L A en UC-NRLF mill III mill III III! II iiiiililllll II B M Sn D7S FINDINGS AND RECOMMEND A TIONS cf the Survey of the ALTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS Made During the School Year 1917-1918. Q >- # u ^ ■>' \ f\^^ 1/" i To the Board of Education, ^ City of Alton, 111. Gentlemen : In compliance with the resolution adopted by your body at the regular June meeting (1917), we, your Special Com- mittee on School Survey, submit the following report : We selected Mr. John W. Withers, Superintendent of Instruction, St. Louis, Mo., to make the survey of the Alton Public Schools through a corps of special assistants working under his supervision. Every man engaged in making the survey is a public school man now actually employed in public school work. Their professional standing is unimpeachable. Your committee feels, as does Dr. Withers, that men of this employment are in closer touch and sympathy with the prob- lems that confront a Board of Education and School Admin- istrative Department of a city the size of Alton. The findings and recommendations of these surveyors are embodied in this report. Your committee's recommenda- tions based upon the entire survey will be furnished each member prior to the meeting of your body at which this re- port is to be received. Respectfully submitted, E. B. SEITZ, Chairman, DR. E. A. COOK, R. E. WILKINSON, Special Committee on School Survey. April 22, 1918. * 1 U » |> ■J J -ftJBtfl •'! I."«>J V BOARD OF EDUCAT/ON =" THE ST. lol;is OF THE CITY OF S- Office of THHSUPER.NTHNOENrOF.NSTRUCT.ON June 10, 1918. Mr. E. B. Seitz Chai^an, Specie, eo,„™j.ee on Sehoo,Su.ve. My dear Mr. Seitz : ' "'■ to survey the public school system orAlton '"" ^""'^ of Education I have been guided solely by the dTsIS , "'" Purvey Commission be of real value in helping [he Board of ..'""''"' ' '"^'' "'''' «»"« jmprove the work of the Alton public Jh?""" '" ^'^^^^'hen and "•short, to render a report Itwou'dh '' ^^^^ 'he purpose, Whatever of adverse criticism there mav t T."'""'™ 'hroughou, meant to be constructive and is marn , u '^^ "''""' '' 'herefore' 'o justify it. Along with the hieftte mt f™ *' ''''' '^^^ ^'-^'^ where defects were found, remedfes ,h,t ^"S«esting, in each case avadable, there was also the desi ' to dlr'^'f "'^' ^"^ immediately whtch could not insomeinstan esbeim f '"f''"''^«"P«'««dards would serve to direct .hecour e^f p™g~h/^^^^^^^ 7^"-^ but which I have carefully read th„ ' '"'"''""' ">""'■ an. convinced that so Z fstZT-fr^" ""'"'>" "^ 'he staff and have been carefully seen d cltrl"; t"" '''"''' '''' f^" and that the conclusions drawn «nH ' ^"'^ """'=«'>' interpreted ease fully justified by the facTs ^^^'"■"endations made are fn each Respectfully submitted, John W. Witheks. ORGANIZATION, ADMINISTRATION, AND SUPEfl</|SldN > ' '• ' by Gko. Platt Knox Assistant Superintendent of Instruction, St. Louis Organization As long as the Board of Education of the City of Alton is composed of the present high type of public spirited citizens, the existing comfortable working relations between the various departments of the Board and between the Board and its officers doubtless will continue, but the Charter and the Rules of the Board guarantee no such continuance. The published Rules of the Board fall far short of the actual practice of the Board as regards the conduct of the Board's business. As is too frequently the case in American cities, the rules of the Board of Education fail to distinguish between the several functions of the Board, and between the sphere of activity of the Board and that of its officers. The Board of Education should be an eminent group selected, or elected by the people, to represent them in the control of the function of public educa- tion. The Board should be a deliberative, not an executive body directly; It should reflect truly all the various phases of opinion and desire found in the people which it represents: it should, by investigation and consideration and discussion, weigh the various proposals in view of the necessities and the best public policy and so determine what are the wise and feasible lines of progress; it should, through the advice of experts, study the possible channels and means and methods by which the determined aims shall be worked out and decide on the lines of action; it should leave to its officials, who must be experts in their respective lines, the execution of the policies and plans decided upon. A further function of the Board is to safeguard the excellence of the accommodations and equipment and work of the schools and the health and well being of the pupils. To this end the Board should constantly and con- sistently receive reports from its officers showing actual conditions on all the points deserving of care and attention; it should note and emphasize the elements of strength and weakness so reported and spread its judgment adequately before the people; it should direct its proper officers to proceed along certain lines to strengthen and improve conditions where needed and to develop strength beyond the excellence already noted. The Board of Education should serve as a prophet to the people. America is learning today as never before, she realizes today as never any other people in all history, how absolutely vital to a nation is the adequate education of its citizens. In all respects as regards public education as the great foundation of the perpetuity of our institutions, the Board of Education has a peculiar and paramount duty to perform in pointing the way to a clear understanding and a limitless devotion on the part of the people to their supreme educational duty. The Board should never invade or usurp the functions of its executive officers, it has bigger work to do. The Board of Education of the City of Alton carries on its business through ten standing committees consisting of from three to five members each, appointed by the President of the Board. This arrangement entails on the part of several individuals a membership on four different committees. It is not within the function of this report to discuss the advisability of this plan, the question under discussion is the relation of the activity of the Board to the functions of its officers. The work of these ten committees, as indicated by their titles, comprises the usual scope of work of a Board of Education in the furtherance of its business of running the public schools. These committees are: Finance, Teachers, Text Books, Library and Apparatus, Janitors, Buildings and Repairs, Supplies and Incidentals, High School, Rules and Regulations, and Hygiene and Safety. The officers of the Board are stated in the published rules (Sec. I, p. 6) to be, "A President, Secretary, Treasurer and an executive officer who is the Superintendent." The Rules in another section provide for the election by the Board of a Superintendent of Buildings and define his duties. It is presumable that this Superintendent of Buildings is also "an officer of the Board," although it is not so stated. Other officers are also referred to in other sections, — "the Truant Officer," "a Supervisor of Hygiene with as many assistants, inspectors or nurses as may be determined from time to time." (Sec. Ill, p. 34.) It is stated (Sec. VIII, p. 35) that "The work of the r»ei,>^,r'Lrrjieiit of School Hygiene shall be conducted at all times under such regulations as may be prescribed by the Board of Education, through the proper committee," and in Sec. IX, p. 35, it is ordered that "The Superintendent of Schools, principals, teachers, janitors, attendance officers and Supervisors of Hygiene or School Nurses shall co-operate with the Department of School Hygiene at all times." This section specifically directs that the Superintend- ent of Schools and the Supervisor of Hygiene co-equally shall co-operate with the Department of School Hygiene at all times, while this Department is defined (Sec. I, p. 33) as " a division of work in the schools." It might be expected, instead, that the rules would direct that the work of this Department of School Hygiene and its Supervisor, assistants, inspectors and nurses shall be under the responsible direction of the Superintendent of Schools. This, lack of definition seems to lead to no friction at present but there is need that the relations of the various officers of the Board be specified, with the Superintendent of Schools as the chief responsible executive officer. Sec. I, p. 9 states this broadly but seems to have been overlooked when other officers and departments were added. The several standing committees exercise not merely oversight and discretionary powers, but are directed to perform extensive executive func- tions which should be exercised only by responsible and trained experts. No matter how devoted in public spirit, no matter how indefatigable in the Board's service may be the Board members, they cannot be expected to have the efficiency or to bear the responsibility of trained experts. While it is not discernible in Alton it is widely the case the country over, that most of the friction in school affairs, most of the low efficiency in actual teaching and schoolroom work, rises directly from the mistake of giving into the hands of untrained, however patriotic and estimable citizens, the executive handling of the schools. The expert official should propose, the Board of Education should dispose; the expert official should carry out what the Board of Education should adopt; the expert official should be held responsible for his recommendations, which should be unhampered by the personal feelings or friendships of Board members, while the Board in its turn is responsible to the people for the welfare of their public schools. The Committee on Text Books and Course of Study has the serious duty of investigating and recommending any necessary changes in text books and course of study. This is an impossible task for the best private citizen. It is the work and should be the responsibility of the expert official, — the Superintendent of Schools, — the Board should receive his recommenda- tions with the results of his study and pass upon them, favorably or otherwise. No non-expert should be subjected to the rival claims and claimants in this delicate school business. The Committee on Teachers, composed of five members, must "investi- gate the qualifications of applicants for positions as teacher. They shall pre- pare annually and submit * * * a list of competent teachers * * *." The present committee is in the habit of relying on the Superintendent of Schools for this list, and wisely and considerately so, but the rules permit quite other action. In this, as throughout the conduct of its business, the practice of the present Board is quite in line with the latest and best school policy. This practice should be guaranteed by the Rules and the responsibility placed legally where it belongs, on the responsible recomlmendation of the executive, an expert official, who is subject at all times and in all things to the judgment of the Board. The same unwise direction appears in the stated duty of the Committee on Buildings and Repairs "to attend to the necessary repairs of all the build- ings and grounds"; in the duty of the Committee on Library and Apparatus "to make recommendations to the Board for the purchase of various books and apparatus needed for the better ivorkin(j of the schools; in the duty of the Committee on Supplies "to purchase and have placed when needed necessary supplies", to make "during the summer months" "a list of supplies needed in the public schools". The Committee on Janitors shall "recommend suitable persons for employment as janitors of the various buildings", "shall see that the janitors perform their various duties and discharge temporarily * * * and appoint temporarily", a duty which should be laid to the executive who can spend his whole time in the schools. The above data are not exhaustive of the situation but serve to point the recommendation that the respective officers of the Board be held legally responsible for the conduct of their respective departments, including all recommendations of teachers, janitors, supplies, repairs, texts, apparatus, course of study and the general conduct of the physical and intellectual well being and growth of the pupils. As soon as the volume of business warrants, there should be another officer of the Board created, — a Commissioner of Supplies, an officer under bond, employed on all or part time, who shall conduct most economically and efficiently the purchasing business of the Board. Administration The administration, as distinguished from the organization and the supervision, has to do with the Cd-ccutivc function of the school system under the form of organization provided, leading into the problem of supervision as the pupil is reached in the teaching process. Administration has to do with the relations of the official to the members of his department in the efficient conduct of the work for which he is responsible. This survey has to do only with the administration of the Department of Instruction. The Department of Instruction in the Alton school system comprises a Superintendent of Schools, three subject Supervisors, fifteen principals of respective schools, and the corps of teachers. The Truant Officer and the officials in the Department of School Hygiene are not here included ag they seem to be considered under the rules as separate and co-ordinating branches of the service. The work of this Truant Officer is left to the consideration of the survey report on attendance of pupils. The Department of Hygiene was not specifically studied but every Indication points to efficient and adequate service being rendered. The classification of the schools, determination of the number of rooms per school and of actual pupils per teacher are so largely dependent upon the location and size of buildings, and these, in turn, upon the distribution of school population, recently modified city and ward limits and school building and finance, that we shall of necessity assume that the present classification, size and location of schools is accepted. For the most part the grade classification and assignment of pupils of certain grades to certain schools seems a reasonable and satisfactory adjust- ment of the educational needs to the opportunities afforded. As soon as the City of Alton is in a position to modify and enlarge its school accommodations by the erection of new buildings, the work should be undertaken with a view to providing for the school children of this community the latest and, best devices of educational classification. Not alone new and better school buildings should be planned, but an opportunity should be sought to place within the reach of the children the superior educational opportunities found in new school units, such as Junior High Schools, Manual and Household Arts Schools, Industrial, Commercial, Technical Schools or courses, and similar recent educational administrative schemes of accepted value. We are, as a people, passing through a period of unparalleled strain, turmoil and adjustment. What the end will be no man knows. But that the whole educational policy of our nation will be profoundly affected is beyond question; it remains for us who are engaged in public education, — Boards of Education and their officers, — to make the very best educational adjustment possible and to keep adequate pace with the development of public opinion. Now is not the time to attempt to recommend just the form which .school advance should take. Alton needs to apply itself to study of local and national problems from its own standpoint, needs to realize deeply its own necessities for educational enlargement and to be ready to embark upon a solution of its problems at the earliest possible moment. The schools as now organized seem well administered, the Superin- tendent seems to be in the school rooms to a reasonable extent, being able with the clerical help provided so to conduct the work of his office as to be free- for school visitation. These two phases of the work of administration, office duties and school visitation, and their relative demands upon time and energy, always present to a superintendent one of his biggest problems. To preserve an even and just balance between these two is to sail a safe course between Scylla and Charybdis. In making his choice, the Superintendent of the Alton Schools has avoided both rocks while he has fortunately devoted the greater portion of his time on the side of school visitation. This matter will be further com- mented upon under the head of supervision. The office of the Superintendent of Schools should provide adequate and prompt attention to the needs and also the demands of the public. This function seems to be fulfilled in Alton. Among other items, the Superin- tendent gives his personal attention to cases of serious infraction of school discipline and to the applications for working papers. It is worth a great deal to the City of Alton to have the children leaving school receive the personal care of the Superintendent in each individual case, for thus the law is upheld and the best interests of the children of the community safe- guarded. The office of the Superintendent should constitute a court of appeal and a source of sympathy, justice and inspiration to all teachfers. No school system can be healthy unless the members of the teaching corps find an open door and a sure welcome in the Superintendent's office. Every such teacher must leave his office feeling that she has had courteous sympathetic hearing, real justice, and helpful advice, and so must bear with her a feeling that she will come again and all the more easily next time. This function seems, to be fulfilled in Alton. The office of the Superintendent should secure a fair and permanent record of the work of the system. As regards the children, a cumulative record showing the individual pupil's attendance, attention and progress should be an accomplished fact. This record should be in a form which affords ready access and easy reading for reference purposes by the Superin- tendent or other responsible officer or teacher. Such a record is, of course, sacred and safe in the hands of the school authorities and must never be exploited. Such record is not found immediately accessible in the Alton office. Promotion lists of pupils are submitted for the Superintendent's approval. As regards teachers, the office of the Superintendent should afford a permanent, careful, adequate record of the efficiency of each individual teacher. This record should include items showing length of service, attend- ance, punctuality, faithfulness in performance of routine duties, ability in management of children and their right training for character building, instruction and teaching skill, professional zeal. etc. Such a record should be the basis for promotion or for dismissal and should be demanded by the teachers as a reasonable safeguard of their own interests and a fair guide to their efforts for professional improvement. No such record is had in the Alton office. The office of the Superintendent should gather vital statistics for the schools covering data on enrollment, attendance, grade distribution, extra promotion, non-promotion, retardation, tardiness, serious disciplinary cases, etc., which are increasingly valuable in the art of good school keeping. Not only should constant study be made of such data as a guide to wise adminis- trative measures and for purposes of frank report to the public at large, but such statistics afford the only basis for reliable reference in future years. A monthly report is filed by each teacher in Alton showing some of these data but the report is incomplete and it is not digested and assimilated sufficiently to fulfill its fullest value. In short, the office of the Superintendent of the Alton Schools is deficient in well chosen and adequate data on the work of pupils and teachers and on vital school statistics. Supervision Supervision has to do with the direction and control of the teacher in her work, exercised by the administrative officers of the Board of Education. . School supervision is an art, not reducible completely to scientific factors without an appreciable remainder. Some of the essential qualities of school supervision may, however, be noted. There must be real information based upon immediate personal knowledge of actual school-room conditions. There must be deep sympathy born of an intimate fellowship between teacher and supervisor, based- upon personal acquaintance and a common professional experience. There must be wise evaluation of the powers and limitations of the children under observation, resting on a far-reaching knowledge of the social, historical and economic facts of home environment and influences. There must be strong professional sagacity on the part of the supervisor derived from training, reading, observation and study. The Superintendent and his supervisory assistants must be well trained for their particular work; they must do wide reading; they must be constantly well informed, by visits to other school systems and conventions and other gatherings of their co-workers in the profession; they must be home born or else careful and extensive students of local conditions and history; they must have been teachers themselves; they must be friends with the teachers, "having a fellowship in (pedadogical) suffering"; they must liave an almost intuitive tact and alertness in getting an instant grasp on school-room conditions unmodified by the entrance of the Supervisor; they must be welcome in the school room. The Superintendent and his supervisory assistants in Alton bear this searching test of efficiency to a degree which is commendatory and beyond the average. They have been "home grown," or have been long enough resident to be thoroughly conversant with local civic conditions: they know the children and know the homos from whence they come. They have been long enough in the school system to know the teachers and to be known by them: they seem to be welcome in the school room, appreciated by teachers and gladly accepted by children. Their degree of .professional training and of general and special preparation will be considered by other surveyors. The Superintendent is a regular attendant at the great professional gatherings of superintendents; I doubt if the Supervisors visit other systems frequently and widely enough. The Board of Education could well afford and should periodically grant Supervisors extended opportunity for visitation and study in other systems. In a school system the size of Alton the Superintendent of Instruction is able to keep in close touch with conditions in his schools. In many cities a "supervising principal" has assigned to him as many teachers as are com- prised in the entire corps in Alton. The actual number of school rooms is not an unreasonable charge upon the oversight of its Superintendent. The considerable distances to be traversed in reaching the schools, many of which contain only a few rooms, renders the supervisory work of the Superintendent more difficult than the number of teachers to be supervised would alone indicate. By his personal visits to school rooms and by the professional meetings with his corps of teachers as directed by the Rules, the Superintendent is doubtless able to affect the work of the school rooms to a reasonable degree. No Superintendent of Schools is ever satisfied in his effort to improve the work in his school rooms, every superintendent must rely in the main on the professional scholarship and zeal of his teachers for the improvement of their work under his suggestion. The Superintendent of Schools in Alton is no exception. As regards supervision of teachers by principals the best educational practice provides the services of an accomplished principal for every school of five or more rooms. Good school keeping is concerned primarily and vitally with the welfare of the pupils. They are entitled to all of their teachers' time during school hours, — in class room, during filing, on the playground. No teacher should be taken from the actual teaching of her pupils by any parents, or other visitors desiring consultation, or by require- ments of school records or any attention to the heat, ventilation, or lighting of the room, or any belated preparation of material, texts, or supplies. For all these demands there should be provided a principal, a janitor and a sacrifice of time on the part of the teacher before or after school hours. The schools of Alton are crippled by the lack of supervisory principals. The pupils suffer directly from this lack. The time of the teachers is taken, their attention is distracted by demands other than those of actual teaching. Furthermore, every teacher, no matter how capable, wise and strong, needs and deserves an "ever present help in time of trouble." Other teachers may do, or may not. Teachers thrive on close, happy, sympathetic supervision. The best school is one that is built together, close knit by consistent aim and continuous effort, wisely planned and tactfully wrought by a supervisor close at hand. Only a principal can thus serve. Allowing 50 per cent of a principal's time for attention to details out of the school room, — which is an extremely conservative estimate in actual practice, — it comes nearer being 75 per cent, — half of the school time spent in supervision of the work in the rooms in a school of five rooms will admit of a half hour per room per day. In actual experience this will fall to an average of a quarter-hour per day. Alton would profit immensely if it would afford such an arrangement by an increase in the number of super- vising principals free from teaching schedule. The present arrangement of two teachers in the first primary room with one hour per day spent by one of these in teaching classes of an advanced grade while the teacher-principal attends to office work is possibly the best relief in sight, but it is only a makeshift and is open to severe criticism from a pedagogical and adminis- trative standpoint. One supervisor devotes all of her time in supervision of the "regular" subjects in grades below high school. She visits eighty-three teachers in their rooms, affording twenty to twenty-five minutes each and reaching a certain room about once in two weeks. Her work admirably supplements that of the Superintendent. The teaching is co-ordinated in content and method, the teachers are assisted and encouraged, by helpful hints and emphasis on right standards. But while the work of this supervisor serves directly in the improvement of the teaching, it does not minister in the least, it does not reach, the other essential functions of a school principal. Nor can these functions be at all adequately performed by a regular teacher released from her school-room duties one hour per day. The services of the principal so vital to good school keeping are not provided in any adequate degree in the Alton grade schools. Supervision of Special Subjects One special subject supervisor on full time is afforded to the schools for supervision of the music work, and one supervisor forenoons only for supervision of the drawing in grades below high school. In this discussion of the supervision of special subjects careful distinc- tion must be made between services rendered as teacher and service rendered as supervisor. The teacher is in direct and immediate contact with the pupils and is responsible to the principal for the control of the pupils and the conduct of the work. The Supervisor watches over the work of the teachers to guide and assist them in their teaching, bringing to bear on the problems that expert information and skill which the regular teacher cannot be expected to possess. The special Supervisor may teach the pupils directly herself, but does so only to improve the work of the regular teacher. The extent to which the Supervisor should teach and how and when and why are problems of pedagogy, which need not be dealt with here. The point imme- diately in question is the extent to which the Alton grade schools are pro- vided with supervisors in special subjects free from responsibility of the immediate and regular teaching of pupils on regular schedule. One indi- vidual may- serve as teacher a part of her time, teaching regularly certain classes and may serve as Supervisor a part of her time, assisting in the work of other teachers. Such an arrangement affords special supervision only a part of the time. Specially trained teachers, dealing with special subjects, directly teaching their pupils, are not supervisors at all; they are teachers of special subjects. The Alton schools are afforded special subject supervision, or teaching, approximately as follows: Music: One teacher employed full time in supervision, excepting thirty minutes once per week during school hours, directing high school chorus. Drawing: One teacher, employed forenoons only in supervision in grades, devotes four afternoons per week teaching in high school, one afternoon in office. Manual Arts: No special supervision, two teachers are employed, one teaching VII and VIII grade boys, one teaching high school classes in manual training. No supervision by one teacher over the work of the other is attempted. One of the two "does the buying" of supplies while they work out the course of study together. Domestic Arts: No special supervision, — two teachers are employed, one teaching all the sewing classes in VII and VIII grades, one teaching all the cooking in grades and high school and the high school sewing classes. No supervision by one teacher over the work of the other is attempted. One teacher works out the entire course and buys all the material. Physical Exercise: No special supervision or teaching. The work in simple calisthenics prescribed by state enactment is done by the regular room teacher in grades, and by special subject teach- ers in high school. Penmanship: No special supervision or teaching. Gardening: No special supervision or teaching. Primary or Other Particular Grades: No special supervision. Kindergarten: None provided in public schools. The above seems a meagre amount of special supervision for a school system of the standards of the Alton schools. As regards the quality of this supervision there is good evidence, as in the case of the general grade super- 8 visor as noted above, that the expert is welcomed in the school room by teachers and pupils, and that the best effort is put forth to improve the work. Some of the work observed reflects high credit on teachers and pupils an-l speaks well for the ability and teaching skill of the Supervisor. Not enou2:h special supervision is afforded, as will be discussed later. More gratifying returns can be had by a closer knitting together both of efforts and results looking towards the better standardization of the teaching. Some improved means should be provided for gathering up the products of supervision and their unification in the improvement of teaching. Regular reports are advised dealing quite in detail with conditions as found in the school rooms visited and noting measures of improvement undertaken or advised. Such reports should be submitted constantly in writing to the Superintendent and filed in his office for permanent keeping and ready refer- ence. They should form the basis for consultation between Superintendent and Supervisors. Oral report and occasional conference are not enough, — they do not "reach." Permanent records give stability to the work while definite reports assist greatly in clarifying the judgment and training the skill in observation on the part of the Supervisor. The work in supervision would be made easier and more satisfactory if grade meetings were instituted for demonstration by classes, discussion among teachers and exposition of methods by Supervisors. In music, grade concerts by choruses made up of selected pupils from various schools never fail to popularize the work with pupils and parents, while the enthusiasm generated gives new impetus to the class-room work. In drawing, annual exhibits of pupils' work, including that of manual and household arts as well, selected, arranged and mounted in popular, non-technical style, displayed in some central point down town, open days and evenings, possibly in some vacant store right on the sidewalk level, easily accessible and pleasing, will tell the story in a way that will reach the public and will greatly encourage the pupils. Periodic display in the Superintendent's office or school corridor of the work of the pupils, assembled by grades and discussed with teachers by the Supervisor serves to standardize and unify the teaching. The extent to which there should be expert supervision in any school system is a relative matter. The best adjustment depends upon several factors of excellence and the relative emphasis between them. No one answer will fit every problem. The capability of the teachers to teach a given subject, the degree of emphasis given this subject in their professional train- ing, the inherent difficulty of the subject as an art and of its teaching- technique, the demands, statutory and social, upon the schools for the adequate treatment of the given subject, and the ultimate educative value and educational importance of the subject, all must be weighed and con- sidered in arriving at a fair adjustment of the problem of special subject supervision. Nor will such fair adjustment, once arrived at, "stay put." The needs of society change; the demands of the state are modified; new conceptions of the function of public education are born; new vocational opportunities develop. The answer from the public schools must be at all times a fair reply to the demand of the hour. No survey based upon two days' observation of the schools should dare to answer this question locally. The demand must be found in a painstaking study of local industrial, economic, and social conditions; the answer must be arrived at by a comprehensive view of the opportunities afforded in the schools with a grasp of the real financial situation. Three observations are, however, safe and pertinent. 