be done by the children with poor sight. Knitting and Crocheting Problems for Bed Cases. Sewing machine operating, electrical foot control and electrical knee control for children with poor muscular control. Physical Value. The boy with paralyzed hands should be given some kind of work to develop better muscular control. The girl with poor sight must not sew. Pasting problems, weaving, etc., will bet- ter suit her condition. The teacher must study each child individu- ally, discover its special talent and physical defect, find the occupa- tional possibilities in the trades and then educate the child. This will make the work more pleasureable to the child and thus arousing his 151 interest, will stimulate him to reach higher ideals of skill and knowl- edge of the work in hand. This course of procedure will save many from being industrial misfits. Teachers' Training Classes. Since the problem of preparation deals with an endless variety of student abilities and tendencies and physical defects, it is evident that individual instruction is neces- sary. The teacher must do the most she can to prepare everyone of these children to play the largest part possible in the life of the community. The teacher in charge must be prepared to enter into her work with the greatest enthusiasm. She is not fit for the posi- tion if she does not bring herself down to the level of the class. She must have a thorough knowledge of many trades, must be ingenious in her method of presentation and must create ingenious devices to meet the physical defect of the child. Cripples Brooklyn : Manhattan ; P. S. 165 P. S .161 " 18 i( 75 (Annex Rhinelander " 84 ., 6 School) Ungraded : „ 69 Manhattan : « 68 P. S. 104 " 41 " 15 " 70 " 3 Bronx: Brooklyn: P. S. 40 P. S. 158 " 15 BHnd, Sight Conservation : " 162 Manhattan : "■ 168 P. S. 110 " 150 " 17 " 46 " 119 " 107 " 103 " 30 " 102 " 34 " 107 " 35 Brooklyn : Visiting teachers, 2 P. S. 157 \nemic i " 65 Manhattan : Tuberculous : P.S. 34 Manhattan : " 90 P. S. 151 " 135 " 52 (Home of Re; 152 Cardiac : Manhattan : P.S. 34 Cripples : Hospital Classes : Delinquents : Manhattan : P. S. 120 r^Iontifiore Home. Long Island City College Hospital. Preparing for Special Classes : Manhattan : Bellevue Hospital. P. S. 14 Annex. P. S. 104 Laura Franklin Hospital. •' 151 " 103 St. Giles Hospital. " 170 Kings County Hospital. " 57 City Hospital. " 17 " 96 Brooklyn : P. S. 165 " 20 Fordham Hospital, P. S. 32 Annex. Blythedale Home. P. S. 192 Annex. " 84 P. S. 32 Annex. Bronxdale. PROGRESS MADE IN INDUSTRIAL TRAINING The work of educating the handicapped child for the trades was first begun in New York City at the School for the Deaf. In the beginning, it seemed a hopeless task, but with the loyal cooperation of heads of the educational department, representa- tive business men and medical specialists, these children have won their fight for independence and have victoriously entered the ranks of the industrial world. Where there are five or more special classes, a special indus- trial room has been advised with one teacher in charge of the work. This plan has been very successful at Public Schools 47. 69, 75. ^lanhattan, and Public Schools 34 and 162, Brooklyn. In view of the fact that it is impossible to reach the 7,697 handicapped children for the purpose of personal supervision, the teachers in charge of classes of deaf, cripple, blind, sight con- servation, anemic, cardiac, home cripples, tuberculous, hospital classes and ungraded, have been attending weekly conferences from 3 to 5 P. m. at the office of the inspector at Public School 30, 230 East 88th Street, receiving instruction in trade work. 153 to meet their special problem, thus carrying it back to the class room. PLACEMENT WORK Placement work is steadily growing-. The demand for the deaf as workers in the trades is greater than the supply and sta- tistics show that it is a rare case for one to make a change of position within the year. This is very encouraging and the trades people now have great confidence in employing the handicapped. A reference from the school for the deaf stands for efficiency. There were eight graduates in February, 1921, all of whom entered the trades. Investigation shows that all graduates of this and former years are employed and earning good salaries, minimum eight dollars and maximum, thirty dollars per week. FOLLOW-UP SYSTEM An Alumni Association for physically handicapped children which meets once a month was instituted during the school year. A very large percentage of the graduates responded. The teachers who took charge demonstrated not only the need but desire for the association. The meetings afforded an opportunity for the students to meet their fellow graduates, to discuss their positions and to enjoy an entertainment provided by their com- mittee. The mental stimulation of the social side is not to be underestimated, especially for the retiring natures of most of the handicapped. These meetings also prove to be a great adjunct to the follow- up system of the graduates, giving opportunity to advise those who wish positions in the trades. At present there are eighty- seven members, all past graduates of the elementary schools. The Brooklyn graduates emulating the example of their friends in Manhattan, have also started an Alumni Association. There are sixty-five members, making a total of 152 members. Soon, through the cooperation of business men and friends, we hope to open club houses in Xew York and Brooklyn. These 154 houses will also be used to i^ivc cniploynicMit to those so haudi- cai)|)C(l that employment cannot he found in the trades. Investit^ation shows that there are many children who will he made self-supporting by transporting them to this centre daily. PRESSING NEEDS Adjustment of Time Schedule: An adjustment should be made in the time schedule so as to give more time for hand work, for as it now stands, the major ])art is given to the academic subjects. This adjustment is neces- sary in order to meet the needs of the boys and girls entering the trades at the early age of fifteen and sixteen. It would be a good plan to give the children entering the trades six months of intensive training in their special trade be- fore graduation. For those who are preparing for office work, telegraphy, typewriting, machine calculating, filing, etc., it would be well to give extra work in academic training. 155 SPEECH IMPROVEMENT Frederick Martin, Director During the year 1920-21, the Department of Speech Im- provement has had twenty-six special teachers devoting their entire time to the correction of acute defects and a general im- provement in the speech of children. An analysis of the following report of the work of these teachers, during the past year, will give a more comprehensive idea of the enormous task of the department : COMPOSITE REPORT REPORT, SEPTEMBER, 1920— JUNE, 192 1 Name Number Treated Cor- rected Great Improve- ment Slight Improve- ment No Improve- ment Dis- charged from School Stammering and Stuttering Lisping 2,971 4,262 458 780 72 46 99 2 67 1,215 2,185 182 359 26 12 48 1 29 1,313 1,367 188 265 18 24 31 20 187 322 39 81 12 8 11 1 9 19 23 7 17 2 237 371 Lallation 42 Acute Defective Phonation Foreign Accent .... Acute Nasality .... Aphonia 58 16 2 7 Deaf Other Defects 9 Total 8,757 4,057 3,226 670 68 742 STAMMERING-STUTTERING This title includes those cases where the pupils have a marked, halting utterance, characterized either by the inability to articu- late sounds or by an unnecessary repetition of sounds, words or phrases. In response to a questionnaire, sent out last year*by the City Superintendent, the principals of our elementary schools reported 15(1 (UiT (),(H)0 rases of stamiiirriiii; in llic j^radcs. wliicli wore so aoulo as to mark tlu- suflcrcrs from ihcir fellow classmates. riu' iWiroau of Attoiutai\ce has also reported many eases of eluoiiie tinane\' as directly attrihutable to this defect in si>eech. There has heen no estimati' made i^\ the numher of stannnerers in onr secondar\' schools. The leport id' the teachers i)\ speech improvement indicates that onl\ 2}^7\ of tlie children sniTciiiiL; from this defect, have received correctii>n. According;- to the report o\ principals, there were 3,(XH) or more stammerers in onr schools receiving;" no alti'iition from the department. A lari;e percentage ot these cases will graduate anil enter either the secondary schools or the hnsiness world, serionsly hamlicapped mentally and i^hysically. Tins is attested h\ the hnndrcils of cases appl\ in;.:' for treatment at our clinics, because of their inability to seciu'c comix'tent posi- tii>ns or to progress in high school, due to serious speech impedi- ments. LISPING The cases under correction for this were children w ho mani- fested an acute detect in the production oi sibilant sounds. Three thousand and ninet\ two were due to lingual sluggishness, continued by habit, ami 1,17() were attributable to dental mal- occlusion, hypertrojihied tonsils, tongue-tied coiuiitions or to some other organic defect, which, combined with habit, had heightened the degree o\ the impediment. Ibis t\pe o\ defect re(|nires untold. iiuli\idual attention and follow up witik on tlu" part oi the speech teacher in i>rder that the pi'oper dental or surgical attentiiMi be gi\en betore the reeiln- caiion o( the child in speech begins, haghteen tlunisand children in onr schools have been reported as acute lispers. Man\ ol these cases could be corrected by the regular grade teachers if properly instructed in the method oi procedure, but fully 50 per cent, neeil the attention oi a speech specialist. L.\l.I..\TION 'rih> is an acute lack oi coordinatii>n of the lingual nuiseles, not nnciMnmon in the speech oi the mentallx' detective. Wiw 157 work has slujwn llu- (■fficacy of "rcs])oiisc work" uii'l toiij^itc f^ym- nastics, when apph'cfl to this type of iiii]j(;'hii)eiit. (Note Speech Units at the Li. S. Hasc Hospitals.) The report indicates that 1X2 or 39 per cent, oi the cases treated were entirely correcterk and 1H8 or 41 per cent, showed a marked improvement. If this w(-re all that the flepartment had accomplished, during/ the year, it were wfjrth the expense involved hecause of the economic and social value. ICach case requires the individual, untirinj^ effort of a competent teacher of speech in order to effect a reeducation of the central nervous system (jf the sufferer. There are several thousand of these cases in the schools receiving lillle or ikj constructive assistance. ACII'J'I'; OKFKC'I IVI-: I'llONA'nON Under this heading- are tlujse cases, only, where the articula- tion of sounds fthrouj^h hahit) is so defective as to make the child's speech uninfle. The majority of cases of defective phr;nation can and shoidd he correcterl hy the regular ^rade tcsicher. Seven hunrlred eij^^hty cases were referred to (Air speech teachers for correction this year, as the princijjnl fjr j^rade teacher considered that the chiklren needed special attention. This is due to the fact that, in the majority of cases, the child appeared to have some organic defect, when the slovenly articulation was merely due to habit, the result of environnuMit, ^.(eneratin;^- false concepts of the elements of the spoken word, FOKKIGN ACCKNT 7'hc problem of foreij^n accent is one which must be solved by the grade teacher, if we hope to cope with this ever-increasing menace to our ICnglish tongue, in the city schools. The syllabus on Foreign Accent, published by the Boanl of Superintendents, has proven of great assistance to the classroom teacher in her work. It has been necessary, however, for the special teacher of speech improvement to properly institute this work by giving model lessons and conferences. The seventy-two cases under treatment by sjjecial teachers of speech improvement were deemed especially difficult and were taken upf;n tlie request of ];rincip;ils or superintendents. 