Classic Audiobook Collection - The Boise Survey by Jesse Brundage Sears ~ Full Audiobook [history]

Episode Date: February 9, 2026

The Boise Survey by Jesse Brundage Sears audiobook. Genre: history Commissioned by the Boise Independent School District and carried out over an intensive two-week field study, The Boise Survey is Jesse Brundage Sears' clear-eyed investigation into how a growing Western city runs its public schools - and how it could run them better. Drawing on visits, records, and observations gathered by Sears and his survey staff, the report walks listeners through the machinery of a city school system: how the district is organized and administered, how teachers are selected and supported, what the curriculum asks of students, and how effectively instruction is working in practice. Along the way, the survey traces student progress and achievement, considers individual differences among children, and examines the often-overlooked backbone of schooling - buildings, grounds, educational records, and the financing that keeps everything operating. Specific sections focus on the high school and on educational and vocational guidance, showing how policy decisions shape real classroom outcomes. Written to be understood not only by specialists but by ordinary citizens, this book blends data with pointed conclusions and practical recommendations, capturing a pivotal moment in early 20th-century American education reform. For ad-free listening try our premium subscription Chapters (Approximate) (00:00:00) Chapter 00 (00:04:36) Chapter 01 (00:30:15) Chapter 02 (01:01:46) Chapter 03 (01:35:30) Chapter 04 (02:05:35) Chapter 05 (02:58:56) Chapter 06 (03:14:18) Chapter 07 (03:51:42) Chapter 08 (04:33:03) Chapter 09 (05:20:44) Chapter 10 (05:58:54) Chapter 11 (06:23:36) Chapter 12 (06:52:06) Chapter 13 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Boise Survey. A concrete study of the administration of a city school system by J.B. Sears. Associate Professor of Education, Leeland Stanford Junior University, assisted by William M. Proctor and J. Harold Williams. Young is on Hudson, New York, World Book Company, 1920. Copyright 1920 by World Book Company, All Rights reserved. Director's Letter of Transmittle Mr. Oliver O'Hager, President Board of Trustees, Boysies, Boysies. Independent School District Boise, Idaho.

Dear Sir, in accordance with the authorization by resolution of your board of the date April 17, 2019, I have the honor to submit to you herewith the complete report of the survey of the public school system of your city. In carrying out the purposes of your board, the survey staff consisting of, J.B.C. is director of the survey, Associate Professor of Education, Leland Stanford, Junior University, William M. Proctor, Assistant Professor of Education, Leeland Standard Junior University, and J. Harold Williams, Director of Research, Whittier, California, State School for Delinquents. Spent approximately two weeks, beginning May 19, in active study and observation of the schools in operation. During that time, conferences were held with your board, with the superintendents of the schools, and with numerous school principals and other school officers.

Careful examination was made of financial and educational records, together were the systems used in reporting, recording, recording, filing, and using such data. The whole school plant was thoroughly examined. Standard tests were applied in three different subjects to a large number of children in the elementary schools, and numerous observations were made of classroom instruction. While carrying out this work, many data touching the various subjects dealt with in this report, were gathered, and through the court's decisions of several students from the commercial Department of the high school, a considerable amount of preliminary tabulation was affected, thus making it possible to direct our observation and study more definitely to the point while on the ground.

In preparing this report, each member of the staff was made responsible for organising certain materials and for writing certain chapters. His special point was made of keeping all members in close touch with every line of investigation carried out, and both, while in Boisey and while writing the report, numerous conferences were held. It is correct to say, therefore, that every main feature of the report represents the judgment of the entire staff, while the director must assume responsibility for the general plan of the survey and for the editorial work on the report, or the ship is otherwise indicated for each chapter. The report has attempted not only to present conclusions and to make

recommendations, but to state the facts and reasons upon which such conclusions and recommendations are based. We have tried to speak frankly, either in commendation or condemnation, and of frankness at times seems to approach bluntness, it is with view of convincing the busy citizen of the city that his help is needed if the city is to have a progressive school policy. It has hoped that one important function of this report will be to reveal to the taxpayers of your city that their schools constitute one of Boise's largest and most important enterprises and one of the interests of which are intimately interwoven with all the social, intellectual, religious, civic, and business interests of the city.