1. Our whole people is being quickened to a sense of the absolutely essential need of the conservation of the health of the youth of our land. Public health education, public recreation under responsible supervision en attractive grounds with desirable apparatus, consistent inspection of the person and rigid regulation of the home sanitation of the individual child, provision for proper feeding and decent clothing of the pupil. — all these are on the way and they cannot come too fast. This work demands expert super- vision, cost what it may. Such direction of school funds is an investment, not an extravagance. 2. The men of business and of industry see more and more clearly the great importance of training the child vocationally. We shall not contrast and discuss "vocational vs. cultural," for they are not In apposition and there need be no conflict. Vocational training most certainly demands more atten- tion and better teaching along the lines of manual and household arts as a foundation for trade courses and part time and continuation classes. The teaching of manual and household arts necessitates expert supervision. 3. The kindergarten was once considered a luxury. It is now admitted to have its peculiar function in the right education of the child. No child who is of teachable mentality passes through a real kindergarten experience without living a richer life thereby. His senses are developed and sharpened, his dormant capacities are quickened, his powers of expression are trained, his social habits are standardized, the whole child is put to school in the kindergarten. Alton deserves a kindergarten in every public school; it has none. Finally, of all means of making teachers better teachers, expert super- vision is among the best. Its effects are immediate, its influences far reach- ing. Expert supervision is expensive, but in the light of the best school keeping it is the highest economy. To the layman, the non-school man,, expert supervision always affords an opportunity for a challenge of unneces- sary expense, — to the schoolmaster whose whole thought is that of real effective teaching as a factor in the best public education, expert supervision is never too expensive, never more than adequate. The Alton public schools greatly need more supervision, — first, supervising principals, next, expert supervision in special subjects. I 10 TEACHERS by Dr. E. Gkokuk Payxe Principal, Harris Teachers College, St. Louis The purpose of this study of the teachers in the Alton public schools Is to determine, so far as possible, the educational standards required of new candidates for the teaching positions in the Alton elementary and high schools: to determine the qualifications and professional spirit of those actually engaged in the teaching service; to ascertain the method of appoint- ment, the tenure, the methods of promoting, and the salary both of the new and old teachers; and finally to make recommendations upon these findings as to means of improving the teaching service in the schools of Alton. With the problem of this part of the survey in mind it will be well to note here briefly the methods of gathering the data used. First, I resorted to a questionnaire sent out to all the teachers in Alton. It was as follows: Questionnaire for Teachers, Principals, and Supervisors Grade teacher; High School; Principal; Supervisor; Age; Sex; Years of teaching experience; Years in Alton: In Illinois; Elsewhere: Are you a high school graduate? Where graduated? When? Normal graduate? Where? If not a graduate, how long did you attend? Where? When? Did you attend College? Number of years? Did you graduate? Where? When? Profes- sional training (list courses in psychology, pedagogy, etc.) How many summer schools attended in the past five years? Do you attend teachers' meetings? How often? Do you belong to teachers' study clubs? Nature of clubs? Do you participate in extension courses? How often? Have you taken correspon- dence courses? How many? Kind? Have you taken a leave of absence for study? When? How long? Mention Reading Circle or other activities. Do you find your supervision helpful? What salary do you receive? How much the first year in Alton? When did you receive a promotion? The teachers filled out the answers, sealed the paper in an envelope, and handed them to the principal or superintendent and they were mailed by the superintendent to me, so that no one could know the names of the individual teachers answering. The result was that every teacher filled out the blanks and most of the questions were answered. The answers of the teachers gathered in this manner afford the data for the main part of my report. In addition to this, however, I have been able to get some data from the rules and regulations of the Board of Education and from the printed high school course of study, and from the superintendent, who explained fully the practices of the Board. Finally, I visited one of the cadets, some of the classes in the high school, and many of the grade teachers during their instruction. Besides this I have attempted, so far as possible, to make comparisons with other cities in the Alton class. In this survey I have grouped all teachers, principals, and supervisors in the elementary schools together for purposes of study and analysis. I have also made a like grouping of high school teachers and principal. I have grouped the principals and supervisors together for purposes of examin- ing the amount and kind of training gained under supervision. The whole body of teachers of Alton responded to the questionnaire as follows: Elementary school principals 11 Supervisors 4 Elementary school teachers 77 Total 92 High school principals 1 High school teachers 21 Total 22 GRAND TOTAL 114 There are actually thirteen grade principals in Alton but as all grade principals, in addition to their principal's function, are teachers, two evidently reported themselves as teachers. Also, the domestic science teacher is both a teacher and supervisor, but reported as teacher, leaving only four super- visors, as follows: drawing, music, manual training, and general supervisor of the grades, 11 Qualifications of Teachers. The rules and regulations of the Board of Education of Alton have the following to say concerning the qualifications of teachers who may be em- ployed in the Alton public schools: "The Committee on Teachers is instructed to recommend for positions in our grade schools the following: "a. Those who have satisfactorily completed the Teachers' Training Course of the Alton public schools (or an equivalent), and only those who are known to be very strong in the work of teaching as shown by successful experience.* "b. Those who have completed at least two years in the State Normal School or its equivalent and have shown marked ability to teach. "*By 'successful experience' is meant the faithful compliance with the Rules and Regulations of the Board, and successful experience shall be based upon the following: "A. Preparation for the work (scholarship). "B. Ability as a disciplinarian. "C. Non-absence from duties. "D. Harmonious working with colleagues and those in authority." We note then three groups of persons who may be employed in the Alton elementary schools as follows: First, those who have had the "cadet course" in Alton; second, those who have had successful experience as defined in the rules quoted above; and third, those who are graduates of a two-year normal course or its equivalent and have had successful experience. We wish to note here in more detail the nature of the cadet course, and the number of teachers coming under the different heads. The cadet course of Alton presupposes the pedagogy course in the high school, which is as follows: First year, Latin or German or Ancient History, Drawing, Singing. Second year, Latin or German, Ancient History or Zoology, (1), and Botany, (2), Civics, (1) and (2), Drawing, Singing. Third year, Modern History, English History, (1) and (2), Commercial Arithmetic, Drawing, Singing. Fourth year, American History, Psychology, (1), Pedagogy, (2), and Commercial Geography: but this course is not required. In case graduates of other courses wish to become teachers, they may do so. After a teacher graduates from the Alton High School, preferably from the pedagogy course, she enters the school as a cadet and spends the morning session for two years in observation and practice teaching. She spends one hour in teaching the first year and two hours in the second year. When the super- intendent finds time from other duties, he meets these cadets for one hour each week for the discussion of methods. Of the ninety-two teachers, includ- ing elementary school principals and supervisors, twenty stated that they had taken the cadet course, after completing the pedagogy course in the high school, and fifty-five others had had no psychology nor pedagogy. They graduated from the general or some other course in the Alton High School or some other high school. These two groups comprise about seventy-nine per cent of the whole teaching body in the elementary schools. Of the nineteen teachers not included in the first group, sixteen fall under the second class as those who have had successful experience, and the three remaining are those of the third, or normal school graduates. The point I want to call attention to here is the marked preponderance of teachers who have been taken into the corps from the Alton training course. An interesting comparison may be made with the data gathered from 1,311 cities ranging in population from 2.500 to 25,000, published in Bureau of Education Bulletin No. 44, 1915, in which it is stated that cities employing 36 per cent of all the teachers require a normal diploma before employment. The committee, created by the legislature of Wyoming and appointed by the Governor of the State of Wyoming, recommended that all rural and city teachers be required to have a normal school diploma by September, 1922. The statement is as follows: "The legislature should fix an early date after which no teacher should be engaged who has not an education equivalent to graduation from a four-year high school and a minimum of professional work in some approved school. The requirement for the professional preparation should be in- creased, so that on and after the 1st of September, 1922, it will include graduation from a two-year course in a standard normal school whose entrance requirements presuppose four years of standard high school work or its equivalent." 12 The same report has the following to say about the professional train- ing of teachers (Bulletin Bureau of Education Nq. 29, 1916): "The amount of general education and professional training required for teaching is being raised rapidly throughout the country as more and more trained persons become available. Very few cities in the United States employ teachers who have not had the equivalent of a standard high school course and two years of normal school work. Those with less training have found employment in country schools. In order to force the employment of better qualified teachers in rural districts, State laws have been passed in several states prohibiting the employment of persons with less than a specified amount of general and professional education after certain dates. Ohio, for instance, in 1913, enacted the following law: 'Unless said applicant is a graduate of a college or university of approved educational standing, shall possess an amount of professional training consisting of class-room instruction in a recognized institution for the training of teachers, not less than the following: After January 1, 1916, such applicant shall possess not less than six weeks of such instruction; after January 1, 1917, not less than 12 weeks of such instruction; after January 1. 1918, not less than 18. weeks of such instruction; after January 1, 1919, not less than 24 weeks of such instruction; after January 1, 1920, not less than 30 weeks of such instruction; after January 1, 1921, not less than one year of such class-room instruction in a recognized school for the training of teachers.' " It must be kept in mind that this is a requirement for rural school teachers. Also an interesting comparison may be made with Owensboro, Ken- tucky, a city about the size of Alton. The following is their salary schedule based upon experience, education, and merit, which shows the qualifications necessary for appointment and promotion: Class C. To be eligible to Class C, a teacher must have the following qualifications: 1. Graduation from an accredited high school or a recognized equiva- lent. 2. A minimum of 20 weeks' study in some standard normal school or college. The course must include some observation work or practice teaching. 3. A State or city certificate. The salary of teachers of this class shall be $40 per month. Class B. To be eligible to Class B, the teacher must have the following qualifications: 1. Graduation from an accredited high school or recognized equivalent. 2. A minimum of 36 weeks' study in a standard normal school or college. At least one-fourth of this work must be along professional lines and must include both observation work and practice teaching. 3. Experience of 27 months or more in Owensboro city schools or schools or equal standing. 4. A success grade of 85 or above. 5. A State or city certificate. The salary of teachers of Class B shall be: for grades 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, $55 per month; for grades 2, 3, 4, $52.50 per month. Class A. To be eligible to Class A, the teacher must have the following qualifications: 1. Graduation from an accredited high school or recognized equivalent. 2. Graduation from an accredited normal school or college requiring at least a two-year course above the accredited high school. One-fourth of this work must be along professional lines and must include at least 20 weeks of observation work and practice teaching. 3. Experience of 45 months or more in Owensboro schools, or schools of equal standing. 4. A success grade of 95 or above. 5. A life State diploma or certificate. The salary of teachers of this group shall be: For grades 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, $65 per month; for grades 2, 3, 4, $62.50. High school teachers in Alton may not be appointed unless they are college graduates, and all in the present corps are graduates except one. 13 Analysis of Teaching Corps Age Table. Grades. High School. Under 20 years 1 20-24 „- 19 1 25-39 28 11 30-34 11 '3 35-39 7 2 40-44 4 1 45-49 2 2 50 and over 19 2 Age not given 10 TOTAL 92 22 The average age of those in the grades who a-re fifty or more is fifty-six years. This is an unusual percentage of teachers of this age, which may not be an objection in itself, but would be a serious matter where teachers have not kept abreast of educational progress. The ages of the high school teachers present no unusual features. Teaching Experience Of the ninety-four teachers in the grades, including principals and supervisors, fifty-six have never taught outside of Alton. Of these fifty-six, nine have taught twenty years or more, eight have taught from ten to nineteen years, and thirty-nine have taught less than ten years. The average tenure per teacher is about eleven years. The thirty-eight who have taught outside of Alton have taught a total of 397 years or an average of eleven and one-half years in Alton, a total of 244 years in Illinois, or an average of six and one- half years, and a total of fifteen and one-half years outside of Illinois, or an average of less than one-half year. For these thirty-eight teachers, the average length of service is about eighteen and one-half years. The twenty-one high school teachers, including principal, have taught ninety-eight years in Alton, ninety-three years in Illinois, outside of Alton, and seventeen years outside of the State. Educational Status We noted above the kinds of persons who may be employed in the Alton Public Schools, but I wish to point out here somewhat more specifically, the educational status of the teaching body. Eighty-two out of a total of ninety-two engaged in elementary school work are high school graduates, three are graduates from a normal school, and four are college graduates. Fifteen out of the ninety-two have attended a normal school, one for two and one-half years, two for one year each, and twelve attended from three to eighteen weeks. Of the twenty-two who attended college, three attended three years, one attended two and one-half years, five for two years, and thirteen for one year or less. Seventy-seven of the eighty-two high school graduates received their training in the Alton High School. As noted above, all except one of the High School teachers are college graduates; however, nine of the twenty-one teachers graduated from Shurtleff College in Alton. Nineteen are graduates of a high school: and ten of these are from the Alton High School. Shurtleff College is recognized by the State Department of Education of Illinois for admission to the examination for state or county certificate, but the certificate is recognized for only one year. It may, however, be given recognition for two years if it continues to meet the requirements of the State Department. Professional Training It is rather difficult to summarize the professional work of the Alton teachers, but in general it might be said that the grade teachers have received their professional training mainly in the Alton school in the "cadet course.^' On the other hand, the high school teachers have taken some courses in general psychology, ethics, logic, and the history of education as a regular part of their college courses, which did not have a pedagogical aim. These courses, moreover, have not generally been taken recently enough to familiar- ize one with modern educational theory. No specific courses in theory or practice are reported by high school teachers. An interesting comparison of the Alton conditions may be made with the requirements of the North Central Association for secondary teachers. 14 The requirements are as follows: "All teachers teaching one or more academic subjects must satisfy the following standards: "A. The minimum attainment of teachers of any academic subject will be equivalent to graduation from a college belonging to the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools requiring the completion of a four-year course of study, or 120 semester hours, in advance of a standard four-year high 'school course. Such requirement shall not be construed as retroactive. "B. The minimum professional training of teachers of any academic subject shall be at least eleven semester hours in education. This should include special study of the subject-matter and pedagogy of the subject to be taught. Such requirements shall not be construed as retroactive. (For the succeeding year the Board will interpret courses in education as the same courses are interpreted by the colleges or universities offering them.) "C. If a teacher of one or more academic subjects new to a given school does not fully meet the requirements of Standard 2, A and B, a state- ment concerning the training, experience, and efficiency of the said teacher, certified by the superintendent or principal, shall be presented by them to the inspector along with the annual report of the school; and the Inspector shall submit the same to the Board of Inspectors, together with his recom- mendation. The Board shall, on each case so presented, make a decision." In admitting graduates from Shurtleff College to the teaching corps of Alton, the Board is not meeting the requirements of the North Central Asso- ciation. Probably the school authorities have it in mind to make their new teachers conform to the requirements of the North Central Association. The grade teacliers report the following courses in theory and practice: One course in primary methods, one in the teaching process, one term in theory, one term in practice teaching, one year in the theory of teaching, one graduate of the Harris Teachers' College, which includes in its course such professional subjects as educational psychology, child psychology, theory of education, primary methods, educational sociology, special method of the various elementary school subjects, and one-half year in observation and practice teaching, one course in general methods, and one in kindergarten and primary. It is probable that these courses do not represent all the professional training, since those who have attended normal schools, while taking for the most part content subjects, no doubt received incidentally some professional training. Perhaps there is no better clue to the extent to which teachers are awake to modern educational theory and practice than the degree to which they have participated in summer schools, extension courses, correspondence courses, etc. For that reason I included in the questionnaire questions that would elicit statements upon these points. The following table shows the participation in summer schools in the past five years in the grades and high school: Summer School Attendance Grades. High School. Possible terms in the summer school in the past five years (Principal and teachers) 460 105 Actual participation (single times) 53 15 Actual participation (number of teach- ers) 34 10 Number attending five summers 1 Number attending four summers 1 - Number attending three summers 3 1 Number attending two summers 6 3 Number attending one summer 23 6 It should be noted that eleven of the grade teachers, or 12 per cent, have attended a total of thirty single times or summers; twenty-three, or 24 per cent, have attended twenty-three single summers; and sixty teachers, or 64 per cent, have not attended a summer school in the past five years. On the other hand, four high school teachers, or 18 per cent, have attended nine summers; six, or 22 per cent, have attended six summers; and eleven, or 50 per cent, have not attended summer school at all in the past five years. The three means of improvement in service, extension courses, corre- spondence courses, leaves of absence for study, have hardly been taken advantage of or perhaps thought of. There is no leave of absence for study 15 reported. In fact there is no provision made by the Board of Education for such means of improvement, and the only way to take a leave is to resign /rom the service, and very likely after such leave, the teacher takes a more remunerative position elsewhere and does not return to service in Alton. This practice usually tends to drain the teaching body of the most progressive teachers. Only two or three teachers mentioned extension courses, saying that they took them when extension lecturers came to Alton. Seventy-four of the grade teachers and nine of the high school teachers have taken corre- spondence courses. All these seventy-two grade teachers took one course each; namely. Palmer's Method in Penmanship, while the nine high school teachers took courses as follows: Three English, one penmanship, one playground, one economics, one shorthand, one German composition, and one civil engineering. Four other means of improvement in service may be mentioned: Teachers' study clubs, reading circles, teachers' meetings, and improvement through supervision. In two or three cases teachers' study clubs were mentioned in the answers, but upon inquiry it was found that these clubs were most likely composed of those teachers who get together at the noon hour to read books, and therefore could not be regarded as clubs for pro- fessional improvement in accordance with the aim of the questionnaire. Moreover, work done in this manner could hardly have an appreciable effect upon the teaching. Furthermore, the teachers' meetings do not concern themselves with problems of supervision, but merely with questions of administration. In fact, it was the feeling of the principals with whom I discussed the matter that they had no time for supervision in the true sense. The one or two hours, as the case may be, in which they are not teaching, are necessary for dealing with problems of administrative detail. On the other hand, all teachers reported -to have followed the reading circle course from year to year, but there is no check upon the extent to which the teachers have read or profited by the reading, and therefore this could not be regarded as a very effective means for the improvement of the teacher in service. The most important of these means of improvement is through effective supervi- sion. It is the practice in training schools throughout the country to put less emphasis in training upon those subjects which are specially supervised in the schools, such as music, art, etc., and where trained supervisors are present, and a good foundation is given during the period of training, effective training may be given in service. While the general and professional training of the Alton special supervisors is meagre, the supervisors have made an effort to remedy this defect by attendance at summer schools. Out of a possible twenty participations in summer school work, the supervisors have attended eleven. They took the following professional courses: the teaching process, one; psychology, two; general method, one; philosophy of education, one; school management, ope; pedagogy, two; public school music, one. This is in distinct contrast with the grade principals, who have attended six summers out of a possible fifty-five, who in general have very limited education, and who have taken almost no professional courses. Where professional courses have been taken, the work is not recent enough to be of great value in helping the young teacher. The Alton grade principals have an abundance of "experience." The total years taught by the Alton grade principals is 352 years, or an average of thirty-two years; 232 years of this total was taught in Alton, or an average of twenty-one years. In indicating the small amount of professional work, I am stating a condition here and am not attempting to locate the blame for this condition. No doubt the low salary paid to the principals and the necessity of supplementing their earn- ings by outside endeavors is partly responsible. However, the condition is no less serious on this account. Salaries In order to determine the condition of the teaching profession, it will be necessary to examine the salary schedule and the salaries actually paid and, so far as possible, compare them with salaries paid in other cities of a similar class. The salary schedule for grade and high school teachers is as follows: 1st 2d 3d 4th 5th Year. Year. Year. Year. Year. First to Sixth Grades $450 $500 $550 $600 $ 650 Seventh and Eighth Grades 550 600 650 700 750 Supervisor of Music 750 850 900 950 1,050 Supervisor of Drawing 750 850 900 950 1,050 16 Principals will receive $50 a year additional to their scheduled salaries for each room under their supervision. 