1940: Progressive Education

The year 1940 brought to a close one of the most significant experiments in American education. Eight years ago, under the leadership of the Progressive Education Association, thirty secondary schools, in cooperation with two hundred and fifty universities and colleges in the United States, began an experiment to improve their educational programs. The biggest obstacle in the way of freedom to experiment was the college entrance examinations and specific course requirements. To overcome this difficulty, the cooperating colleges and universities agreed to waive all the usual requirements for graduates of these thirty secondary schools.

The first students from these schools entered college in 1936. They were watched closely. Now the colleges are faced with these facts which they have helped to gather.

The graduates of these progressive schools had slightly better grades in standard school subjects than were achieved by a matched group that came through the conventional courses and examination requirements. The more extremely progressive the high school, the better work its graduates did in college. A group who had had no higher mathematics in high school surpassed their classmates in every college subject, including mathematics.

Progressive school graduates entered into more extracurricular activities, took a more active interest in politics and art, talked more, wrote more, listened to more speeches and music, read more books, went to more dances and had more dates.

The results of this experiment cast grave doubt on the traditional standards imposed for college preparation and is a distinct victory for progressive education. The exact results for improving high school education the future alone can tell. Already colleges and universities are continuing the move recently begun of making entrance requirements more liberal and course requirements more flexible.

While such experiments have substantiated the claims of the progressive educators, international and national events have created new problems for this liberal movement. Under the banner of defense, school budgets have been attacked and under the stress of the times, some schoolmen have announced a return to the three R's and the earlier conventional programs. The Progressive Education Association, to direct education to the tasks to which schools might contribute regarding national defense, advanced a nine-point program as follows:

(1) A study of America and the people of this nation.

(2) A study of human and material resources and how they are used.

(3) Work experiences for children and youth.

(4) An understanding of the achievements of our Government.

(5) Studying and living democratically.

(6) Emphasis on good human relationships.

(7) Health.

(8) World citizenship.

(9) Adult education.

This program has received the general support of all national associations and schoolmen everywhere. It is the first concrete proposal offered for American education in time of national emergency. All American education will probably be working along these lines in the years ahead.