portunity is for discovery of truth and the application of new found truth to the solution of problems. The danger is that of which the conservative always reminds us: "You are destroying our Gods and replacing them with new and unknown idols." But it is a real danger. The good which has been accomplished must be preserved. It is, however, and always will be, the lesser danger. It is more easy to keep things as they are than to change. Where we find one fruitful searcher for new truth, we find a thousand who want to keep the old with all its good and all its evil and errors. ARTHUR RAYMOND MEAD OHIO WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY A TESTED METHOD OF USING TESTS FOR VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE1 MENTAL tests have been suggested and sometimes tried in various ways as an aid in vocational guidance. However, the suggestions are often more speculative, though attractive, than they are practical. This paper is a brief report of a method for using tests which has given positive results, sults in helping solve a practical problem. The Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company each year employs about three hundred engineers who have just been graduated from technical schools and colleges. All these men have had practically the same training; but they must be differentiated and placed in different lines of engineering according to their special interests and aptitudes. The aim is not to discover which engineers are best for any particular kind of work; for a few very capable men might be best in all lines; but the aim is to discover in what line of work each engineer will function most efficiently and satisfactorily. The practical problem is to determine methods and means for selecting and placing young engineers in the type of work which they can do best. Other means of differentiating these engineers having been evaluated and proven inadequate, a test to determine special capacities was constructed in two parts. Part I was to indicate sales capacity, and Part II was to indicate design engineering capacity. After this test had been tried out on other groups and revised several times, it was finally given to 30 design engineers and 59 sales engineers. Now the practical purpose of the test is to separate the men who are to be sales engineers from those who are best fitted to be design engineers. A single score in a sales test or in an engineering test could not be relied upon to place the men; for the good all-around man would do best in both kinds of work, and best in both kinds of tests. However, some measure of the kinds of capacities or the differences in intelligence could be obtained by subtracting the score of each man in one test from his score in the other test. The practical use of this method is to rank the men according to the algebraical differences between their respective scores in Part I and Part II, and then count down the list until the desired number of sales engineers is obtained. That is, the man who did well in Part I, but poorly in Part II, would rank high in the list according to the algebraic difference between his score in Part I and his score in Part II; and he would be chosen for sales engineering. This method, theoretically, selects the men who can function most efficiently as sales engineers, and leaves those who can function most efficiently as design engineers. To check this method of classifying and ability of each individual to deal with Part I differs from his ability to deal with Part II. That is, the ratio or quotient of a man's score in Part I divided by his score in Part II changes geometrically instead of algebraically as this man's special ability is greater or less. This probably makes the results agree more nearly with the practical considerations; for the extreme cases of special ability should be markedly differentiated. The genius is valued probably far greater than an actual measurement of capacity on a linear scale would indicate. The results of dealing with the scores by this method are presented graphically in ically in Diagram 1. Considering the diagram as a fourfold table, this method of interpreting the results differentiates the men so that of those classed as sales engineers, 79 per cent. are correctly so classed; and of those classed as design engineers, 49 per cent. are correctly so classed. The correlation between the test results treated in this way and the actual classification was ru .45. A similar and simpler method of treating the results is to transmute the raw score into percentile ranks, and subtract the percentile rank in Part II from the percentile rank in Part I. Tu = A still better method of dealing with two tests or two parts of a test to differentiate special capacity is to divide the score in Part I by the score in Part II for each individual. This is the method which is the simplest, and it is the one which gives the most efficient use of the test as a means of differentiating the men. This method magnifies the differences among the individuals which are indicated by the fact that the Diagram 2. Differentiation Obtained by Dividing Scores in Part I by Scores in Part II. Considering the diagram as a four-fold table, the engineers indicated by the test as sales engi neers are 81 per cent. correctly so classified; and the engineers indicated by the test as design engineers are 63 per cent. correctly so classified. ru +.70. Diagram 2. Considering the diagram as a fourfold table, we have the engineers differentiated as follows: Assuming that if an engineer's score in Part I of the test is more than 3.2 times his score in Part