1st 2d 3d 4th 5th 6th Year. Year. Year. Year. Year. Year. High School Women $700 $750 $800 $850 $ 950 $1,050 High School Men 800 850 900 950 1,050 1,150 A comparison of Alton salaries actually paid with those paid in cities under twenty-five thousand population shows the following result: High Schools — Minimum Maximum Average Alton Principal $675 $?.,000 $1,673 $2,000 Vice-Principal 810 2,400 1,287 1,300 Teachers 100 2,250 897 1,100 Grade Schools — Minimum Maximum Average Alton Principal $270 $2,250 $ 905 $1,000-$!, 550 Teachers 38 1,500 602 550- 950 A further analysis shows that two of the high school teachers receive $800; two, $850; three, $900; one, $1,000; two, $1,050; seven, $1,100; three, $1,200; while the salaries of the grade teachers distribute themselves as follows: One teacher receives $400; three, $450; five, $500; eight, $550; five, $600; twenty-seven, $650; eleven, $700; twelve, $750; one, $800; five, $850; one, $950. Selecting Teachers All teachers are selected by a "committee on teachers, composed of five members, whose duty it shall be to investigate the qualifications of applicants for positions as teacher. They shall prepare annually and submit at the regular meeting of the Board in May, a list of competent teachers for positions for the next school year, with recommendations as to their salaries," The superintendents and principals have no official responsibility in the appointment of teachers, but actually the superintendent is generally con- sulted in making up the list for appointment. The Board, however, selects all those completing the cadet course, and every one can complete it, and does not select them according to any efficiency rating. Pull might sometimes put the poorest cadet in the first place. The fact is, misuse of the appointing power has almost universally resulted where all the responsibility lies in the hands of the Board, and where teachers are expected to apply to members of the Board for their places. Under the free interpretation of the instruc- tions to the committee relating to the appointment of teachers, or under selection without professional advice, highly incompetent persons might be employed and continued from year to year in the service. For instance, the committee may select persons who have had successful experieiice. "By 'successful experience' is meant the faithful compliance with the rules and regulations of the Board and shall be based upon the following: a. Prepara- tion for work (scholarship), b. Ability as a disciplinarian, c. Non-absence from duties, d. Harmonious working with colleagues and those in authority." These requirements may mean anything and oftentimes do mean, in other cities, the desire of a Board member to have a person appointed to satisfy political or other obligation. Pro,motion Promotion is made on the basis of experience, with this exception: "The Board reserves the right to decrease for any irregularities or increase for special merit or extraordinary success the above schedule for any teacher. This must be done, however, at some special meeting of the Board, by a unanimous vote." It will be seen from the schedule quoted on another page that an advance of $50 a year is made for five years. After ten years of service another $50 is added, if the teacher is continued in service. The Bureau of Education, in its study of promotions (Bulletin No. 44, 1915) says: "It is a well-known fact that promotion on experience alone does not always reward the teachers who are making the most improvement, and that this method does not tend to call forth the best effort on the part of the teachers." The Alton plan of promotion is a vitally weak spot in the Alton school system. Salary schedules should be based upon the four factors, experience, education, professional training, and success or efficiency, and promotion 17 should be made on the conditions laid down in the schedule. The Bureau of Education in its report suggests two schedules, as follows: (This schedule presupposes a four-year high school course and includes one year of profes- sional training.) Class D. To be eligible to this class, a candidate must have completed a four-year high school course and have had 36 weeks' professional training. Those eligible to this class will receive the minimum salary. Class G. To be eligible to this class, a teacher must have had 48 weeks of professional preparation and 2 years' experience, unless 72 weeks of professional training had been secured before entering Class D, in which case only one year's experience is required to enter Class C. A success grade of 80 is required. Class B. To be eligible to this class a teacher must have had 60 weeks of professional training and 4 years' experience, unless 72 weeks of profes- sional training had been secured before entering Class D or C, in which case only 3 years' experience is required to enter Class B. A success grade of 85 is required. Class A. To be eligible to this class a teacher must have had' 72 weeks of professional training and 6 years' experience, except for those who have had 72 weeks' professional training before entering Class B or C, in which c'ase only 5 years' experience is demanded. A success grade of 90 is required. Those eligible to this class will receive the maximum salary. The second schedule presupposes a four-year high school course and requires two years of professional preparation. Class D. To be eligible to this class, a candidate must have had 72 weeks' professional training in addition to a four-year high school course. Those eligible to this class will receive the minimum salary. Class C. To be eligible to this class, a teacher must have had one year of experience and a success grade of 80. Class B. To be eligible to this class, a teacher must have had three years' experience and a success grade of 85. Class A. To be eligible to this class, a teacher must have had 78 weeks' professional training, 5 years' experience, and a success grade of 90. Those eligible to this class will receive the maximum salary. The Owensboro schedule, as given above, is suggestive. Also the plan of Beaver Falls, Pa., is worth giving here to bring the plan of other cities such as Alton into contrast with Alton. Class 1. Teachers holding a permanent State certificate. State normal school diploma, or a permanent college certificate and showing evidence of at least three years' successful experience in schools approved by the Board. Class 2. Teachers holding a professional certificate. State normal school certificate, or professional college certificate and showing evidence of at least two years' successful experience in schools approved by the Board. Class 3. Teachers holding a provisional certificate, without three years' successful experience in schools approved by the Board. Minimum and maximum salaries are fixed for Classes 2 and 3, and a minimum and maximum automatic increase is fixed for Class 1. Teachers belonging to Class 1 who possess special qualifications may receive a salary beyond the maximum for automatic increase. Provision is made for an automatic increase in salary according to a definite increment for a teacher having a satisfactory efficiency record until she reaches the maximum salary for the class to which she belongs or acquires the qualifications which place her in another class. Each teacher is given her rating twice a year before it is reported to the school board. Tenure "The tenure of office of all teachers shall be at the will and pleasure of the Board. After four years of successful teaching in the Alton Public Schools, a teacher is not required to make application for the position. During the first four years of his service, however, annual application for position will be required. Superior qualifications as to moral character, literary attainments, industry, and practical skill shall be specially regarded in their employment and continuance. They shall have the right to resign only when two weeks' notice of such intention is given; and the Board reserves the right, as provided by statute and ordinance, to dismiss or remove 18 any teacher whenever in their opinion he or she is not qualified to teach, or whenever from any cause the interest of the schools may, in their opinion, require such action." The general practice in making the continuance of the employment at the pleasure of the Board is the common practice throughout the country, but the practice in Alton, of having the teachers make formal application for their first four years of service, is highly questionable. As long as a person must make formal application each year and has a feeling of uncertainty, he is not apt to do his best work. This practice grew out of the false premise that a person will do better work if he is not too sure of his position. The practice is based upon bad psychology and a wrong conception of human nature. Recommendation 1. The fact most striking to the surveyor is the extent of the inbreeding in the Alton schools. It may practically be said that the children receive their training in Alton schools; they are then trained to teach by observation under teachers who have had nearly all of their training there; and these teachers in turn train other teachers who are entering the service; simply an endless circle. There should be an immediate change of policy. The graduates of the Alton High School should be required to take their profes- sional training elsewhere before entering the service in Alton. 2. The fact is, local training cannot be effective in a city the size of Alton, because the funds are not available for securing a competent faculty. It is much less expensive to a city of the size of Alton to pay for the whole two years of training in a standard Normal than to employ a competent faculty to train the needed teachers at home. Besides, the advantage of the contact with other groups of educators and school people, something that one cannot have in such a small local training school, is invaluable. As it is, the training in Alton is wholly inadequate, even if it were given under the most skilled of teachers. It is not as much as is now generally required of teachers in rural schools, as, for instance, in the case of Ohio and Wyoming, Missouri, Indiana, etc. The training does not compare at all favorably with cities in the Alton class. Owensboro, for instance, pays much lower salaries (a maximum of $650, as compared with $850), and yet the least amount of training in Owensboro is twenty weeks beyond the four-year high school course in a standard norma] school. In order to reach the maximum salary there, the teacher must have a diploma from a standard normal. The qualifications for entrance into the Alton schools is entirely too low. In order to put Alton on the same plane as that of cities of her rank, she should have requirements as follows: a. Graduates of standard four-year high school, with no professional work offered as a part of the sixteen units required for graduation. b. A diploma from the two-years' course in a standard normal school. 3. Immediate steps should be taken for the improvement of the present teaching corps. The most obvious ways for this to be done are for them to participate in correspondence courses, extension courses which might be provided by the Alton School Board, and courses in summer schools. It would not be too much to expect each teacher to add six weeks of professional training each year to her present training, until she has at least one year of professional training in some standard school. 4. Requirements for new teachers in the high school should bp made to conform to the recommendations of the North Central Association as out- lined above. 5. The present high school corps should follow the methods suggested in recommendations for grade teachers. Perhaps the best thing would be for all of them to attend the Summer Sessions of the State Normal Schools or the State University. 6. New supervisors and principals should be selected from persons who have training in teachers' colleges, who have specialized in education, and who have the equivalent of the B. A. degree in Education. The practice of promoting those to the position of supervisors and principals with nothing else to recommend them than length of service and "successful experience" would demoralize any teaching body. 7. The present supervisors and principals should be encouraged to take leaves of absence for study and improvement, and they should be expected to attend Summer Schools for professional work. Principals of the larger 19 schools should not teach, but should devote all their time to administration and supervision. Several small schools might be grouped together and put under one principal, if one school did not require all his time . 8. The method of selecting teachers should be changed. They should be selected by the Board from the list prepared by the superintendent of instruction, and if the Board supervises the preparation of its teachers, they should be called into service automatically from a list arranged in order of their qualifications. The superintendent, w^ho should seek the advice of his principals and supervisors, should be responsible .for the selection of the teaching corps. 9. The plan of promotion in Alton is undesirable and should be changed^ at once. The basis of promotion should be experience, professional training, education, and efficiency. The measurement of these qualities should be made, so far as possible, by recognized standards or objective standards, and should not be left to the individual standard of members of the Alton School Board. It might be urged that these standards have been applied to the Alton teachers, but when these teachers are measured by recognized standards we see how much they fall below the requirements of other cities. I do not mean in teaching capacity, as that is not my problem. 10. After a probationary period of one year, the teachers should be placed on the permanent list and should be made to feel that they could be discharged only for incompetency or improper conduct. This recommenda- tion is in line with the practices of the best schools of the country. 11. Provision should be made for leave of absence for study, after which a teacher should not lose her rank. Furthermore, provision should be made for promotion of such teacher when she demonstrates that she has profited by her leave, in developing superior teaching skill. 20 SPIRIT, METHODS OF TEACHING, RELATIONS OF TEACHERS AND OTHER SCHOOL OFFICERS, RELATIONS OF TEACHERS AND CHILDREN by C. G. Rathmann Assistant Superintendent of Instruction, St. Louis I spent three days in Alton and visited five schools. I had several conferences with the Superintendent and discussed with him the general school situation. I visited each room in the five schools and saw work in each grade and each subject. I made my visits alone on the first day and was accompanied by the grade supervisor on my next two visits. After hearing a lesson I had a conference with the teacher to get a better understanding of her lesson plan, her preparation for the work, of what she wanted to accomplish, of her idea of the importance of the subject she had presented and the value of the method pursued. I had conferences with the principals of the buildings and the supervisors. I intended to study the annual reports of the Superintendent to ascertain what progress had been made from year to year, but was in- formed that no report had been issued since 1901. I became very favorably impressed with the personnel of the teaching corps. The teachers I met are a group of fine, intelligent, and enthusiastic women, earnest, conscientious, devoted to their work, deeply interested in the welfare of their charges and anxious to give them the very best opportunities. Unfortunately, as Dr. Payne, who reports on the training of teachers, sets forth, they have not had the advantages of a thorough modern preparation and training. They realize this fact and deplore it. The teachers with few exceptions have been educated in the Alton schools. After graduating from the High School they go into the schools as cadets and observe and study the work of the teachers who have had the same training which they have received. Some of them take summer courses in the Shurtleff College of Alton, or the University of Illinois, and thus add to their totally inadequate preparation. They receive little guidance or inspiration from such as could and should give it. The principal is in charge of a room and his time is, with the exception of two hours during which the cadet is placed in his room, taken up in teaching. The two hours must be given to problems of admin- istration and management and no time remains for the supervision of the work and the training of teachers. The rules of the Board of Education prescribe that "monthly meetings of the various grade teachers shall be held for the purpose of conferring as to the best methods of instruction and discipline." As I learned, such meet- ings were held under the direction of the Superintendent up to a year ago, but no discussions were had. Prominent educators were invited to give lectures on educational topics. These meetings have been discontinued altogether. The reason given was that the teachers could not be induced to take part in the discussions. The Superintendent visits all the schools once a week. Such visit, of course, can be brief only and gives him no opportunity to help and guide the teachers. Under the rules of the Board of Education the teachers may on two days of the year go to St. Louis or other cities in the neighborhood to study the work in the schools and compare it with their own. The teachers, as 1 understand, make good use of this opportunity. Provisions should be made for well planned extension work for the teachers after school hours. A step in the right direction was the appointment of a supervisor of grade work which was made at the beginning of the present year. The new supervisor gives all her time to the study of the conditions in the schools, to careful supervision, and to guiding and training the teachers. What I saw of her work promises gratifying results. The course of study should make the teachers acquainted with the alms of their work, the meaning and relative importance of the work in each subject and suggestions as to best ways of presenting the work. No such help Is given. At the beginning of each quarter the teachers receive a typewritten slip containing the number of pages in the text book for each subject which are to be covered during the quarter. This is the only guidance that is given the teacher. 21 There is little to help the teacher in the conduct of the work besides the text book. There are maps, but not in sufficient number. There Is a totally inadequate supply of supplementary reading matter, of reference books, of material for constructive work or for seat work in the primary grades. There is no illustrative material save what the teachers who do not wish to depend upon the text book altogether encourage the pupils to bring. Except in the higher rooms, there are too many classes in the rooms and the classes are, in many cases, too large. The teachers can not give individual attention to those that need it. There are no provisions for special care of mentally defective children. Such conditions, of course, are unavoid- able in a smaller school system. Twice a year, classes are promoted. The promotions are determined by examinations and the standing in the d'aily recitations in the ratio' of one-third for the former and two-thirds for the latter. If a child has done unsatisfactory work, he remains in his class for another semester, but he must be promoted at the close of the next half year. Individual promotions are rare. Under the rules they can not be made without the approval of the Superintendent. It seems to me that the principal and the teacher who know the child and what he can do should determine individual promotions. No searching tests or measurements are made to determine whether the work as conducted is productive of the best results. Thus we see that the teachers are greatly handicapped, and, in view of these unfavorable conditions, one might infer that there is little growth or progress and that the work throughout the schools is not what it should be. This, however, is a wrong impression. I saw superior work done in a number of rooms by teachers who, possessing much native ability, initiative and resourcefulness, and the desire to forge ahead, carried out their own ideas with great success. If, in my study of the work in the different subjects, my criticisms seem rather severe in some cases, I want it understood that the fault is not with the teachers as much as with the unfavorable conditions in the system. If the teachers in the Alton schools had had and now had the advantages and opportunities that are offered in other school systems, they would compare very favorably with any group of teachers. Relations Between Teachers and Pupils — Discipline The relations between pupils and teachers are cordial and based upon mutual respect for each other. The teachers have the good will, the confi- dence, and the friendship of their pupils. This was quite evident in their intercourse before and after school and during the recess periods. In all the class rooms I visited there was perfect order and decorum, — rather too much order I thought, secured at the expense of buoyancy, deep, vivacious interest, and live desire to take active part in the work. The children were too quiet, the hum of busy, earnest work was lacking. I observed a number of children who, becoming interested in the work, felt like getting out of their seats in closer touch with their teacher, but they seemed to be kept back by the feeling that they would be "out of order." The strict discipline had a depressing effect upon spontaneity, initiative, desire to go more deeply into the work, the ready and hearty co-operation with the teacher. My impression was that the question of order was over- emphasized. The influence of the teachers on the moral conduct of the children seems to be strong and for good. I talked to many children, individuals and in groups, and all were pleasant in their manner, courteous, and showed ladylike and gentlemanly conduct. In coming to and leaving the school no boisterous or unruly behavior was seen. Language In language the text book plays a very prominent part. Fortunately technical grammar in this book, Robinson and Roe, is not considered below the seventh grade, — the text for the middle grades is devoted to the study of language. In this subject, more than in any other, the text book should be in the background, but the teachers whom I saw use the material in the book for all their language work. Instead of taking all the topics for compositions treated here, some of which are far-fetched and uninteresting and furnish no motive, narration of incidents actually experienced by the children, re- production of stories, character sketches, explanations of conditions and 22 events, topics taken from history, geography, and nature study, should be used in the oral and written compositions. Instead of closely adhering to the outlines given in the text book there should be encouragement of freedom, naturalness and spontaneity. There must be a great deal more opportunity given for practice in the use of correct English than is done in the Alton schools. In the lessons on all the different subjects in the curriculum the pupils must do more of the talking and the teachers less. In many of the lessons I heard the work consisted in questions asked by the teacher and answers given by the pupils, and the answers were often given in one or two words. Statements in whole sentences should at least be insisted upon. The teachers should encourage the children to give all they know and can say regarding a topic under discussion and to give it in good English and in coherent statements. Dis- cussing what is presented in a lesson with each other and the teacher is one of the best exercises in learning to speak correctly. More attention should be given to letter writing. Systematic and persistent efforts should be made by the teachers to eradicate common errors in oral language, such as verb and adverb errors, double negatives, misuse of pronouns, mispronunciations, colloquialisnis, etc. Reading In almost all of the rooms I visited I heard fluent, smooth reading. A good foundation for the mastery of the mechanics of reading is laid in the lower grades. The pupils read the text in arithmetic, geography and history readily, — there was no halting because of difficult words, except in one or two rooms. The same was true as to the reading lessons. But in almost all cases the reading was too rapid, without expression, and gave no evidence that the pupils fully understood what they read. In some cases it seemed a mere recitation of words. There was no discussion of the contents of the lesson preceding the reading. The proper pronunciation, the mastery of difficult words, v/as given the principal attention. A number of questions were asked after a paragraph had been read, but these questions were not such as to make the child think. The answers were merely reproductions of part of the text. The teacher did nothing to make the pupils see the beauty and force of the author's language, his ability to picture to the reader scenes and con- ditions and to describe the persons in the story with all their characteristics so that he can see them before him. There was no appeal to the imagination. The teachers did nothing to transport the children into the situation de- scribed in the lesson and to make them live the events about which they read. The trend of the children's thought was too much interrupted by questions on the pronunciation of the words. The children were encouraged to watch each other and to report at the close of a paragraph what words had not been read correctly. The result of such a procedure is that the pupils will give all their attention to the words, and the real purpose of the lesson is defeated. There was no effort on the part of any teacher to socialize the work, i. e., to have the pupils discuss with each other and with her the contents of the lesson. The children read to the teacher, not to each other. It would be desirable to give, from time to time, the reader an audience by calling him to the front and letting him read to the other members of the class, who' should close their books. The reader would know that the whole class has to depend upon his reading for the proper understanding of what he pre- sents and that therefore he must give his best efforts to the work, and the pupils in the class will know that they must give their entire attention to the reader. Such exercises would be productive of more effective reading and more effective listening. In no room did I see any dramatization of the reading lesson. Drama- tization of the reading lesson lends life and reality to it. Representing the "dramatis personae," acting the events, living them, as it were, enables the child to enter into the spirit of what is presented. Doing the things instead of merely reading about them, develops their power of imagination and expression and gives them self-confidence and genuine pleasure in the work. In listening to the reading lessons I asked myself if there was any evidence that the. teacher had given any thought to the lesson before she presented it, that she was thoroughly acquainted with the contents, that she fully realized the opportunities the lesson, if properly handled, would give her pupils to become better readers and better thinkers. There was no such evidence in most cases. 23 In one room I visited the teacher made the pupils read a paragraph and then give an oral reproduction of it so that, as she said, she could ascertain what words the children had not understood. Reading and repro- ducing and giving the meaning of difficult words, — but no thought getting. There was no time for the latter, I was informed. Deplorable is the dearth of supplementary reading matter. Each gra^ie is entitled to only one set of supplementary reading. There is no co-opera- tion with the public library. Upon inquiry in several rooms I found that some pupils had cards and were using books of the library. No encourage- ment to extend this use is made by the schools. As long as supplementary reading material is so limited, I would suggest that the pupils be encouraged to procure books from the library, to read chapters to the class, that the teacher control the children's reading ami ascertain from time to time what the children are reading and have them give an abstract of the book read. Spelling In spelling, as in all other subjects, the text book is the principal factor. All wbrds in all the lessons are taught and learned in the order in which they appear. The words which are not now in the child's vocabulary, nor will be for some time, are given the same or more time than the words which the child ought to learn at the present time. In the primary grades the words are taken from the reading lesson, are well selected and, as I saw in the primary rooms I visited, well taught. In the middle and higher grades a number of words, from five to ten, are assigned to the pupils for study in preparation for the spelling lesson. These words are studied by the children but in the rooms which I visited nothing was done to teach the pupils how to study the words. The meaning of the words to be learned Is found by the pupils in the dictionary, but no help or guidance in the use of the dictionary is given. Only in one room I saw the words of the lesson used in sentences. In one of the rooms in the higher grades the words were read, correctly pronounced, and spelled. They were mostly unfamiliar words, but the meaning was neither given nor found. The teacher said that this was the regular daily procedure, that she simply required the children to learn to spell the words. More attention should be given to written spelling. The words which are in the child's present vocabulary or in that of the near future should have more time and attention than the unfamiliar words. The former are more often misspelled than the latter. "There exist," as Dr. Gregory says, "subconsciously in the child's mind visual percepts of the words he uses and used before he came to school which are his translations of his aural percepts, but these visual representations are often entirely different from the correct forms. These wrong impressions must be extirpated before the correct forms can be learned. Of the unfamiliar words he gets the correct forms at once, hence they are more easily learned." Teachers would find it profitable to make lists of words frequently misspelled and make these lists the subject of special spelling lessons as often as seems desirable. Arithmetic In the middle and higher grades the work in arithmetic is too formal and mechanical. There is no effort to bring the subject into close touch with the actual conditions of life. The text book is followed too slavishly. A new subject is not discussed and explained on the blackboard or with concrete examples or. making use of the child's experience. The text book is opened at once and what it says forms the basis of the teacher's presenta- tion. The new lesson is assigned the day before without any guidance or help on the part of the teacher. The pupils study the text for preparation. In this way the text book, not the teacher, becomes the real instructor. In one room I saw good thorough oral work preceding the book lesson. There was even a strong effort to socialize the work. Pupils would give each other oral problems. Great interest and much skill were shown. The blackboard is used extensively everywhere. I was glad to see this. In one room all the pupils were at the blackboard, writing the solutions of problems. Tire teacher went from problem to problem examining, correcting and marking, speaking to the individual child only. Not a word was said by the pupils. There was no interest, no pleasure in the work, no united effort, no co-operation. There was a lull of depression and I thought I heard a sigh of relief when the recess bell rang. 24 There is no oral interpretation of the problem. The child reads either aloud or for himself the problem and then begins to work. The teacher does not ascertain before the problem is attacked if the child fully under- stands what he has read, knows what he is to find or how to find it. There should be no stereotyped form of analysis, but in new work the child should receive some definite training in interpreting the problem. He should have a clear picture of the conditions of the problem before he attempts to solve it. This training should begin with the simplest problems in the second grade, but I saw no evidence of it. In one room only the teacher asked a pupil to analyze a problem. I asked why no more of this was done. The reply of tho teacher was that the pupils forget the form of analysis given them and then she has "to go all over it again." The result of this method is that the children have to depend too much upon the teacher. Entirely too much help is given. There is little initiative, little self activity on the part of the children. The teachers should emancipate themselves from the text book. There should be some motivated, socialized work, work in which all of the children could take part, which has application to real life. In the lower grades practical work consisting in weighing and measur- ing, buying and selling real things with paper coin might well constitute part of the program. Imaginary marketing trips on which the children buy all kinds of things for the family or the household, involving numbers within their grasp, might be undertaken to advantage. In the middle and higher grades such problems as finding the cost of a dinner, a trip, computing the average percent of the tests in various subjects and their percent of progress in each test, and similar problems, would be welcomed by the pupils. Finding the cost of furnishing a house, the interest on money borrowed to pay for part of the equipment, computing the insurance and taxes and letting the children secure the information they need in the stores and offices where it can be had, strongly appeal to the child, because he uoes all the work himself under the guidance of the teacher and sees the practical use of it. The number work in the primary grades, of counting, combining and measuring and solving easy problems, is done fairly well despite the very limited supply of objective material. Geography Geography begins in the third grade. In this grade it is Intended to be home geography, but it does not treat, as is done in most schools at the present time, the life and activities of man and his physical environment in and around his home. The course of study prescribes the following syllabus: Madison County, — boundary, area, townships, railroads, productions, etc. Illinois, — boundary, settlement, chief cities and railroads, length, breadth, rivers, natural productions, pursuits of people, etc. Much of this might be presented and discussed to great advantage, but unfortunately the boundaries, area, rivers and chief cities receive almost all the attention. For the study of human environment, man and his wants, his industrial and commercial pursuits, shops, factories and foundaries, quarries, houses in the process of construction should be visited and the actual work and conditions should be observed. Materials for food, clothing and fuel such as wheat, corn, cotton, wool, silk, coal, iron, etc., if possible in different stages of development, should be brought into the school room and placed before the children. For the study of the physical environment in this grade the children should