Teacher grading: When a 4.0 was poor in Hopewell Township
A York County Teachers’ Provisional Certificate for Samuel S. Matthews includes his examination results in five subjects: Orthography, Reading, Writing, Written Arithmetic and Teaching. With a grade point average of 2.1, Samuel was granted a provisional teachers certificate for one year; during the 1859-1860 school year.
A 4.0 grade point average signified Poor performance in the 1800s. Back then, striving to be number one in exams meant striving for a 1.0 grade.
The teachers certificate explains the grading system: No. 1, signifies Very Good; 2, Good; 3, Middling; 4, Poor; and 5, Very Poor. Somewhere in the 1900s, the grade numbering system flip-flopped to higher numbers being desired.
During the 1885-1886 school year, the School Directors of Hopewell Township, York County, PA, used a combination of teachers’ grade point average on their certificate and a mark given by the school directors, based upon in-class teaching ability to set the teachers’ pay. The same No. 1 through 5 grading system was used for the Directors Mark.
The Certificates and Directors Mark were averaged, and the resulting Salary Mark set each teachers pay.
During the 1885-1886 school year, a Salary Mark of less than 1.5 resulted in pay of $32.00 per month; from 1.5 to 2.0, $28.00 per month; from 2.0 to 2.5, $26.00 per month; and over 2.5, $24.00 per month. For the 1885-1886 school year, I’ve listed the 27 teachers, and one-room school where they taught, in Hopewell Township; from best to worst [Salary Mark]:
Salary of $32.00 per month (33% above lowest salary)
- [1.00] Lizzie Gable (Gemmill’s, 2 mos)
- [1.20] M. Elmer Bailey (Gemmill’s, 3 mos)
- [1.27] Ella M. Ebaugh (Ebaugh’s)
- [1.39] T. Benton Baird (Hyson’s)
- [1.47] Amanda M. Duncan (Round Hill)
Salary of $28.00 per month (17% above lowest salary)
- [1.53] D. C. Waltemyre (Mt. Pleasant)
- [1.56] Emanuel S. Klinefelter (Gerber’s)
- [1.56] Jos. O. Seitz (Leib’s)
- [1.58] Sallie E. Leib (Bose’s)
- [1.61] Mary M. Smith (Anstine’s)
- [1.77] Annie P. Hess (Hildebrand’s)
- [1.89] L. S. Waltemyre (Hartman’s)
- [1.89] Alice J. Hendrix (Wallace’s)
- [1.92] James M. Grove (Bowman’s)
- [1.97] Emma V. Redding (Trout’s)
Salary of $26.00 per month (8% above lowest salary)
- [2.13] Annie G. Liggit (Manifold’s)
- [2.16] Maggie S. Wallace (Duncan’s)
- [2.16] W. Clinton Bailey (Miller’s)
- [2.17] Bertha F. Yost (Collins’)
- [2.22] Eli B. Keller (Strayer’s)
- [2.23] Shade S. Robinson (Center)
- [2.31] Ellsworth Peterman (Myers’)
- [2.44] Ella M. Manifold (Glessick’s)
- [2.50] Hannah Waltermyre (Fulton’s)
Salary of $24.00 per month (lowest salary)
- [2.70] R. A. Grove (Sechrist’s)
- [2.73] S. A. Miller (Hake’s)
- [2.78] J. Elmer Evans (Zion)
The York County Teachers’ Provisional Certificate for Samuel S. Matthews comes from the Collections of York County Heritage Trust. Records of the School Directors of Hopewell Township, York County, PA, for the1885-1886 school year, come from the Collections of the Stewartstown Historical Society.