158 ACUTE NASALITY This indicates those cases where there is a marked omission of sound through the nose, when speaking. This defect is commonly caused by a cleft palate or certain types of hypertrophied tonsils. Few operations upon the palate are successful, from the stand- point of speech, without the follow-up work given by the special teacher of speech improvement. The daily application of tongue, palatal and vocal gymnastics will often give to the child a normal speech. There are about two hundred of these cases in our schools, receiving no definite treatment. APHONIA In the cases of aphonia, or loss of voice, corrected by special teachers of this department, there is a lack of physical develop- ment of the vocal organs. It is not uncommon to find, in the classroom, children whose voices are poor, but who only need a daily drill in vocal gymnastics and continued correction by the grade teacher to bring their speech up to the normal. How- ever, there are many children, between the ages of six and nine, who, upon their return to school after debilitating fevers, need the special training of a speech teacher in order that the organs of voice production may not be permanently injured. Ninety- nine such cases attended our special classes, last year, with excel- lent results. There have been several hundred neglected, how- ever, who may carry their low (often gutteral) whispered voices through life, unless given special treatment at some speech clinic. THE DEAF The two cases of deafness treated were children who had not completely lost their hearing and had never properly developed speech. In neither case was there any impairment of the periph- eral organs of hearing. The cortical training given for the development of the speech areas entirely developed the auditory centres in one child, so that hearing became normal, and, in the case of the other (still under treatment) caused a perceptible improvement. 159 UNCLASSIFIED DEFECTS The unclassified defects include chronic nasal twang, burring, monotone, guttural and high-pitched voices. ADVANCEMENT AND NEED The greatest advancement made in speech work for the year has been the installation of a teacher in the New York Training School for Teachers, who will train the future graduates of that institution in methods to be employed for the prevention and correction of speech defects. If the grade teacher is given a comprehensive knowledge of the subject, she can do much in eliminating the minor types of speech defects in the classroom and in preventing the generation of more acute ones. A new syllabus on Speech Improvement will be issued shortly as a guide to the grade teacher. This will not only give graded lessons to be employed generically throughout the system, but will afford a definite time in the curriculum for a study of speech per se. The most urgent need of this department is a central school, in each borough, where acute cases of stammering, lalling and cognate defects may be isolated and receive all their instruction from teachers who have had a scientific training in the subject, as is done with the deaf. 160 NEW YORK PARENTAL AND BROOKLYN TRUANT SCHOOLS John S. Fitzpatrick, Principal statistics — parental school Number of boys in institution at last report (include in this item any boys who escaped or are allowed to go home temporarily to (June 30, attend a funeral of a relative) 228 1920) Number of boys committed by Director, Bu- reau of Attendance 217 Number of boys committed by Court 20 Number of boys returned on broken parole..* 120 Number of boys transferred from N. Y. C. P. . 6 Number of boys transferred from Manhattan T. S ' 39 Number of boys transferred from Brooklyn T. S \. 66 Number of boys returned from hospital 22 Total — 718 Number of boys paroled 336 Number of boys discharged (commitments expired) 64 Number of boys transferred to Hospital 51 Number of boys transferred to N. Y. C. P.. . . 1 Number of boys transferred to M. T. S 2 Number of boys transferred to B. T. S 48 Total 502 Number of boys in institution at date 216 *Includes broken paroles from Manhattan, Brooklyn and Protectory. BROOKLYN TRUANT SCHOOL Year ending July 1, 1921 Number of boys in institution at last report (July 1, 1920) 115 Number of boys committed by Director, Bu- reau of Attendance 189 161 12; W W a o K o o f^ o pq O O u m < W < O 162 Number of boys committed by Court ; 18 Number of boys returned on broken parole. . 89 Number of boys transferred from N. Y. C. P., Manhattan T. S., N. Y. P. S. (all truant schools) 70 Number of boys returned from hospital 2 Total 483 Number of boys paroled 248 Number of boys discharged (commitments ex- pired) 22 Number of boys transferred to Hospital 6 Number of boys transferred to N. Y. C. P.. . . 16 Number of boys transferred to N. Y. P. S.. . . 66 Total 358 Number of boys in institution at date 125 LOCATION AND BUILDINGS The New York Parental School is in Flushing, Borough of Queens, on a farm of 107 acr£S. There are five buildings, the administration or school, three double cottages and the power- house. Two quadruplicate cottages, an infirmary and other necessary buildings to accommodate 300 more boys are planned to be erected during 1921-22. The planned increase plus the present capacity, 216, will mean a register of 516. SUPERVISORS, TEACHERS AND EMPLOYEES The supervising and teaching stafif of the school consists of a principal, assistant principal, teacher-clerk, five class teachers and special teachers of drav^nng, music, physical training, printing, woodworking and carpentry. Each of the six cottages, in which thirty-six boys live, is in charge of a master and a matron (husband and wife). The masters, from 9 a. u. to 4 p. m., week days, are assistants and instructors, as follows : Storeroom keeper, tailor, plumber, assis- tant printer, bandmaster, shoemaker, nurse, and farmer. The matrons are in charge of the housekeeping of the cottages and act as cottage mother to the boys. 163 164 Regularly employed are six farmers and drivers, two cooks, one laundryman and two assistants, a baker, and a night watch- man. COMMITMENTS, PAROLES AND DISCHARGES In compliance with the compulsory educational laws, boys are committed to the Parental School by the Director of the Bureau of Attendance for truancy or incorrigibility with the consent of the parents. Boys of parents unwilling to give con- sent are committed by the Children's Court. Boys of twelve years of age or over and in the 5A grade or higher are sent to the Parental School. Each year over 400 boys attend the school for an average of seven months. During the year 1920-21, 490 boys were com- mitted. The Director of the Bureau of Attendance has the sole power of parole. Most paroles are made on the recommendation of the Parole Board, which board consists of the District Superin- tendent, District 46, the Principal of the Parental School, and the Chief Attendance Officer. The Parole Board meets at the Parental School the second and fourth Thursdays of each month. Paroles are determined on the following : School attendance, age, grade, conduct, character, and home conditions. Boys are dis- charged when sixteen years of age, and on the expiration of the two years' commitment. INDUSTRIAL ASSIGNMENTS Each boy is assigned to industrial work by the principal. The assignments are determined by the age of the boy, size, health, ability and taste. After sufficient trial, a boy found either by himself or his instructor to be unfitted for the original assignment is transferred to a more favorable assignment. AIM The primary aim of the school is to fit the boys to return home, live according to law and order, attend school or obtain steady employment. 165 To accomplish these functions of life, boys must learn habits of punctuality, application, industry, politeness, fair play, obedi- ence, and developed will power, which result in the desire to do right and to win the approbation of worth-while people. METHODS The boys live in a small, well-regulated community in which they receive and contribute. Each boy must do his part cheerfully for the general welfare of the community, the School. His physical, moral, and mental deficiencies are studied, his defects learned, and curative remedies are given. The moral and ethical teaching is done by examples furnished by the staff and by the boys who have been in the school several months. During the past year emphasis has been placed on 1. Individual classroom instruction. 2. Individual progress and promotion. 3. Use of the honor system. 4. Lack of suppressive discipline. 5. Music. 6. Improvement of physical condition means of a. Medical inspection by Physician and nurse. b. Physical training through Free play, organized games, formal gymnastics, athletics, shower baths twice daily. 7. School spirit, RESULTS The results obtained from these methods are gratifying. The classroom work has been improved and the boys have manifested a greater interest in the work. The classroom and the cottage honor rolls are read by the principal each week at assembly. A boy to be on the classroom honor roll must have "A" in conduct and "B-|-" in work. To be on the cottage honor roll a boy must have "A" in conduct 166 and "A" in service. The honor boys stand during the reading of the rolls and the exceptional individuals are complimented. The conduct of the boys has been excellent. We have en- deavored to use a minimum of restraint. The boys are requested to live the lives of good citizens in a well-organized community under careful and, as far as possible, passive supervision. The good citizenship developed at the school should be easily trans- ferred to the good citizenship necessary in the State. The boys have responded to our liberality and have justified our confidence in them. Music plays an important part in the life at the school. The boys like music, and most of them sing well. The assembly singing is excellent. Two bands are trained during the year, and seventy or more boys receive expert instructions in playing a band instrument. Music is furnished by the band for military drill, flag salute, and entertainments. The band of this year was the best we have had for several years. Last year, and again this year, the Parental School Band played at the Commencement Exercises at Princeton University. Every new boy is given a careful physical examination by the resident nurse and the visiting physician. Clinics are conducted by the nurse daily and by the visiting physician twice a week. When it becomes necessary, boys are sent to the local hospitals. Once a month all the boys are examined by the physician, assisted by the nurse and the teacher of physical training. Careful rec- ords are kept of all examinations and treatments. B.elieving in the mental and physical value of physical train- ing, we have given extra attention to this class of work. The boys play more and better. During the past year four of the six cottages have won the silver cup awarded each month for the all- around championship in athletics. One of the other two cottages finished second six times. The Parental Baseball Team played thirteen games with the twelve best teams in the Queens P. S. A. L. Parental won twelve games and tied one. Our team de- feated the champions of Queens, P. S. 71, by a score of 7-4. 167 168 Before much can be clone for a boy in the school he must be content and happy. He must be made to realize that he is among friends, that he must remain at the school for several months, and that he must work for his own good and for the good of the school. He is informed that it behooves him to "fit in" and to get all the good he can during his stay. He sees the older boys happy and well treated. Soon his own initiative develops a willing worker. The boys give their best for the welfare of the school. In many ways they show their appreciation of what the school is doing for them. GRADUATION Each term the school has had a class complete the course and graduate. Twenty-six boys were graduated in January, 1921. Eighteen boys were graduated in June, 1921. WORK DONE AND SUPPLIES FURNISHED The following work is done and supplies produced at the Parental School : Laundry, bread, farm products and cartage for the Man- hattan and Brooklyn Truant Schools. Printing, towels and cartage for the Board of Education. SHOP PRODUCTION Laundry $25,384.31 Bakery ' 17,967.52 Print-shop 5,694.75 Farm 9,241.24 169 DISTRIBUTION OF PUPILS AT BROOKLYN TRUANT SCHOOL, JUNE 30, 1921 lob-lW bfl-5 •5£- ■S!