be taken outdoors to observe roadbeds, slopes, hills, brooks and ponds, the careful study of which will enable the pupils to picture to themselves the features of land and water on the earth. Alton offers most valuable opportunities for such concrete lessons. The children should be brought into personal contact with their human and physical environment, instead of merely hearing or reading about them. In other grades I found in two rooms more ©mancipation from the text book than in other subjects and. consequently, better teaching. In these rooms I observed that the children found their own information from other texts, from books on travels, industries and from cyclopedias. In these rooms the pupils discussed with each other the facts and conditions, made their own discoveries and drew their own conclusions. Pictures and clippings from papers were brought in by the pupils. I found great interest and ready response. Still better work could be done if the teachers were given what they need to vitalize the work, arouse interest and create vivid and permanent 25 impressions of what is taught. There are not enough maps so that the teacher can get one when she needs it, — there are no collateral geographical readers, — there is not a trace of illustrative material. In other rooms the text book reigned supreme. The children learn little beyond the facts which they gather from it. In the first part of the fifth grade excursions should be made to the river bank, to the bluffs, the hills and slopes surrounding Alton because the study of the geography in the higher grades requires some knowledge of physiographic influences. The lessons in the remaining part of the fifth, and the sixth and seventh grades geography should be a social study, a discussion of man's response to his envii'onment and his influence upon and control of it, the inter-dependence of man's various activities upon each other, his occupations, his industrial, commercial and cultural pursuits. There should be much less than I found of purely statistical informa- tion, of the memorizing of boundaries, area, number of inhabitants, length of rivers, height of mountains, and more of the study of "Man as the creator as well as the creature of his world." There should be far less memory work and more solving of geographical problems suggested by the topics and their discussion. History History is taught in the seventh and eighth grades only. There is no preliminary training in the lower grades for the better understanding of the subject through supplementary reading. In two rooms in which I saw work in history I was pleased to note that the text book was not the sole medium between teacher and pupil. Other texts and reference books were accessible, and the pupils were encour- aged to find additional information and more light on the topics under discussion. As a result, the children took a more active part in the work, did their own comparing and thinking, secured broader views and a better understanding of the conditions and events and their relations and showed great interest and desire to learn. In one room the teacher had just begun to socialize the work. A topic had been presented by a pupil and his classmates entered into an animated discussion of it, asking him such questions as would make the subject more intelligible while 4;he teacher gave such help as was needed and kept the dis- cussion in the proper channels. In another room the old method of reciting the text and answering the teacher's questions prevailed. More of the work in history and geography should be in the hands of the pupils. They should do their own thinking and discovering under the guidance of the teacher. They should secure from otuer historical texts, from reference books in the school and from books taken from the public library their own information in addition to what the prescribed text book offers. They should discuss with the teacher and each other conditions and events, causes and effects. Giving the children the initiative, the teachei should step more and more into the background, should guide, direct, and inspire. Lessons in history and geography conducted in this way are also excellent language lessons. They give the- children valuable practice in expressing their views before others and the ability, no less valuable, to find their own knowledge after they have left school. Nature Study Nature study has no place in the curriculum of the Alton schools. The principals and teachers say that this subject is to be taught incidentally, in connection with the other subjects. There was no evidence, however, that the opportunities offered by the school life and the school activities for awakening in the child a sympathetic interest in nature around him were used. The surroundings of every schoolhouse I visited offer excellent oppor- tunities for practical nature study. It is to be deplored that no use is made of them. Ethics Ethics, like nature study, is not provided for in the school curriculum. It is not totally neglected, however, in that one feature of it, the Humane Treatment of Dumb Animals, has a place on the weekly program. Thirty minutes per week for every grade for this subject are required by the state school law. The Alton schools give ten minutes daily to it, in most cases 26 just before the close of the morning session. There is no evidence that, under this arrangement, the Humane Treatment of Dumb Animals receives the attention which the State Board expects. The teachers do not look with favor upon this law and think that other features of moral teaching should have some of the time assigned to this subject. Departmental Teaching Departmental teaching in the seventh and eighth grades is done in two of the Alton schools. I visited one of these schools and found the depart- mental work well planned and, on the whole, productive of good results. The teachers instruct in the subjects in which they are specially interested and for the teaching of which they are best fitted. Being relieved of the exacting requirements necessary to teach well the many subjects in their advanced complexities as found in the higher grades and confining their efforts to a limited number of branches of the curriculum for which they are more gifted and better prepared, they do more efficient work. I saw better teaching and better results here than in the schools in which the single teacher plan is followed. Summary of Recommendations 1. Better training of teachers. Diploma from any State Normal School should be required from new applicants. 2. Provisions for extension courses for teachers in the Alton Schools. 3. Principals should have more time for supervision. 4. A more complete and modern course of study should be prepared and placed in the hands of the teachers. 5. A special school and a few ungraded rooms should be opened for feebleminded and backward children. 6. There should be more outdoor and excursion work to vitalize the work in geography and nature study. The latter subject should be given a place in the curriculum. 7. More teaching material, as up-to-date maps, supplementary reading, reference books, material for constructive and seat work. 8. Efficient co-operation with the Public Library. 9. There should be from time to time tests and measurements of the results of instruction to determine the efficiency of the teaching process and to establish higher standards of work. 10. There should be regular meetings of principals and teachers with the Superintendent and Grade Supervisor for the discussion of the aim and scope of education in modern life, of the determination of the place and the function of the public school in realizing this aim, of the ways in which the public school should co-operate with other educational agencies, of methods of instruction and management. 11. More vigorous, stimulating and helpful leadership in all school departments. 12. The teachers should be selected by the Superintendent. His nomi- nations should be submitted to the Board of Education for its approval. 13. The Superintendent should publish an annual report to make the people of Alton acquainted with the methods of educational administration, the progress made in the schools, the needs of the schools, the problems un- solved, etc. 27 COURSE OF STUDY AND SCHOOL SUPPLIES by T. E. Spencer Principal, Irving School, St. Louis The following report is based upon observations made and information received during a three days' visit in the public schools of Alton, Illinois, with purpose to learn of the courses of study, the pedagogical conceptions which teachers hold regarding their educational aims and uses, and of the methods of their elucidation in their school rooms. Inquiry was to be made, also, into the school supplies, their kinds and quantities, and the manner ot handling them. No printed reports or other matter relating to the schools were avail- able, or seem to have been furnished the public by the Superintendent or the Board of Education except a few blank forms for administrative matters and the "Outline of Studies" pursued in the high school. " The Surveyor endeav- ored to learn in what manner the courses of study were interpreted in instruction, and to discover what pedagogical conceptions regarding these studies and their uses in children's education were entertained by the teachers. For this purpose he visited the following schools: The Garfield, the Irving, the Lincoln, and the High School. He also visited the Alton Board of Trade and conversed with the Secretary of that Board, from whom he learned the story of the growth and development of the Alton industrial district and secured a statement showing the number and kind of industriea in which the people are engaged, the number employed in each, and the wages paid for labor by each industry. As a result of the foregoing study the Surveyor reached the conclusions which are herewith submitted. It has been said that "one of the quickest means for determining the ideals and purposes which actuate a school system is to examine the courses of study prescribed for the schools. From such an examination the real character of the ideals of the administration as to the purposes of education can quickly be told. Not only may one tell how the courses have been constructed, but also what pedagogical conceptions underlie the work." Investigation of courses of study the country over has shown that they may be grouped into two general classes or types, namely (1) information types, (2) development types. (1) The information types of courses are based upon the conception that it is the duty of the public school to transmit from generation to genera- tion the accumulated knowledge of the past, that valuable mental discipline is acquired by the mere process of acquiring and uttering this knowledge. In schools operating under such conceptions, facts are taught and learned. Overemphasis is placed upon studies which serve as tools of knowledge, and often much time is spent upon learning certain facts because of a supposed use for them after the child has grown up. (2) The development types of courses of study are based upon very different pedagogical conceptions. Such courses cannot be laid out in definite pages of prescribed text books. Facts here are of small importance until they have been put to use. Knowledge is a tool, and not an end in itself. Such courses of study are not fixed or final. They vary from month to month, because the real problems In such courses are the im2)ils and not the subject-matter of instruction. Hence it becomes the business of all teachers and supervisors of such courses to study the problems of instruction with a view to adapting school work to the growing needs of the children. Such courses have reference to life, the present lives of the children and of the community of which they are a part, and of the future lives and needs of both. Such courses induce an open-minded attitude toward new methods and ideals of education. Such courses require skillful teaching, but they tend to create skillful teachers. Information acquired from the three days' study of the Alton schools leaves no doubt that they belong to the first mentioned types of schools — to the information type, with rigid courses of study, laid out by pages in text books, and drilled upon for memorization of facts as a desired end in them- selves. To illustrate, let us take the subject of reading. The first year's assign- ment calls for the Ward Primer as a text book, followed by "Supplementary readings from Appleton's First Reader, Brooks' First Reader and Fairy Stories." The objects are specified thus, "To recognize the written and 28 printed forms of the words found in the child's spoken vocabulary, to write single words and combine them into easy sentences, to separate words into their elementary sounds, and to combine sounds into words." For the second grade the course assigns "Brooks' Second Reader com- pleted, Supplementary Readings from Appleton's Second Reader, and Baker and Carpenter's Second Reader, and sight reading of interesting stories." The third grade work is comprehended under "Brooks' Third Reader completed. Supplementary Reading of Appleton's Third Reader, Heath's Third Reader, Interesting and Instructive Stories for Sight Reading." The work prescribed for the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth grades is set forth in terms of text books similar to that specified for the previous grades. There is no presentation of aims to be sought, nor of methods to be employed. The spelling work is more briefly indicated as "Outlined in Ward Primer," for first year, "All words found at the beginning of reading lessons, and in the back part of Brook's Second Reader," and similar brevity for each of the successive years' work. Turning to the course in arithmetic we find, for instance, the third year's work indicated as "Times tables of 6's, 7's, 8's, 9's, lO's, ll's and 12's. Rapid work in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, multiplier and divisor to consist of not more than three figures. First half of Smith's Primary Arithmetic." Even more brief directions suffice for later grades, as, for example, "Last part Smith Intermediate and first part Smith Ad- vanced," for seventh grade. No mention is made of language work during the first three years of the course, but under the fourth year's assignment we find "Language: first third of Robbins and Row, Book One." The assignments for each of the grades following are given in similar terms of portions of designated text books. The specifications for the study of geography and history have the same rigid limitations prescribed within the text books, with no apparent hint of purpose nor method, nor selections of types for emphasis, nor of per- mission to vary the text to apply to local environment of the pupils. Indeed, it is to be noted that the seventh year's work in geography deals with Asia, Africa and Australasia, while the history for that year deals with the Colonial period. There would seem to be no history in the geography lesson, and no geography in the history lesson, although these two social studies ought to be very closely inter-related, and especially so at that period of the child's development. The course for physical training is vaguely defined as "One hour each week," and the courses in drawing and vocal music are to be given "Under direction of the Supervisor." It will readily be seen that the Alton Courses of Study belong to what has been called the "information type." The knowledge theory controls all within the system. The courses are, in the main, laid out carefully by pages in books, set off into small segments for each month or part of a term. Large dependence is placed upon the text books, which are evidently pre- sented to children as comprehending all one need know about the subjects of which they treat, since little or no collateral or supplemental material is supplied. The text books used are not modern, do not represent the best educational theory or practice in the subjects of which they treat. There seems to be little real effort made tO' relate the courses of study to the lives and needs of the children, and no appreciation of the duty of the public school to contribute in vital ways to the community life of which it should be a part. Teachers who teach such courses of study have no responsibility for the content of the courses, nor for the educational results. They go about their daily tasks with little regard for the educational significance of what they do, provided only their pupils learn the facts prescribed for their par- ticular segment of the course and retain those facts in memory until after the stated tests are made. Principals keep order and keep records, and have little further responsibility. The supervision of such a system is merely inspection. Here and there, in a very few school rooms, may be found teach- ers whose grasp of the subjects taught seems much more comprehensive than the narrow limitations of the courses prescribed for their grades. Their merits are conspicuous by comparison, but their excellence is not due to the Influences of the system in which they are working. It is held to be true that in the United States the public school is charged with the duty of defining its own scope as an educative agency, and of determining the proper relation of other educative agencies to it. To 29 discharge this duty it should endeavor to know the needs of its community and strive to contribute in a vital way to the activities of its own community life. The course of study pursued in any given public school should be not only suited in a general way to the nature and capacity of children, but also should have regard for the individual differences of children, and should take into account their environmental conditions. The industries of the community of which, directly or indirectly, the majority of the children will later become a part, should not be lost sight of in shaping the fundamental courses of study suited to the public schools of that community. The statement given the Surveyor by the Secretary of the Board of Trade shows that Alton has lately become a thriving industrial center and that it seems sure to become of still greater importance commercially and' industrially. Marked changes have been made in the lives of the Alton people during the past five or ten years, yet the courses of study in the schools have remained practically unaltered. Neither elementary nor high school courses, nor methods, nor ideals have been changed to meet the needs of the changed community. It is the opinion of the Surveyor that the Alton schools are in urgent need of new courses of study. The courses should be constructed with the growing child as the center of interest, and his environment a means of his education. The school exercises should result in awakening the concrete and constructive intelligence of the pupils. In shaping the new courses of study, teachers should seek to break away from the tedium and artificiality so characteristic of the old school atmosphere. The ideal should be schools characterized by freedom, expressive life, contact with real things, broad communal and personal activities, — schools where full opportunity for ex- pression may be provided for each child, up to the limit of his capacity, in a varied life of study and work and play. School Supplies With respect to accounting to the public for expenditures made in purchasing school supplies, the administration of the Alton schools leaves much to be desired. The Surveyor endeavored to secure information as to what educational supplies are furnished for use in the schools, their kinds, quality and distribution, and the uses made of them in the instruction of the children. It was found that no inventories of educational supplies on hand were obtainable. No such inventories have been required by the Board or have been kept by the Superintendent. Consequently, no one seems to know what supplies are in the schools, what they have cost, or in what condition they may be found. The Superintendent receives from the manual training teacher, the chemistry teacher, the physics teacher and the teacher of commercial branches each year reports of what supplies each of these will require for the coming year. He passes these requisitions on to the com- mittee on "Library and Apparatus" who report the matter to the Board of Education. After the purchases of such educational supplies have been authorized and the purchases have been made, no systematic accounting for them is required. No inventory is kept, no reports concerning their use or care are expected of any one. From the Superintendent Information was obtained that from if200 to .$300 had been spent annually for supplementary reading matter for use in the schools. He was, however, unable to state what books had been bought or how many, how these books had been distributed in the schools, or what books still remained in use in the schools. It therefore seems very clear that decided improvement in the system of accounting for the purchase, use, and care of educational supplies furnished the Alton schools should be made without delay. The principal of each school should be required to report definitely what supplies and apparatus are now in his school, in what condition they may be found, and how useful they have proved to be in the work of instruction. He should supplement his report by recommendation for additions to the stock on hand or for the withdrawal from use of any supplies found to be worn out or undesirable for use. The Superintendent should submit such information regularly, at stated intervals, to the Board of Education for their information. The Board, in turn, should publish such information that the public may be informed of the conduct of school matters in this respect. 30 TESTING OF THE RESULTS OF TEACHING IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS by L. W. Rader Principal, Columbia School, St. Louis Arithmetic Ability in arithmetic Implies the capacity to analyze concrete problems and to perform the required operations. The following tests were given to measure capacity for reasoning and facility in the four fundamental opera- tions. For measuring ability in the four fundamental operations, the Courtis Tests, Series B, were used, and for measuring capacity for reasoning the Courtis Test No. 8, Series A, was used. The numbers at the left of the figures indicate the number of problems the pupils should work correctly in the time specified. The numbers at the bottom of the figures indicate the grade. The tests were given to the class in each grade three weeks before passing into the higher grade. Six hundred six pupils representing each school took the tests. Courtis Standard Research Tests — Series B Addition You will be given eight minutes to find the answers to as many of these addition examples as possible. Write the answers on this paper directly underneath the examples. You are not expected to be able to do them all. You will be marked for both speed and accuracy, but it is more important to have your answers right than to try a great many examples. 939 392 757 939 389 482 779 809 274 287 594 376 975 857 554 667 475 935 138 567 682 449 323 372 867 849 ' 666 631 448 604 997 735 354 726 683 327 361 773 468 531 492 614 575 988 596 598 821 198 366 248 157 459 653 326 156 832 939 192 505 726 437 432 664 901 729 407 199 412 164 557 179 427 423 172 485 785 682 701 666 751 568 713 309 ■437 240 978 772 985 232 675 255 582 878 550 328 874 107 358 887 646 395 427 640 797 895 229 445 370 628 944 304 516 343 994 617 889 534 889 533 962 189 867 496 323 262 695 987 408 614 456 964 908 705 348 861 293 476 439 428 324 227 676 468 229 799 597 305 935 846 250 355 246 305 373 294 253 359 307 402 777 583 588 562 417 600 472 949 480 687 272 775 291 878 541 695 939 871 743 859 746 483 797 596 622 446 656 632 802 791 664 855 741 924 629 967 984 868 936 933 818 155 967 338 698 133 828 287 794 133 163 488 339 725 157 476 185 31 Courtis Tests. 8eries B. Addition 8 Courtis Standards 6,5 / f / "^~^-^ — // // W Grades 8 Flg^ure 1 ■ Courtis Standarxi. Alton Average. Courtis Standard Research Tests — Series B Subtraction. You will be given four minutes to find the answers to as many of these subtraction examples as possible. Write the answers on this paper directly underneath the exaniiples. You are not expected to be able to do them all. You will be marked for both speed and accuracy, but it is more important to have your answers right than to try a great many examples. 159707419 70176993 84527908 67493046 45090059 39910561 87839939 71262307 120266060 78683031 88337503 48870252 136191168 71023212 164171264 86330769 55241907 140368140 95532365 43951074 96128105 71368394 38702469 59405436 86292734 38391581 163782191 96279042 152306500 85166218 177290256 96030303 120919926 72072620 101044843 83749538 102603616 56211509 146188200 64983347 123853866 85637071 194538545 99522471 128088241 88416406 86654802 16830497 32 Subtraction. Grades 4 8 Figure 2, Courtis Standard. -_ Alton Average. Courtis standard Research Tests — Series B Multiplication You will be given six minutes to work as many of these multiplication examples as possible. You are not expected to be able to do them all. Do your work directly on this paper; use no other. You will be marked for both speed and accuracy, but it is more important to have your answers right than to try a great many examples. 8654 7329 3297 5684 9237 4568 2972 63 27 36 85 49 72 580 6584 9542 7638 9245 5492 6783 8673 94 206 95 59 48 62 73 8763 4685 2937 5924 7239 8645 5648 84 65 208 37 470 93 74 3972 8456 3279 9452 39 82 56 19 33 Multinlication 8 6.5 5.5 1.5 Grades 4 • /__ y // // • y / / f y y / f • 5 Figure 3 Courtis Standard. -<_ ^. ..— . Alton Average 3 Courtis Standard Research Tests — Series B Division You will be given eight minutes to work as many of these division examples as possible. You are not expected to be able to do them all. Do your work directly on this paper; use no other. You will be marked for both speed and accuracy, but it is more important to have your answers right than to try a great many examples. 27)7857 64)51392 35)10150 98)81438 72)36432 46)34086 53)39220 89)49929 29)13369 74)22866 38)11058 65)29900 92)69000 47)35297 83)66649 56)46536 37)21497 56)22792 29)16820 84)39564 64)35840 73)70153 25)5225 98)46158 34 Division Grades 8 Figure 4 Courtis Standard Alton Average Reasoning — Series A — Test 8 You will be given twelve minutes to find the answers to as many of these problems as possible. Write the answers on this paper directly after the problems. You are not expected to be able to do them all. You will be marked for both speed and accuracy, but it is more important to have your answers right than to try a great many problems. 1. The children in a certain school gave a Christmas party. One of the presents was a box of candy. In filling the boxes, one grade used 16 pounds of candy, another 17 pounds, a third 12 pounds, and a fourth 13 pounds. What did the candy cost at 26 cents a pound? 2. A school in a certain city used 2516 pieces of chalk in 37 school days. Three new rooms were opened, each room holding 50 children, and the school was then found to use 84 sticks of chalk per day. How many more sticks of chalk were used per day than at first? 3. Several boys went on a bicycle trip of 1500 miles. The first week they rode 374 miles, the second week 264 miles, the third 423 miles, the fourth 401 miles. They finished the trip the next week. How many miles did they ride the last week? 4. Forty-five boys were hired to pick apples from 15 trees in an apple orchard. In 50 minutes each boy had picked 48 choice apples. If all the apples picked were packed away carefully in 8 boxes of equal size, how many apples were put in each box? 5. In a certain school 216 children gave a sleigh ride party. They rented 7 sleighs at a cost of $30.00 and paid $24.00 tor the refreshments. The 35 party traveled 15 miles in 2l^ hours and had a very pleasant time, was each child's share of the expense? What 6. A girl found, by careful counting, that there w^ere 2400 letters on one page of her history, and 2295 on a page of her reader. How many more letters had she read in one book than in the other if she had read 47 pages in each of the books? 7. Each of 59 rooms in the schools of a certain city contributed 25 presents to a Christmas entertainment for the poor children. The stores of the city gave 1986 other articles for presents. What was the total number of presents given away at the entertainment? 8. Forty-eight children from a certain school paid 10 cents a piece to ride 7 miles on the cars to a woods. There in a few hours they gathered 2765 nuts. 605 of these were bad, but the rest were shared equally among the children. How many good nuts did each one get? Reasoning 3.4 2.8 2.2 1.7 Grades 4 8 Figure 5 . Courtis Standard «»_ — — . -_ Alton Average. 36 TABLE I. School Grade Add. Sub. Mul. Dlv. Reasoning Garfield IV V VI VII VIII 2.4 7.3 5.5 1.7 6.2 4.7 2.5 8.4 2.1 .8 6.8 3.6 5.3 3.8 Gillham IV V VI VII VIII 4 5 3.5 3. 1 2.6 7.8 3.5 2.7 1 8.7 10 4.9 6. 3 Horace Mann Humboldt Irving IV V VI VII VIII IV V VI VII VIII IV V VI VII VIII 2.5 3.2 2.5 1.8 1 1.9 2 2.2 1.4 1 3.4 4.2 4.2 4.3 2.6 5.4 8.8 9.2 7.8 4.6 5.1 8.1 6.7 8 4.7 3.6 3.8 3.8 2.3 4.7 3.6 5.6 2.7 3.6 2.7 5.5 7. 6.3 3.5 2.9 4.1 7.8 4.5 7.5 3.3 2.5 3.4 2.9 1.5 1.7 3. 7.1 4.3 3.3 .6 4.7 6.5 5.3 4.7 4.7 Lincoln Lowell IV V VI VII VIII IV V VI VII VIII 2.7 2.8 2.5 1 .6 4.5 5.8 3.1 2.6 2.8 3.4 4.7 4.7 3.9 2.8 3.9 6. 4.9 3.6 2.4 6.6 7.5 6.5 7.3 3 2.5 3.8 2.9 1.3 .4 2. 2. 2.9 1.9 1. 3.4 5. 4. 2.4 2. McKinley IV V VI VII VIII 3 4 4 6.7 3 5 8 11 4 5 6 9.1 2 4 5 8.5 1 2 3 4.6 Washington IV V VI VII VIII 3.2 4.6 3.8 3.3 6- 7.8 3.3 4.8 7 2.2 4.1 6.5 1.6 2.6 3.8 The Courtis standards used in these tests for the different grades were derived from over 25,000 pupils representing school systems of all sizes. In general, these tests show the upper grades to be below the standards in the fundamentals of arithmetic. This is due to one of two causes. There is a lack of drill in the fundamentals in these grades, or the drill given is not vitalized. The average of the eighth grade indicates that drill in funda- 37 mentals is much neglected, and that lists of single type problems is the order, instead of problems of various types calling for original thinking In applied problems. With the exception of the test in addition, the progress of the pupils through the grades until reaching the seventh grade is quite uniform. A study of Table. I shows a lack of uniform progress In some schools as the pupils pass through the grades. The fifth grade of the Garfield School shows much more power than the sixth grade. The seventh grade of the Horace Mann shows more ability than the eighth grade. These conditions indicate loose classifications because of a lack of standards. If these great differences in individual schools were corrected by more efficient supervision, the average of the Alton Schools would closely approach the standards. It is recommended that systematic, vitalized drill be pursued throughout the grades. That clear and accurate thinking in one-step problems be acquired in the lower grades before two or more step problems be given pupils. That the problems be more closely related to the pupils' experience and every day life. READING The chief elements In reading are (1) the comprehension of the material read, (2) the speed in reading, and (3) the correctness of pronun- ciation. The first two are the more important, and much mor^ easily meas- ured than the third. For this reason the tests given in reading are for the purpose of measuring ability in speed and comprehension in silent reading in the six upper grades, and for measuring the same elements in oral reading in the first and second grades. The material and standards used are the Starch Tests, which have been made with over 75,000 pupils in all parts of the country. The test material is composed of eight selections, the number of the selection corresponding to the grade in which used. The increases in difficulty from one sample to the next represent uniform steps. Comprehension by the Starch tests is determined by counting the number of words written which correctly reproduce the thought. These words become the index of comprehension. Since children of the first and second grades are not expected to reproduce thought in writing, the Starch tests are modified, as will be seen, so that comprehension is based upon oral reproduction guided by questions. The score of each question is supposed to represent the relative values of the questions. The percentage acquired upon the whole selection is used in finding the comprehension by taking such a percentage of the words read per second. The following are the Starch standards: Grades 12 3 4 Speed 1.5 1.8 2.1 2.4 Comprehension 15 20 24 28 One thousand one hundred ninety pupils took the tests in reading. Reading Test Grades I and II Test each pupil individually outside the class room. Allow him to read orally all of Card I. Time him carefully for 30 seconds, drawing a circle around the last word read. Give him no assistance. Tell him to pass over any word he can not pronounce. Divide the number of words read in 30 seconds by 30. This gives his score in speed. After he has finished reading ask the questions given and grade the paper. To determine his comprehension, suppose his grade is 40 per cent and his speed 35 words in 30 seconds, his score in comprehension is 40 per cent of 35, or 14. 