The wishes of your board that the schools be in every sense open to the survey staff were fully realized. Special thanks so due, superintendents, C.E. Rose, as entire staff of supervisors, principals and teachers, as well as other school officers, especially including Mr. Charles S. Kingsley, clerk of the board, and also the several high school students above mentioned for the very of considerable amount of intelligent assistance which they so cheerfully renders. Respectfully submitted,

J.B. Sears Director of the Survey Stanford University of California, December 5th, 1919. End of Preface. Section 1 by the Boys A Survey by Jesse Brunded Sears. This is a Libby Box recording. or Librivox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit Librivox.org.

Recorded by Leon Harvey Chapter 1 Boise's Educational Problem Sears The educational problem which the city of Boise is attempting to solve will be more clearly understood if stated first of all in terms which characterise a community in its people.

Who the people are, what they are working at, their geographical, economic and social forces with which they must cope, or combined as similar forces do everywhere, to determine the kinds of schools that are needed. Boise is a city of approximately 35,000 inhabitants, located in the broad fertile valley of the Boise River, and in the centre of the most densely populated portion of the state. Though the state of Idaho comprises a large area of the western slope of the Rocky Mountain system

and holds large mineral resources, it has in the north, and particularly in the south and west portions of the state along the Snake River as tributaries, very large agricultural possibilities. Government reports show that the soil, climate and irrigation possibilities all promise a large agricultural future for the state. According to the census report of 1910, about one tenth of the land was in farms, the land of Addo County, 15% of which was then under irrigation. Being at that time worth $125 dollars, per acre. The capital of the state and the county seat of Adair County are located at Boise,

which, with its size and other resources, make it the chief center of population between Salt Lake City on the southeast and Spokane and Portland on the northwest. For obvious reasons, therefore, Boise should become the educational center, not only of Idaho, but of a goodly portion on the large section of country known as the inland empire, and should lead in the establishment of higher and higher standards for public education in that territory, just as Los Angeles leads in the southwest. Boise, a growing city. Idaho, as compared with the United States as a whole, it is growing rapidly in population, and the same is true of the city of Boise, as the figures of table one from the United States

Bureau of the census will show. To see just what this means for the city of Boise, we have only to compare its rate of growth with that of other cities on its class. in the United States. From the 57 cities with estimated populations, 1917 are between 30,000 and 40,000. Table 2 presents facts for 26 cities. Table 1 is displayed on the page, Boise's rate of increase in population is compared with that of Idaho and that of the United States. The columns display at the year of the census, conveyed a population of state, population of Boise, and recent increases of preceding census. Table 2 is displayed on the following page, size and rate of growth of selected cities, government estimates for

1917. The list of cities is compared to the population in 1910, 1917 and percent of increase. From this table it becomes clear that Boise is one of the most rapidly growing cities of its class in the country, ranking third of 26 cities in its rate of growth from 1900 to 1910, and holding high place in the group during the seven years since the last regular census. The city is not crowded, and since it can expand in every direction, it need never face problems which come with too great density of population. With the growth that is particularly guaranteed by the soil and mineral resources of the surrounding country, Boise can confidently expect to become a city of 50,000 before many years and accordingly

that her expenditures for education will be constantly on the increase. Composition of the population 1. Racial Groups It is not merely the rate of growth in population alone that creates perplexing educational problems in a city. The fact of racial elements is often quite as important. Inquiry into Boise's present and prospective future in this respect, therefore, is pertinent. Boise's future will depend upon the development of the 11 mountain and Pacific coastal states.

In 1910, these 11 states had a combined population of 6,825,821. The state of Idaho alone has 325,594 and the city of Boise 17,358. Table 3 shows a racial composition of the people of these groups, together with that for the United States as a whole. While these facts for the city of Boise are not entirely complete, they are complete enough to show that the city does not differ materially from the state as a whole. The facts of this table somewhat condensed, together with figures for the next previous census, are shown, geographically in figure 1, Boise partially expected. From this it will be seen not only that Idaho and the city of Boise stand relatively high in native and white stock, and that the foreign element in the West as compared with the United States as a whole is on the decline, but that for the

state of Idaho, this decline is more pronounced than it is for either of the Western groups of states. This is made even more obvious when we consider that the native stock in Idaho has increased from 69.4% of the state's population in 1880 to 86.9% in 1910, or that the foreign group has decreased in this time from 30.6% to 13.1% of the population. Table 3 is displayed on the previous page, racial compositional population. Vicar 1 is displayed on the previous page compositional population of Boise compared with that of larger areas, United States Census. It should be said here, on view of our lack of complete statistics, that foreign faces the names among the school children Boise, as well as some study of the parentage of the

pupils taking tests in this survey, tend to confirm our judgment that the above statistics fairly characterised the population in the Boise Independent School District at the present time, and that it is safe to say that the educational problems produced by the presence of children from foreign countries are present insignificant, and that in respect to race the city's school population is rapidly becoming more and more homogeneous. Part 2. Age groups The problem of race is but one angle from which we need to study the population of a city in order to be able clearly to state its educational problem.

