5. Progress Charts

Progress Charts and Unit Cards, though no longer in use, were the basis for teaching students how to manage their time, how to address priorities, and how to see something through to its conclusion. Courtesy of Thea Lawrence Browne ’64

“The Progress chart was the vehicle through which House Advisors were able to monitor their advisee’s work. It was a simple grid chart, and students were required to get a signature from each of their subject area teachers after completion of each week’s work…If students were not keeping up with their work, the solution was simple—you were simply mandated to go to Lab. If you didn’t complete the monthly assignment…you were sent to Saturday Callback (an old form of detention) to try to complete your work. The Progress chart just seemed to fade away…all things change, some for the better and some for the worse…besides, who wants to go to Saturday Callback?”
—Kleon Andreadis ’70

“As a house-advisor I find it a valuable method of checking up on how the girls in my house stand in their work. I am sure the form of the charts could be improved, but unfortunately, I have no suggestions as to how.”
—Elizabeth Seeger (1935)

“Personally I do not like [Progress Charts]. I find them to be a lot of trouble; but I do think some people who are not very responsible need some way of checking up on their work, and although this does not seem to me to be a very organized method, it is better than nothing. The underlying principle of this system seems to be a return to the old unit cards, and although I cannot offer any constructive criticism, I think it could and should be improved.”
—Doris Goodman Jacoby ’37