University of Massachusetts Amherst ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014 1950 An Evaluation of the Holyoke High School Commercial Department. Helen M. Hawley University of Massachusetts Amherst Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/theses Hawley, Helen M., "An Evaluation of the Holyoke High School Commercial Department." (1950). Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014. 2747. Retrieved from https://scholarworks.umass.edu/theses/2747 This thesis is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. It has been accepted for inclusion in Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014 by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. For more information, please contact [email protected]. AN EVALUATION OF THE HOLYOKE HIGH SCHOOL KGIaL i : r- -- ! 1AWLEY -1950 IQ' 3234 M268 1950 H396 AN EVALUATION QT THE HOLYOKE Him SCHOOL i* •«. ■ * » •? COKMEiCL.L DSPABtHaHT i Ol f, BY HEUSH It. HAttJU&ff A problem presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of science Degree University of Massachusetts 1950 • *• 3A&it& or coi;z*ra» Pago or comrnts.... ut uui or * . * ... m oim'sa i ~ a*;, . * *. g typo* or Position* Held by High School Oruduatoiii* . g Convene iai evocation—.. training for Ufe * • • • • g Hood for Cultural background curing ninth and tenth Year** • •*•**., 3 beginning of Vocational frond in levonth Year* • * 4 Vocational irend Continued Curing twelfth Year. • * b Plight oi bookkeeping wtudont • •••»•*•»•• b ingll&h c our a a beano Votvara Collage Preparatory training •••*•••••••«•/••*•«• 4 ViOakiioaQ of Commercial ohucatian* ••••••••• 7 Coed for epoeific C itara for as tabliehlng btan- dards for Comaoreiul draining Program© « • • • * 7 C8ma XI •— PaQBhSM AMD OUXLISE OP 9 statement of Problem* • ••••«•••**••*• 9 Subject* and Material©* •.»••*«••••••• 9 Procoduro . ••••*••*•«••«••• 10 **««» Xli — 12 wtt&jec to studied In Holyoke High School found Usoful on the Job* •***«*••••••••* 12 gyo tom Uaod in Bating importance of subject© Studied at Holyoke High achooi *•«••»••• 13 Interpretation of data* ,,.*•***•••*««. lb Value divan hnglich by Cosmoreial graduate© * • • • lb Value of Office Uaehim&a* ... Id iv - Pago Value of Filing • *•••••««•••••••* xa Value Given X7 Value of I0» thematic©* 17 Value of Ete*x»^aphy# *•«*##•»«••«•« 17 V&luo of Other ouhjocta • •••••••••«*« 10 U&jocto, liot Studied at iiolyoko High School, skich kight Have Helped on the Jofc •...•• CD Oe&s&nd for speech • »••*«•••«•••••• so ittaond for ^uioaiaanahip • «•••• . 21 Demand for bookkeeping* bofiire Expressed for Oouroo in Commercial lav • • 2Z bo^and for iiu&ine so English *••••*•••»• 82 Gemnd for French • •*«*•••«•»•»••• S3 Demand for Other subject© •••••••••••• S3 Ooggaatiom for Adjusting the .iolyoko High ^oliool Commercial Course • •«•••••••• 84 Other ^oggeetions Had© by Graduates *»*•••• 84 Holyoke High School i© Training for the Job • • • 31 aairfsa iv — or sqhy^ or g>3#UTiv;ft 34 History of Survey • ••*••»•••««•»•• 34 Answers Given to ^aeetioimaire by .x outlvoo. ♦ • 35 Conclusions Drawn from ^UwOtioimairo. «••••• 35 Explanation of Scoring System •••••••«•« 37 Interpretation of Data* ... 40 Suggestions for Improvement of Holyoke iiitfi oeiiool Commercial Department • •«•«•••• 41 . .. » v * . U'.V ;1 '* Page ^notations Taken from Utwra Written by dueloose . btocutivas* ••*•• • •*••«•* 40 cuggestiona From Executive* an Improving . the Holyoke High Cckoal Cej&merei&l Coarse* • • 45 Continue P lae an&mt Service* *••«••*»•»* 4$ Course in Personality Training suggested* • • • • 44 Absenteeism, One of the Problems of Management* * 4? Problems of the business Teacher* • ••****, 47 cfi\«nu* v —a..,*. or uc:cjjniatg» . * so ^"•**^®l**W®**fc,,*e,l*^****^,,,**^***',***,-**®*,****,*,***,,!*—k*4)^ ’ '*' iia******ii***a*w=e**»fc(*0<^*(i^Kp States oat of Problem* • •**•••••••••• so Conefusions cravn from This aurvey. • •••«*• SO Mare PriU on ngiish Grammar buggaated * • • * * 50 Desire expressed for More &erk in apeeeh. • • * • 51 kora Practice in Me thorns ties Indicated* ***** 51 Course in aaiessunship Duggosted* •••••••• 50 Reed for a general Clerical Coarse* ••*«••• 52 Rood for a broad, Cultural background *••••• S3 m 54 .. Cajssssruial Curriculum .*••••»**••«*• 54 Description of Content of Comoroial Coarse * * * 40 ^aaetionmiro cent to graduates »•**•••«* 47 Fo Hookup Card cent to Graduates* «••••••• 60 ^aoctiorsnaire Cant to Cxscut Ives. •*••*••• 69 Cottar Peking Executive© for Cooperation* * * • * 70 w V- ' • —■— * - « «• - • . x- ’?<& • ■ . “ . * . • • • . ■ •. V .... ■ . «. V if * •> . ' - M •» .. - ' * ;iVr ,,-te * t 1 V .. I* X / .