38 5 6 7 8 2.8. 3.2 3.6 4.0 33 38 45 50 Grades III-VIII, inclusive In Grades III-VIII, inclusive, the test should be made a class exercise. Give each pupil a card face down on desk. Allow the class to read exactly 30 seconds, and have them place a circle around the last word read. Then turn over the paper and write all they remember having read, allowing as much time as they need. Score speed as above. To determine comprehension count the number of words which cor- rectly reproduce the thought, cancelling all other words. Use this number as the score in comprehension. Qrades I and II Card No. 1 With whom did the little girl live? What happened because they were poor? Where did the little girl go one day? Why did she go there? For what did she wish? Of whom did she think besides herself? Whom did she then see? Why was the little girl so sad? Card No. 2 1. Where did Betty live ? When? 2. How old was she? 3. Did she like to help her mother? 4. What had she learned to do? 5. What did she like to do best?. 6. Why was Betty left alone one day? 7. Who was visiting the South? 8. How did he travel from town to town? 9. How was the coach drawn? 10. How many men rode on horseback? 11. Where did they ride? 10 15 10 15 12 12 11 15 12 8 8 12 8 10 8 9 9 8 8 No. 1 Once there was a little girl who lived with her mother. They were very poor. Sometimes they had no supper. Then they went to bed hungry. One day the little girl went into the woods. She wanted sticks for the fire. She was so hungry and sad! "Oh, I wish I had some sweet porridge!" she said. "I wish I had a pot full for mother and me. We could eat it all up." lust then she saw an old woman with a little black pot. She said, "Little girl, why are you so sad?" "I am hungry," said the little girl. No. 2 Betty lived in the South, long, long ago. She was only ten years old, but she liked to help her mother. She had learned to do many things. She could knit and sew and spin; but best of all she liked to cook. One day Betty was alone at home because her father and mother and Drother had gone to town to see a wonderful sight. The great George Washington was visiting the South. He was going from town to town, riding in a gref^t white coach. trimmed with shining gold. It had leather curtains, and soft cushions. Four milk-white horses drew it along the road. Four horsemen rode ahead of the coach to clear the way and four others rode behind it. They were all dressed in white and gold. No. 3 Little Abe hurried home as fast as his feet could carry him. Perhaps if he had worn stockings and shoes like yours he could have, run faster. But, instead, he wore deerskin leggings and clumsy moccasins of bear skin that his mother had made for him. Such a funny little figure as he was, hurrying along across the rough fields! His suit was made of war homespun cloth. His cap was made of coonskin, and the tail of the coon hung behind him, like a furry tassel. But if you could have looked into the honest, twinkling blue eyes of this little lad of long ago, you would have liked him at once. 39 In one hand little Abe held something very precious. It was only a book, but little Abe thought more of that book than he would have thought of gold or precious stones. You cannot know just what that book meant to little Abe, unless you are very fond of reading. Think how it would be to see no books except two or three old ones that you had read over and over until you knew them by heart! No. 4 The red squirrel usually waked me in the dawn, running over the roof and up and down the sides of the house, as if sent out of the woods for this very purpose. In the course of the winter I threw out half a bushel of ears of sweet corn onto the snow crust by my door, and was amused by watching the motions of the various animals which were baited by it. All day long the red squirrels came and went, and afforded me much entertainment by their maneuvers. One would approach, at first, warily through the shrub-oaks, running over the snow crust by fits and starts like a leaf blown by the wind. Now he would go a few paces this way, with wonderful speed, making haste with his "trotters" as if it were for a wager; and now, as many paces that way, but never getting on more than half a rod at a time. Then suddenly he would pause with a ludicrous expression and a somerset, as if all eyes in the universe were fixed on him. Then, before you could say Jack Robinson, he w^ould be in the top of a young pitch-pine, winding up his clock and talking to all the universe at the same time. No. 5 Once upon a time, there lived a very rich man, and a king besides, whose name was Midas; and he had a little daughter, whom nobody but myself ever heard of, and whose name I either never knew, or have entirely forgotten. So, because I love odd names for little girls, I choose to call her Marygold. This King Midas was fonder of gold than anything else in the world. He valued his royal crown chiefly because it was composed of that precious metal. If he loved anything better, or half so well, it was the one little maiden who played so merrily around her father's footstool. But the more Midas loved his daughter, the more did he desire and seek for wealth. He thought, foolish man! that the best thing he could possibly do for his dear child would be to give her the immensest pile of yellow, glistening coin, that had ever been heaped together since the world was made. Thus, he gave all his thoughts and all his time to this one purpose. If ever he happened to gaze for an instant at the goldtinted clouds of sunset, he wished that they were real gold, and that they could be squeezed safely into his strong box. When little Marygold ran to meet him, with a bunch of buttercups and dandelions, he used to say, "Poh, poh, child! If these flowers were as golden as they look, they would be worth the plucking!" And yet, in his earlier days, before he was so entirely possessed of this insane desire for riches, King Midas had shown a great taste for flowers. No. 6 In a secluded and mountainous part of Stirla there was in old time a valley of the most surprising and luxuriant fertility. It was surrounded on all sides by steep and rocky mountains, rising into peaks which were always covered with snow, and from which a number of torrents descended in con- stant cataracts. One of these fell westward over the face of a crag so high that, when 'the sun had set to everything else, and all below was darkness, his beams still shone full upon this waterfall, so that it looked like a shower of gold. It was, therefore, called by the people of the neighborhood, the Golden River. It was strange that none of these streams fell into the valley itself. They all descended on the other side of the mountains, and wound away through broad plains and past populous cities. But the clouds were drawn so constantly to the snowy hills and rested so softly in the circular hollow, that in time of drought and heat, when all the country round was burnt up. there was still rain in the little valley; and its crops were so heavy and its hay so high, and its apples so red, and its grapes so blue, and its wine so rich, and its honey so sweet, that it was a marvel to everyone who beheld it, and was commonly called the Treasure Valley. The whole of this little valley belonged to three brothers called 40 \ Schwartz, Hans and Gluck. Schwartz and Hans, the two elder brothers, were very ugly men, with overhanging eyebrows and small dull eyes. No. 7 Japtain John Hull was the mint-master of Massachusetts, and coined all the money that was made there. This was a new line of business, for in the earlier days of the colony the current coinage consisted of gold and silver money of England, Portugal and Spain. These coins being scarce, the people were often forced to barter their commodities instead of selling them. For instance, if a man wanted to buy a coat, he perhaps exchanged a bearskin for it. If he wished for a barrel of molasses, he might purchase it with a pile of pine boards. Musket-bullets were used instead of farthings. The Indians had a sort of money called wampum, which was made of clam- shells, and this strange sort of specie was likewise taken in payment of debts by the English settlers. Bank-bills had never been heard of. There was not money enough of any kind, in many parts of the country, to pay the salaries of the ministers, so that they sometimes had to take quintals of fish, bushels of corn, or cords of wood instead of silver or gold. As the people grew more numerous and their trade one with another increased, the want of current money was still more sensibly felt. To supply the demand the general court passed a law for establishing a coinage of shillings, sixpences, and three pences. Captain John Hull was appointed to manufacture this money, and was to have about one shilling out of every twenty to pay him for the trouble of making them. No. 8 The years went on, and Ernest ceased to be a boy. He had grown to be a young man now. He attracted little notice from the other inhabi- tants of the valley; for they saw nothing remarkable in his way of life, save that, when the labor of the day was over he still loved to go apart and gaze and meditate upon the Great Stone Face. According to their idea of the matter, it was a folly, indeed, but pardonable, Inasmuch as Ernest was industrious, kind, and neighborly, and neglected no duty for tfie sake of indulging this idle habit. They knew not that the Great Stone Face had become a teacher to him, and that the sentiment which was expressed in It would enlarge the young man's heart, and fill it v/ith wider and deeper sympathies than other hearts. They knew not that thence would come a better wisdom than could be learned from books, and a better life than could be moulded on the defaced example of other human lives. Neither did Ernest know that the thoughts and affections which came to him so naturally, in the fields and at the fireside, and wherever he communed with himself, were of a higher tone than those which all men shared with him. By this time poor Mr. Gathergold was dead and buried: and the oddest part of the matter was, that his wealth, which was the body and spirit of his existence, had disappeared before his death, leading nothing of him but a living skeleton, covered over with a wrinkled, yellow skin. Since the melting away of his gold, it had been very generally conceded that there was no such striking resemblance, after all, betwixt the ignoble features of the ruined merchant and that majestic face upon the mountainside. 41 Reading — Speed / ^^ / ^^ V / ^^^ / ^-^ Words Read 3 per Second 2 Grades 12 3 45573 Figure 6 , Starch Standard »_ _ Alton Average Comprehension. 50 40 30 20 10 y ^ ^1 y ^ > > y y ^ - y ^ ^^^ 345 Figure 7 . Starch Standard Alton Average 8 42 TABLE 2. School Garneld Grade I II III IV V VI VII VIII Words Read per Minute 1.8 2.8 1.7 4.7 2.6 2. Comprehension 17 18 27 .28 45.2 29.4 Gillham Horace Mann I II III IV V VI VII VIII .9 1.4 1.6 3.8 3.5 3.3 3.4 3.9 12 20 25.7 37 38 35 43.3 44.4 Humboldt I II III IV V VI VII VIII 1.5 3. 2.7 3.7 2.6 3.1 4.9 39 42 36 42 37 Irving I II III ' IV V VI VII VIII 1.8 2.6 2. 4. 3.5 4.8 18 14 35 42 25 62 Lincoln I II III IV V VI VII VIII 1 1.1 1.7 2.7 3.2 2.5 3.6 3.19 12 26 36 21 35 29 49 44 Lowell I II III IV V VI VII VIII 1.31 1.65 1.63 3.52 3.51 2.9 16 18 15 25 31 18 43 Table 2. — ( Continued) Words Read per School Grade Minute Co m prehension I 1 18 II 2.1 21 III 2. 30 McKinley IV 3.2 40 V 3 47 VI 4.1 23 VII 5 40 VIII I 1.7 16 II 2. 18 III 1.7 37 Washington IV 3.2 29 V 2.4 35 VI 2.3 24 VII VIII Figures 6 and 7 show that the comprehension of the lower grades is higher than the speed with which they read, whereas the upper grades read faster than they interpret. This result may be attributed to a lack of training in silent reading and of standards for testing interpretation, or to too little emphasis placed upon the appreciative side of reading. More training in silent reading and thought appreciation in the upper grades seems necessary. Figure 6 and Table 2 reveal entirely too great differences in the uniform growth through the grades. The Lincoln, Horace Mann and McKinley Schools, though below stand- ard in the first grade, show a uniform growth with slight exceptions through the grades. The differences seen in other schools show a need of supervision. For instance, in the Garfield School the children of the second grade read with greater speed than the children of the sixth grade. In the Washington School the fourth grade pupils both read with greater speed, and compre- hend better than pupils of the sixth grade. The same is true in the Lowell. Systematic training in silent reading and speed both in silent and oral reading is recommended. 44 SPELLING The words used for the spelling tests were selected from the Ayres Spelling Scale. It is composed of 1,000 commonest words in English writing, so arranged as to show standards of spelling ability in all the grades from the second through the eighth. The standards are computed from 1,400,000 spellings by children in 84 cities of all sizes throughout the country. The following lists of words were given in two forms. The Lincoln, Irving, Washington, McKinley, Gillham, and Lovejoy Schools spelled them in isolated lists. The Humboldt, Garfield, Lowell, Horace Mann, and Doug- lass spelled the twenty words arranged in sentences. 11 Grade III Grade IV Grade V Grade eat became except usual sit brother aunt complaint belong mail bridge beautiful door eye built repair low upon center trouble stand would wonder importance yard where pair mayor bring without itself engine five Friday always guest ask July woman Mrs. just reach copy newspaper home price among daughter much horse doctor sail long clean hear cities then finish there several house across dollar clerk year tenth sure o'clock to these God escape I coming history which some easy use length . VI Grade VII Grade VIII Grade lose guess distinguish avenue circular colonies neighbor argument foreign wear volume issue salary official respectfully machine victim majority success estimate principal drown accident testimony honor invitation discussion busy impossible arrangement prefer associate reference different automobile evidence director entitled experience diamond political session together national secretary feature refer association article minute career general absence height against folks athletic popular Wednesday cordially Sentences containing the same words were dictated to the classes of the different grades as follows: // Orade 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. My five year old brother will stand at the door of our house. ■ We can sit on that long box in the yard and eat some apples. Bring the low chair to baby. Mary did not tell me much about the boy. Just then I saw John go home to ask mother. The books belong to May. 45 Ill Grade 1. His work became easy when his eye was well. 2. The vmil would reach my brother on Friday, July the fen</i. 3. These horses coming across the street will be sold for a good price. 4. Do you know how to finish without help? 5. Where is your clean dress? 6. The snow fell upon the ground. IV Grade 1. The bridge itself is a wonder and was built there many years ago., 2. I am sure God can see and hear all that we do and say. 3. Every copy of history was sold except one. 4. Among the first to reach the center of the crowd was the doctor. 5. If you can wse this pair of shoes, you may have them for one dollar. 6. My aunt is a ivoman who is always trying to do good, V Grade 1. Mrs. Brown was a guest at a party given at three o'clock in honor of the daiighter of the mayor. 2. The complaint about the engines was attended to as soon as the repair wagon arrived. 3. Several cities of iynportance failed to escape the shock which was caused by the earthquake. 4. The careless clerk, as usual, spoiled the beautiful length of cloth. 5. In the newspaper we read about the trouble the captain had trying to lower the sail of the boat. VI Grade 1. The general thinks the soldiers prefer an article of warm clothing to anything else. 2. In order to win success it is well to remember that honor is an important feature. 3. The director receives a splendid salary since he handles a different machine. 4. Men and women together screamed for help lest they should drown when the high waves dashed against the boat. 5. If our popular neighbor is not careful he will lose his diamond ring which he likes to wear when walking on the busy avenue. VII Grade 1. It will be impossible to accept your invitation for Wednesday. 2. An estimate is better than a guess. 3. The victim of the automobile accident held an official position. 4. The argument about the circular lasted but a minute. 5. The student was entitled to the volume. 6. The national and political affairs are managed by many. 7. In the absence of the house folks, I refer you to his associate. VIII Grade 1. His athletic career was then at its height. 2. The secretary of the association made reference to the question at issue. 3. All were cordially welcomed at the principal session. 4. The arrangement of the evidence and testimony made the discus- sion clearer. 5. The man spoke respectfully. 6. The majority of the foreign colonies had the same experience. 7. Learn to distinguish colors. Average scores in spelling in each gi xde from the second through the eighth in the Alton schools. The average in 84 American cities for each grade is 79 per cent. 46 TABLE 3 No. of Average in Average in Grade Pupils Alton Schools 84 Cities 2 146 80 79 3 158 72 79 4 148 76 79 5 162 73 79 6 166 76 79 7 98 75 79 8 69 78 79 The spelling ability in the different grades is quite uniform but there is a great difference in attainment in the various schools. These twenty words for each grade as used in the Ayres scale, are so graduated in difficulty that each grade according to the standard should make 79 per cent. TABLE 4 Spelling Standard, With the Average of Each School. School Ayres Standard Alton Average Lincoln 79 73 Irving 79 80 Washington 79 85 McKinley 79 76 Lovejoy 79 75 Gillham 79 80 Humboldt 79 81 Garfield 79 71 Lowell 79 60 Horace Mann 79 73 Douglass 79 60 Dunbar 79 63 Isolated Lists Isolated Lists Isolated Lists Isolated Lists Isolated Lists Isolated Lists Words in Sentences Words in Sentences Words in Sentences Words in Sentences Words in Sentences Words in Sentences Nine hundred forty-seven pupils of Part 2 classes, ready to pass into the higher grade, took the spelling tests. Of the 18,320 spellings there were 4.505 misspellings, making an average of 75 per cent for all the schools of Alton, or 4 per cent below the Ayres Standard. Four hundred ninety-eight pupils took part in the spelling of the isolated words, having 2,082 misspellings, or 79 per cent, and 449 pupils took the test in sentence spelling, making 2,423 misspellings, or 73 per cent. Spelling is used only in sentences or paragraphs, and if taught with this aim should not show this result. Column spelling evidently is empha- sized too much, since modern methods of the stiuhj of spelling instead of the testing of spelling give reverse results. Results show spelling to be poorly taught in several schools. 47 WRITTEN ENGLISH The problem of spoken and written language is no doubt the most important one in the school curriculum, and yet there has been an almost entire lack of standards for the teacher. Few attempts have been made to measure the ability of pupils to talk, except as manifested in their written English. In a few instances steno- graphic reports have been made of oral language efforts on the part of pupils, but with such small numbers of pupils as to make the standards of small value. All good writers may not be good speakers, but as a rule good speakers * write well. A common standard for both exercises is to be found in the ability to use the sentence correctly. The clean-cut sentence lies at the basis of both oral and written English. The development of the "sentence sense" is the problem in each case. The following tests are designed to measure the uniform growth of the "sentence sense" as pupils pass through grades. This will, in a large degree, indicate the character of instruction in both oral and written English. These results are compared with standards derived from the scores of 2,146 pupils taking the same tests. The following tests were given: Test in Written English Grades IV and Y Select one of the following titles and write about it, not to exceed seven sentences. The teacher will collect all papers at the end of twenty minutes. 1. Spending a Nickel. 2. How I Build a Fire. 3. A Surprise for Mother. 4. My Excuse. 5. How to Direct a Stranger to an Interesting Place in Your City, — Public Library, etc. 6. The Back Yard Circus. 7. Afraid of a Mouse. 8. A Dog I Like. 9. The Day After a Holiday. 10. A Friend in Need. Test in Written English Grades VI, VII, and VIII Select one of the following titles and write about it, not to exceed ten sentences. The teacher will collect all papers at the end of twenty minutes. 1. The Store Windows at Christmas. 2. Getting Up on a Zero Morning. 3. Why I'd Rather Be a Boy. 4. Caught in the Act. 5. Safety First. 6. How I Lost My Belief in Santa Claus. 7. The Broken Window. 8. The Play That Won the Game. 9. No Cats Wanted. 10. The Buried Treasure. 1 48 The papers were scored according to the following items, and the results recorded in Table 4. No. of Sentences Written No. of Sentences Begun and Ended Correctly No. "ands" No. of No. of No. "ands" Used Simple Complex Used Incor- Sentences Sentences Correctly rectly. IV V VI VII VIII Under systematic training in English there should be uniform growth in the power of pupils to use correctly the simple sentence. At the same time as the pupil is trained to subordinate in his thinking the less essentials, the complex sentence begins to appear both in his oral and written language, and as these sentences increase through the grades, the proportional number of simple sentences decrease. One of the greatest problems for the teacher of English is to lead the child to talk and to write in simple sentences. The proper use of "and" is fundamental to this work throughout the grades. With these fundamentals as standards. Table 4 suggests a number of conditions, although the number of pupils represented in these standards is not large. 49 CO O) C a; 9 CO »3 O 02 i^ m - tn o o 1== ° M "^ t^ a; y o 3 cq o CO ^ijS to ; CO rSS LO sc r^ d 2* z ^ H J s tn r^ O r-l 3 0) a CI <^^ [v a-- c M C! o CO "O o "O CO S -a "5 J^ 3 d so a OJ .t; c£) CO 3 Ph O o <u a CD CO «i-4 CO rj o ^0. PL, c O 1— I -^ tH 00 -^ C5 1-1 r-l 00 CO I— 02 00 IM 1-1 o CO CD OJ 00 00 CD t~ ^ ■^ 00 c^ csi 00 o CD C<1 '^ o t~ CO c^ oo CO CD CO o o 00 00 t~ CD Oi to LO C<] CD CO C^ CD O OO 00 Oi cq t- 05 Oi CO CD cq r-l o> 00 ca 1— I Tt< Oi rH Tti t^ C^ i>- cq oo o ■* CO CO CO ■* CO LO ^- -^ lo CD CD CO LO 05 Oi CS] lO -^ o LO -^ CO O C^ ■»!< oo OJ i-H o CO LO cq ■>* CO CO LO CD LO 50 CO '-' ■^ 'co •a ct3 CO *:! 0) o C! ■+-> d CO C! u OJ o (3 ri a *-> to 0) a CO d t<-i C o o a> '*-' Sh CO 0) o !=' CO a 3 3 2 0) H 2 J3 u u (-1 o CJ d -a d < In the most elemental exercise of writing simple sentences there Is a lack of uniformity in growth. The sixth grade writes much better than the seventh and eighth. In the use of complex sentences the difference between the fourth and eighth grades is. much too little. In the use of "and" the sixth grade shows more ability than either of the higher grades. This lack of uniform progress through the grades in the ability of pupils to write simple English, suggests more systematic training in the practice of talking and writing in simple sentences, and that less time be given to technical grammar and more time to functional grammar as it con- tributes to daily exercises in talking and writing. 51 HANDWRITING In measuring the efficiency of writing, there are two prime elements to be considered, speed and quality. The speed has been ascertained by scoring the number of letters written per minute. The quality, including legibility and form, is measured by the Thorndike scale, which was constructed from 1,000 samples of writing by pupils of the elementary grades. These samples were arranged in the order of merit by forty competent judges. This resulted in a scale of graded specimens ranging in quality from to 18, the former being absolutely illegible writing but recognizable as an attempt to write, and the latter being a perfect copybook model. A given specimen of writing was measured by^ putting it alongside the scale and determining to what quality it is nearest. The pupils of the fourth, through the eighth grades, were told to write repeatedly the line "Mary had a little lamb" as well and as rapidly as they could during two minutes without interruptions, and to make no erasures or corrections. They wrote with pen and ink on ruled paper. The number of letters written in two minutes was divided by two, and the quotient scored as the speed in writing. The following figure shows the standard of speed based upon over 6,000 pupils in 28 schools. Writing — Fpeed Figure 8 . ..,___^___^ Standard _ ___ __^ Alton Average Standards Grades 4 5 6 7 8 Speed 47 57 65 75 83 Quality 8.7 9.3 9.8 10.4 10.9 The average speed of the Alton school by grades is 69 letters per minute as compared with 65 letters as given above. The difference in speed between the fourth and eighth grade pupils of the Alton schools is but 15 letters, while the standard score gives a difference of 37 letters. In quality the Alton schools are above the standard, except the seventh grade, which is slightly below standard in both speed and quality. None of the schools exhibit a steady progress in both speed and quality, such as efflcient supervision and instruction give. One or the other of these 52 characteristics is cultivated in spots beyond what is normal as figure 11 Bhows. Writing — Quality 16 r 14 Thorn- 13 dike Scale. 12 11 10 Grades Figure 9 Thorndlke Standard _» ___ — ■'^Itcn Averap;e This figure shows both the medium of each grade, and the highest quality reached by any pupil of the grade. Quality Thorn- dike Scale 15 y /■ ... 14 i;j /■\, 1 ^ / V / / 12 / \ /' \ / \ / \ / 11 / \ / \ 10 / ^ / ^ 9 8 ' Grades Figure 10. Standard 53 Average quality and speed of handwriting of pupils of five upper grades. Quality on vertical scale and speed on horizontal scale. The broken line in the figure of the Garfield School shows the uniform growth from the fourth to the eighth grade both in speed and quality. Quality Bpaad 40 50 70 80 90 Figure 11 . Supervision should correct such irregularities as are found in the schools shown in Figure 11. In the Garfield School the quality of writing in the fourth, sixth, and seventh grades is uniform. The difference in speed between the fourth and the fifth grades amounts to 45 points, whereas uniform progress in well- supervised schools show a difference of about 10 points. Speed in writing in the Irving School i-eaches its climax in the fourth grade where pupils write 86 letters per minute and then declines rapidly to the sixth grade, where they write 41 letters per minute. The improvement in quality through these three grades is scarcely noticeable. This is a most abnormal condition and should be corrected by closer supervision and better instruction. The Horace Mann and Lincoln Schools show quite uniform progress through the grades in quality, but the widest fiuctuations in speed. Any school finding its sixth grade writing at the rate of 45 letters per minute less than its fourth grade, with little improvement in quality, has its problem most clearly defined. In speed and quality taken as a whole the Alton Schools average about the same as the standards used in these tests. The tests show a great lack of 54 steady progress in speed and quality. These wide fluctuations found in most of the schools, are due to poor supervision, resulting in poor instruction In some grades, while in other grades most efficient instruction is found. Other- wise this standard would not be maintained. GEOGRAPHY The purpose of the following test is to determine the ability of pupils to study and learn geography according, to the meaning of the subject as accepted by the best authority of today. This ability implies two elements, (1) a knowledge of a minimum amount of data and place geography, and (2) the power to use this data In simple processes of reasoning by which certain rational conclusions are reached in reference to the relation of man to his environment. To measure the first element is an easy task. The old time examina- tion calling for the location of a long list of places, whether essential or non-essential, will serve for a standard. To determine how efficiently a child can reason is not so easy. A list of questions calling for different processes of thinking, may easily be given, but the judgments of teachers scoring such results differ so widely that few, if any, accepted standards of geography have been worked out. It is seriously questioned by our best teachers of geography, whether a child of the elementary school is capable within so brief a period of storing the mind with a sufficient number of geographical principles or data, and at the proper time independent of the guidance of a teacher, to be able to exercise the type of judgment needed in the selection and application of these various principles to the multitude of problems coming up in the study of a given country. In this test it is assumed that the child of the seventh grade having completed the study of a country, after being taught to organize geographic facts as he should, can take geographical data when placed before him and make use of them in a better appreciation of economic values and geographic conditions. The following tests are prepared by Mr. W. C. Reavis and Mr. Mandel E. Branon of Harris Teachers' College of St. Louis, and have been given to 642 pupils of seventh grades. One hundred four pupils of the seventh grade of the Alton schools took the tests upon the countries most recently completed In their studies. These countries were Canada, France, Italy, England, and the Pacific Section of the United States. The following pages are the tests as given. Co.mpletion Test for the Measurement of Minimum Geographic Knowledge of Elementary School Children Pupil Age Grade School Part I. On a 9x12 unlettered outline map of the world, indicate the location of the continents and oceans by writing the names in the proper places. Time limit, 3 minutes. Allow V^ point for each continent or ocean correctly located. Possible score, 5.5 points. Part II. On a 9x12 unlettered outline map of the world, write in the correct place the name of each of the following countries: United States, Great Britain, Germany, France. India, Italy, Russia, Canada, Austria-Hungary, Japan, China, Brazil, Afgentina, Netherlands, Mexico, Bergium, Australia, Spain, Sweden, Egypt, Turkey. Time limit, 5 minutes. Allow 1/2 point for each country located correctly. Possible score, 10.5 points. Part III. Country 1. Give the direction of this country from your home city 2. Give in square miles the approximate area of the United States Underline the term that more nearly expresses the area of the above-named country in comparison with the United States: (a) Larger, (b) Smaller, (c) Approximately the same. 55 3. Give the approximate population of the United States Underline the term that more nearly expresses the population of the above country in comparison with the United States: (a) Larger, (b) Smaller, (c) Approximately the same. 4. Name an important highland of this country 5. Underline the statements that more nearly indicate the prevailing conditions of this highland: (a) Easy to cross, (b) Extends below the tree line,' (c) Large cities, (d) Dense population, (e) Permanent snowfields, (f) Much mining, (g) No large cities, (h) Herding industry important, (i) Difficult to cross. 