DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE INSTRUCTION SECRETARY'S MINUTES OFFICERS President W. H. TIMBIE, head of applied science department, Wentworth Institute. Vice-President-CHESTER B. CURTIS, principal, Central High School. Boston, Mass. Secretary-FRED D. Barber, professor of physics, State Normal University......Normal, Ill. FIRST SESSION-TUESDAY FORENOON, JULY 2 In the absence of President W. H. Timbie and Vice-President Chester B. Curtis, the meeting was called to order at 9:00 a.m. in the physical-science room of the Schenley High School by H. A. Calderwood, head of the electrical department of the Carnegie Institute of Technology. Ruth Hogan, Schenley High School, was appointed secretary. The topic for the session was "Applied Science the Foundation of Modern Society as Revealed by the War," on which the following program was presented: "Application of Science to Industry”—E. R. Weidlein, acting director of the Mellon Institute, Pittsburgh, Pa. "Cooperation in Essential Industries as a Result of the War"-E. P. Harris, professor, Carnegie Institute of Technology, Pittsburgh, Pa. "Work at the University of Pittsburgh and the Carnegie Institute of Technology with the Soldiers Stationed There"-H. A. Calderwood, head of the electrical department, Carnegie Institute of Technology, Pittsburgh, Pa. "Demonstration of the Microscope Illuminator"-Alexander Silverman, professor, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa. Following these papers the members entered into a general discussion on "Applied Science the Foundation of Modern Society," after which a visit was made to the laboratories of the Schenley High School, which were open for inspection. SECOND SESSION-WEDNESDAY FORENOON, JULY 3 The meeting was called to order by C. C. Dunning, of the Peabody High School, Pittsburgh, Pa. Pa. The following program was presented: "Demonstration of Class Work"-P. M. Dysart, Schenley High School, Pittsburgh, "Technical Training for Soldiers"-William E. Mott, dean of the School of Applied Science, Carnegie Institute of Technology, Pittsburgh, Pa. A general discussion on "How We Can Preserve Our Civilization or Our Reorganized Society so as to Get the Maximum Benefit of Each Man's Talents and Activities," led by Mr. Dunning, concluded the session. THIRD SESSION-FRIDAY FORENOON, JULY 5 The following program was presented: Survey of the Chemistry Taught in the High Schools of Pennsylvania❞—Alexander Silverman, University of Pittsburgh, Pa. Officers for the next year were elected as follows: President-Arthur S. Williston, director of Wentworth Institute, Boston, Mass. Vice-President-E. R. Weidlein, acting director, Mellon Institute, Pittsburgh, Pa. Secretary-George R. Twiss, state high-school inspector, Columbus, Ohio. DEPARTMENT OF SPECIAL EDUCATION SECRETARY'S MINUTES OFFICERS President JOSEPH P. BYERS, 701-2 Empire Building.. Children.... Secretary-EMMA KOHNKY, Burnet and Hearne Avenues.. .Philadelphia, Pa. ... Portland, Ore. . Cincinnatti, Ohio FIRST SESSION-TUESDAY FORENOON, JULY 2 The meeting was called to order by President Joseph P. Byers at nine o'clock in the School for the Blind, Bellefield and Bayard streets. After patriotic singing led by Walter Earnest, tenor, Pittsburgh, Pa., the following program was presented: "The Educational Significance of Psychological Examining in the Army"-Robert F. Yerkes, major, Sanitary Corps, U.S.A., Washington, D.C. "The Practice Value of Psychological Tests-Do They Find the Bright and Dull Pupils ?"-Bertha M. Luckey, director of the psychological clinic, public schools, Cleveland, Ohio; A. H. Sutherland, school psychologist, Los Angeles, Calif.; Frank Cody, assistant superintendent of schools, Detroit, Mich.; Norbert J. Melville, director of the Psychological Laboratory, Philadelphia, Pa. SECOND SESSION-WEDNESDAY FORENOON, JULY 3 The following program was presented: "Classes for Subnormal Children"-Alexander Johnson, field secretary, Committee on Provision for the Feeble-minded, Philadelphia, Pa. "What and How to Teach Defectives"-Charlotte Steinbach, supervisor of special classes, Cleveland, Ohio. "Overcoming the Objections of Parents to the Special Class-Can it be Done? How?"-H. E. Blackmar, superintendent of schools, Ottumwa, Iowa; Anna M. Kordsiemon, supervisor of Special School, Quincy, Ill. "Teachers for Special Classes"-Eleanor A. Gray, director of department for supervisors and teachers of subnormal children, State Normal and Training School, Oswego, N.Y. THIRD SESSION-THURSDAY AFTERNOON, JULY 4 The following program was presented: "The Value of Follow-Up Work (after Supervision) of Special-Class Pupils-Its Effect on the Pupil, the Home, the Teacher. Does This Follow-Up Work Belong to the School? Can It Be Wholly or Partially Delegated to Other Agencies? If So, to What Agencies ?"-Mamie Franks, special-class teacher, Oklahoma City, Okla.; Charlotte Steinbach, supervisor of special classes, Cleveland, Ohio. "Does the Special Class Equip Pupils for Industrial Employment (or Unskilled, Domestic Work, Shop, or Factory) in the Community? Can the Cooperation of Employers during and following the Period of School Training be Secured, and How?”— Edith A. Scott, director of special classes, Rochester, N.Y.; N. M. Slauson, superintendent of schools, Ann Arbor, Mich.; E. R. Whitney, superintendent of schools, Schenectady, N.Y.; David B. Corson, superintendent of schools, Newark, N.J. FOURTH SESSION-FRIDAY FORENOON, JULY 5 The following program was presented: "The Advantage of the Special School over Segregated_Classes"-Wilmer Kinnan, assistant superintendent of schools, Lynn, Mass.; W. P. Roseman, superintendent of schools, Sheboygan, Wis. The election of officers resulted as follows: President-Joseph P. Byers, Philadelphia, Pa. PAPERS AND DISCUSSIONS THE PRACTICAL VALUE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS-DO THEY FIND THE BRIGHT AND DULL PUPILS? BERTHA M. LUCKEY, DIRECTOR OF THE PSYCHOLOGICAL CLINIC, PUBLIC SCHOOLS, CLEVELAND, OHIO In any public school system we have a group of backward and retarded children. As far as their school work is concerned they are subnormal, but this alone does not tell us whether they are really subnormal mentally, or whether because of poor environment, physical, social, or otherwise, they have been held back. If we are to bring these children up to the standard of their age they will need special tutoring. In this group, however, there are those, so mentally inferior as to be clast as feeble-minded children, who, because of their lack of mental capacity, will never be able to grasp the regular academic branches. How shall we separate these children so that the feeble-minded group shall get its particular training and the others who can be benefited by it shall receive special tutoring? Shall we leave it to the teachers and doctors? Can they, without use of psychological tests, make a judgment as to the mental ability of these children? The doctor can judge of the child's physical well-being, his physical development, and also whether any special stigmata of degeneracy are present. Both the physician and the teacher have the personal appearance and actions of the child from which to make their judgment, but appearances may be deceiving. As a rule, in our clinic, children are examined who are suspected of feeble-mindedness by the principal, teacher, or doctor. However, during this past year we were askt to examine a group of boys in our boys' school. The boys had been sent to this school because of troublesomeness in school or truancy, or because of some more serious trouble which had brought them under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court. One hundred and seventy-three boys were examined; they were in the first to the sixth grades, inclusive. In this school an effort was made to place the boys in the grade where they could do the best work. For example, if a boy's |