The purpose of the study was to decide whether the present business curriculum of Lane High School, Charlottesville, Virginia, is adequately meeting the needs of its business students.

In gathering the data for this study, the questionnaire method of research was used. A questionnaire, a letter, and a sheet, “Definition of Job Titles,“ were sent to the business graduates.

Data compiled from the questionnaires revealed the following findings:

1. Lane High School, Charlottesville, Virginia, had 31 boys and 147 girls, a total of 178 business graduates during the five-year period 1945-49.

2. A total of 103 questionnaires were completed and returned, which makes a 57.9 percent return from the 178 graduates to whom these questionnaires were sent.

3. At the time of the survey 35, or 45.5 percent, of the 77 female respondents were married.

4. The business graduates who are employed at the present time are in four main fields: Stenographic, 20, or 19.4 percent; General Clerical, 15, or 14.5 percent; Bookkeeping, 6, or 5.9 percent; and Others Employed (outside business field), 23, or 22.3 percent.

5. A total of 39, or 27.8 percent, are now taking additional training, have married, or are unemployed.

6. The business graduates feel that typewriting is extremely important. Ninety-nine, or 23.7 percent, of the total business course enrollments were in this subject.

7. Of the 20 business graduates in the Stenographic group, only 15 took Shorthand I while in high school. The others secured their shorthand training in private business colleges.

8. The survey points out that 74, or 27.2 percent, of the business graduates who responded found typewriting as the most useful on the job.

9. The most frequent means of securing initial employment were through friends and relatives. Personal applications ranked second. Only 2.4 percent secured their initial position through the high school office; yet, 14.1 percent secured them through the business teachers.

10. Thirty-nine of the graduates, or 37.9 percent, have held only one position since graduation. Twenty-four, or 23.2 percent, have held two positions; and 27, or 26.2 percent, have not held any position whatsoever because they went on with their education or they did not desire employment.

11. Eleven of the graduates who gave reasons for changing positions did so because of promotion. Only 3, or 6.5 percent, changed because of dissatisfaction or ill health.

12. There were more graduates who received beginning monthly salaries within the low salary level of $75-100 than any of the other four brackets. A total of 25, or 24.3 percent, of the 103 respondents received their beginning salary within this bracket. The second bracket, $101-125, ranked next in the number of graduates with 17, or 16.5 percent, of the 103 respondents.

13. More respondents received current monthly salaries within the $126-150 bracket than any other bracket used in this table.

14. After graduating from high school, 46, or 44.7 percent, of the graduates took additional training.

15. When asked to rate their business and non-business subjects taken after graduation which proved to be helpful to them on the job, the graduates rated shorthand first in the business group with accounting and office machines as their second choice. English received the highest score as a non-business, followed by psychology.

16. When the business graduates were asked to check the subjects they wished they had taken in high school, shorthand ranked first. Office machines and accounting were their second and third choices.

17. Only a few respondents felt that any of their business subjects were of little value to them on the job. Bookkeeping ranked first, followed by business mathematics and typewriting.