6. Name an important river basin of this country 7. Underline the statements that more nearly indicate the prevailing conditions concerning this lowland: (a) Dense population, (b) River im- portant for navigation, (c) Needs irrigation, (d) Much mining (e) Much swamp and overflow land, (f) Agriculture important, (g) Manufacturing important, (b) Sparse population, (i) Herding important. 8. Underline the statement that describes the prevailing temperature of the country, (a) Primarily in hot belt, (b) Primarily in cold belt, (c) Primarily in intermediate belt. 9. Underline the statement that describes the prevailing rainfall: (a) Heavy rainfall (above 50 in.), (b) Moderate rainfall (20 to 50 in), (c) Light rainfall (less than 20 in.) 10. Underline the name of each plant product that is important in this country; Corn, wheat, oats, barley, rye, buckwheat, potatoes, cotton, tobacco, flax, rice, sugar, apples, peaches, beans, peas, silk, cocoa, coffee, tea, oranges, lemons, fibres, rubber, bananas, grapes, nuts, wood. 11. Write the name of one of the products underlined above Underline its important use or uses: (a) Food for man, (b) Fuel, (c) Cloth- ing, (d) Shelter, (e) Luxury, (f) Food for animals. 12. Underline the name of each animal that is important in this country: Cattle, hogs, sheep, horses, mules, goats, poultry. 13. Write the name of one of the animals underlined above Underline its important use or uses: (a) Meat, (b) Milk, (c) Clothing, (d) Egg, (e) Beast of burden. 14. Underline the name of each mineral product that is important In this country: Coal, iron, petroleum, phosphates, nickel, copper, gold, sulphur, natural gas, tin, silver, lead, zinc, aluminum. 15. Write the name of one mineral product underlined above Underline its important use or uses: (a) Fuel, (b) Machinery, (c) Fertilizer, (d) Alloy, (e) Light, (f) Jewelry, (g) Paints, (h) Plumbing supplies, (i) Chemicals. 16. Underline the prevailing manufacturing conditions: (a) Extensive, (b) Moderate, (c) Slight. 17. Underline the influential factors in the development of manufactur- ing: (a) Good water power, (b) Much coal, (c) Abundant labor supply, (d) Scarcity of coal, (e) Abundant capital, (f) Little water power, (g) Public. roads well improved, (h) Public roads in bad condition. 18. Underline the statements more nearly indicating the prevailing con- ditions of transportation : (a) Rivers important, (b) Rivers of little impor- tance, (c) Lakes very important, (d) Lakes of little importance, (e) Rail- 'roads well developed, (f) Railroads undeveloped, (g) Public roads well im- proved, (h) Public roads in bad condition. 19. Underline each of the cities of this country: Washington, London, Berlin, Paris, Petrograd, Vienna, Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Ayres, Mexico City, Brussels, Sydney, Madrid, Stockholm, Cairo, Constantinople, Baltimore, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Denver, Detroit, Indianapolis, Jersey City, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Louisville, Mil- waukee, Minneapolis, Newark, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Port- 56 land, Providence, Rochester, St. Louis, St. Paul, San Francisco, Seattle, New York, Bahia, Havana, Montevideo, Montreal, Santiago, San Paulo, Toronto, Budapest, Glasgow. Hamburg, Liverpool, Manchester, Moscow, Naples, Warsaw, Bombay, Canton, Hankow, Osaka, Tientsin, Calcutta, Amsterdam. 20. Write the name of one of the cities underlined in the preceding exercise Underline the statement that more nearly indicate the prevailing conditions: (a) Seaport, (b) River port, (c) Important rail- road center, (e) A political capital, (f) A mountain pass city (g) An important manufacturing center, (h) An important commercial center. Note: — In cases of doubt regarding pupils' answers to questions, it is recommended that the pupil be given the benefit of the doubt. Time limit 30 minutes. See score card for values of different exercises. Note.— 1. In case of doubt regarding correctness of the pupils' response to an exercise, it is recommended that the pupil be given the benefit of the doubt. 2. In testing the United States, the second part of Exercises 2 and 3 should be omitted. 67 o o m u Oh Q < o o xn bo <3 3 O O ■d CO 0) c o 3 o -o 1 ftH <U U •t-J o lu Qi tn «f-l n *-! o Oh CO 3 3 o O 3 3 O O Pi i-H'^T*<C<)'>*<C^5'*Tj<Ttl'>*<lDT+iU5Tt<LOTtlLniCt~t^ < H O Tf CQ OJ -fc-> 3 3 O 73 1 PL, OJ U -M O a; a; ;h «i-i O ti w 0) M i-|-*Tf<<M->^C^-!tl'*l-*lO-^-*U5Tj<mTt<LOlOt-t- 1-3 Eh O TJ o; M -4-> -^ u 3 3 Q -t-j CM tn o Ol o PL, C/J d :z; i-l'tl-*C^lTtt(M-*-<*HTf<-^lOrt<lO-^lO-»t<miCt-t- CO +-> +J O 3 3 w d] O) <p PL.^ o i-HrHrHiHi— Ii-HtHiHtHiHCQC^ CT' - I' 3 3 PL, OJ (h -4-> (S ^ aj PLI tH O 0) o PtH^ v5jv5j^v^--5jv^v5jv^^-v5j--5j iH(MC0-*l0C£>t>-00a5Oi— , o Eh ^ P ,= •- Pn'-Ht: Ol ^ t- •C rt 3 m&H •*, ed u erag for w ^-a ^ TO (X O) CJ 2 ^ = " H-J X !>>_- <!- sT'O X -^ 3 Btc * 3 -^ O 3 2 2 "^ en s-s^ 3t5 O as 3 a ^ -3 — . +^ 0) n 2 c S CM O -^ 7 a EC — . "S o -^ ^ ^; a; ;3 ■3 bjo -^ 0) -O ^ -O QJ ni ,3 • o o o <0 A -M >. ,3 C ;4 l-H HH H o C CQ -U -(-> j_ Si '-I tl ^ ^ a PL, PL, p. I—- c •l-H 3 -d Tj T= -O QJ 4> a +-> -M oil iX O CJ c h o 3 3 3 2 o TJ xJ -a Cl M ' Ol oj a O "^ M K £ ^ ^ M ^ 5 ->j -M -,- CO .S .5 .£ 1— < .=« s sible al Po al Po al Po b- C 3 h Ph ^ M ->-' -M -^ o o o c ca ^ b- E- b- W 58 The papers were accurately marked and results correctly scored by the teachers and principals of the schools having the seventh grade. This test being a completion test and given immediately or soon after the study of a country is completed, the score of pupils should be much higher than if applied to countries remotely studied. The average number of points scored by 642 pupils in the seventh grade of eight different schools is 78 points, and the average number of points scored by 104 pupils of the Alton schools is 66 points. These results show the widest variations both in individuals of the same class and in different schools. This would indicate that geography is pursued as a process of memoriz- ing facts instead of a process of solving the problems herein presented. Four schools took the test on Canada with the following scores: Horace Mann 73, McKinley 62, Irving 76, and Washington 75. The Lincoln School averaged 52 points in the test on Italy, and the Irving 63 points on France. This study suggests that certain minimum essentials in place geography be fixed; that certain standards be outlined by which teachers may measure results; and that the problematic method of attack be more uniformly pur- sued, whereby the less essentials in the subject may be eliminated, and the more essentials better organized in the light of the solution of definite problems. 59 THE ALTON HIGH SCHOOL by W. J. S. Bryan- Assistant Superintendent of Instruction, St. Louis Physical Conditions The Alton High School is housed in two buildings, one the main high school, the other the Horace Mann School of Upper Alton, in which the first year pupils use the auditorium, three class rooms, a basement room fitted for a manual training shop, and another small room 27'x27' in the basement, which is made to serve as a gymnasium, although quite unsuitable. The main building is fairly adequate for the uses of the school. The manual training shop seems crowded, but might be improved by rearrange- ment and a more systematic use of the smaller rooms for storage and specific processes or parts of the work. The domestic science room is commodious but is not attractive and does not suggest the improvements that are so desirable in modern homes. The kitchen, in which so much of the work essential to family well-being is done, ought to be made as sightly and pleasing as possible, and the school room in which cooking is taught ought to accustom those who take the subject to conditions desirable in the homes. The chemistry laboratory gives the impression of crowding, though it seems to provide the conditions essential for work. The provision for biology seems very meagre. Physiography also lacks equipment. It would improve the general atmosphere of the school if an effort were made to relieve the bareness of the rooms by pictures and illustrative material in keeping with the subjects taught in them. The unconscious effect of stimulating surroundings is so helpful that progressive communities ought to make generous provision for securing it. Still more apparent is the need of such provision in the Horace Mann School, where the bareness of the walls and the absence of anything beyond the necessary articles of school furniture is very noticeable. In addition to this general lack, no provision is made for the teaching of science in this school and without illustrative material and the means of experimentation it is almost vain to attempt to awaken or develop an interest in science or to cultivate the scientific spirit, which is so large a factor in present day civilization and progress. It is a great mistake not to make generous provision for pupils of the ninth grade or first year of the high school, as they are at a critical stage in their education and may be turned aside from its further pursuit by lack of provision for the satisfaction of their awakening consciousness of the human activities surrounding them and beckoning them to participation in the world's work. The demand for socializing conditions and opportunities is very great at their age, and the idea of doing real work is alluring. If the needs of these young people are not seen and met, many of them may be checked in their development and drop out of school to their own great detriment and the irreparable loss to the community, of which they are the chief prospective asset. Attitude and Response of Pupils The greater part of two days was spent in the rooms and corridors of the two high school buildings, and the work of nearly every one of the teachers was observed and the attitude and response of the pupils noted. To the credit of both teachers and pupils it must be said that the conduct of the young people was. admirable. Not only was there no resistance to be overcome by the teacher, but there was evident open-mindedness to sugges- tion and instruction, and ready response to direction, together with much intelligent effort to participate in the work assigned and to contribute to the result to be attained. In the entire time spent in the schools only one instance of friction between pupil and teacher was noticed. With this exception there was no sign 0^ tension, no uneasiness or apprehension of possible disorder. On the contrary, there seemed to be in evidence everywhere else such relations between teacher and pupils as would be conducive to the execution of the teacher's lesson plans for the day. The co-operation of pupils with teachers was evidence of helpful relations and indicative of that mutual respect which is the product of efficient work on the part of principal and teachers, recog- nized and appreciated by pupils, who as a rule can be trusted to sense and reflect right conditions. 60 Salaries The average salary i)aid to teachers in the high schools is only $1,038.09,— to men only $1,121.42, to women only $996.42. The range of salaries paid is from $800.00 to $1,350.00. This is not remunerative enough to secure or retain the services of capable, properly prepared, and progressive teachers, nor is it commensurate With the requirements for high school teachers now generally approved, — namely, the equivalent of an A.B. degree or four years of successful work in college or university of recognized stand- ing, comprising special work in education. The average period of service of the teachers, including principals, is only 5.95 years, and of teachers alone is only 5.11 years, of men only 3.85 years, and of women only 6.37 years, or with two exceptions only 4.25 years. These facts would seem to indicate that the salaries paid are not sufficient to secure and retain the services of teachers of desired qualifications. If competent teachers can not be secured by the salaries offered, or having been secured are dissatistied or restless and feel the need of change in order to secure better remuneration, or indeed to preserve their self respect, the consciousness of the transient character of the positions held will have a strong tendency to blunt the edge of ambition and to dampen the ardor of attack upon the problems presented for solution. . If teachers are unable to feel that their positions promise the satisfaction of natural social desires and insure to competence the comforts and amenities of home life which education has prepared them to appreciate and enjoy, to expect them to exhibit the missionary spirit of self-abnegation that will lead them to endure privations and to subject themselves to hard and embarrassing con- ditions which will preclude their happiness and impair their usefulness, disparaging their merit and belittling the value of their service to the com- munity and the value of education in general. The position of teacher in a community which withholds deserved recognition from its teachers is likely to be accepted only as a stepping stone or makeshift to be thrown aside as some more profitable occupation offers or a teacher's position in some more prosperous or appreciative community can be obtained. Supervision The effect of competent supervision is generally conceded and is too well known to need any explanation or argument at this time. This is one respect in which there is need of change in the Alton High Schools. The principal of the main high school, which has seventeen teachers besides him- self, teaches two classes a day, and the principal of the Horace Mann School, which also has seventeen teachers, three of whom are teachers of high school classes, teaches four classes a day. Neither of these principals can have the time or opportunity to supervise the work of his school and supervision is the most important and valuable service a principal can render. Much of the business of the school can be done after school hours, supervision must be done when the teachers are conducting their classes. Supervision is the work that requires the greatest knowledge of educational processes and methods, of child nature, or psychology. To expend his time on class instruction is to deprive his school of systematic, intelligent organization and to take from his teachers his constructive criti- cism of their work and the unifying, harmonizing influence of first hand acquaintance with the work of the various units. It is costly, unintelligent economy that saves a teacher's salary and loses a principal's leadership. It were far better to engage even an inexperienced teacher, who would be supervised by the principal, released from hours of teaching. At present both schools could be served by one teaclier. Unless principals are given full opportunity for supervision of classes, they can not be held to strict account- ability for the conduct of their schools. Qualifications of Teachers Of twenty-three teachers, including two principals, one is an A.B. and A.M. of Syracuse, New York; eleven are graduates of Shurtleff College; one of the University of Illinois; one of Oberlin College; one of McKendree College; one of Valparaiso University; one of Bradley Polytechnic Institute; one of Ottowa University; one of Northwestern College, Naperville, Illinois; one had a year's work at Illinois Wesleyan College and a year's work at McKendree College; one had a year's work at Normal Illinois and one summer at the University of Illinois; one had a year's work at the Ursuline 61 Convent and a year's work at Brown's Business College; one had two years' work at Normal, Illinois. It is of interest to note that Shurtleff College, McKendree College, Ursuline Convent, and Valparaiso University are not on the latest approved list of colleges accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. It is very desirable that there should be about an equal number of men and women in the corps of high school teachers. It can not be demon- strated that with equal preparation teachers of either sex are superior, but the influence of both sexes is needed for the most effective training and guidance of boys and girls of high school age. There are in the Alton High Schools twenty-three teachers, including the two principals. Of these onjy - eight are men. Instruction In two days' observation of the actual teaching done in the high schools some excellent work was heard and some that could not be com- mended. Some of the teachers were young and inexperienced and evidently needed close supervision, but could and no doubt would profit greatly by wise suggestion and constructive criticism. The general spirit shown merited praise. There was evidence of lesson planning on the part of the teacher and of genuine interest in the work. In nearly all cases, also, the presenta- tion of the work showed personal consideration of the individual pupils. The methods employed were not always the best, and the plan of attack was not always the one likely to secure the greatest advance, but there was no com- plaint on the part of the teacher of lack of preparation by the pupils or of failure to comprehend obscure points in the lesson, no vain questioning of pupil after pupil to get a desired but unknown answer. No pupil was made uncomfortable by an expression of surprise at his inability to grasp a thought supposed to be obvious. By way of suggestion, it seems well to call attention to the need of directed study as a part of each period of class work. In this direction of study without doubt there exists the greatest opportunity for improvement of high school teaching. There should be less testing, more teaching, more definiteness of assignment, more direction of the pupils' effort to study the lesson assigned. In this way waste of time and effort of both teacher and pupils may be minimized and growth in power of independent constructive mental activity may be progressively increased. Success Record of Pupils by Subjects and Teachers A study of the records of the pupils of the Alton High Schools for the last half year shows that in the various subjects studied out of a total of 2294 enrollments in the various classes 1888 made a passing grade, which is 82.3%. Pupils who dropped out of the various classes numbered 169, leaving 237 who remained in the various classes but failed to satisfactorily complete the work of the half year in some subject. It must not be thought that these numbers of pupils who dropped out or failed represent individual pupils, for each pupil would be enrolled in four or five classes, and the same pupil's name would appear in the record as often as he was dropped or failed or passed. The success in the various subjects ranged from 72.9% in German to 100% in pedagogy, as follows: Pedagogy, 100%>; civics, 90%.; English, 83.6%-; manual arts, 81.8%r: mathematics, 81.6%; commercial subjects, 79.8%o; Latin, 78%; science, 73.8%^; German, 72.9%-. The number of pupils taking these subjects is a very pertinent fact in determining the significance of the percent of success. Not much can be inferred from the record made by a few pupils. In pedagogy there were 10 pupils; in civics, 60; in English, 434; in manual arts, 275; in mathematics, 185; in commercial subjects, 253; in Latin, 164; in German. 96; in science, 321. The record of the pupils taught by the various teachers shows an average for all teachers of 81.08%, and ranges from 57.4%-, making a passing grade to 98.3%. The various percents of pupils who passed with individual teachers were: 98.8%.; 94.6%, 92.5%r, 92.5%, 86.6%.; 86.4%, 84.7%r., 83.6%. 83.6%r, 81.8%, 80.9%, 80.4% 80%, 80%. 77.1%, 76.3%, 75.4%, 74.2%, 73%r, 72.5%, 72.1%, 57.4%. The wide range of pupils' success in various subjects and under various teachers suggests the need of a careful study by the principals and individual teachers (1) of the contents of the various subjects 62 and their distribution tlirougli the half years, (2) of the basis of marking the worli of pupils and the interpretation of that basis by the individual teachers, (3) of the method of presentation of subject matter, (4) of the direction of the pupils in their study, (5) of the efficiency of teaching. The content of each subject for the successive half years should be such as to equalize the difficulty of the work and the possibility of its successful per- formance considering the increasing power of pupils due to maturity and training. The interpretation of grades of marking should, as far as possible, be the same by all teachers, though allowance for variation of judgment always will be necessary. It may, however, be reduced to a minimum by repeated and persistent efforts. Frequent statements of the adopted signifi- cance of percents in marking together with free and full discussion txy teach- ers will tend toward uniformity of practice and eliminatiaa. of personal peculiarities. There should not be so wide a variation from the average, which may be regarded as the temporary norm of efficiency to be raised by individual and combined effort extending over a period of years after the need of improvement is recognized and consciously sought. The change can not be wrought in a day or brought about by the stroke of a pen. To falsify records will not improve teaching or increase the scholarship of pupils or better their education. Intelligent, conscientious study of the problem will aid in its solution. Retardation, Elimination, Repetition The average age of pupils by half years, taken at the beginning of the half year, is as follows: First half year 48 Pupils Average age 13.8 Second half year 74 Pupils Average age 14.7 Third half year 26 Pupils Average age 15.3 Fourth half year 42 Pupils Average age 15.6 Fifth half year 29 Pupils Average age 15.8 Sixth half year 48 Pupils Average age 16.4 Seventh half year 37 Pupils Average age 16.4 Eighth half year 43 Pupils Average age 17.5 Increase .9 Increase .6 Increase .3 Increase 2 Increase .6 Increase .0 Increase 1.1 347 Pupils Average ave 15.6 These figures would indicate a nearly normal rate of progress. If to the lowest average, 13.8 years, we add 3 years and 6 months, or 3.5 years, we shall get 17.3. The record shows 17.5. It appears that of the present graduating class 2 per cent wnll have completed the four years work in 3 years 18 per cent will have completed the four years work in ZVz years 73 per cent will have completed the four years work in 4 years 3 per cent will have completed the four years work in 4i/^ years 5 per cent will have completed the four years work in 5 years 2 per cent will have completed the four years work in 6 years The average length of time, therefore, spent by the pupils of this class will be 3.96 years. There is, it appears, no ground of criticism on the score of retardation. The percentage of pupils entering the high school who later completed one or more half years of work are: 89 per cent 1 half year 11 per cent less than 1 half year 75 per cent 2 half years 25 per cent less than 2 half years 59 per cent 3 half years 41 per cent less than 3 half years 55 per cent 4 half years 45 per cent less than 4 half years 51 per cent 5 half years 49 per cent less than 5 half years 44 per cent 6 half years 56 per cent less than 6 half years 42 per cent 7 half years 58 per cent less than 7 half years 41 per cent 8 half years 59 per cent less than 8 half years This also, on the whole, is a very creditable showing. The largest loss is at the close of the second half year, which generally seems to be the most critical point. If we consider the, number completing each half year as the number entering the succeeding half year, which, however, may not be the case, the percentage losses of each successive half year beginning with the second would be as follows: 15.73, 21.33, 6.77, 7.25, 13.72, 4.54, 2.38. 63 Course of Study As at present provided, in order to graduate, a student must have completed satisfactorily four years' work in English, two years' work in science, one of which must be physics or chemistry, two years' work in mathematics, and two years' work in history, or in place of one year's work in history a third year of science or a fifth year of a foreign language. No foreign language is required. It is questionable whether there should be any requirement as to mathematics or a two-year requirement in science or more than a three-year requirement in English, but in order to secure the educational advantages _ which are derived fronl continuous work along certain lines of study it would be well to require that for graduation a pupil must have taken two majors of three years each and two minors of two years each and that no credit be given in foreign language for less than two years' work in the same language. A major or a minor should consist of three or two years of work in the same subject or in related subjects given in sequence. The need of training for citizenship in community, state, and nation and for participation in the work of the world is so obvious and so urgent in these days of stress and strain, when democracy is fighting for its right to exist, and to prove its fitness as a form of government, that a definite requirement of every course of study should be specific study of the social and civic relations of men and women. Community civics should be studied by every boy and every girl in the high school in the first year, that the light shed by it may illumine the entire four years and go with them into their community relations. That they may not enter the field of the world's work ignorant of the various kinds of endeavor and without careful thought of their own choice of occupation and their fitness and preparation, a study of vocations should follow the study of community civics to acquaint each boy and girl with the occupations of men and women, their demands, the need of preparation for successful entrance into them, their conditions, rewards, and exactions. These subjects of right should precede the subject of history because of their social aspect. The history of the United States should ^e a required subject to be taken preferably at the end of the four years and at the conclusion of the work in history, that there may be brought to its study all possible maturity of mind and fullness of information. Libraries, Laboratories, and Shops In the Horace Mann School the only specially equipped room is the manual training shop, which is new and well provided with benches and tools for woodwork. There is no laboratory or equipment for the teaching of science. The library also is very inadequate. It is unattractive and apparently not in a state of efficiency. Yet this is just- the age for the culti- vation of a taste for reading that is worth while and stimulating. In the main high school the library contains 2,000 volumes, properly catalogued and ready for use. The pupils draw books on cards as in a regular library. It is a question whether, with the limited number of books now in possession of the school, it would not be better to keep them in the library during the day for the use of pupils and allow them to be taken out on cards only for use over night to be returned before school in the morning. This plan would insure the maximum opportunity for their use. Of the laboratories and shops some mention has been made elsewhere. The physics laboratory best satisfies the requirements as to fixed equipment and apparatus. The chemical laboratory is very crowded and uninviting and might be improved greatly, though it seems to provide the conditions neces- sary for work. Physiography, biology, and conxmercial geography need laboratories and equipment. These subjects need laboratory treatment and should not be studied from books mainly but from natural objects and col- lections of illustrative material, pictures, slides, reels. Moving picture machines are now available and exceedingly helpful for instruction purposes. 64 THE PROGRESS OF CHILDREN THROUGH THE GRADES by John J. Maddox Principal, Wyman School, St. Louis 1. Over-age Children The school survey seeks to determine how far ahead or how far behind the course of study each child is for his age. This is done by making a study of the ages of all the children and the grades in which they are enrolled. A certain age is agreed upon as the normal age for completing each grade. Children finishing the grade before the normal age are regarded as under-age (accelerated); those finishing the grade at an age older than normal are called over-age (retarded). Children are admitted to the Alton schools at the age of six, and the course of study is planned to extend over a period of eight years. Therefore, a child entering at his earliest opportunity and progressing normally through the grades should finish the eight grades at the age of fourteen. In order to make liberal allowance, however, for late entrance, some unavoidable repeti- tion, and the admission of children already retarded coming from other localities, we have assumed in this report from fourteen up to fifteen years as the normal age for completing' the eighth grade. It is commonly agreed that the very latest normaj age for completing the elementary school work is up to fifteen years. This makes the normal age limit for completing the first grade from six and one-half up to seven and one-half; for completing the second grade from seven up to eight, etc., etc. With these normal age limits for completing each of the grades taken as the basis for classification a study of the ages of all the children enrolled at a given time reveals the number of children in each grade under-age, that is, ahead of their grade, the number normal age, that is. up to grade, and the number over age, that is, behind their grade. Such a study was made of all the children enrolled in the ele- mentary schools of Alton for the month ending January 25, 1918. The results are indicated in the following tables: 65 ©P^-If) TABLE II. Number and Percent of Children Under-age, Normal Age, and Over-age. (By Grades) Under Age Normal Over age Grade Part Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Total I 1 119 36.7 142 43.8 63 19.1 324 I 2 30 19.3 71 45.8 54 34.8 155 II 1 71 24.7 126 43.9 90 31.3 287 II 2 27 17.1 79 50.3 51 32.4 157 III 1 56 19.6 126 44.2 103 36.0 285 III 2 17 11.2 63 41.7 71 47.0 151 IV 1 33 13.3 104 42.1 110 44.4 247 IV 2 32 17.2 55 29.5 99 53.2 186 V 1 46 19.8 89 38.3 97 41.8 232 V 2 16 13.5 33 27.9 69 58.4 118 VI 1 59 29.3 66 32.8 76 37.8 201 VI 2 10 11.8 30 35.7 44 52.3 84 VII 1 49 24.8 84 42.6 64 32.4 197 VII 2 11 13.7 42 52.5 27 33.7 80 VIII 1 27 17.4 77 49.6 51 32.9 155 VIII 2 18 25.7 34 48.5 18 25.9 70 Total 621 21.2 1221 41.6 1087 37.1 2929 67 £rCOi-ICli-ICQiH<MiH(MTHC^ r-t T-\ ■tfcC>-r*<Oi-ICOrHOa>t-05«0-^'*t-iHC30 00 o (M S<) C^ M T-l iH iH «0 (M 00 iHlMrHCOiHS^COC-5' o CO CO -^ '-' ' S CO ;-! o >;--?) CO '^rJ^^H-^coiOLo-^tDc^iooTtit-Loeoioeo-* I oo ^ IM >H T-i T-l I 00 > O CO bHLO<X>COCO0000COO5t^0000Tti<MMCO<M I C<l C<l ^ ct3 T3 U I— I c! ^"'COC0T*lCC|MC<l-5t<a5lrtO5LOLnC^C0«O-* I t-i ^^iH T-H C^tHiHC^iH iH i-l >(U:it-C<ltD'*C'5OC^iH0i00e^C<IOU5Tf iHrHMiHOflrHC^THiHr-lr-lrHiH i-l CO < Ml ;::SJ*-ia5r-icocq':OLOi-iiot— a>ooaii-HC^r-ioo i o '^>-l,HCQC^C^CqC<lCOC^COiHr-li-ICOl-(C^ tO CO rt <D S hrjC^T-icc>oicoco't<Lnia3cocoo-*c<it--^ | " GV-^t~<Mt-lMCOOLr500COC£>COOO'^t-CO fj O "^ tH iH r-l T-I I " •-'c:OT-it^«;t--coC'i'x>'X'a50a>T-it-oo I t-i ''^THCOt^C-linr-ICOCO'**!