\ - ■4B -ZS n 1 ^f\- ■3B - 3^- 2. 1 Vb -q U -7 TVh^lT^e^.sfe'- J)rll| ■Itb DISTRIBUTIONS VARY SLIGHTLY FROM DAY TO DAY 170 mSTRlBUTlON OF I'Umi.S AT THK NKW YOKK PAKENTAI. SCHOOL. >[AV 30, 1921 al o &3es — "7 9 11 66 fcfl o'a tib P^j/^a/ 7>''»iT'»y l?«^^*^e^ c?r. d> y.rK.w, ^,^ /O--^ >1 /t d f s/-r/ej _ /J 5» eiKtri a..* clf\ltrLr-n J..^ sr'rc jL.f.^ «!/».««, i«—J'< «•-*«<■'»•"■ '^'^''oe Ht*->l »-l"- 'f/"' nts. 93 9f{ C- / a» ag^ — /3 ^. 7/? //7d Vitr.e-^- bH 1 ^/6 (^rler, Sttre H'"^ Jtmth' Uwi'H plmmktr FhnJir ji,l,'- Offii 'j la^— J A*. J "—^ 7 /^ 7 — /'- THE DISTRIBI'TIDN OF rVl'H-S VARIES SLIGHTV FROM DAY TO HAY 171 SCHOOL DAY AT THE NEW YOKK PARENTAL SCHOOL Saturdays : No School. Five hours of industrial assignments and two hours extra for recreation Sundays: One hour for religious instruction. Reading and quiet recreation 172 UKOOKI.NN TRUANT SclUH)!. riu" r>r(H)kl\n rruanl School, an annex of tlio Now \ovk ratciital Si-liool. is loi-atod at I'aitu-Kl Slrcot and Jainaioa Avonuo. riuMc arc ahoul fourteen acres of land. I'lie huildini^s are old and inisiiited to the proper care of hoys. Ihe school is in charj>c i^\ Mr. W. Tnlly r>asconi, teacher clerk. Six leiiular teachers and special teachers of tnusic. shojv WDik, pin sical trainini^, weaving and hasketry have charge of the ho\ s dnrini; the school hoin"s ; sixteen eniployci's ha\c charge oi the ho\s hefore and after school luuus, and Ao the normal \\(uk oi the sclunW. ^ Dnni^. low tirade ho\ s are .sent to the Brooklyn Iruanl School. ThcN attend school live hours a day. nuiiui; the \ear emphasis has heen placed on 1. liulividual instruction. 2. liulixidual jMogress anil piomotiou. .V Music. 4. rin sical couilitimi. a. Medical inspection. h. rinsical trainiui;' and ^ames. 5. l'\uination o\ correct hahit^. The results are excellent. The hoys are happy and show im- ]Mn>venients in physical condition and character. KIXOM MI".N1V\TU>NS We need 1. More liuiUlin^s at the Tarenlal School. J. The services oi a \isitini; dentist. .\ .\ system oi following up 1h\\ s paroleil and ilischari;od from the Truant and the Parental Schools. Bovs slunild he kept KMii^ei' at T^-ooklyn Truant School. 173 MANHATTAN TRUANT SCHOOL Mary K. Leonard, Matron-Superintendent statistics I submit herewith my report on the Manhattan Truant School for the year July 1, 1920, to June 30, 1921. COMMITMENTS Number of boys in school July 1, 1920 52 Committed by the Bureau of Attendance from September 13, 1920, to June 30, 1921 W) Committed by the court during same period 17 Returned for violation of parole 70 Returned from the hospital and Catholic Protectory 7 Total 300 TRANSFERS, PAROLES ANIJ DISCHARGES To the Catholic Protectory 104 To the Parental School 46 To the Brooklyn Truant School 22 Discharged, term expired '. 11 Transferred to the hospital , 4 Paroled, returned to the grades 53 Paroled, employment certificates 14 In school, June 30, 1921 52 Total 306 Average daily attendance 51 NATIONALITY OF CASES COUNTED Italian 161 American 45 Irish 18 Austrian 10 Russian 7 Polish 6 German 3 English 2 Greek 2 • Total 254 174 PHYSICAL KhXORD OV LASlvS aiMMlTTKI) Number of cases exaniiiiod 254 Number of cases showing some pliysical defect 233 CLASSIFICATION OF PHYSICAL llEFECTS Defects linlarged Cervical and Posterior Glands 106 Enlarged Tonsils 16 Adenoids 4 Defective Vision 21 Defective Teeth 35 Defective Nasal Breathing 22 Cardiac 15 Defective Hearing 2 Skin Disease 4 Bronchial Rales 4 Curvature of Spine 2 Rupture (.operation "l 2 Total 233 The following is a program of a typical day for the boys in the Manhattan Truant School : 6 :00 A. M. Rising Bell. 6:00 to 7:00 Bathing. Free Outdoor Kxercisc. 7:00 to 7:30 Breakfast. 7:30 to 8:50 House Work. 8:50 to 12:00 School. 12:00 to 12:30 Lunch. 12:30 to 1:00 Free Flay and House Work for Selected Groups. 1 :a) to 3 :00 School. 3 :30 to 5 :(X) Supervised Physical Training. 5 :IX) to 5 :30 Free Play. 5:30 to 6:00 Supper. 6:00 to 7:30 Preparation of Home Work in Classrooms. 8 :00 Bedtime. SCHOOL WORK (a") The grades taught are from lA to 6B. {h) The manual training work lasts one hour and a half daily. The work includes woodwork, chair caning, basketry which corre- sponds to the age or the capacity of the child. (c) The employment of one shop-work teacher and of two regular grade teachers to take care of a maximum of fifty boys at ' any one time, makes possible considerable individual atten- tion. 175 PHYSICAL EXAMINATIONS (a) Each boy on entering is given a thorough physical examination and a complete record of the same is filed for reference. (h) This year as an experiment, a group of fifty-one boys were sub- jected to the Schick Test. Out of this group, four cases showed susceptibility. ENVIRONMENT Twenty years of experience with boys of this type have shown me that the most potent factor in the handhng of the truant consists in providing for him an environment of the right sort to counteract the effects of the environment which breeds truancy and which confirms the habit of truancy once contracted. Con- sequently, the school aims to inculcate in the boys the habits of personal cleanliness, obedience, and the habit of quiet, regular work and play, in harmony with one another. This is done by providing for the boys perfectly healthful surroundings in an atmosphere of toleration and kindness, and home conditions entirely different from those from which they come. Control and discipline are therefore made easy, and progress in the class- room made possible. I am of the very firm opinion that a lasting impression upon these wayward and weak-willed children, coming as most of them do from homes lacking in conception of proper control and proper environment, can be made only after a stay in school for a period of time not less than five to six months, and longer if physical conditions in the school permit it. The school record shows that the returns for violations of parole are the least frequent among the boys who have spent six months or more in the Truant School for their first offense. 176 PROBATIONARY SCHOOL 120, MANHATTAN Olive M. Jones, Principal admissions and discharges Register, September 13. 1920 179 Total admissions 172 Total number of boys cared for 351 Total discharges 136 Register, June 30, 1921 215 Admissions classified 172 Readmissions 25 (5 returned, 20 from institu- tions or out of city) Public Schools 143 Institutions 4 Discharges Classified 136 Graduates 10 Death 1 Out of city 11 Physician's certificate 2 Over 16 12 Employment certificate 27 Regular schools 33 Institutions 31 Business school 1 Not found 8 Of these 8. only 1 is now lost ; 3 were traced to Brooklyn, 1 to Connecticut, 1 to New Jersey, 1 was caught l)y police and sent to House of Refuge, 1 was caught liy attendance officer and placed in Brooklyn Truant School. 177 AIMS OF THE WORK 1. Adjustment of the boy termed delinquent: To school studies. To home conditions. To preparation for Hfe. 2. Removal of cause of delinquency : By care for physical needs. By providing occupation suitable to intelligence and apti- titudes. By patience and justice in dealing with emotional disturb- ances and temperamental difificulties. 3. Character training, especially Right habits. Self control. Respect for law and order. 4. Relief of the teachers in regular schools : From' discipline problems. From undue attention to exceptional individuals to the neglect of the well-behaved child. 5. Prevention of juvenile delinquency: By removing offender from opportunity to disturb large groups of children. By preventing loss of time and training caused to well- behaved child by presence of individual delinquent in large class. By studying and helping troublesome boy himself at early stage of delinquency. By exerting special influence on individual home to remove ( 1 ) Parental neglect. (2) Difficulties due to environment, misunderstanding, etc. POINTS OF SPECIAL INTEREST Grade and Intelligence Survey. — ^A very careful survey of P. S. 120 was made during the year 1920-1921, including three studies : 1. A detailed study of the retardation of each boy as indicated by the grade he was fitted to begin. 178 2. Classroom examinations by grade teachers. 3. Intelligence tests, using the Thorndike Non- Verbal and Haggerty Delta No. 2. A. Aims of the Survey. — The aim in making the survey was fourfold : 1. To discover a plan of classification fairer to the children and more workable than the regular grading plan has proved to be in placing delinquent boys in classes or groups for school work. 2. To discover a quicker and more reliable means of esti- mating the needs of new entrants into the school than that afforded by the boy's previous grading. 3. To obtain with scientific accuracy the information needed to adapt the course of study to the peculiar needs of the delinquent and to plan suitable useful occupations for them. 4. To test out scientifically the truth or error of certain con- clusions regarding the problems of juvenile delinquency. The last of these aims was realized in so far as conclusions can be said to be verified by a study of 180 boys. Briefly stated, the most important of these conclusions is that any group of delinquent boys will be found distributed as to intelligence in about the same proportion of bright, normal, dull, as any other group of children. In other words, their delinquency is not due primarily to lack of intelligence, and their truancy and lack of interest in school are not due to lack of native ability, but to a ' difference in intelligence, a difference in aptitude, from the book- minded child to whom alone our academic courses of study are adapted. The mental defective is not apt to become delinquent, but the converse is not true. Although physical ailments and disturbances may cause delinquency, the removal of the physical cause has little or no effect unless right habits are substituted for the wrong habits acquired during physical disturbance ; that, although mental defectives may easily become delinquent unless kept under proper guidance, the great number of delinquents have every bit as much intelligence and ability to guide their own 179 lives as the average human being; that by far the greatest num- ber of dehnquents suffer from emotional disturbance, improper environments, and inadequate training in inhibition and right habits much more than from physical ills or mental defectiveness ; that truants are made by large classes and uniform courses of study, which make impossible the care of the individual child, as much, if not more, than by any other cause. The study of 180 boys made in P. S. 120 during the past year justifies these conclusions to a certain extent, scientifically, and it will be continued with all boys who enter the school here- after until a large enough number has been studied to be a true basis of final determination of the truth or error of these ideas. The other three aims will be the subject of study and experi- ment in September and of report next year. B. How the Survey Was Made. — By Official Class Teachers. Each official class teacher was requested to make a careful study of his or her class by means of observation of the individual child, examinations, visits to the homes, interviews with parents and others interested in the child. A printed form was provided on which each teacher recorded the following items : . Estimate of child's accom- plishment in various sub- jects of the regular school course of study. . Grade child actually fitted to begin June 30, 1921. By Special Intelligence Tests. Three teachers were selected and trained to make special tests. They were prepared for their work two months in advance by a great amount of reading mat- ter dealing with the subject of scientific intelligence testing, by instruction from Mr. Stenquist, of the Division of Reference and Research, by visits to P. S. 64, and observation of the psycholo- gist at work there. They were relieved from other duties in order to obviate error resulting from fatigue and interruption, and to carry on the work consistently and continuously. 