• ’ mb. > ... * '« * •» » ' V *' * ■ m ■ Pago ft&L£ I subject© studied at lioXyoka High School Found Useful on the Job* ««••••• IS •i > ► Subjects Studied at xiolyoko High School Found UcefuX on the Job (arranged according to order ©X importance)* • • 14 XA&L& III —• wuojoctc, got Studied at xiolyoke *Hgh School, thick Might Hava Helped on the Job • ••«•••*«*•••• 19 Xj&U£ XV — X'ypos ©X iouitiom Hold by Graduate# * * • 30 H'&U* V ~ ^uaiiXic^tiono Considerod Moot Important by Smpleyer© in Interviewing Proa* pec tive gaployecfi* •••••••«*• 37 1* .SSS VI ~ acoro Sheet for jniiif lcatione* • • « • • 39 CHAPTER X PRODUCTION CHAPTER I INTRODUC TION The subject matter taught in the commercial course of any high school is determined by what the students desire to do af¬ ter graduation from high school* The majority of high school students do not continue their education, but go to work im¬ mediately after graduation. Therefore, it is necessary for any commercial department to determine what types of positions their graduates will fill, and how capably they fill them. Types of Positions Held by High School Graduates — Most of the graduates of the commercial department will find positions in offices doing stenographic work, typing, general office work, or bookkeeping. Another large group will find work in retail stores as clerks. A need arises, then, to teach these pupils the tools needed for their respective po¬ sitions. Commercial Education—A Training for Life — Commercial education, today, is not the narrow training which was cus¬ tomary in the early days of commercial education. We are not training typists, or stenographers for the job alone, but w© must be mindful of the fact that these people will also be en¬ gaged In activities as citizens of this democracy. They will be consumers as well as producers; they will make contracts; they will engage in community projects, and they will vote* The business curriculum must involve broader outcomes than purely commercial. The pupils must be prepared for active citizenship in a democracy. If they are not to be one-sided - O - individuals, they must be educated mentally, morally, and phy¬ sically. The commercial department must also be mindful of that group of pupils who do not remain to graduate. They must have a general training which fits them to take their places as citizens. They must have the basic tools, civic training, and health education which will enable them to take their places in society. Need for a Cultural Background During Ninth and Tenth Years With all these problems in mind, the Holyoke High School Commer¬ cial Department has tried to so arrange the sequence of subjects that a commercial student will have a general background during his ninth and tenth years, and more specialized training during the eleventh and twelfth years. During the ninth year, a commercial student elects only one commercial subject. Junior Business Training. This sub¬ ject is valuable for all as it deals with information which all intelligent individuals must be familiar with, such as checking accounts, reading time-tables, making telephone calls, budget¬ ing, etc. The rest of his course is general in nature and in¬ cludes the necessary fundamentals of English, Mathematics, and General Science. In the tenth year, Bookkeeping and Typewriting are the two commercial subjects. While Industrial Geography is studied during this year, this subject is more general in outlook since it deals with countries, peoples, and industries and endoev- ora to glv© an understanding of the peoples of the world* T sn the com ercial ©ubjeete taught during tlue sophomore year are only partly vocational* The cauras in Bookkeeping, for Instance, endeavors to give more of a background for busi¬ ness rather than to teach bookkeepers. Chocklr^j account© are used; business papers are studied; budget© are followed; and sinple rules for accounts are used. I bile fypwritlng is aain* ly eoasawiil in nature, part of the year is spent on personal letter writing, and the typing of manuscripts, this program of studies leaves the sophomore one period a day for an elective* P*3lnni^^^ . in lovobth fea^ — The trend in the eleventh year is vocational* ^hi© year, a pupil oust sake a choice bots/oon the b topographic and bookkeeping Courses* If a pupil chooses the b telegraphic Course, he Ims a full-tioa schedule with five major subjects plus Physical education* Holyoke High school operates on a six-period day and the steno¬ graphic student bos the following subjects; English 1X1, Si©&* ograpby X» Typewriting II, U* S* History, business Arithmetic, and Physical £. ucc.tlon* Llth five major subjects, and one minor, be has no time to elect bookkeeping even though ho would like to continue with it along with his Stenographic Course* Another conflict arising at this time is the desire of some of the pupils to continue a fear sign language