An Appraisal of an Elementary School Reorganization in Terms of its Effect upon the Children Who Attend It

Abstract

The public school of America has attempted to fulfill the democratic ideal of providing equal educational opportunity for all. In so doing there seems to have been a growing tendency toward standard school organiza tions. In the interest of economy and good business procedure it is pos sible to conceive that standardization may have taken priority over the individual needs of little children. Yet the platoon school as a type of standard organization has shown itself to be flexible enough to be adapted to the varying needs of the school. This study is submitted as evidence in support of this claim. The predominant form of the elementary school in Pittsburgh is the platoon type of organization. It usually includes Grades IB to 6A. One home room teacher is required to teach the home room subjects to two platoons. The platoons alternating with each other usually report to the home room teacher for two consecutive periods. While one platoon re ports to the home room teacher the other reports to special subjects teach ers for single periods. The standard platoon school has fulfilled a definite administrative need. Yet as a type of organization it has not been without fault. As schools and groups of children fail to measure up to established norms there is evidence of a need for the adaptation of school organizations to the special needs of children. The problem of the present study arose from the investigator's obser vation of many and varied types of pupil maladjustments in a standard platoon school under his supervision. In January, 1935, the Shakespeare Elementary School was reorganized along new lines, from a standard type of platoon school to a remedial group plan of organization. This re organization of the school naturally led to the need for scientific evalua tion of the results of that change. The purpose of this study is to appraise the reorganization of a school from a platoon type to a remedial type organization. Such an appraisal must of necessity be in terms of the change, development or growth of the children who attend the school. The study is confined to one school; the Shakespeare Elementary 91