1. Date of birth. 2. Number of terms in grade. 3, Home conditions. 4. Estimate of child's mental ability or general intelli- gence. 180 At least two of the throe teachers worked together in con- ducting every test. The hoys were grouped so that there could be no possibility of copying or assisting". The scoring- was done at once as each test was completed. Several other teachers helped in the scoring-, which is a most difficult and laborious work, a severe strain t)n the eyes, liable to error because of eye strain and fatigue. Every score was checked up twice, at least once by one of the three teachers responsible for the tests, generally by two of them. The scoring was then sent in to the Division of Reference and Research, where each individual score was compared with the norm and the intelli- gence quotient recorded. By Personal Supervision of the Principal. First, the printed forms containing the study of the classes as made by their official class teachers were collected and carefully scrutinized. These were compared with the blue record cards, report cards, previous promotion records, statements made by principals of other schools from which boys came, and any other evidence which had been gathered during the year, including reports of attendance offi- cers, probation officers, and Big Brothers. Where there was disagreement — which, however, occurred in very few cases — the teacher was asked to verify the record. Second, I personally watched the progress of the special in- telligence tests daily, kept in constant comnuuiication with Mr. Stenquist, and maile frequent comparison of tests and scorings with several other persons expert in the conducting- of standard tests. Every means was taken to secure the willing cooperation of the boys themselves and thus eliminate the malingering which is so often a hindrance in securing accurate results when testing tlelinquent boys. C. CJuvtiitg the Results of the Survey. — When the teachers' forms were completed and verified and the record of intelligence quotients received from the Division of Reference ami Research, a chart was prepared listing the name of every boy on register at the time. An illustration follows: 181 Sur- name Given name Chron- ological age in months Grade age in months Thorn- dike age in months Haggerty age in months Teach- er's ranking I. Q. Home conditions Physical condition X X 155 102 145 90 Aver. Int. 76 Clean. No father Coopera- tion y y 182 1.^8 116 122 Aver. Int. 65 Poverty. Working mother Coopera- tion Stam- mers z z 142 144 216 171 Aver. Int. 137 Clean. Foreign Coopera- tion m m 160 126 201 1 13 Aver. Int. 99 Sick father. Working mother n n 167 144 110 140 Below Aver. Int. 75 Dirty. No cooper- ation Teeth When nothing is stated in Column 10, it means that no defect is known. It was difficult to secure proper assistance in making the study of physical conditions. While everything noted is correct, it is not certain that every physical need was discovered. D. Tables Giving Summary of the Results of the Survey, to date of this report, June 30, 1921. Total number on register at date of survey 207 Not included in record of intelligence tests 27 (Absent, late admission, ill, doubtful accuracy) Boys tested by Thorndike test only 55 Boys tested by Haggerty test only 8 Boys tested by both tests 117 Total number included in this report 180 182 TABLE I Considering- 180 Boys All included in class record of teacher's ranking", 117 included in both Tliorndike and Haggerty tests, 55 in Thorndike test only, 8 in Haggerty test only. Judged by l^ests Only I. Q. Judged by Teacher's Very Bright 5 135-151 Ranking Only Bright 16 111-130 Bright 19 Average 37 90-109 Average 121 Dull Normal 110 61-89 Dull 39 Defective 12 52-60 Defective 1 Total 180 52-151 Total 180 The teacher's ranking, "J)right," includes both the Ijright and very bright of the test classification. "Average" in the teacher's ranking includes the dull normal of the test classifica- tion. "Dull" in the teacher's ranking means very low grade of intelligence. "Defective" in the teacher's ranking means an imbecile. CASE HISTORIES For every boy in Public School 120, a "case history" is kept on file. The method used has been somewhat modified during the past year in consequence of the careful study of school and home conditions and also because of the fact that the filling of all vacancies in the teaching staff made accurate records possible. The method of preserving case histories includes: 1. An envelope for each bc\v in which can be placed all material regarding each b()\- desiral)le for preservation in its original form. 183 •-I ;; o S I § CQ a q < O o C-^ <-> -. O H m CO 1^ o (N o rtCOrHrt CO ■^ -H Oi 1-1 ■ ^ a> t~ co r- ^ ■ ^^ ci l^ 04 t^ CO ■ CO ri CD !0 to I .-l-f CO OD o o CO ■A '"' .Hl-Or-I CO ^ •^ 4J l-O CO-t< o c 1 o o S •^ cc fl T INCO • 'O HH CO -^ C) T 0I-1< • CO C tH . ?:; rt o •d CO ^ CI t> CO CO 1 ot cS •M & CO o CO 01 CO CO • J: "^ : O) 01 -n CI 1 .-< lO CJ rH CO CI 05 T— t OD 1 lo CO 1-0 • CD CO >— ' C) rH w CO '^ o ■ o 1 r-H • t~ s~ 1 oi CO ii CO • Oi o ^H n! lO CO t^ O Ol o O rtCO-H^ CO H OOO-HO rH til) Q '5 "5 C) 1-1 -H CO o ro Q CI CO P^ yj (u CJ t^ C-. l^ CO ,-H ■(_^ > C-1 t~ CI ( q- pc! 193 TYPICAL INSTANCES No. 1 Pupil of several years ago, did much knitting for army when we were doing war work. Worked nights, used to hide in room to sleep at noon. Dishonest, stole varying sums from two teach- ers. Left to go to work. Returned recently and refunded all stolen money ; said he could not rest with conscience troubled for wrong-doing to teachers who had set him straight. Now in position of trust and also of responsibility for other boys. Teach- ers put refunded money into Salvation Army Drive and into school fund. No. 2 Truant, defiant, disobedient, impudent, quick-tempered, con- sidered hopeless even by previous teachers in Public School 120. Last teacher treated him as pal, ate lunch with him, talked about his own outside interests, set boy talking and thinking about his own aims. Never again played truant, occasionally over-familiar, but never impudent again. Now regularly employed and helps control younger brother also in Public School 120. No. 3. William D. , a chronic truant and gangster who has spent three terms in a 6A grade. When first entered in the school could not be induced to come of his own free will. Brought to school by larger boys or by the truant officer. Resented all authority and tried to use his "gang" methods and manners in the classroom. Seemingly at times a hard and thankless task. Would seem to respond and then entirely get back to his old defiant attitude. Truant gradually less and less often, and during last term but once. His honest confession of the reason for his absence, "on the hook." His violent temper much more controlled. Helps now where at one time a great hindrance. His active interest in games and their influence toward "playing the game" have re- sulted in a more clearly defined conception of what is fair and clean in sport. Patience and a show of kindly afifection for Willie have helped to bring him to a better understanding of himself. No. 4. Admitted younger than most boys taken in Public School 120 — nine years old. Even then had never had a good mark in school. Passionate, self-willed. When crossed in the slightest way, often when merely spoken to kindly, he would fight like a wild animal, 194 kicking, scratching, biting, using the most indecent language, running madly and uncontrolably up and down stairs, screaming loud and awful noises. Disgusting personal appearance. Con- sidered crazy even by his own brother. Twice worked himself up so violently that he finally became unconscious. Took main strength of two men to hold him back from inflicting serious in- jury on some one, indifferent as to whom. His conduct is marked A. He is a trusted helper at the lunch counter, as monitor in many places, and an ofificer in the school battalion. The teacher who brought about this reform is the most wonderful genius in winning delinquent boys I have ever known, but this case is an extraordinary success even for hei. Her own account follows : "I realized A. was an exceptional case and I would have to be very patient and kind in trying to gain his confidence. Not being easily discouraged, I began by giving him a seat close to my desk and never noticed him when he would not respond to my orders or remarks. "He would fold papers, draw and look at the pictures in his reader, but he did not seem interested in any one thing. I coaxed him to arrange my sets of arithmetic cards, add up my attendance, tabulate results of reviews, arrange my closets and desk, care for my plants. "The principal reason for my putting him in charge of my closets and desk was that he would come in contact with inter- esting books that I purposely placed there in the hope that the books would attract him. The method proved successful for he began to read and talk about the books. I was so delighted to have him cultivate a taste for reading that I went out of my way to secure interesting and instructive books for him, I made it a point to reward him for every lesson well done by permitting him to take a book home. He began to give me his confidence and I soon learned to know the boy better and found him to be a very affectionate child. "A. was in my class four terms in succession and a very friendly and respectful relationship sprung up between teacher and pupil. He became an A pupil and was never a truant dur- ing the time I was his teacher. I made him feel I wotild never consider him a friend of mine unless he would 'make good' with the other teachers. He promised to do this and has kept his word." 195 . ADVANCE STEPS ATHLETICS AND PHYSICAL TRAINING The boys of P. S. 120 would tell you that it was a great day for P. S. 120 when a "gym" teacher came to the school. The former excellence of the work in physical training was regained, and the high standing of the school in athletic events which was lost in consequence of the departure of our men teachers during the war, seem sure of attainment again. The following list states briefly the activities conducted for the purpose of physical training during 1920-1921 : 1. Contestants in all districts meet : The school rose from tenth to third place. 2. School field day in Seward Park. 3. "World" field day in Goodhue home grounds, Staten Island: 127 boys. 4. Trip to Zoological and Botanical Gardens, Bronx Park : 100 boys. 5. Boat "Correction," trip around city : 21 youngest boys with two women teachers. 6. Coney Island and an ocean bath : 104 boys. 7. Daily drills in posture, in class athletics, in mimetic exer- cises : one-third of the school at a time working together. 8. Special drills for boys exhibiting or desiring to attain pro- ficiency in athletics, as : A. S. shot put ; S. E. high jump. OUR BATTALION The School Battalion has been reorganized and now has four companies, fully officered by boy officers and drilled twice a week. In the "battalion drills," as they are known, the chief points drilled in the three months since the drills began were company formation, posture and marching maneuvers. These exercises are of incalculable benefit to our boys — posture, discipline, train work, responsibility, initiative, all coming into recognition and training with the good will of the boys themselves. 