A second question is, how many children has a city to educate and how many vigorous young adults are there to produce the necessary wealth with which to pay for schools? The answer to this question varies correctly in different parts of the country, as table 4 shows. This table was compiled from the 1910 Census Report, and while not entirely accurate for the present, it is believed to offer a reasonably correct description of the present population. From this table, which divides the total population into four groups, you'll be seen that there is fairly wide variation among cities in each group, that the distribution for the state of Idaho does not vary widely.

from that for the United States as a whole, and that, that for the city of Boisei, varies considerably from both. In this study, we are especially concerned with two groups, those 5 to 19 and those 20 to 44 years old. The 5 to 19 years age group is a fair index to the percent of the total population for whom regular schooling must be provided. The 20 to 44 years age group is a fair index to the wealth-producing power of the city so far as men can, Table 4 is displayed on previous page, Age Distribution of Population, United States Census of 1910. An examination of column 2 of this table shows that, judged on this basis, Boise ranks fourth among 26 cities of its class in respect to the smallness of its school population.

In other words, of the 26 cities, 22 have larger percentages of their respective populations to provide schooling for than has Boise. or we may say only three of the 26 cities are in this sense carrying a lighter load than boys aid carries. The vigorous young wealth producers, the men and women who have or will soon take over the political and economic responsibilities for their respective cities, are included in the age group 20 to 44 years and appear in column 4 of the table. In the 26 cities we find in this group all the way from 40.7% of the population in Austin, Texas, to 59.4% in Everett, Washington. Everett being the only city of the 26 with a higher percentage of its population

within the limits of these ages than is found in Boise. As to infants, five years old or less, Boise ranks low, only four of the 26 cities having a small percentage of their populations in this group. These figures have a certain significance

in defining the educational problem for Boise. As compared with other cities, Boise ranks high in young and middle, middle-aged adults, and low in infants and children of school age. In other words, when measured by other cities of her class, Boise has large wealth-producing power in comparison with a number of both young and old dependents. Other things being equal, the city of Boisee should be able to provide for its children, not average, but a slightly superior educational advantages.

Either 5 to 19 years age group in Boisei were 29.3% of the total population, as is true for Austin, Texas, is obvious that school costs for the city will be very close to one-third greater than they are at present. Illiteracy. Another question of importance is, what percentage of the city's population is illiterate? Our experience with Bolshevism and with ignorance in general during the recent crisis has convinced leading educators the country over that henceforth illiteracy must be attacked with a definite and clear-up policy until it is finally standing. The amount of a percent of illiteracy varies greatly in different cities and states throughout the country, as the figures of Table 5 will show. For the United States as a whole, counting all persons 10 years old or older, 7.7% are illiterate.

For the three Pacific Coast states, this figure is 3.0%. For the Melton states, it is 6.9%, and for the state of Idaho, it is but 2.2%. Thus Idaho seems to be one of the highly favoured states west of the Rockies. But we examine these figures more closely. We find that, invariably, illiteracy is greater in rural than in urban sections. In the state of Idaho, 2.3% of the rural population are illiterate, but the same figure for the urban population is by 1.7%. Table 5 is displayed on the page.

Percentage of illiteracy in the West. All persons 10 years older or older, senses of 19. 10. Percentage of population in which is illiterate. Table 6 is displayed on the following page. Percentage of illiteracy in cities and towns of Idaho. All persons 10 years old or older, census of 1910. When we examine the Idaho statistics more carefully, however, we discover that Boise is the centre at which a large part of the state's literacy is concentrated. This shows clearly when we compare the figures for the cities and towns of the state, as in Table 6, which shows clearly that they're responsibility for freeing the state from the dangers of illiteracy, but it's mainly with the city of Boise.