— ILOr-l-^T-IC'li-l i C^l ^ to cq >^ CO <J >* ^^ c<t cS a Si ;:?J CO u o iH >- u Oi X3 Tt< CO N c^ic<iLO-*ooc<icO'«*<oflaic^t-«<»c^TH c^ ^050ot:~c^cvioiLoaioo-«*<«5Tj<<oo5eot- LO riiHC<lTHC<lT-IC^THiMiHC^rHC^lHC<lTHC<l CS 0) "O I-l I— ( t-. ^►_iSt^t»t> MI-IHHI-II-II-I 68 TABLE IV. Number and Percent of Children Under-age, Normal Age, and Over-age. (By Schools) Under Age Normal Over ■age Schools Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Total Lincoln 93 23.0 193 47.7 118 29.2 404 Humboldt 77 21.4 147 40.9 135 37.6 359 Irving 81 21.7 133 35.6 159 42.3 373 Lowell 24 12.8 71 37.9 92 49.1 187 Garfield 48 20.5 99 42.3 87 37.1 234 Washington 53 22.2 116 49.5 65 27.7 234 McKinley 57 26.5 102 47.4 56 26.0 215 GlUham 33 24.2 47 ■ 34.5 56 41.1 136 Horace Mann 120 23.7 252 49.9 133 26.3 505 Douglass 5 6.0 25 30.1 53 63.8 S3 Lovejoy 13 15.4 15 17.8 56 66.6 Si Dunbar 5 8.7 10 17.5 42 73.6 57 Washington An. 4 12.9 5 16.1 22 70.9 31 McKinley An 8 29.6 6 22.2 13 48.1 27 Totals.... ....621 21.2 1221 41.6 1087 37.1 2929 69 o o 02 >. > a, o a; "trOLOt~OOCOCOT-ICOOOOOOir5(M<M ^■^COCOrHCSIIMOqT-llO OrHCOlOOiOOtOLOLOCOLOlO^CIi— I H 1-H 1-1 rH iH CO IM (M T-) IM CO ^ >^5 OltDOSIMt-COCDLO-* (M IM U ^^"3 o o o o -a O C3 bi ^ S S ri S a; •-^ B c^ o M ^ ^ ■^ O 03 ffi ^ 3 O ^ ^ O K Q h:i Q 70 00 I 00 CO u >< tH ■^ rH tH tH iH ■>* M to T-l •^ St C^l COLO IM tHC<|IMiO'*C^ cq LO co>, CO <v bD ■ < m - t. t-O0tOlrtlM(NIMrt<t''«*<COU5 o rt >H \a S CO (h o 00 <£■ THOlrtCq-«*'C0tDt-t>.CDC<I iH 00 uO-i>* rH iH iH oo OP > O m u >H THCOiHCdlMLOOOt-OOTHCnMiH e^ (M cq rH T-l iH 1-1 i-l O *-H ^^mt-c<iooLoc<JU5a5C^ooa>-*irt J_ljrc^C<IC^THrHiH i-lr-i >H02-*00THlO-*t-TH'<*<O(Mlrt-*< (MCOCOCqi-liHi-liHCSIrHrH ::SJ^»-'coiHa5t-«Db-o5a5c^ccimtoioLo "pHCOmiOrHCOiMr-lT-liX' iH H hnfOC-COr-ia>iX><Mt-C<)lOmOlOCO q'SiHi-It-I -— IrH C^ •-ic^t-'-i'^oof^t^coC'mcoio-Tfioc tg <^ t>- 00 <M ■* LO m CO oj ih o --^ 1-^ CO CO C<I o CO C<1 CO C<l C<I t- C<1 • in rt <11 . cl S*^ tti o ■^^ ^ o3 W) 5" 4<^ o 5 •-: SW CC CJ ^s TABLE VI Retardation in American Cities Name of City No. of Pupils Percent Retarded 1. Quincy, Massachusetts 4540 19 2. Racine, Wisconsin 4075 28 3. Amsterdam, N. Y 2371 28 4. Syracuse, N. Y 13610 29 5. Indianapolis, Indiana 23874 29 6. Danbury, Connecticut 1967 31 7. Milwaukee, Wisconsin 32251 31 8. Rockford, Illinois '.... 5649 32 9. Canton, Ohio 5567 34 10. Elmira, N. Y 2487 34 11. New Rochelle, N. Y 3641 34 12. Muskegon. Michigan 3163 35 13. Niagara Falls, N. Y 3244 36 14. Topeka, Kansas 4894 36 15. Alton, Illinois 2929 37 16. Danville, Illinois 2260 38 17. Trenton, N. J 8787 38 18. Reading, Pa 10585 40 19. Plainfield, N. J 2312 40 20. Perth Amboy, N. J : 3947 41 21. Bayonne, N. J 7033 42 22. Hazelton, Pa 2655 42 23. Watertown, N. J 3303 43 24. East St. Louis, III 5380 44 25. Schenectady, N. Y 7846 44 26. Elizabeth, N. J 7058 46 27. Kenosha, Wisconsin 2223 48 28. Mont Clair, N. J 2568 48 29. New Orleans, La. (white) 23664 49 30. Passaic, N. J 5541 51 Table I shows the number enrolled in each grade and the number of each age from 6 up to 17 1/^. The figures enclosed by a heavy line indicate the number of children up to grade (of normal age); figures to the left of heavy lines show the number of children ahead of their grade (accelerated); those to the right of heavy lines indicate number of children behind their grade (retarded). As an illustration of how this table should be read refer to Grade I, part I. The table indicates that in this grade there are 119 children ahead of grade, 132 children of normal age, and 63 who are behind grade, making a total enrollment of 324. Table II has been constructed for the convenient use of the data in- cluded in Table I. It shows at a glance the number of children in each grade under-age, normal age, and over-age, also the percent of the total in each grade included in each of these groups. It will be observed from the totals of this table that of the 2929 children enrolled in the Alton Elementary schools on the date of this study 621 are accelerated, 1221 are of normal age, while 1087 are retarded. In terms of per cent this means that 21.2% are ahead of grade, 41.69r are up to grade, while 37.1% are behind grade. It is not sufficient, however, to know that a certain number of pupils are ahead or behind grade. Another significant question is: To what degree are children accelerated or retarded? Table III reveals this information. It will be observed that 8 children are retarded 5 years, 11 children are retarded 414 years, 16 children are retarded 4 years, etc., etc. While a certain amount of retardation is to be expected, it is somewhat startling to note that while, in the system as a whole, only 24 children are more than one year ahead of grade 491 children are more than a year behind grade. It is to this group of seriously retarded children that the survey recommends the particular attention of the school authorities. In order to make this report as helpful as possible to those who under- take to solve the problem of retardation the data for each of the fourteen schools has been tabulated, showing the amount of retardation In each school. This information is given in Tables IV and V. Table IV shows the amount, while Table V indicates the degree of acceleration and retardation in each of the schools. 71 Table VI is inserted for the purpose of enabling one to compare the retardation in Alton with that of other cities. The data, with the exception of that for Alton, is taken from a table in Ayres' "Identification of the Misfit Child," Russel Sage Foundation, Bulletin No. 108, which deals with the results of certain investigations carried on in 1911 in twenty-nine American cities. It will be observed that Alton makes a good showing when compared with this list of cities, there being only fourteen of the twenty-nine with a •smaller percentage of retardation. However, it should be kept In mind that, since this investigation seven years ago, many of these cities have pursued a policy tending toward the elimination of retardation. In this report emphasis is placed upon the retarded condition of large numbers in Alton, but what is said should not be interpreted to mean that the condition is worse ' than in the average city. The situation exists generally and is coming to be recognized as one of the common problems in school administration. The question of vital importance is: Have the schools become conscious of the problem and what steps are being taken toward its solution? 2. The Cause of Over-ageness The school survey seeks to determine not only the amount of retarda- tion in a school system, but to discover so far as possible the causes. Why are 1087 children in the elementary schools of Alton behind grade for their age? This condition may be due to one of two causes: (a) late entrance to school, or (b) failure to progress regularly after entrance. (In some instances it is due to a combination of these two causes.) The facts at hand, how- ever, indicate that late entrance is not the main factor in bringing about this condition in Alton. The data referred to are to be found in Table II. While the percent of over-ageness in the first grade is 19.1, in the first part of the second grade it is 31.3, in the first part of the third it is 36, and In the first part of the fourth it is 44.4. This constantly increasing percentage of over-ageness in the first four grades indicates rather clearly that it Is due to conditions within the schools themselves. Further evidence to substantiate this position is to be found in the gradual decrease of under-age children. While in the first part of the first grade 119 children or 36.7% of the entire first grade enrollment are under-age this percentage drops to 24.7 In the second grade, part first, and again to 19.6 In the first part of the third grade. By the time we reach the first part of the fourth grade we have but 13.3% of the enrollment classified as under-age. In the light of these data we shall have to conclude that late entrance to school is not a significant factor in explaining why 1087 children are behind grade, but that the cause is to be found in the failure to progress regularly after entrance. It is not suflicient, however, to stop with this general conclusion. An earnest endeavor should be made to discover facts which will show exactly the rate at which the children are progressing through the grades. A well recognized method of research is at our command for this purpose. A child who has been in the schools four years and is in the fourth grade is classified as having made normal progress. If he has been in school only three years and is in the fourth grade he is regarded as having made rapid progress. If, however. It has taken five or more years of schooling to get this child to the fourth grade he is considered to have made slow progress. The school survey seeks to determine the rate of progress; ta determine exactly how many children in a given school system have made rapid, normal, and slow progress. Unfortunately It seems Impossible to determine, with any degree of accuracy, the number of years that it has taken the children In the elementary schools of Alton to reach the grades in which they are now enrolled. Such a study can be made only where the entire school history of each child is available. It involves the examination of data for every child in the system for every year he has been a member of the school. With frequent changes of each pupil from room to room within a building and even from building to building within the city it is an impracticable undertaking to secure accurate information regarding the progress of 2929 children with the limited data such as is recorded in the roll book now In use In the Alton schools. It Is urgently recommended that steps be taken at once which will provide, for future studies, Information of the character needed. The progressive cities of the country have adopted, very generally, an individual card for each child which shows his complete history from the day he enters school until he leaves. This card shows the date of entrance for the first time and bears the record of each advance made from grade to grade. It shows how long he was in each grade and the date of his advance to the next higher. The card Is Interchangeable, one school with another, so that 72 the same card remains with the child during his entire school life. With such cards in use throughout the school of a city it becomes a comparatively- easy task to determine at any time the number of children .making rapid, normal, and slow progress. It is only through such a study that we are enabled to determine the extent to which retardation is due to slow progress; it is such a study that determines for a school system the number of children who are both slow and retarded — children who bring to the school its most serious problems. In addition to the advantages pointed out above in having available data which show the rate at which children are progressing through the grades there is a financial consideration attached to such information which must not be overlooked. It is appalling to think of the additional money cost of maintaining a system of schools where large numbers of the children are progressing at a rate slower than normal. For the month ending January 25. 1918, there were enrolled in the elementary schools of Alton 2929 children. The following table shows the distribution of pupils by grades and the aggre- gate years of attendance required for them to reach the grades in which they are enrolled provided they have made normal progress. School Years Required Aggregate Years of to Reach this Grade Attendance at Normal at Normal Progress Progress 1 479 2 888 3 1308 4 1732 5 1750 6 1710 7 1939 8 1800 No. of Pupils Grade Enrolled I 479 II 444 III 436 IV 433 V 350 VI 285 VII 277 VIII 225 Total 2929 11606 These figures indicate that if all the children have progressed at a normal rate, or that if the number of years lost by slow children has been counter-balanced by years gained by rapid children, the aggregate number of years of schooling for those now enrolled is 11,606. If, however, some of the children have taken from two to five years to progress one grade it is evident that the actual aggregate years of attendance will be much greater than 11,606, and that the loss in dollars and cents for the City of Alton will amount to a considerable sum. This sum will be determined by multiplying the cost of keeping a child in the elementary school of Alton for one year ($43.05 according to the report of last year) by the difference between 11,606 and the actual aggregate years of attendance. The school survey has revealed the startling fact in certain American cities where the progress records of children were kept by the schools that the years lost by slow pupils was as much as 28.7 times as great as the amount of time gained by rapid pupils and that the money cost of this condition amounted to thousands of dollars. Investigations in a large number of cities show that, as a rule, the number of retarded children is equal, approximately, to the number making slow progress. Hence, in view of the fact that Alton has 1087 retarded and only 621 accelerated children we suspect, very strongly, that the number of slow children far exceeds the number of rapid ones, that the years lost by those making slow progress amounts to much more than the years gained by those making rapid progress, and that the actual cost of promoting a child one grade exceeds considerably the annual per capita cost of keeping the child in school for one year. Not only does the use of the cumulative record card referred to above enable the school to determine the number of slow and rapid pupils, and to compute the money cost of slow progress or the money saving through rapid progress, but it identifies for the school authorities those children needing special attention. While investigation has show'n that the number of slow children approximates the number retarded in most of our cities one of the most important findings is that these are often not the same children. This survey points out in Table V the number of pupils retarded 5 years, 4 years, etc., etc., in each of the schools. The remedies suggested in the following paragraphs have these pupils especially in mind. They constitute a problem. But some of these retarded children have made rapid progress, perhaps, during the time they have been in school, others have progressed normally. 73 while late entrance seems not to have been a prominent factor in bringing about this retardation other factors after entrance may have operated to cause the rapidly and normally progressing child to become retarded. In particular, however, some of these children are both retarded and slow. This is the group that should receive special attention. It is to be regretted that the data for identifying the slow child is not at hand. 3. Plans for Reducing Retardation and Promoting Acceleration (a) The Si^ecial ScJiool Children vary in mental ability just as they vary in strength, height, etc. A child who has reached the age of twelve in years may not have reached the age of nine in mental development. The psychologist is prepared today to measure the mental age of children. It is usually found that in only about 75 per cent of our school children does the mental age correspond with the actual age in years and months. Of the remaining 25 per cent some are found whose mental age is far below the actual age — so far below, in fact, that we designate them as mentally defective or feeble-minded. In such children intelligence will never develop to a level much beyond that of the twelve-year-old child of normal mentality. Indeed, in many cases, the mental development may never go beyond that of the eighth or ninth year. It is generally estimated that in any city the number of such children does not exceed 2 or 3 per cent of the entire enrollment, and often falls as low as 1/2 per cent. The exact number can be determined only by an expert in the measurement of mental capacity. These children have come into the world short in intelligence, and should never be expected to compete with normal children. The best possible instruction cannot get results from these children in academic work. The responsibility of the school in regard to such children is to see that they get the kind of training which will prepare them for earning a livelihood and prevent them, so far as possible, from becoming a menace morally to the community. Such children should be selected with the greatest of care by someone trained in this kind of work and then placed in a special school established with the needs of such children primarily in mind. These children should not be sent to such a school with the idea that they can be "coached" in the subjects of the regular curriculum and then returned to the classes maintained for normal children. If these children are properly selected in the first place very few will ever be found who will show sufficient growth in mentality to justify a new classification. For this school a special course of instruction with a very large amount of manual work and only the simplest forms of the academic should be provided. It is probable that one such school in the City of Alton would accommodate all the children who properly belong to this group. The establishment of such schools would tend toward the elimination of retardation by removing from the regular rooms those children of extremely low mentality for whom normal progress in the regular course of instruction is an impossibility. (b) TJie Ungraded Room. After taking from all the schools those whose mentality is so low as to place them in the mentally defective group there still remain three types of children who should receive particular attention, namely, those known as border line, backward, and restoration pupils. The border line children are those above, but not far above, the feeble-minded. They are not able to work with normal children, but their mentality is not sufficiently low to justify the school authorities in placing them in a special school. Those designated as backward are between the border line and the normal in mentality. They are children for whom a. special program with plenty of manual work should .be provided. The group referred to as restoration pupils consists of children of normal mentality who on account of sickness, irregular attendance, poor home conditions, etc., have fallen behind the children of their age. There is hope that these children will be restored to the class approximating their own age. They should be given individual help in the subjects of the curri- culum in which they show the greatest weakness and, at the same time, be permitted to do the work of a regular room. It often happens that children of this type cover as much as two years of work in one when afforded this opportunity. Many cities have established ungraded room.s to which are sent the three types of children mentioned in the above paragraph — rooms in which is provided work suitably adapted to each group. Such a room should have assigned to it a comparatively small number of children — not more than 15 or 20 — and it should be provided with work benches and equipment for practical housework. With the exception of work done in the restoration 74 group it is obvious that the ungraded room is not intended to emphasize the work prescribed in tlie regular curriculum. Teachers in charge of ungraded rooms should have special training which will enable them, under proper supervision, to know the extent to which each child is capable of doing work of an academic nature and to what extent manual work should predominate. (c) Lowering the rate of non-promotion In reducing the amount of over-ageness it is fundamentally important to reduce the amount of non-promotion to a minimum. Table VII gives, by- grades, the number of children promoted, the number not promoted, and the per cent of non-promotion for the term ending January 25, 1918. It will be observed that 427, or 14.57r of the entire enrollment failed of advancement. It will be noted also that the per cent of non-promotion varies from 5.4% in the first part of grade VI to 32% in the first part of grade I. It is imperative that some such study as was undertaken in the following table be repeated in all the schools at frequent intervals by the principals and teachers until the causes of the high rate of non-promotion be discovered and, if possible, eliminated. TABLE VII Promotion and Non-Promotion. Grade and Part No. in Class at End of Month No. Not Per Cent Not No. Promoted Promoted Promoted 220 104 32.0 138 17 10.9 243 44 15.3 139 18 11.4 259 26 9.1 127 24 15.8 201 43 17.4 164 22 11.8 213 19 8.1 95 23 19.4 190 11 5.4 72 12 14.2 169 28 14.2 72 . 8 10.0 136 19 12.2 61 9 12.8 I.— 1 I.— 2 II.— 1 II.— 2 III.— 1 III.— 2 IV.— 1 IV.— 2 v.— 1 v.— 2 VI.— 1 VI.— 2 VII.— 1 VII.— 2 VIII.— 1 VIII.— 2 324 155 287 157 285 151 247 186 232 118 201 84 197 80 155 70 Total 2929 2502 427 14.5 4. Summary of Recommendations (a) That frequent studies be made through the central office of the age-grade distribution of pupils in each of the schools in the city with a view to determining exactly the number of accelerated, normal, and retarded children. (b) That some form of cumulative record card showing the entire school history of the child be adopted at once in order that the number of children making rapid, normal, and slow progress may be determined at any time. (c) That at least one special school be established for the training of those children who, upon expert examination, may be found to be feeble- minded. (d) That ungraded rooms be established In various schools for the purpose of providing special courses of instruction for those children unable to pursue with profit the work prescribed in the regular curriculum and for giving Individual instruction to those retarded children who give promise of making up lost time. (e) That frequent studies be made through the central office of the rate of promotion in each of the schools and in each of the grades to the end that there may be uniformity of standards in the several schools and in the several grades and that the present high rate of non-promotion may be reduced. 75 FINANCES OF THE ALTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS by F. L. Wiley Secretary to the Superintendent of Instruction St. Louis Alton spent $145,100.77 on its public schools during the year ending June 30, 1917. The expenditures for several preceding years had been, in 1916, $137,840.46, in 1915, $130,877.12, and in 1914, $100,091.58. Without ques- tion the current and future years will see further increases in the total dis- bursements of public school funds. The responsibility for the wise use of such a large amount of public money is great and the problems which confront the Board of Education in the discharge of this responsibility are many. There are two questions of primary importance, however, which should be applied to the finances of the school system, and the answers to these should be serviceable in financing the progressive development of the schools in accordance with thoughtful plan- ning. The first of these inquiries is, — Are expenditures properly distributed among the several objects or purposes? This question has many subdivisons among which may be distinguished the following having most significance: First. Do the expenditures for adtninistration, supervision, instruc- tion, operation and maintenance of plant, and for outlays, indicate that these different functions are thoughtfully considered in relation to each other and to the sole purpose of all of them, — namely, the provision of the best means of education of the children with the funds available? Second. Is the cost of educating children in the elementary schools rightly proportioned to the cost of instruction of those in the high school? Third. Are the various school plants of different size and construction equally economical in the cost of their operation and upkeep? To answer these questions it is evident that the exact cost of the schools must be known according to the various classifications suggested in the questions. In addition there must be some standards by which the adequacy of these classified expenditures may be judged. Such standards are to be set up from a comparison of the prevailing practices in other cities. Unfortunately not enough information is obtainable for either of these purposes to enable one to evaluate satisfactorily the financial operations from these three points of view. In discussing these problems later the in- adequacy of the Alton financial records and reports will be pointed out. The impossibility of getting full data from other cities comparable in essential respects to Alton is probably due to a similar incompleteness in the records and reports of their school finances. The best source of such comparative data, the report of the United States Commissioner of Education, does not supply sufficient Information from enough cities of the size of Alton to work out trustworthy averages of their practices. However, standards for com- parison in cities of from two to three times the size of Alton, which will be of some value in studying Alton expenditures, are ready at hand in the Survey of the Springfield, Illinois, schools. Reference will later be made to these. In addition there will be some interest and worth in looking at Alton costs in the light of school costs for the largest cities of the country and occasional reference will therefore be made to data in the Survey of the St. Louis Public Schools. Norms of expenditure in the larger cities with their highly complex school systems should not, however, be applied too closely in criticising the distribution of costs in a less highly organized system. No matter how fully one might be able to judge the relative cost of the different parts of the Alton school system and of the different kinds of work carried on, the problem of financing the schools would involve another question which is the second of the fundamental inquiries referred to in the beginning, — Does Alton support its public schools properly in proportion to its ability? The answer to this question is difficult, as are the answers to the first set of questions, because there is the same lack of comparable data from other cities by which one might draw satisfactory conclusions. 76 I. How Does Alton Spend Its School Money? To answer properly the three questions previously asked under this inquiry, — namely, the distribution of expenditures for outlays and for the functions of overhead control, instruction, etc., the relative emphasis on elementary and on secondary schools, and the relative economy of large and small school units, — it is necessary that the data of the financial records and reports should be adequately differentiated and classified to meet at least the following conditions: (1) The grouping of payments should conform to the classifications called for on the report to the United States Bureau of Education. A copy of the blank for this report is attached herewith. The classes of expenses which it calls for are: I. Expenses (cost of conducting the school system) (a) General Control (overhead charges) (b) Instruction (c) Operation of Plant (d) Maintenance of School Plant (e) Auxiliary Agencies II. Outlays (capital acquisition and construction) III. 'Other Payments, such as redemption of bonds and pay- ments of interest. (2) The payments for all expenses, except for overhead control, should be differentiated by the class of school which receives the benefit of the ex- penditure. In actual practice this will involve charging all such expenses up to the individual schools, and later grouping these schools as elementary and as secondary for purposes of reporting. (3) Unit costs showing the expense per pupil, the expense per school plant and expense per school room should parallel the statements of total cost. To show how fully in some respects and how incompletely in others the available data in the Alton school records and reports meet these conditions, the last annual report of the Treasurer, June 30, 1917, has been rearranged to show the payments according to the United States Bureau classifications. The spaces not filled with data or x's but containing question marks indicate what is lacking in the report to meet the conditions set forth above. The Treasurer's abstract of cash payments and the Secretary's ledger give no fuller information than this annual report. The data on attendance of pupils is taken from the annual report of the Superintendent. Figures in paren- theses are not given in the Treasurer's report, but have been supplied by computation. Total All High Elementary Schools Schools Schools Average daily attendance for the year.... 3,154 459 2,695 I. EXPENSES Expense of General Control Business office $ 485.00 xxx xxx Treasurer's salary 400.00 xxx xxx Superintendent's salary 2,950.00 xxx xxx Compulsory attendance 760.00 xxx xxx Total for General Control ($ 4,595.00) Per pupil cost ( 1.46) Expenses of Instruction Teachers (salaries) $ 78,750.54 ? • ? Text books, stationery, supplies 3,290.58 ? ? Total for instruction ($ 82,041.12) ? ? Per pupil cost ( 26.01) ? ? Expenses of Operation of School Plant Janitors, engineers, etc $ 9,778.02 ? ? Fuel, light, janitor's supplies, etc 3,668.60 ? ? Total for operation ($ 13,446.62) ? ? Per pupil cost ( ' 4.26) ? ? 77 Expenses of Maintenanre of School Plant Repairs, replacements $ 4.101.66 ? ? Per pupil cost ($1.30) ? ? Expenses of Auxiliary Agencies Libraries $ 53.25 ? ? Promotion of health 675.00 xxx xxx Total for Auxiliary Agencies ($ 728.25) Miscellaneous Expenses Teachers' pension fund $ 540.00 xxx xxx II. OUTLAYS New grounds, building and alteration $ 29,078.89 ? ? New equipment 2,784.54 ? ? Total outlays ($ 31,863.43) ? 9 III. OTHER PAYMENTS District bonds $ 4,600.00 xxx xxx Warrants outstanding fiscal year end- ing June 30, 1916 948.61 xxx xxx Interest on bonds 1,152.00 xxx xxx Refund County Treasurer on account of overpayment 78.05 xxx xxx Interest on teachers' warrants 178.93 xxx xxx Total other payments....; (.