196 197 198 rr.ANT AND ANIMAL LIFE Nature study is not included in the P. S. 120 schedule as a separate subject of study in order to find time for additional shop and manual occupation, but every class is a member of the School (larden Association, and plants are i^rown in boxes and pots in classrooms and b\- hoys at home. The school always shares in the annual ])lant exhibit, two teachers ^e^iving considerable outside time to helpinfi; boys prepare for it. In the 1921 exhibit, a city- wide contest held in the Sixty-ninth Ret^iment Armory, special honorable mention for an exhibit of geraniums was won by a 6A class in P. S. 120. BL'SINE.S.S TRAIN I N(; This is a special course of study which has long been in use in the school, having been instituted in 1906. It aims to fit boys for tiieir "first jobs" in offices and stores. Picture No. 12 shows one of the most important items included in our course in busi- ness training — learning to use the telephone and the telei)hone directory. The use of the telephone directory is very difficult to teach, and so are ])roper telephone habits. Yet many boys and girls are required to use both and blamed for their errors when neither school nor employer ever taught tlieni. 1'he course also includes mailing letters, including post office "drops," filling money orders and bank dei)osit slips, sending tele- grams, registered letters, express packages, etc., use of street car lines, railroads, etc. The work is very poi)ular with the boys. roSTKU AND SIGN LETTERING This subject is also \ery po])ular with the boys. It includes all forms of lettering for signs and ]iosters and a considerable amount of drawing and of co])ying pictures. It is taught, not so much from the j^oint of view of artistic training, although that enters into the teaching, as from the point of view of its relation to business, industry and advertising. School mottoes, slogans, catch words for stimulating interest in s(Mne plan or occupation, program covers, are also among the results of the designing 199 200 201 and lettering- taught in this course. Many boys, sons of neigh- borhood dealers or peddlers, have done, in school, under instruc- tion in this course, the lettering of placards and signs demanded by their fathers' business. The work is done chiefly by sixth, seventh and eighth year boys. SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENTS IN ACADEMIC WORK The year has been marked by great advance in certain forms of academic work, or more correctly speaking, work done in relation to the subjects of the regular school course of study. ' A. COMPOSITION Special attention was paid to this subject because the vast majority of our boys come from non-English speaking homes. Every class was provided with a text-book of exercises in lan- guage and composition ; there was frequent inspection by the principal of the work done in each class, and one teacher was placed in charge of the work in composition in the sixth, seventh, and eighth years. The school shared in two city-wide contests in composition and won the district award for the best eighth year composition on Peter Cooper, and the district awards for Grades 7 A, 7B, 8A, 8B, best compositions on Fire Prevention. We are now seeking to find a way to make the really fine results in written composition carry over into the boys' daily language and off-hand work done in connection with other sub- jects. B. SPELLING AND FUNDAMENTAL OPERATIONS IN ARITHMETIC Both of these have been made the subject of daily drills, aiming for accuracy. Every class, including the eighth year, was required to have daily exercise in rapid calculation, especially column addition, and drills in the four fundamental operations. The final tests at the end of the term showed marked improve- ment over previous terms. We were led to undertake this work by the discovery of the careless, slack habits among the boys, the great degree of inaccuracy, especially in addition, and the many failures in arithmetic due to such inaccuracy. The removal 202 of such habits even in academic subjects has a close relationship to the reform of the delinquent boy. In spelling" we used the Ayres graded list of words com- monly misspelled in addition to the regular spelling lists of new words taught by the teacher. A great impetus was given to the study of spelling when the printing press came. V. THE MOST PRESSING NEED A NEW BUILDING ! probationary school 61, brooklyn Lucille H. Nicol, Teacher-in-Charge Public School 61, Brooklyn, was organized as a Probationary School January, 1914. It cares for a little more than three hun- dred boys on an average each term. Problem of Changes. — The problem of the changes in the school is a difficult one, as boys are constantly admitted and dis- charged. Public School 61 takes boys from practically the entire borough of Brooklyn. It has received boys from eighty-one schools. A study of the causes of discharge and the percentage who leave for each cau^e is shown in the following graph : Note. — Those under "return to school" include seven who entered high school this term. While those sent to institutions make 7 per cent, of our discharges, they make only 3 per cent, of the boys sent here. 203 A study of the causes for which the boys were sent here during the past year shows the following: LACK OP PACtNTAL CONTROL INCOECI- GIBILITY TCUANCY OVtGAGt AND UHWILLINGNESS TOBEWITW YOUNGEU bOYS FGtCiUtNT CHANGE: ADOafcSS (iVOTOEVvlNDED OR. TMOStWMO HtirO aPtClAL ATreNTlON JUV£NILEr DeLlNQUtNCY 40°/o h z>o°/c t\ ^ovo / ^ V / lovo / V- ^^^^^ ^ / o -% / \^ — ^ ^^ Note. — These causes bring about the large percentage of Juvenile Delinquency. The cases marked "truancy" or "incorrigi- bility" are only those not due to lack of co-operation on the part of parents, but where all efforts have failed to make any impres- sion. 204 NATIONALITIES REPRESENTED These causes may be due to the fact that a large percentage of the boys who are sent here have parents who are foreign born. A survey of the school this year reveals the following condition : A. Russian B. Italian C. Colored D. American E. German F. Irish 55% 31% 4.6% 4.1% 2.9% 2.4% 205 o (0 u. o d < X s iQ hi o z y uJ h Z Q- r < I z < a- z ^ (0 i I C 3 iQ vO Z r lU O 6 a: z < I u Ui o z < r o 5 0< ul u. u. D < I O % 3 DC o go ' o iJZ fe3 J z in a K 0. X uJ Z < 0! U lO z D 0- >< 2 a; o )- < uJ H Z I z Z I 1 id lU Ul O oi lO Oi % It 90 85 80 75 7 65 60 55 50 45 ^ 4-0 :^ 35 Ya 30 ^ 29 ^ Z8 ^ Z7 g 26 ^ ^/ 25 ^ ^ 2 4 >^ y. 23 '^Z % 22 ^ y. 2 1 // y^ 2 y. ^ 1 9 % Z 1 8 ^1 'y '/ 1 7 'a y/ 1 6 ^/ y/ 1 5 11 9. ■ 11 K ■ 1 1 4 1 3 y^ 1 2 Z ^/ 1 1 '/ ^/ /. 1 1 '< y. ^/ 1" i 9 y. '/ y, 8 y y^ % i 7 ^, 'A y IH 6 y '/ ^/ ^ 5 ^ y/ /. i % 4 '4 '/ /. '/ ss ^ 3 '/ < > /, ■ ^/ ^ 2 ^, ^ /. ^ '^ iS8% y gs ■ ■ >;J 1 Z :^ 2 ^ fA » SfS ss A study of the businesses in which the boys are employed is shown. The shaded Hues represent things in which the boys re- ceived initial training here through Business Methods, Printing, the Shops, the Canteen, and Drawing Room. 206 FOLLOW UP Wc have tried to follow the cases of the boys who have left the school. The records in over six liundred cases sliow the following" facts : During" the war we had thirty-six bo\s in the army or navy. One served as private in the Italian army. We now have twenty- one in either the army or navy. We have had forty-six graduates from Public School 61. Of these twenty-foiu" entered junior high, vocational or high school. Twelve are still there, the others having left to go to business. Many of our graduates attend evening high schools. Of the 158 returned to school eleven have been sent back- to us. In luost of these eleven cases the boys were either so l)ig that they were ashamed to be with the boys of the same grade, or the lack of proper e(|uipnient for the special training" of these boys made it im])ossil)le for them to be treated in a regular school. The records of the boys who went to work either by obtaining" labor certificates or because they were over sixteen show the following" occupations : Six boys are in business for ibemselves. 1 sells candy on conimission. 2 have news-stands. 1 is an electrician. 1 is a contractor for pants, vests, etc. 1 repairs antes. We have one who is a telegraph operator. He has taken several tests and has maintained a high average. Two boys have taken up wireless, one is an electrician who went to evening high school. He is interested in Chemistry and is now trying" to get his Regents' counts. He plans to become a doctor. PIIYSIC.\L DEFECTS Most of our boys show some physical defect. Through the cooperation with the nurse and doctfjr a large percentage are under treatment. 207 MORNING INSPECTION The thorough inorning inspection has greatly improved the personal habits of the boys. Many of the classes have maintained a very high average. The hygiene lessons have also been with the purpose of instilling habits of cleanliness, bathing, proper food, proper sleeping, etc. CANTEEN The canteen is managed by the boys. The boys prepare the food and sell it. It is run on shares. The menu changes daily. More milk has been sold this year than ever before. In addition sandwiches, salads, frankfurters, spaghetti, milk crackers, fruits, simple desserts are sold. The amount taken daily varies from five to eight dollars. Dividends are declared at the end of each term. The boys keep their own expense accounts and this gives valuable business training. SCHOOL BANK Organized December 7, 1916. Number of accounts at opening 24 Deposits $4.02 Total received to date 718.43 Number of accounts handled since organized 246 Number of active accounts 137 More boys have had their accounts transferred to the East New York Savings Bank than ever before. This means a total saving of five dollars. This is added to dollar by dollar, the money being deposited in the school bank and added whenever a dollar has been saved. The boys take entire charge and all the materials are printed here. GARDEN The school garden on a vacant lot next to the school yielded a good crop last year. We have planted this spring : beans, ra- dishes, beets, swisschard, lettuce, radishes, carrots and tomatoes. The garden will be kept up during the summer. Prizes are given annually by the International Sunshine So- ciety. 208 209 One hundred and fifty bulbs were planted on the school lawn. Daffodils and tulips were in bloom this spring. WORK SHOP The work shop has been a very busy place. Many of the boys made special things for themselves or their homes. One boy made an electric lamp which he wired and presented to his mother. Another made a large pigeon coop. The boys have made a number of costumes, book racks, tabour- ettes, tables, toys, baskets, lamps, footstools, picture frames, desk, bookcase, small table stands, clothes driers, sleeve boards, shoe boxes, medicine cabinets, towel racks, knife and fork boxes, etc. The boys laid the floor in the print shop. They made wooden .scrap baskets for every room, shoe boxes for each class, mended chairs, etc. In all 546 finished pieces of work have been done during the last term. PRINT SHOP The boys turned an old, apparently useless room into a print shop. It had a cement floor. They laid a splendid wooden floor and painted the entire shop. By means of selling some of the things made in the school for which we furnished the materials, and through the assistance of some friends of the school, money was raised to move the press and equipment from Public School 23, Brooklyn, to PubHc School 61. The boys are proud indeed of the print shop. Since the installment of the new press in December we had turned out 102 jobs. These include pamphlets, programs, circulars, cards and school records. NOVELTY SHOP In the novelty shop the boys have made desk blotters, writing tablets, writing pads, handkerchief boxes, card cases, telephone book covers, raffia baskets, coat hangers, reed baskets, flower holders, trays, whiskbroom holders, rattles, bead necklaces, table mats, sets of box furniture, brushes, rugs, brass book-ends, letter- racks and monogramed blotter corners. 