Just how large a burden this is as compared with that which other cities of this class are bearing may be seen from the diagram on page 11, but shows Boiseau placed among 26 cities of its own class. In this group, Boiseo holds 15th place from the top, or roughly a wind-bay position among cities of from 30,000 to 40,000 population in the United States. this makes boise's problem very clear for the state boise must bear a large part of the responsibility for doing away with illiteracy as compared with other cities that responsibility needs to involve only about an average effort and cost if at first thought the doing away with literacy most of which is among adults seems not to be a function of the school then it is insisted here that in this respect the function of the american public school must be definitely broadened to meet this great national issue. There is no reason why the public school should be for children only. It should be for all, old as well as young. Figure 2 is displayed on the page, percent of the literacy in 26 cities for all persons ten years old or older,

census of 1910. Wealth and occupations. As was pointed out above, Boise is a rapidly growing city. Its attractions are not wholly financial, however, and in wealth, Boisea does not rank close to the top among cities of its class. On the other hand, it is not rank especially low. Could through the present state of development, together with a rate of growth for the present and future sources of Boise's wealth, it is not unreasonable to expect the city to have a relatively large financial future. Being the political centre and larger city,

is likely to continue to be the business centre of the state. Its wealth increase will depend in large degree upon the development of the resources of the state, and this promises much, for, as yet it can hardly be said that the state's resources have been touched. The great possibilities are agriculture, timber, and minerals. The 1910 census report showed the following occupational distribution of the inhabitants of the state who were 10 years old or older. Engage in agriculture, forestry, and animal husbandry, 43.3%. Extraction of minerals, 5.000. Manufacturing and Mechanical Industries, 17.6%.

Transportation, 9.1%. Trade, 8.2%. Professional service, 5.2%. Domestic and personal service, 7.1%. Clerical occupations, 2.5%. Public service not included above, 0.9%. Total, 99.1%. A similar up-to-date distribution would likely vary slightly from this.

but that the same fields would dominate there is little doubt. During the last three census periods, the amount of land in the state devoted to agriculture has increased at the rate of 2 million acres per decade, and the indication of recent statistics is that this rate has continued. It is in respect to these and similar facts about the resources of the state and their use in development, that public education in the state must direct no small portion of its energy.

In actual wealth, Boisey, position among the cities of her own class is indicated clearly by table 7 on page 14. While Boise's position is somewhat below the average, it is still not a poor city, as position is likely to become better as the state develops. In other words, Boyce's financial position does not argue that the city should not come up to the average in expenditures for education. How the city spends its money. Part 1. Boise's income.

There is wide diversity among cities, to the ways of which they obtain and expend their revenues. And from the standpoint of education, as well as from that of business, this is a question of importance. Boise has an assessed valuation of over 20 millions of dollars, and in 1917 levied a tax of over half a million. This money was derived from the following sources. Taxes on property, 59.8%. Business and non-business licenses, 1.3%. Special assessments and special outlays, 23.6%.

Fines, forfeits, head sheets, etc., 0.8%. Subventions, grants, gifts, donations and pension assessments, 10.6%. Earnings of general departments, 2.0%. Highway privileges, rents and interest, 0.9%. Earnings of public service enterprises, 1.0%. To raise this sum, the city levied a tax of $27.75 on each $1,000 of assessed wealth, or $18.4 cents on each $1,000 of real wealth. This means that it costs to pay people $19.16 per capita to run their government.

Is this a high tax rate, and is this a high cost of government? The answer is seen in Table 8, which shows the facts for 26 cities. Table 7 is displayed on the page, assessed wealth and real wealth pro-capital population. From this table will be seen that the highest rate based on estimated rule value, rather than on assessed value, was paid at Everett, Washington,

and that lowest was paid in Columbia, South Carolina, and that Boise occupied a median position. Considering the fact that Boise occupies a much lower position among these cities in point of pro-capital wealth, See Table 7, we should expect her to hold a higher than median rank in tax if she gave her children average school advantages. We must not fail to see too that the Western cities, with which Boise is especially comparable, have a higher rate than has Boise. Altogether this argues plainly that Boise could have a somewhat higher tax rate without doing more than other cities of her class were doing.

Table 8 is displayed on the previous page. tax rate and per capita cost of city government United States Census Statistics in 1917 2. Distribution of Expenditures A further question of importance is How are the city's revenues used? A column 3 of Table 8 above it will be seen that Boise's per capita cost of government is very much lower

than that for most of the cities included in this group. In fact, but five of the 26 cities paid less per capita for government than does Boise. How then one may ask, does Poise spend her money? Figure 3 shows a full statement of how Boise spends each dollar of her revenues. From this it will be seen that 46.9 cents out of each dollar goes to maintain schools. 7.8 cents to govern the city, 16.9 cents to protection of persons and property, etc. In these important items of expenditure, it is important to locate Boise's position among the cities of her class.