II, he is a sales engineer, and that if his score in Part I is less than 3.2 times his score in Part II, he is a design engineer or a pure type of engineer, this test divides the engineers so that 81 per cent. of those above this critical ratio (Part I at least as much as 3.2 times Part II) are sales engineers; and 63 per cent. of those below it are design engineers or of a purely engineering type. The correlation between the test results treated in this way and the actual classification of the men was r"= +.70. The The previous practice has been to place the engineers according to their interests, but often the graduate engineers could not decide themselves what work they would prefer. A test or scale of interests was prepared to determine the ratio or per cent. of interest in the various lines of work. essential feature of this test was to request the subject to check a list of names of occupations with a plus or minus according as he would like to follow or would not like to follow the various occupations. In various trials of this test, design engineers, sales engineers and insurance salesmen showed a definite tendency to like or be interested in occupations which in nature of work were similar to those occupations in which they were already successful. kind of occupation which they thought would give them the greatest satisfaction to follow was a significant criterion of the kind of work in which they could be and were already successful. Assuming that we did not know the actual occupations of the engineers, those engineers which this test of interests alone would select for sales engineering, would be 89 per cent. correctly placed or classified; and the men which this test of interest selected for design engineering would be 69 per cent. correctly placed or classified. This is shown graphically in Diagram 3. The The correlation between the results of the test of interests and the results of the test of special capacities is r+.50. This tends to show not only that there is high correlation between interests and special ability, but also that the test of interests and the test of special capacity give reliable results. During the two years following this first study in August, 1920, many additional graduate engineers have been tested as they were employed by the firm. Also, the later records or careers of the men tested have been followed up and checked against the predictions of the tests. Of 58 graduate engineers who took the test of interests in 1920 and 1921, the later assignment and success were followed up in May, 1922. This later check-up shows that this test of interests, alone, would have placed 85 per cent. of these men in the line of work in which they are now successful. We have the data on 121 graduate engi neers who took the special engineering test, Parts I and II, in 1920 or 1921. This special ability test classified 68 per cent. of the men as they were later segregated by the executives of the company after they had supervised the work of the engineers for a few months. We have been able to follow up the later success of 76 of these men; and we find that the test alone would have placed 74 per cent. of these men in the line of work in which they are now successful. These two facts together, that is, the fact that the earlier classification of the men placed 68 per cent. of the men in agreement with the predictions of the test, and the fact that a later classification placed 74 per cent. of the men in agreement with the predictions of the test indicates that the accuracy of the test becomes more evident the longer the men have been at their work, and thus the more accurate the criterion of their success is. Several of the men had been released or had left the company. The data that we have indicates that those who left were more likely to be among those who were shown by the tests to be misplaced. We have record of only two men whose assignment had been changed from what it had been at first; but in both cases the change was from disagree ment with the test of special capacity and the test of interests to agreement with the indications of these tests, although the indications of these tests were not the cause of the change of assignment. There are 41 men, for whom we have criteria of later success, who were classified as sales engineers or as design engineers by both the test of special capacity and the test of interest. Thirty-seven of these men, or 90 per cent., were classified by both tests alike for the same work in which they are now successful. A search is made to fix the responsibility for this "attempt to restrict public school teaching, which is both menacing and undeniable,” and "much of the pressure," it is found, “has come from local bodies, such as chambers of commerce, rotary clubs and the like." The report blames, as an original impetus, "the wave of hysteria against 'radicalism' which passed over the country during and immediately after the war, spread indiscriminately in the press, pulpit and other organs of expression, and directed even against ordinary liberal movements and organized labor," and, second, the calculated propaganda of national organizations. After commenting on the comparatively small number of students taking the social sub According to the data that we already have, our conclusions are that these aids for placing engineers are proving to have a practical degree of reliability, and that the jects as electives, and on the fact that nearly all method or general principles upon which the practice is based may be accepted as sound. The Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company is