210 In addition to the regular work 138 special orders have been filled. In the drawing room particular stress has been placed upon design and sign painting. Great originality has been developed in design. Designs have been made for and applied to cracker and cake boxes, tea stands, brass and copper book ends, oil cloth doilies, and bead chains made of permodello. These were espe- cially artistic. The boys in the drawing room have provided all signs and charts, for the school as well as filling orders for signs, etc., for clubs and churches. They also have made and designed 250 place cards. PHYSICAL TRAINING The boys of the school have gained over on an average two and one-quarter inches in height, and three and one-fifth pounds in weight. The work in hygiene, the canteen and the physical training has helped to improve the boys physically. The moral instruction the boys receive in the game has shown gratifying results. The boys have learned to play more honestly, they no longer try to monopolize the playing, they have learned to subordinate their own wishes to the welfare of the team or side. Posture has shown a marked improvement and the response learned in physical training has helped with our discipline. BUSINES-S METHODS Business methods are used to supplement arithmetic and Eng- lish. The work is designed to prepare boys for business life. It includes sign printing, the writing of business forms and letters. The boys receive, check, and distribute supplies and deliver orders. The bank and canteen add to the practicability of the course. In English we have stressed particularly the writing of letters. A great improvement has been made. We have tried also to correct the common errors in English. We have been successful 211 < H < u 1— I Oh 212 in doing this by introducing games. One of the boys won the medal for his composition on "Alexander Hamilton," given by the Daughters of the Revolution. Spelling, dictation and reading have been given special atten- tion. Many of our boys have been induced to join libraries by means of talks on various books. The history and civics work has been made specially inter- esting by means of the radiopticon and the use of current events. The boys have been asked to bring in and discuss topics of interest in the newspapers. The request for clippings met with enthusiastic results. This has made the boys keep abreast of the times. Civics has been used for Americanization. Debates have added to the interest in this. GEOGRAPHY Geography has been taught along the same general lines as history. The boys have shown; great interest in geography. ARITHMETIC The need for drill and tables is always evident here. Interest has been stimulated by means of matches, by relay races, by having certain weeks designated "Long Division Week," "Rapid Addition Week," etc. VISITING TEACHER The Alliance of Women's Clubs of Brooklyn furnished a visiting teacher again. She did much constructive work advising the parents not only about the boys, but about other members of the family, visiting sick parents and boys, providing help (clothes and food) where needed. She helped to establish a rela- tion between the school and the home which has been very helpful. DRIVES The boys have responded generously to drives. In the Hoover drive, the Irish drive, the drive for the Restora- tion of the Schools of France, the Salvation Army drive, the 213 boys contributed $107.45. That means an average of eighteen cents per boy. In the Salvation Army drive the Gem Fountain Baking Com- pany contributed four hundred doughnuts which we sold on Sal- vation Army day in the canteen, clearing $10.56 toward the drive. SUGGESTIONS The purchase of the vacant property adjoining the school which we now use as a garden would be of great value. A portable building would be useful in the meantime. The size of the building is a handicap. As this is the only Probationary School in Brooklyn there is always a long waiting list. If a larger building were available or additional space could be obtained many more boys could be accommodated. This would relieve the Parental School and the reformatory institutions and save money for the city. The per capita cost in the Probationary School is necessarily much smaller than in institutions ; as the cost of maintenance is not included. More money is needed for supplies. A study of the boys by a trained psychologist would be very helpful. This request has been made before. I trust next year something may be done along this line. 214 PROBATIONARY SCHOOL Z7 Hazen Chatfield, Teacher-in-Charge The organization of Public School }>7 is as follows : Reg. ANNEX, s. p. c. c. [SB 2 Class Reg. i 8A 6 El— Boys 40 [7B * 9 E2— Boys 28 j 7B 9 E3— Girls 24 \1K 8 E4— Girls 16 6B 18 Kindergarten 15 6A 24 SB 19 123 5A 20 4B 6 Total school register 311 4A 7 3B 1 3A 11 Ungr. 1 16 Ungr. 2 16 Ungr. 3 16 188 THE ANNEX The children listed in the Annex are shelter and welfare cases remanded to the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children and cared for by it until the Children's Court has made final disposition of them. The present accommodations are located in the House of Mercy, just north of Dyckman Street, at 214th Street and Bolton Road. A new building to be known as the Children's Building is in process of erection on Fifth Avenue at lOvM Street. Its completion has been promised for September, 1922. Its capacity will be nearly double that of the present quarters. PURPOSE The purpose of the Probationary School is to accommodate all truants and delinquents recommended by principals of neigh- boring schools as not sustaining themselves in regular classes, and to place under observation all children who by reason of 215 physical or mental deficiency are showing" marked retardation in school work beyond the hope of remedy in regular classes. It is from the latter group that the ungraded classes were originally formed and are at present recruited. It is believed that classes with smaller registers — our maximum is twenty — concentrating on arithmetic and English and offering a prospect of rapid pro- motion for boys who have native ability, will do much to over- come irregular attendance and dislike of school work. MANUAL WORK All boys in the classes in the main building are given special advantages in the way of shop work and manual training in order to develop whatever skill they may possess, provide an outlet for their motor activities, and encourage them to regular attend- ance. The ungraded classes receive one hour of shop instruction daily, graded according to their several ages and abilities, and ranging from paper cutting, picture mounting, cord and raffia work to bench work with tools. They made a fine lot of food charts, geography and history albums and toys for Red Cross Christmas distribution. Boys in the lower elementary grades, from 3A to 5A receive one hour daily of manual instruction along similar lines with the addition of simple book-binding, lettering and crepe paper decora- tions. Some boys reproduced and colored series of health charts used in connection with posture in physical training and cleanli- ness in personal hygiene. The three principal shops, however, are on a pre-vocational basis and the work is taught by men with trade experience. Boys assigned to these) shops receive not less than one and one-half hours of instruction daily. The printing shop, in addition to numerous lesson sheets, school forms, etc.. composed and printed a school paper which was commended for its excellence. The sheet metal shop has made quantities of home utensils — cups, biscuit-cutters, trays, dust-pans, sprinkling pots, etc., for the most part from salvaged material, picked up by the boys on their way to school. The manual rooms have been equipped with fire-proof con- tainers for inflammable materials and the office has been equipped 216 with a fine set of metal filing boxes. Many of the boys have made remarkably fine toys — motor-boats, steam engines, fans, etc. One boy developed skill so rapidly that he was transferred to the ma- chine shop of Public School 64 where he sustained himself with credit. Others were able to hold good jobs in electrical works, fire extinguisher factories; and garages. The woodworking- shop, following suggestions from the Bu- reau of Vocational Activities, made a fine lot of Christmas toys, doll furniture, which were sold at a profit after paying for paint and wood. It also turned out a number of sail-boat models, and several concrete window-boxes and flower-pots. This shop has also been called upon to do considerable renovating and general repair work. Its boys removed the partition between two small classrooms to make a larger classroom for ungraded boys. They also removed the wood work in a toilet which has been converted into a shower bath room. They have made bulletin boards, shelves, repaired floors, seats, maps, etc. TYPEWRITING One room devoted almost entirely to the work of written luiglish contains ten typewriters. The boys reporting to this room receive at least thirty minutes per day at the machines. The improvement they have made is astonishing. Formerly a 50-word composition was an efifort. Now they write letters easily and well, free for the most part from formal errors of spelling, capitalization, punctuation and irregular margining. A premium is placed upon the preparation of work at home and the use of the machines has made the boys self-critical. They can find and correct their own mistakes. Our lunch service was operated in conjunction with the man- ager of school lunches, who used our plant as a central kitchen. That department purchased and prepared the food while our teachers supervised the meals, watched over school property, and made the necessary collections and accounting. The school shower room is still in the hands of the contractor, but it will be completed for use this fall. 217 HEALTH Throughout the year emphasis has been placed upon the physi- cal rehabilitation of the boys in order that no one might make a temporary indisposition an excuse for prolonged absence. The eye clinic at Public School 30 has given treatments for the cure of trachoma, made refraction tests, and aided us in fitting boys with much-needed glasses. The dental clinics have been in constant demand for the relief of dental cares and the removal of aching teeth. The East Side Y. M. C. A. has permitted the use of its showers and swimming pool and enabled us to guard against contagious skin disease as well as to establish standards of personal cleanliness so necessary to continued good health. RECOMMENDATIONS The school is greatly in need of a suitable gymnasium. The ground floor contains 14 pillars or columns which not only in- crease the difficulty of providing systematic instruction, but con- stitutC' a real danger during organized games and free play, as numerous painful bruises sustained by the boys will testify. The room is dark and protecting screens make it difficult to open windows to secure proper ventilation. High school classes travel- ing on a different time schedule at times render the yard so noisy that no instruction can be carried on. If the high school demands for quarters can be so lessened that the top floor can be released for our use, their study hall, which is unusually well-lighted and ventilated, could easily be converted into a model gym by the removal of the old principal's desk and platform, the sliding-door partitions. It would then be possible to install some of the apparatus recommended by physical training specialists as desirable for individual work. The school needs a suitable auditorium. The present method of carrying up lunch chairs twice a week and restoring them again to racks in the playground involves too much time and labor. There is also the possibility of serious accident. A boy carrying a chair may stumble on the way down and sustain an injury. 