This is brought out clearly by Table 9, which shows for 26 cities the percent of total city expansions devoted to the three important eyes of education, general government, and police protection. In expansion of education, Bellingham, Washington holds the highest place, dividing 63.7 percent of her total expenditures in schools. Columbia, South Carolina, holds the lowest place with 20.3 percent, emboise the fourth place from the top with 46.9%. Its expense for government the range is from 14.6% in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to 6.4% in Madison, Wisconsin.

This figure of Boise is 7.8%. As was shown in Table 8, Boise spends relatively less on her government than is spent by any of these 26 cities. In cost of police protection, Boise holds the lowest place, devoting only 4% of her total expenditure to this item, while other cities range is. high as 16.4%. Fico 3 is displayed on the page, how Boise spends its dollar. It must be said then that Boise expense her income wisely.

Indeed, the city occupies an invaluable position in the matter of spending the money which had to rise from taxes, and we can only advise the people of Boise to maintain that reputation, keeping Bellingham's high mark in percentage spent on scores and a somewhat higher tax rate, as suggested above, as is viable marks yet to attain. Table 9 is displayed on the previous page. Percentage of city expenditures devoted to education, general government and police protection. Financial Statistics of Cities United States Census Bureau 1917. The problem stated.

Keeping in mind the more modern conception of the school and of the place and function of education and society is that the school is not to be isolated from other social interests, that the teaching of reading, writing and arithmetic are not its sole functions. that education has as much to do with real occupations, real civic and social duties and obligations, real people, real things, and real conduct of men in a real society, as it has to do with books and theories, and find that educational opportunities should be available for old as well as young, that have set forth the general suggestions that are brought out by the above social, geographical, and economic facts about Boise. 1. Boise is a rabbly growing city.

1. She must therefore erect buildings, purchase equipment, develop library facilities, and organising her teacher and supervision forces with the rapid expansion in mind. 2. She should adopt a pay-as-you-go policy and keep bonded in-depthness at relatively low mark. 2. The population of this city is mainly and increasingly of native stock. 1. This means that the schools are largely free from the educational burden and from the attending costs of caring for a large foreign element. 2. This school make possibly relatively higher standards of costs in other lines than obtain in cities with large numbers of foreign children.

3. It should also make possible relatively high standards of achievement among the pupils. 3. The city ranks high in young and middle-aged adults and low in infant and age dependence, also low in children of school age. 1. This means that the city has a relatively lightening. a burden to bear in providing schools and a relatively high earning power to care for the cost. 2, which argues that Boise could spend considerably more propuble for schools than is spent by the average city of her class and still be making no more than average sacrifice to education. 4. In point of wealth, Boise is slightly less than an average city of her class, but with fair

prospect of bettering her position. In view of other facts, the racial homogeneity of her people, the relatively small school population, and the relatively large percentage of young adults. This position with respect to per capita wealth does not argue for a low expenditure per pupil for schools. Instead, it should argue for a slightly higher than average tax rate for schools. 5. In the matter of illiteracy of Boise, though in a highly favourite section of the country, occupies only a medium position among cities of her class, and as unquestively the centre of a literacy for the state. This calls loudly for night schools and continuation education as a feature of the city school system. In occupations the city is essentially a residence

community but is located in the midst of a rich undeveloped agricultural district and is the political and business center of the state. This calls especially for strong agricultural and commercial departments as well as for good average mechanical departments in the high school. 7. The city taxes its wealth at a relatively low rate for cities of that class. Considering its low per capita wealth, one would expect a relatively high tax rate, if the city means to have as good schools as are maintained by other cities. 8. The city spends a relatively high proportion of its income on education. This shows good management and indicates that the people of the city want and will support a strong constructive educational policy.

In a word then, the city is able to have the best. as I'm only responsible to a wide territory to furnish a demonstration in the best that can be worked out an educational practice in that part of the United States. What the city has to show, the extent to which it is exercising such leadership, and the way it is meeting its educational problems, we shall try to answer in the following chapters. End of Section 1 Section 2 of the Boys A Survey by Jesse Brundage series. This is a Libraox according. or Libravox according to the public domain. For more information or for volunteer, please visit Librivox.org.

Recorded by Leon Harvey. Chapter 2. Organization and Administration Sears The legal status of the district. In attempting to answer the question, how has Boise met and solved her educational problem? It must be kept in mind that that problem has not always been the same. Boise's educational needs have changed greatly since 1866

when the city first received a charter, or since 1890, when Idaho became a state. Its population has doubled several times. Illiteracy and the percentage of foreigners have greatly decreased. New industries have grown up, wealth has accumulated, and the city has come to occupy a place of influence, all of which means that boys have educational aims, and therefore her plans for education have had to change. In 1883, the city border of education reported, but one school building, and 351 pupils. At present there are 11 buildings and more than 4,000 peoples. The city being laid out in attendance districts as shown in figure 4.