$ 6,957.59) xxx xxx GRAND TOTAL, payments for all purposes ($144,273.67) xxx xxx (The sum of all these items of disbursement as given in the Treasurer's report is $145,100.77, indicating an error in computation or an omission of some item or items of expenditure.) In addition to giving expenditures as thus classified the financial rec- ords should show the distribution of expenses for instruction, for operation of plant, and for maintenance of plant by the individual schools. Thus, "Fuel, light, janitors' supplies, etc.", should not only show the total for elementary schools, but also the total for the Lincoln School, the Humboldt, etc. It would not be at all difficult for the Treasurer's abstract of expendi- tures, which is now kept on the uniform record blanks supplied by the State, to show this distribution if (a) all warrants drawn by the Secretary showed on their face the nature and the object of the expenditure or were accom- panied by bills or memoranda showing such distribution, (b) the Treasurer would use a separate sheet of the State forms for each school thus providing individual school accounts in which the distribution shown in vouchers or accompanying bills or memoranda could be entered. With the information given in the last annual report of the Treasurer, how far may the questions of distribution of expenditures be answered? A. For Different Objects of Expenditure, i. e., Outlays, Instruction, etc. Outlays. Of the $145,100.77 expended for all objects in the year ending June 30, 1917, $31,863.43 was for outlays, and $104,912.65 for items which are properly classified as the expenses of administration, supervision, instruction, operation and maintenance of buildings. The annual expenditure for outlays has varied much in the past few years: 1914, $1,001.34; 1915, $21,240.79; 1916, $24,367.01. On the average what proportion of the cost of the schools should be devoted to sites, new buildings and equipment? It would be of value in considering the questions of providing additional accommodations to have in mind some normal division of the school funds for outlays and for current expenses. Unfortunately the school surveys which have been made have provided practically no comparative data on this particular phase of school finances. In St. Louis in 1914-15 of the total expenditures for outlays and for current expenses 15 per cent was for outlays but this represented a gradual reduction from 35 per cent for outlays in the year 1908-9, when the largest expenditures for new buildings in St. Louis was ever made. It should be noted that last year Alton devoted 23 per cent of the payments for outlays and current expenses to outlays and 77 per cent to current expenses. The legal limits on local taxation would permit expenditures for buildings equal 78 almost to 50 per cent of the total cost of the schools, but such a ratio could not be maintained lor any length of time without serious curtailment if educational opportunities in the very buildings for which the large "building" expenditures would be made. A wise balance in the provision of suitable houses and competent teachers must be maintained. By this is meant that a school building program to care for a growing school population should not be allowed to lag behind with the result that later large sums must be put into buildings to the restriction, at least temporary, of the educational func- tions of the school system. Administration, Supervision and Instruction, Operation of Plant, Main- tenance of Plant. In evaluating expenditures for these different purposes it would be exceedingly helpful if comparable data from other school systems of approximately equal complexity were obtainable. One must resort, how- ever, to the less valuable measuring rod of similar expenditures in much larger school systems. The per pupil cost for all overhead control in Alton was $1.46 for the year 1916-17, although an inspection of the items listed as such overhead expense and given above in the reclassification of the Treasurer's annual report would indicate that the salary of the Superintendent of School Build- ings had been omitted from this class of expense, in which it belongs. By including the salary of this oificial, the per pupil cost would have been in- creased about $0.30. The St. Louis Survey gives the average per pupil cost for administratation in the 21 largest cities of the country as $2.02. One may not safely draw any conclusion from this comparison, however, because some aspects of a larger and more complex system involve relatively greater overhead expense, while other aspects bring a large economy in the cost of administration. It would seem that Alton is not spending an un- usually large amount on its administrative offices. The per pupil cost of this function for St. Louis in 1915 was $3.63. In the expense of instruction, including supervision, the per pupil cost for last year is shown by the preceding table to have been $26.01. Here again we should like the guidance of a comparison with. other cities of approximately Alton's size, but adequate data are not obtainable. The average for the 21 largest cities of the country was $38.83 for 1915. Despite all the advantages of greater wealth in these cities it would seem that the per pupil cost of instruction in Alton is relatively low. The cost of operation of school plant was $4.26 per pupil, although this is probably about $0.30 too much because of the assumed inclusion of the salary of the Superintendent of School Buildings which should have been included in administration expense. The average of operation cost in the 21 largest cities in 1915 was $5.27 per pupil. In considering this class of expenditures some aid is to be had from the Springfield, Illinois, Survey. In eleven cities varying population from about 45,000 to 65,000 the average per pupil cost of janitors' salaries was $2.88, of fuel, $1.52 and of water and light, $0.42, — total for chief items of operation cost, $4.72. Here again we may conclude that on the average the cost of operating Alton's school plant is relatively low. For maintenance of buildings last year $1.30 per pupil was spent. For the eleven cities compared in the Springfield Survey the per pupil cost of maintenance was found to be $2.39; for the 21 largest cities of the country the St. Louis Survey gives the per pupil cost as $2.48. And thus again we find that Alton seems to be low in another class of school costs. The tentative conclusions which may therefore be drawn as to expendi- tures for different objects are: First. The present cost of outlays absorbs as large a proportion of the available funds as should be permitted, and should probably be reduced if funds are not found for increasing the proportion of expenditures for other objects. Second. Overhead costs are not excessive but are relatively about as high as they should be. Third. For the strictly educational functions the expenditures are relatively somewhat less than for other objects. Fourth. In the cost of operating and maintaining the school plant there are no disproportionately large or small expenditures. B. Relative Cost of Elementary and Hirjh ScJwol Instruction. When we come to study this important question the inadequacy of past records and reports makes it impossible to proceed. The data of the Treas- urer's annual report explain this. From a statement of the salaries paid 79 teachers and janitors for the current year, however, these two chief items of cost can be distributed to the two classes of schools, and per pupil costs computed froin them. Teachers' and Janitors' Salaries for Current Year. Total All High Elementary Schools Schools Schools Average daily attendance for month ending Jan. 25, 1918 2812 375 2437 Total salaries of teachers (includ- ing principals) |89,210 $24,683 $64,527 Per pupil cost of teachers' salaries.. $31.72 $65.82 $26.47 Total janitors' salaries $ 8,800 $ 1,200 $ 7,600 Per pupil cost of janitors' salaries.. $3.13 $3.20 $3.12 Total salaries of teachers and jani- tors $98,010 $25,883 $72,127 Per pupil cost $34.85 $69.02 $29.59 (The salaries of the principal and janitor of the Horace Mann School were pro-rated to the high school and elementary school departments accord- ing to the number of rooms. The salaries of music and drawing supervisors were pro-rated to elementary and high schools on the basis of average daily attendance.) This table shows that the per pupil cost of salaries for the current year will be in excess of the total cost of instruction for last year as computed from the Treasurer's Annual Report. This is due to two factors, first the higher salaries paid this year, and second the smaller attendance of pupils. It is quite out of the question to compare with justice these per pupil costs with similar classes of expenditures in other systems for preceding years. The advances in salaries almost everywhere and the variations in the number of pupils enrolled make inter-city comparisons at present quite un- reliable. It may be noted, however, that this year the high school pupils in Alton with an average cost of $65.82 for teachers' salaries are receiving two and one-half times the expenditure that the grade pupils are receiving for their Instruction. This is not a disproportionate distribution when considered in the light of normal expenditures in other cities in the past. In the Spring- field Survey the cities compared varied in the ratio of high school costs to elementary school costs from 2 to 1, to 3 to 1. In the St. Louis Survey the cost of high schools for the 21 largest cities was found on the average to be about two and one-third times the cost of elementary schools, measured by the unit of per pupil cost. We may therefore conclude that in the matter of teachers' salaries the elementary schools and the high school are pretty well proportioned, when viewed from the standpoint of the average cost for each pupil. C. Cost of Different Units of ScJwol Plant ■,. It would be very desirable to know just how much it costs to operate and maintain the different school buildings. It is believed that interesting facts might be discerned relative to the costs of small plants and of larger ones. As previously stated, however, the costs of fuel and other operating supplies and salaries are not now distributed in the financial records to the several school buildings. II. Does Alton Support Its Public Schools in Proportion to Its Ability? The ability of a city to maintain schools, as well as other departments of municipal government, is generally measured by its wealth as computed from its assessment for taxes. The present assessment of Alton is $4,770,849. As this is commonly accepted as one-third the real value of the property assessed, we may estimate the total actual wealth of the city to be $14,312,547. The total population of the city according to the school census of 1916 was 26,048. Taking this as the present population, the average wealth per inhabi- tant is found to be $549.46. How does Alton compare with other cities in per capita wealth and consequently in ability to support schools? Of the cities studied in the Springfield Survey it will be worth while to compare Alton's per capita wealth with that of East St. Louis, $690.00: Springfield, $948.00; Canton, Ohio, $1,119.00; South Bend, Indiana, $1,153.00; and Rockford, $1,194.00. Of the 21 largest cities of the country reported in the St. Louis Survey all but six have a per capita wealth of over $1,200.00. Therefore, so far as wealth 80 is concerned, Alton should hardly be expected to spend as much per inhabitant on its schools as the above cities. As a matter of fact, however, Alton exceeds what might be expected from this comparison of per capita wealth. .i;i05,452.65 of the total cost for 1916-17 represents the current expenses and this divided by the total popula- tion, 26,048, gives a per capita cost of $4.05. Compare this now with the per capita cost of expenses for East St. Louis, $3.56; South Bend, Indiana, $3.85; Canton, Ohio, $4.19; Rockford, $4.63; and Springfield, $4.63; and the average per capita expenditure (for all purposes) in the 21 largest cities of the country, $8.49. While these data are very meagre, the inference to be tenta- tively drawn from them is that in proportion to her ability Alton supports her schools well. The truth of this conclusion would, however, be denied if the present assessment of property should be found not fully to represent one-third of the actual valuation of all wealth in the city. Some popular comment sug- gests that this may be the case. Moreover, since per capita wealth increases in general very closely with increases in population, it is not very satisfactory to compare Alton's wealth, and consequent capacity to pay for education, with cities of the size of Springfield and East St. Louis. Still a further caution must be mentioned in connection with the above conclusion that Alton is discharging her financial obligation to public educa- tion adequately. It is this, — that the determination of what a city ought to do for the education of its children rests on many other important factors than its wealth. The most urgent princicple of action should be its educa- tional needs, — both in number of children to be educated and in the char- acter of education which the children should have. With this standard of need must be placed the ideals of service for its children which a community holds. Both of these should ever be more influential in determining what efforts, even sacrifices, a city will make for education than a satisfying knowl- edge that other cities may be doing less in proportion to their financial capacity. All of these considerations of what Alton ought to do in the matter of supporting education are valuable in shaping the popular and the official attitude towards school expenditures. It is recognized, however, that the more practical question, when increased costs loom on the horizon, is, How shall additional money be obtained? As the income of a school system ap- proaches its legal maximum this question assumes dominating importance. Alton is already familiar with the problems of this situation. Compare the maximum local revenues permitted under the law with the increasing requests for tax levies and actual expenditures of the school system: 1914-15 1915-16 1916-17 1917-18 1918-19 Assessment on which estimates of maxi- mum levy are based .'. $4,440,000 $4,526,134 $4,701,655 $4,582,504 $4,770,849 Legal maximum for "building" 11/2% (same for "educa- tional" purposes).. Amount requested for "buildings" Amount requested for "educational" pur poses Estimated income from other sources.. Total estimated in- come $ 124,150 $ 126,181 $ 139,318 $ 163,263 Actual receipts for the year 116,206 126,392 126,113 ? Total expenditures for the year 130,877 137,840 145.100 *180,290 Cash balance at end of year $ 58,235 $ 46,787 $ 28,626 ? 66,600 67,891 70,524 68,737 71,562 42,200 39,481 47,738 68,263 67,800 70,519 72,262 68,737 14,150 16,181 19,318 26,263 ♦Estimated, 81 The growing difficulty of the financial situation is quite well revealed in these figures. The annual expenditures have each year since 1914-15 ex- ceeded the actual as well as the estimated income for the year, with the result that a cash balance on June 30, 1915, was reduced to $28,626.00 by June 30, 1917. The estimated income for the current year as given by the Finance Committee is $163,263.00, and the estimated expenses $180,290.00. If these estimates are verified the cash balance June 30, 1918, will be so greatly reduced that the problem of financing the schools for at least the first half of the ensuing school year will be a very perplexing problem. Even greater difficulties, however, lie ahead of the immediate future. First, the necessary practice of using "building funds" for "educational" purposes, — of doubtful legality, — has grown until almost the legal maximum levy for "building" purposes is now required, and the pract.ice cannot be abandoned without curtailing expenditures for "educational" purposes so materially as to be a calamity to the schools. Second, the legal limit for both building and educational purposes has practically been reached. As a result sources of additional revenue for the schools seem to be closed. Under the existing statutes there appears to be no solution to the problem of securing greater total revenue except to increase the assessment of taxable property. As for the practice of diverting part of the "building" fund to "educational" purposes, it is probable that two of the statutes enacted in 1915 offer some relief. An act approved May 20, 1915, (see School Laws of Illinois as amended by the Forty-ninth General Assembly, issued by the Superintendent of Public Instruction as Circular No. 93, 1916, page 79), makes the legal limits for school levies in Alton to be those of the general school laws of the State, and the latter, as amended May 27, 1915 (see page 57 of School Laws), provide that the school district may by popular vote determine that the levy for "educational" purposes may be increased from one and one-half per cent of the assessed valuation to two per cent, providing the total levy for both "building" and "educational" purposes does not exceed three per cent. When this ratio has once been approved by popular election it stands without further authorization until changed by popular vote. The application of these acts should be investigated and if it is found that Alton comes under them, the Board of Education should lose no time in legalizing its present necessary action in using "building" funds for current expenses by submitting the matter to popular election. J Recommendations 1. Financial records should show specifically the nature and object of all expenditures, Avith distribution to each school center. 2. Financial reports should show at least the classifications and sub- divisions called for on annual fiscal report to the United States Bureau of Education. 3. In the distribution of expenditures there should be no relative increase in the cost of outlays and of administrative services. 4. Instructional expenses should be relatively increased. 5. High school and elementary school costs are well balanced in rela- tion to each other. 6. The costs of maintenance and operation of the school buildings should be studied by individual plants, when the records and reports admit of it. 7. The relation of the present assessment of property should be studied T^ in Its relation to actual values, with the object of securing increased levies '^^J -1-^ for school funds. "X; a! ^' '^^^ niore recent state legislation should be investigated to see if ^•^ an Increased proportion of the present maximum levy cannot be legally applied to "educational" purposes. 82 REPORT OF SPECIAL SURVEY COMMITTEE. The purpose ol" this report is to form a basis of discussion for the entire body in session. We are suggesting what seems to us to be necessary and feasible recommendations as obtained from the survey. We are not presuming to dictate to the Board that these are the only recommendations or plans of action possible under the survey or that all of these can be adopted at this time. A survey's finding is not worth much that could be carried out at once, it furnishes rather a goal toward which we can strive, an ideal that we can pursue. Your committee desires to recommend for your consideration and attention the following: 1. That there be an office created called the Commissioner of Supplies filled by a bonded officer whose duties shall be that of purchasing agent for the Board. He shall also serve in the capacity of Assistant Secretary of the Board of Education. All requisitions for supplies of whatever nature , now handled by the Building Committee, Supplies Committee, Library and / Apparatus Committee and Superintendent of Schools shall pass through his ^ hand and be purchased by him when so ordered by the Board, and a strict and accurate record be kept of the disposition of all supplies. Under this ' plan it should be possible to have economic purchasing, lack of duplication and a constant record of supplies on hand, and an even distribution of cost among the different buildings. (See First Paragraph, Page 3. Last Para- graph, Page 28.) N.B. — This position was filled by the Board, May 15th, 1918. 2. To enlarge the duties and responsibilities under the rules of the Superintendent of Buildings, making the Superintendent of Buildings an *-_ executive officer of the Board, being responsible for the selection and con- duct of janitors, and carrying out the plans of the Building Committee. N. B. — See Resolution adopted by the Board, May 15th, 1918. 3. That the Department of Hygiene be put under the responsible direction of the Superintendent of Schools. N. B. — See Resolution adopted by the Board, May 15th, 1918. 4. That this Board pledges itself to the development of the Depart- ment of Hygiene into a department that fulfills the requirements laid down under Observation No. 1. Page 7. 5. That it shall be the duty of the Superintendent of Schools to establish at once a cumulative record card for each pupil in the Alton schools, showing attendance and progress. Such record to be accessible to those who have the right to know the contents. 6. It shall be the duty of the Superintendent of Schools to establish at once a permanent, careful, adequate record of the efl3ciency of the indi- vidual teacher, showing length of service, attendance, punctuality, faithful- ness in the performance of routine duties, ability in instruction and teaching skill, and professional skill. Such record to be the basis of promotion, or for dismissal. 7. That this Board pledges itself to the belief that as soon as possible plans be made for the improvement of the supervision of the various build- ings in our public school system, making it possible that a principal, with practically no teaching duties, be furnished each building of five or more rooms. N. B. — Seven supervising principals were appointed by the Board, May 22nd, 1918. 8. That this Board pledges itself to the belief that more special supervisors are needed and that investigation will be made at once to fulfill that need. 9. That this Board provide that with the beginning of the next school year, September, 1918, there be elected a principal of the Alton High School whose sole duty will be that of supervision. N. B. — A supervising High School principal was appointed by the Board, May 22nd, 1918. 83 10. That tbe attention of the principal of the High School be directed to the recommendations found under "Course of Study." (Page 62.) 11. That the subject "Community Civics" be made an absolute re- quirement lor every pupil in the first year of the High School Course and that the study of United States History be an absolute requirement in the fourth year High School. 12. That the High School Committee be instructed to immediately investigate the feasibility of uniting all High School vi^ork in the City of Alton in the High School Building; that is to discontinue the first two years of High School work now being given at Horace Mann School. N. B.— This was done by the Board, May 22nd, 1918. 13. That a new course of study be prepared for the Alton Public Schools by the Superintendent of Public Schools and all teachers employed in the Alton Public Schools; that the Superintendent and all supervisors and principals act as an executive committee in guiding the planning and formation of such new course of study. Further, that this Board declares Itself in favor of vocationalizing all studies whenever it is possible to so do and that we adopt as our policy and plan of action the promotion of courses of study emphasizing the "development type" as discussed on page 26, Printed Survey, Second Paragraph. That we expect from the Superintendent of Schools from time to time reports as to the progress being made in the formation of a new course of study. 14. That this Board believes that the adoption of newer and modern text books is necessary, but that their adoption should follow the installation of a new course of study, seeking the texts best suited for the teaching of the new course of study. That the Board adopt no text-book not approved by a majority of a committee consisting of the Superintendent of Schools and four principals or supei-visors selected by this Board. 15. That one teacher of the two teaching manual arts be designated as the head of that department. N. B. — A head of this department was named by the Board, May 22nd, 1918. 16. That one teacher of all teachers of domestic arts be designated as the head of that department. N. B.— A head of this department was named by the Board, May 22nd, 1918. 17. That this Board investigate at once the feasibility of having a primary supervisor. 18. That reports of all supervisors be made in writing and placed on file in the office of the Superintendent of Schools for reference. 19. That all supervisors be directed to assemble all teachers under their charge a reasonable number of times to discuss methods and demon- stration of class work, and make a report in writing to the Superintendent of Schools of the transaction of such meetings. 20. That this Board immediately investigate and determine upon a plan for the improvement of the number and condition of supplementary readers furnished in the different gi'ades in the different buildings of the Alton Public Schools. ' 21. That this Board investigates and determines upon a plan of action or a creation of a necessary number of ungraded rooms to be established in the various schools for the purpose of allowing more individual instruction to those retarded children who give promise of making up lost time. 22. That this Board investigate and determine as near as possible, the number of those children in the Alton Public Schools who could be more profitably handled in separate schools because of their mental condition. 23. That the attention of the Superintendent of Schools be especially directed to the general subject of retardation of children through the grades, and that reports be expected from him from time to time of his investigation of the causes of retardation in the Alton Schools, and his plans for lowering the percentage of retardation 84 24. That this Board establish the rule that individual promotion may be made on approval of the teacher and the principal of the building which the child attends. 25. That this Board pledges itself to the installation as far as possible of departmental teaching in the higher grades. 26. That this Board keep through its proper officers the cost and maintenance and operation of each school building. 27. That this Board pledges itself to a campaign of publicity for the securing of a real assessment of all taxable property within our school district. 28. That a special committee be appointed to confer with the City Administration upon a proposition to include within the corporate limits of Alton that part of Sections 7 and IS that is not now in the City Limits, and all of fractional Section 19, making the East City limit line coincide with the east line of Sections 7, 18 and 19, which sections are in Township 5, North Range 9, West of the Third P. M. 29. That there be a revision of the rules and regulations of the Board of Education to embody changes and proposals as are accepted by this Board, such revision to be prepared at once and presented for the consideration of the Board. The foregoing Recommendations were adopted by the Board, April 29th, 1918. 85 RESOLUTION FOR REORGANIZATION. Be it Resolved, That the Board of Education of the City of Alton, Illinois, be organized with four standing committees, as follows: First — Committee on Finance and Supplies. Second — Committee on Instruction. Third — Committee on Buildings and Grounds. Fourth — Committee on Rules. And be it further Resolved, That the composition and duties of these several committees be as follows: First — The Committee on Finance and Supplies shall consist of four members, whose duty it shall be to audit all accounts which have .been certified by the committee, or persons contracting same, to estimate as nearly as possible what the yearly expenses of the schools will be basing such estimate upon the proposed requirements filed with the chairman of this committee by the Committee on Insti'uction for Superintendents', Prin- cipals', Supervisors' and Teachers' salaries for the next year, upon the list of proposed expenditures filed with the chairman of this committee by the Committee on Buildings and Grounds, and upon the pi'oposed expenditures of the committee itself — and to report the same with recommendations to the Board at its regular meeting in June; to recommend at the June meeting a competent person to fill the position of Commissioner of Supplies; to have charge through the committee's executive officer (the Commissioner of Supplies) of the purchasing and placing of necessary supplies for all the schools, all lists of supplies exceeding $50 in value to be bought of lowest and best bidder or bidders; and to furnish information of the financial con- dition to the Board at any of its meetings. Second — The Committee on Instruction shall consist of five members whose duty it shall be through its executive officer, the Superintendent of Public Schools, to investigate the qualifications of applicants for positions as teacher, to prepare, annually and submit at the next regular or at a special meeting following the organization meeting in May a list of com- petent teachers for positions for the next school year, with recommendations as to their salaries, to report progress of the revision of courses of study, to recommend four principals or supervisors to serve with the Superintendent of Schools on Text Book Committee, to have general care of the High School, the centralization or separation of same in various parts of City, to see that all teachers' contracts and salaries are in agreement with requirements and schedules laid down by this Board. To exercis'e general control through the Superintendent of Schools of the Department of Hygiene and of activities of the Truant Officers, to pre- pare annually an estimate of the money needed for the next year for salaries and incidentals and file same with the Chairman of the Finance and Supply Committee at least ten days prior to the June meeting, and to be empowered to visit other school systems in search of competent persons to fill vacancies in Alton schools. Third — The Committee on Buildings and Grounds shall consist of five members whose duty it shall be to recommend to the Board at the June meeting a suitable person to fill the office of Superintendent of Buildings, who acts as the executive officer of the committee, to attend through their executive officer to the necessary repairs of all buildings and grounds, to exercise general supei'vision over all buildings whatsoever through the Board's Architect, or the Superintendent of Buildings, or both, to have charge through the executive officer, the committee of all janitors having power to discharge any janitor temporarily for neglect of duty and appoint tem- porarily his or her successor, to recommend to the Board at the meeting suitable persons for appointment as janitors of the various buildings, to keep in touch with the probable growth of our school system and recommend school sites when deemed advisable and to make annually an estimate of money needed for the next year for repairs, new buildings, new sites and janitors' salaries and file same with the Chairman of the Finance and Supply Committee at least ten days prior to the June meeting. Fourth — The Committee on Rules and Regulations shall consist of three members — the Chairman of the three forenamed committees — whose 86 duty it shall be to formulate all rules and regulations for the government of the Board. Be it further resolved, That all committees shall meet at least once a month, that notice be sent to every member of the Board of each meeting and that any member of the Board is privileged to attend any committee meeting to take part in the discussion, but only the members of the com- mittee in session are privileged to vote on the nature of the committee's report to the Board, and that by vote of the majority of the committee — the committee's meeting may be with closed doors. Adopted by the Board, May 15th, 1918. 87 REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS FOR TEACHERS IN THE ALTON SCHOOLS. I. New Teachers in the Grades. New teachers employed in the grades of the Alton Schools shall have the following qualifications: (a) The completion of a standard four-year high school course, or its equivalent, with no professional work offered as a part of the sixteen units required for graduation. (b) A diploma from a two years' course from a standard normal school or its equivalent. II. New Teachers in the High School. New teachers employed in the Alton High Schools must have a Bachelor Degree from a college that is a member of the American Associa- tion of Colleges with the minimum of twelve hours of professional work as a part of the requirements for the degree. III. Present Grade Teachers. Teachers now in the employ of the Alton School Board may receive and retain an increase in salary only upon doing a minimum average of six hours of professional work each year, until each teacher has the minimum of thirty hours of professional work to her credit. IV. Present High School Teachers. Teachers now employed in the Alton High School should, as rapidly as possible, secure the equivalent of a Bachelor Degree from a standard college, including twelve hours of professional work. They are required to do a minimum of six hours of professional and other work each year until they have reached the minimum required. That no new -graduates be placed as Cadets and that fair and just arrangements be made with those now in training as Cadets. That upon written application any teacher, principal or supervisor can obtain a year's leave of absence for study and will upon return be placed in same or better rank. That this Board provide at its own expense through the Committee of Instruction courses in professional subjects by the extension method. That this Board through its proper officers pledge themselves to the establishment of a permanent list of teachers, that is, that any teacher when a certain standard of preparation and a certain length of service has been attained will be placed as a permanent teacher in the Alton Schools remov- able only for cause. Adopted by the Board, May 15th, 1918. 88 YD >I37I9 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY "'«(/