218 The second floor of four rooms is dark and dingy. Though it is in constant use it is not suited to classroom work. If all sliding doors, etc., were removed and it were provided with 250 permanent seats it would be available not only for regular assem- bly work but the special assemblies, so much a feature of modern school work, could be arranged for without difificulty. Moreover, the high school students could have access to it. The moving picture machine provided by the Lecture Bureau could be better installed in this part of the building, and at a smaller expense for darkening the rooms. It could also be used at night by the Park Community Council and similar bodies without giving the members free access to the other rooms of the building. Any substantial reduction in the high school population should be followed by a withdrawal from the best lighted rooms of the old wing of the building. Classroom instruction in the Proba- tionary School is carried on under great handicaps at present. Dark rooms and dingy interiors are poor surroundings in which to propagate sweetness and light and the joy of living. The Board of Health should be urged to establish a dental clinic here as soon as suitable quarters can be found for it. Some modification of the rules governing the number of classes in a school organization should be made to allow shop teachers to appear on monthly reports and payrolls as official teachers of classes. In other words, it should be possible to work out some authorization for an increase in classes that will not entail the right to additional appointments. There is need of some official ruling concerning the basis of transfer from regular schools to probationary schools. Circu- lar information including this should be sent to all supervising officials and principals. 219 VISITING TEACHERS Andrew W. Edson, Associate Superintendent assignments The assignments of visiting teachers for the past year were as follows : Jessie L. Louderback to P. S. 20, 35, 61, 64, 91, Manhattan, having a registration of 12,400 pupils. Margaret A. McGroarty to P. S. 78, 103, 159, Manhattan, having a registration of 10,408 pupils. CorneHa L. Swinnerton to P. S. 3, 30, 43, The Bronx, having a regis- tration of 9,554 pupils. Rena Levy to P. S. 5, 32, 45, The Bronx, having a registration of 10,000 pupils. Kathryne E. Manley to P. S. 109, 149, 165, 173, Brooklyn, having a registration of 14,000 pupils. Dorothy Brown Knote to P. S. Z2, 40, 60, 82, 124, 172, Brooklyn, hav- ing a registration of 7,600 pupils. Former teachers of German temporarily assigned as visiting teachers : Flora Goos to P. S. 18, 27, 59, 61, 73, Manhattan, having a registration of 12,481 pupils. ^ PauHne G. Margolies to P. S. 30, 109, 121, 150, 151, 158, Manhattan, having a registration of 14,354 pupils. Emilie Nida to P. S. 9, 17, 54, 58, 69, 83, 87, 93, 94, 127, 141, 165, 179, Manhattan, having a registration of 19,765 pupils. SCOPE OF WORK The scope of the work of the visiting teachers covers a large variety of items, such as irregular attendance, lateness, poor scholarship, unfavorable home conditions, parental neglect, pov- erty, poor health, bad conduct, improper guardianship, pleasure- loving habits, illegal labor, foreign parentage, overage and re- tardation. HELPFUL AGENCIES The outside organizations that render valuable assistance to the visiting teachers in bringing about a closer cooperation be- tween the home and school are : Charity organizations, big sisters' 220 and big brothers' organizations, mothers' clubs, Society for Im- proving the Condition of the Poor, Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, The Children's Court, The Child Labor Committee, Board of Health, church and settlement workers, hospital clinics, and various relief agencies. The visiting teachers keep in close touch with all these agencies and call upon them frequently to assist as the need can best be met. PLAN OF WORK The visiting teachers secure from the principals and class teachers each day the names and addresses of children whose parents are to be looked up. A careful record is made of the child's school record, health record, home conditions, personal history, out of school activity, special difficulties encountered, agencies interested, action taken and results secured, on a blank form prepared for the purpose, a copy of which is kept on file in the office of the principal, and a monthly summary of the work is sent to the District Superintendent and to the Associate Superintendent in charge. This summary is accompanied by a brief report on at least two interesting cases. INTERESTING CASES A few of the interesting cases reported by the visiting teachers indicate in a clear way the value of the work. These cases could be increased a hundred fold did space permit : 1. A case which is perhaps typical of what the visiting teacher can do for the school is Leonardo. More than a year ago Leonardo would stand in. the hall waiting to be seen by the principal, his huge blue eyes and blond, pinched little face a perfect masque of tragedy. If I spoke to him he would dodge and crouch on the floor like a terrified animal. It really shocked one. He had been a terrible problem for years, the assistant said. The principal had a mental test given him, and the psychologist reported that he showed concentration and ambition during the test and for the time being lost his feeling of inferiority and discouragement. During the test he wrote so hard that he completely destroyed three pencils ! He was pleased by the questions and the psychologist's serious absorption in him. His intelligence quotient was 89, only a little below normal. Later I told him that the psychologist complimented him and I asked why he got on so badly in school. He said, "I don't sit up straight; I answer back; I play. 221 She calls me a loafer ; I want to go to shop ; I want to go to shop." "But you are only in 3A and 13 years old," I said. I called at Leonardo's home, and to my surprise found the father, mother and older sister rather jolly and the home quite comfortable. They were mystified by Leonardo, but did not take him very seriously. They promised to take him to a clinic for nervous children, but didn't. Time went on and Leonardo got even worse in school. He got into white, insane rage at his teacher. There were various opinions about him: "Spoiled;" "Morally depraved;" "A thoroughly bad boy and anything you do will only spoil him more;" "No brains;" "Dangerous." After a long time I coaxed Leonardo to see the child specialist, and this doctor turned over two students to study his case. Leonardo improved just enough to enable the principal to promote him, but alas, during a short trial in shop some unfortunate incident oc- curred. However, in spite of himself Leonardo began to thaw and develop a quite charming smile, which he only allowed to show for a second. This kept on for several months. This March the principal told me, "Leonardo is no longer a problem; he has actually been promoted and I've given him several periods of shop." ANOTHER CASE 2. In April Joseph (8B) told his parents he "did not have to prepare any lessons at home." "He had to stay in the public library every evening until 10." His mother speaks English well, but is shy about it, so she did not come to see the teacher and principal to ascertain if this extraordinary statement really held water. When Joseph's report card had C's and D's on it last month, her husband suggested that it would be wise to go to school to have a talk with the teacher. In the meantime Joseph had be- come the poorest scholar in the graduating class. The visiting teacher was asked to see the parents and did not leave until the mother came back to school with her. A talk with Joseph, his teacher, his mother and the visiting teacher all together, about the exact hours, dates and obligations of school classes and school engagements, cleared the mother's mind and made Joseph realize that his lazy, deceitful ways must stop. The teacher tells me this week that his scholarship has decidedly improved. "You wouldn't believe how much." In June he graduated. 3. Another case is Romana (8B), a girl with a step-mother; the father is ill; has a miserable twelve-dollar-a-week job. There are eight step and half brothers and sisters. To eke out a bare livelihood Romana and her mother work on beaded georgette waists until midnight. Romana has been unable to go to the library to study even the required five times a month. Her geography, English and arithmetic have suffered until there was the gravest danger of her not graduating. After making a thorough home investigation myself I secured financial aid from a charitable associa- tion for May and June. This enabled Romana to give up beading waists and have time for sleep and study, and in June she graduated. 222 4. In one school I had cases from every grade, from kindergarten through junior high. The first semester I had a large number of cases from the 8B class that were in danger of not graduating. All graduated, except a few who were referred too late in the term, after I had re- arranged their home hygiene, method and schedule of home study and straightened out the relationship of the family to the child and to the school. A visiting teacher's position is so impersonal she can adjudicate misunderstandings between teacher and child, child and parent, or between the child and society. Parents, children and teachers always listen to one because of the impartial vantage ground that the visiting teacher occupies. Like all neutrals, the visiting teacher's neutrality has a slant which is in favor of the child. Among the younger children there were a great many cases of poverty and bad conditions which I worked very hard to remedy. I succeeded in getting the appropriate religious and social agencies enlisted to look after them, but did much of the social work myself. 5. In another school, eleven boys and girls in 8B were referred to me because their lessons were so poor and their home conditions dubious. Be- cause these cases were referred to me in April, long enough before the end of the term to get results, every one of them graduated. 6. A year ago a little 6-year-old girl in lA was referred to me by her teacher, who said she never saw such a peculiar, slow, heavy child. She simply could not count or learn to write. At home the father said, "Well, I suppose I must have some one in my family like my aunt's child!" The mother said, "She is very nervous always, pale, white, so scared she comes from school." But Grace told me she liked school. I concluded she was in the clutches of some nameless terror. I talked to the mother a long time about hygiene, diet, hours for going to bed, etc., and took her to a clinic for nervous children. Privately, I did not expect much improvement for years. So I was amazed the other day when this teacher said : "Oh, you never saw a child improve so much as Grace has since the time when you went to see her mother and explained how to treat her at home. I promoted her, and Miss G., the 2A teacher, says that she is getting on so fast she has been promoted twice since she was in my class, and she looks so much better." 7. Edward, twelve years of age, in the fourth grade, had been a chronic truant for several terms. He was becoming a disturbing element in the class room. When he attended school he annoyed his teacher and neighboring pupils. I could get little cooperation from the home. Edward was the youngest of thirteen children, and was considered "bright" at home. He was petted a great deal and permitted to do much as he pleased. I spoke to the boy several times. One day I asked, "Edward, why don't you like to come to school?" and he replied, "What's the use, I can't read, and I don't know what the teacher is talking about. I would rather go on 223 the hook." I tried hira in reading. He was unable to read the first and second grade readers, stumbling over the simplest words. I asked for a mental examination. He was found to be a borderline case with a decided reading disability. He was placed in a special class. Edward hasn't missed a day in school since he entered the special class. He is learning how to read. He is very much interested in his school work, and he is happier. 