Article 9 of the Constitution of the State of Idaho declares it to be to the duty of the legislator of Idaho to establish and maintain a general uniform and the system of public free common schools and vest the power of supervision of the schools in a State Board of Education. long before this constitution was adopted, 1889, however, the territorial legislator had enacted many laws affecting education on which was an act, 1881, creating the Boise Independent School District. The powers of this district have since been enlarged. Till now, in addition to the usual corporate powers, the trustees of this district may deserve their own course of study, select their own textbooks, determine the qualifications of their teachers, provide teachers, retirement funds, old age insurance and permanent disability funds, and fix the length of their school day. Figure 4 is displayed on the page, map of Boise, Idaho, showing locations of schools and attendance districts.

May 1912 It should be pointed out here that these powers have been granted by the state of Idaho for the benefit of such of the state's schools as happened to be within this district, and that these powers were granted to a school district and not to a city. As shown in figure five, the district boundaries are at almost no point coextensive with those of the municipality. The Board of Education is thus carrying out a state function, and is responsible to the state for the proper exercise of its power. Not for the welfare of the people of Boise alone. Therefore, but for that of the entire state,

the school policy of the district must be conceived and carried out by the Board. The Significance of such wide legal powers. Is doubtful whether the powers of any public school board in the state surpass the powers of this board? The responsibilities of a board must be proportionate to the powers it has been granted. Accordingly, the people of Boise must expect their board to conduct the schools of the city in terms of a broad policy, which has been constructed in the light of the conditions and needs of the large territory of which Boise is in natural centre. Apparently the city has no immediate need for farmers or stock breeders,

yet the development of the state and of the whole northwest, in fact, await the coming of men trained in these fields. It is therefore Boise's duty to the state to establish courses in agriculture. This merely illustrates the way in which the Board of Education must approach his problems. Well, there is little danger without pointing to, emphatically, to the responsibilities which the district has assumed in accepting. from the state the powers of an independent school district. We must not fail to point with equal emphasis to the excellent opportunities which such wide powers provide.

The district is free from the possible evils of too much state uniformity as uniformly of textbooks and from state interference in matters of a strictly local character as in the development of continuation courses and accordingly it should find it possible to build up a plan of education very thoroughly adapted to the ends they wish to attain. Figure 5 is displayed on the previous page, maps showing Boise's district and municipal boundaries.

The Alliance shows city boundaries. That is, by her natural position, Boise is not only responsible for providing broad educational leadership for the state and adjacent territory, but the state has provided the district with almost unlimited power, together with a proper portion of state funds with which to develop that leadership. Within her proper financial limitations then,

Boise should become the educational experiment station and demonstration centre for the state. The administrative organisation As pointed out above, the machinery for directing the schools at the Boise Independent District was devised and established by the state of Idaho. The first in authority, therefore, is the state,

that is, the people of Idaho, who act through their constitution their legislature. The Constitution calls for a system of schools to be supervised by a State Board of Education and the Legislator has consulted the Board of six members, five appointed and one ex officio. The five members are to be appointed by the Governor and the State Superintendent of Schools is to serve ex officio. This board through the State Superintendent supervises the schools of the state somewhat minutely, except in the case of independent districts, where the board's supervision is slight and somewhat indirect,

being limited mainly to its power to apportion the state school fund and taxes among the counties, to require reports of attendance, etc. Similarly, the county superintendent serves the schools of Boise in a limited way, carrying for appointment of funds, payment tuition by pupils, adjustment of district boundaries, etc., all in accordance with established laws. As provided by special charter, the schools of this district are managed by a board of six trustees elected at large by the payball, each for a term of six years. It accordance with its rules and regulations. The president of the board appoints the following standing committees. 1. Committee on Auditing and Finance.

2. Committee on Building and Grounds. 3. Committee on purchasing and insurance. 4. Committee on teachers and salaries. 5. textbook's instruction and discipline. Under the direction of the board and its committees, the following general plan of organization for the schools has been developed and is now in operation. At the head and serving as the board's chief executive officer is his superintendent of schools, under whom are the general and special supervisors, principals and teachers.