now using these tests as definite practical aids in classifying and placing the graduate engineers as they come from the technical schools and colleges. BRUCE V. MOORE ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF PSYCHOLOGY, PENNSYLVANIA STATE COLLEGE EDUCATIONAL EVENTS COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION OF THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF LABOR AFTER 15 months of investigation the Committee on Education of the American Federa the instruction in these courses is still concentrated in the later years of high schools, the report deplores the delay of instruction in subject-matters of such fundamental importance until the last two years of high school-which means, since a large number of students drop out before graduation, that many never benefit by these courses. "Thus," urges the report, "it appears that there is a very decided need for the immediate reorganization of the curricula of most of our junior and senior high schools, so as to provide adequate opportunity for instruction in these important subjects." WORLD ESSAY CONTEST FOR 1923-24 THE American School Citizenship League has announced the subjects and terms of the World Essay Contest for 1923-24. This competition, open to students of all countries, is for three prizes of $75, $50 and $25 for the best essays in each of two sets. The subject for the competition open to students in normal schools and teachers' colleges is "Methods of promoting world friendship through education." The subject assigned for seniors in secondary schools is "The organization of the world for the prevention of war." The contest will close June 1, 1924. The United States judges are: Milton Bennion, dean, School of Education, University of Utah; M. L. Brittain, president, Georgia School of Technology; Miss Sarah A. Dynes, Sun Prairie, Wisconsin; Harry A. Miller, Central Michigan Normal School, Mt. Pleasant, Michigan; J. B. Brown, Tennessee State Department of Public Instruction; Miss Annie C. Woodward, High School, Somerville, Mass.; M. P. Shawkey, president, Marshall College; John W. Hall, dean, School of Education, University of Nevada; A. Duncan Yocum, School of Education, University of Pennsylvania. Each essay must be accompanied by a topical outline and a bibliography with brief notes on each book. Essays must not exceed 5,000 words, and must be written, preferably in typewriting, on one side only of paper 82 x 11 inches with a margin of at least 14 inches. Manuscripts not easily legible will not be considered. The name of the writer must not appear on the essay, which should be accompanied by a letter giving the writer's name, school, and home address, and sent to Mrs. Fannie Fern Andrews, secretary, American School Citizenship League, 405 Marlborough Street, Boston 17, Mass., not later than June 1, 1924. LESSONS ON HIGHWAY SAFETY MISS TERESA M. LENNEY, a teacher in the New Rochelle, New York, public schools, contributed the best practical lesson on highway safety entered in the 1922 national contest, according to announcement by the Highway Education Board. More than 60,000 elementary school teachers competed. Judges who reviewed the lessons were Mrs. Louis N. Geldert, Washington, D. C., national president, League of American Pen Women; Dr. A. B. Meredith, Hartford, Conn., commissioner of education for Connecticut, and Dr. Ernest Hamlin Abbott, New York City, editor of The Outlook. They served at the request of the United States Commisisoner of Education, Dr. John J. Tigert. Second national honors in the 1922 lesson contest were awarded the lesson plan by Miss Henrietta M. Hornberger, a teacher in Pueblo, Colorado, schools, who will receive a check for three hundred dollars. Miss Clyde V. White, Briggs School, Portsmouth, Virginia, is the recipient of a check for two hundred dollars, a token of third national honors awarded for the lesson she entered in the contest. Miss Lenney's reward is five hundred dollars in cash and a trip to Washington with all expenses paid, her prizes the gifts of the National Automobile Chamber of Commerce. Altogether more than one thousand dollars is thus given by the automotive organization to stimulate interest and concern in the problems of highway safety, aside from a more substantial sum, approximately $4,500, given children for essays on the subject. The contests, which were renewed with the same inducements in 1923, were conducted under the auspices of the Highway Education Board, with the active cooperation and support of state departments of education and school officials generally. Four other teachers were awarded honorable mention. They are Miss Geneviève L. White, State Graded School, Mazomanie, Wisconsin; Miss Josie Jaynes, Goodson Rural School, Hughes Springs, Texas; Miss Bertha E. Wienbar, Conway Springs Graded School, Conway Springs, Kansas, and Mr. M. K. Tschirgi, Sheridan, Wyoming. They will not receive awards, but their lessons were considered as ranking next to those so designated by the committee. Miss Lenney's lesson was taught to seventh grade pupils as a part of a lesson in civics. She obtained a portion of her material from actual observations with her class at an "intersection of streets where traffic was heavy." "The streets," she says, "were used by a great variety of moving vehicles and various classes of people. The careless, reckless, heedless, ignorant behavior of the average person on the streets convinced the pupils that traffic laws must exist; that they must be known; that they must be enforced, and that accidents are avoided with ease when a few simple traffic rules are strictly adhered to." |