8. This suggested to me a means of helping other cases who had simi- lar difficulties. From the children referred to me I selected a group of forty in slow classes from the third and fifth grades in two different schools. The home of each child was visited. I arranged with Dr. Heckman of City College for psychological tests which were given to each child. Dr. Heckman also gave the group tests to 150 pupils. As a result of the individual tests we found, according to the Stanford-Binet intelligence tests, that 5 out of 40 measured up to average intelligence. The remaining 35 were classified as dull normals, borderline, and mental de- fectives. The Haggerty group tests showed : 150 pupils examined, from fourth and fifth grades, ages ranging from ten to fifteen years — 18 had I. Q.'s between 90 and 110, 39 had I. Q.'s between 80 and 90, 55 had I. Q.'s be- tween 70 and 80, 38 had I. Q.'s below 70. As a result of these tests two classes for the dull normal child with an adapted curriculum will be or- ganized. There is a large group of children for whom the curriculum is increasingly impossible as they go forward in the grades. Constant fail- ure, inattentiveness and most of all truancy is the result. We hope to shovy- that the school can do much if these pupils can be given an adapted curriculum. 9. During the year I succeeded in getting a number of pupils examined by the Department of Ungraded Classes. So many pupils were passed upon that the school was obliged to form another class for mentally defective children. 10. The work with the adolescent girl and boy in the sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth year classes were most important. I made every effort to give supervision to these children who are passing through a dangerous age. A little advice, friendly talks, and home visiting solves many prob- lems. 11. I assisted in the "stay-in-school drive." All pupils who graduated in January and signed to go to work or to remain at home were inter- viewed. Many homes were visited. I was able to persuade a number of children to register for high school and sent others to the trade schools. Pupils who applied for employment certificates, and who in the opinion of the assistants should be kept in school were referred to me. Individual talks and home visits kept pupils in school who would otherwise have sought employment. The New York Child Labor assisted with scholar- ships. The Henry Street Settlement and Vocational Guidance Committee, 224 tlunigh opposed to taking cliildrcn from the BrcMix, helped in giving voca- tional guidance to special pupils. I referred to them. 12. In a nearby school, a boy in an 8B class applied for his employ- ment certificate because he found it impossible to remain in school and graduate unless he could earn a little money to help out the family. Here was a plan to help both boys. I asked Tony if he v^^ould be willing to iielp a little boy with his arithmetic and grammar about one hour each day after school and earn $3 a week. Tony was delighted with the plan. .^rthur's mother was well able to pay the $3 a week, so Tony called at Arthur's home each day and helped him with his work. When the big boy came to Arthur's home, he was very attentive and anxious to learn. After three weeks we found Arthur much improved in arithmetic, from 40 to 100 per cent. He was promoted at the end of the term, though he was regarded as a failure at the beginning. Tony remained in 8B and graduated. The $3 a week helped supply the family with "little things." 13. Rebecca, twelve years old, in the 5B, "falls asleep in class; cannot do good work. She is an 'A' girl in conduct." The visitor made four visits during the day time and spent much time looking for the mother, who was reported by the neighbors "peddling candy around the school." Her efforts (Visiting Teacher) were unsuccessful, so a visit was made after 8 in the evening. The mother and step-father were found at home and the child's absence at that hour of the night called to their attention. The mother said it was necessary for the child to peddle candy at night in order to clothe herself, as the step-father refused to contribute enough support for his two step-children. The older girl, who was out of school, had lost her position and the father resented having to meet this loss in wages. The mother seemed afraid of the man and was trying to conceal from him the cause of the visit. The Visiting Teacher made it plain to the father that before the law he had assumed the care and protection of this child when he had married her mother and explained to him that she would keep the child under her special protection and invoke the aid of the court if the child was not properly provided for and kept at home at night. The penalty of allowing the child to work was brought to his at- tention. The mother was invited to meet the Visiting Teacher in school next day so as to instruct her as to her rights. The mother called and the child since comes adequately clothed and in condition to do her work. The visitor has made it her business to call at the home in the evening to see if the child was there and on her visit found the child at home. 14. Louis, fourteen years old, in the 6B, was reported for poor work and conduct, lateness and absence ; he had repeated many grades. Appeals to his mother always brought cooperation, but the result was not lasting. While talking things over with the boy it was discovered that most of the trouble was due to his having spent the greater part of his time outside of school gambling. He was receiving from ten to fifteen cents daily as 225 spending money and was one of a group of boys who were frequently late or absent, all due to the lure of the crap game. A visit was made when the father and an older brother were home and they promised to reduce the allowance until Louis would give up his friends and do better work in school. This he is doing and his teacher reports that he has very much improved in work and has had no lateness or absences since. 15. Harry, in the 6A, eleven years old, made no effort in his work, came dirty and had "C" for conduct. Three visits were made at night before the Visiting Teacher was able to find the father at home. The mother was dead and the father often worked late at night so the children were allowed to do as they pleased, not for lack of interest, but because there seemed to be no other way. After his responsibility was made clear to the father, a plan was devised by the Visiting Teacher whereby the boy's aunt was induced to assume a better supervision over this child and a daily report of his work and conduct sent to her, with the under- standing that she would immediately notify the father when the boy falls back into his bad habits. The Assistant Principal states that the boy has done very much better and will be promoted. HOME CONDITIONS 16. Little Concetta is eight years old. She used to be absent from school several half or whole days during the week. The rest of the time she would come to school looking dirty, forlorn, shy of teacher and school- mates. Upon visiting the family, I found the door locked and was speaking to their next door neighbor, when heavy steps on the rickety staircase, accompanied by sighs and lamentations in Italian, announced somebody's nearing the landing. It was the child's old grandmother, a very old woman, with innumerable wrinkles on her face. She had a heavy load of wood on her head, a pitiful sight to behold. She, it was, in whose care her dead daughter left Concetta and her two sisters. Their father is a day laborer. It needs no words to prove that this poor old woman was not the proper guardian for such young children — the oldest in school and thirteen, mothering her younger sisters as well as she could. She told me that Concetta does not like to be washed, that she faints when threatened with a visit to the public baths. I had several meetings with all three children. I taught the younger ones to obey their older sister, as they would their mother, and to learn how to keep clean even without her assistance. Several times the little ones presented themselves to me for inspection and the gradual change in their appearance was almost perfect. Finally they liked the idea of teaching the other little girls in the block to be as clean as they have learned to be and on Thursday, the days of my visits to this particular school, would bring to me one or two little converts to cleanliness. 226 17. Joseph is in a SB grade. He used to be absent from school with- out bringing any notes from his parents, as to the reason for his frequent absence. He would spend his time in the park, as he afterwards con- fessed to me, aU)ne, without any companions. Study? He did have this in his mind. Upon visiting his home I found that both his father and mother were going out to work, though he was their only child. They needed money to go back to Italy, the neighbors explained to me. The boy was so pitifully neglected physically and mentally as to have lost all resemblance with a civilized being. Cordial talks with the boy, examples of great Americans famiUar to him, l^roke the stubborn resistance to all attem])t at confidence and repeated appeal to his better nature, an inno- cent 1)ribe in the shape of a ball gradually brought about our mutual friendship and resulted in the boy's personal cleanliness, regular school attendance and improved scholarship followed by promotion to a higher grade. 18. Arthur is in a 7B grade and shows very good ability for drawing. He is tall, healthy, looks older than his age. On several occasions I called on his mother to see why he was neglected, why he was sent to school in rags and often without food. I found his mother nervous, erratic. From the boy I learned afterwards that the clean clothes his mother showed me as rejected by him belonged to his older brother, whom his parents favored, as he worked and brought his meager earnings to the family. The boy's earnest wish is to graduate from public school and enter Cooper Union to continue his studies, especially drawing. His father wanted him to go to work now, refusing to support him another year. I visited his home again. It was a hard task to bring this almost feeble-minded mother to rational thinking. She promised, however, to plead with the father and, word by word, I made her repeat what she was to say to him. I advised the boy also to approach his father in a respectful way, asking his per- mission to remain in public school another year till graduation, and ex- plaining the better future for himself and family. He succeeded, pro- vided the father would not have to support him during this year, above giving him food and shelter. The boy has secured a position for the summer. He promised me to save all he can from his wages, and if neces- sary I shall try to get a scholarship for him in the fall. And so, I hope that a broader road will open before him by way of Cooper Union next year. These visiting teachers are doing a fine piece of work as witnessed by all principals who have had them assigned to their schools. The call for a much larger number of them to engage in their special work is insistent. It was expected that we could increase the force by at least nine this year and more the coming year, but apparently this cannot be done owing to a lack of funds. 227 If we could have forty-eight visiting teachers, one for each dis- trict in the city, the problem of incipient truancy and delinquency would be solved to a very large extent, school attendance would be improved, overage and retardation lessened, and many, many more of our boys and girls would be kept in school and induced to be more worth-while citizens. H. C. HALLENBECK, PRINTER NEW YORK , J/pes' « ,. i ,, - V> - 5:sNsSa;^ a «J^^ ^ i^C^^ «* , ^ '^•^^'\ ^<'S'> y^^<\ ^°t'^< .■^^^