These main features of the organization, together with other details, are shown clearly in figure 6, which also indicate the various lines of authority approximately as he operated in the system. Figure 6 is displayed on the page. Present administrative organization of the schools of the Boise Independent School District. Imperfections in Organization 1. Boise's plan not unlike that of other cities. The plan of organization here described is not unlike that in effect in many cities of this size. Small boards are decidedly the rule, though boards are five.

or seven members are more common, then are Boise of Six members. In most cases, such boards are elected by the paper at large for three-year terms, and carry on much of their work through standing committees of three members. In these respects, therefore, Boisers are following what appears to be the accepted, but we must add, the traditional practice over the country. Two, objections to standing committees. There is no particular objection to the size of Boise's board, nor to its tenure and methods of election. There is, however, objection to the Standing Committee method of carrying on its work. For nearly a decade, no single problem has received more serious consideration by our leading

thinkers and writers on education administration that as a question of our school boards shall conduct their business. The outcome of this study is a general agreement to the effect that standing committees are in no way helpful, and that they are not infrequently a means of mismanagement and interference with the technical and professional functions of expert officers. As the plan works in Boise, little concrete evidence was available to show any evil effect upon the school district. The committees are definitely subordinate to the board, having no general power to act on any question. Yet all the work done by committees might, in the judgment of the writer, be better done in other ways.

For a committee of three busy men to toil through the process of auditing the long list of large and small expenditures, which accumulate each month, seems extremely wasteful of time. Again, the selection, tenure and salaries of teachers, the selection of textbooks, questions of instruction and discipline, all are problems whose proper solution not only requires time, but also a higher degree of professional skill, such as layboard members, usually do not possess. Special committees may, and frequently should be used by the board,

for examining situations, gathering facts, assisting in large business transactions, etc. Whatever should questions of any importance be either actually or even particularly decided by any less than the full membership of the board, whom the people have chosen to manage the schools? Without mentioning all the evils that has been found associated with committee methods, is enough here to say that all are a possibility in Boise as soon as even moderately weak executive officers are placed in charge of the schools.

A partial illustration is already at hand. all Boise's elementary school principals teach practically full-time, and so however, strong executives they may be, they have forced to neglect many of the duties that ordinary four to the office. The result is that janitors have come to take orders from the building inspector only, who works mainly under the direction of the committee on buildings and grounds. This is educationally impractical, if not intolerable. One principal, when asked why the water was shut off from the fire hose, replied, I have called the general's attention to that situation, but he told me that the building inspector has ordered him to keep the water close off.

If such an order actually was given, it was ridiculous, and even dangerous in case of fire. That the janitor politely or otherwise ignored the authority of the principal is a situation that should be immediately remedied. Boise's committees should be done away with, however, not only to prevent waste and friction, but because there are better and safer methods of handling the business. The need for a standing committee on auditing of finance would disappear if at the beginning of the fiscal year the board would adopt a budget and pay some proper hands the expense of all funds. At the end of the year, a special audit of all accounts

by a certified accountant would solve the question. The employment of teachers should be left solely to the superintendent who would also determine salaries and promotions in accordance with the policy definitely stated and adopted by the board. No board member or committee should presume to handle questions of textbooks, discipline and instruction, and it should surely be the board, and not a part of it that select sites, adopts budgets, employers, architects, and erects buildings, and the superintendent and principal who should handle the lesser problems now handled by the committee on buildings and grounds. This seems to give the superintendent why powers a much to do, that is as it should be. At the present time, Boise's superintendent has to devote entirely too much of his time to the supervision of instruction and has left too little for the larger and more important functions of the chief administrative officer of a city school system. Boise is not a great city, but neither is it a country village.

Accordingly, it should begin to adopt big business and big educational methods of operation. Further, it may be asked, what is it left for a board of education to do in the superintendent, is to function so broadly. The answer is, one, legislate for the schools. Two, adopt a policy and frequently examine the evidence that that policy has been carried out. Three, and administer certain laws as required by the state. To illustrate, the board must fix the special tax levy, determine tuition fees, pass on all proposed extensions of the school system, select the superintendent when necessary, sanction of veto other appointments, select school sites, create a teacher's retirement fund, take care of bond issues, sales and redemptions, appoint school

architects and auditors of accounts, determine length the school term and dates of opening, establish salary schedule and promotion rules, care for school elections, pass on purchases of fuel, supplies and furniture, and keep itself fully informed as the extent of conditions of the schools. Inumerable other typical items could be added. These are suggested as fully representative of the kinds of business that should be transacted by a Board of Education. It is believed that if the Board will serve well in the capacity suggested by the above items of business, it will render the best possible account of its stewardship. 3. A weak pain of supervision.

A second fundamental weakness for the plan of organisation outlined above has just been suggested. viz, the plan for carrying on supervision of instruction. In figure 6, this weakness is not fully apparent. Supervision is carried on by three sets of officers, general supervisors, special supervisors, and a very limited measure by principals. There are two general supervisors, one for the grammar grades and one for the primary grades,

the former being handled by the superintendent. When we consider that principles teach nils, all their time, and as special supervisors covering the limited portion of the curriculum, we are forced to realize that anything like adequate service for the grammar grades will call for a very large portion of the superintendent's time. 4. Duties of a city superintendent. It seems worthwhile to set forth here some of the more important functions of a city superintendent of schools, as indicated by the best practice over the country at the present time. Where are the temperature to listen to, we are the temperature of

these functions in any special order, we would say the following are of first importance. One, entire control of war teachers, principals, supervisors and other special officers, as joint officer, clerical help, building inspector, librarian, etc. Having to do with matters of instruction, this should mean power of appointment, transfer, promotion and rank or salary, and dismissal. He should have almost equally wide control over the purchasing agent and business manager. The selection of textbooks and supplies Decisions in all such matters

will not be reached without the help of teachers and supervisors having special knowledge of the needs of the schools 3. The development and revision of courses of study Here again for several reasons the intimate knowledge of teachers and supervisors will be utilized. 4. Preparation of the annual budget estimates to be passed upon by the board. 5. Keep the public. and board fully informed. Brief but carefully prepared reports of the conditions and needs of the

schools should be laid before the board at each meeting, to the end that the board may legislate promptly and intelligently and keep it to a unified school policy. Certainly a city as large as Boiseau should publish an annual report of its schools. Furnished professional leadership and stimulate industry and enthusiasm, among all teachers and officers, keeping the essential aims of education before his staff of assistance. No superintendent of schools in Boise can live up to the large possibility suggested by these general headings and devote the time now being devoted to detailed supervision of instruction. Furthermore, it is too expensive a program for the city to use his highest paid official largely as a superintendent of instruction.

However excellent his work in that capacity may be. The weakness of the present system is further evidence by the attitude which principles show towards the methods now use. There seems to be a general feeling that there is a lack of coordination in the work of the schools and that much of the work now being done by the general supervisors does not get results for the reason that it is not probably followed up by the principal or someone on the ground. An adequate plan of supervision for the schools of Boise would exchange the present system for the following. The superintendent would be a general supervisor of all work, operating largely, though not exclusively through others. There should be a supervisor of primary work with the entire city

for a field, much as at present. There should be one principal for the three schools of Central, Lincoln and Hawthorne districts, who would devote full-time to administrative and supervision duties. In similar fashion, one's principal could handle Longfellow and Woody's schools. All other schools should have principals devoting from half-time in the smallest to full-time and larger schools to subdivision. Finally, there should be supervisors of the special subjects of art, physical training, play, music, manual training and domestic science. This would make the principal ships so the Boise's schools attract a positions. At present, the principal, except in the high school, is merely the head teacher. They has not thought of, nor is he treated by his fellow teachers

as a principal. Live young men will not remain long in such positions as Boise's, his clearly peruse. The present policy will in course of time place old, worn-out teachers at the head of the schools, where such positions should be in the hands of the aggressive, professionally alert type which is aspiring to larger usefulness in the profession. 5. Improper control of building inspection. A third weakness of the plan of organisation, perhaps a minor one, is the present status of the building inspector and of janitors. The building inspector should be appointed and supervised by the superintendent,

and the janitors, though they may work largely under the supervision of the building inspector, should certainly be expected to respond promptly to any request from the school principal. An efficient janitor is one who is capable of carrying out orders pertaining to the sanitary condition of the building and of attending to the innumerable little tasks of mending, distributing supplies, shifting furniture, etc. A janitor who does such work well will not find time to dictate the policy of the school. 6. Attendance Machinery Week A fourth weakness of the organisation is found in the machinery for handling attendance problems. At present, no attendance officer is provided.

In case of truancy, the child is reported to the probation officer of the juvenile court of the country and is in a sense hailed before that court, even though the offence is very important. slight. In other words, the boy is treated as if he were a confirmed delinquent. It is one of the most important functions of the school to find among its children any evidences that point toward delinquency and to eliminate those forces before they have time or opportunity to develop. The school is a socializing agency and should provide machinery for handling unsocial conduct. The school should always have the juvenile court to fall back upon in difficult cases, but a court machinery is not satisfied

factory as school machinery. A far better plan for Boise would be to add to the staff and assistant nurse with the title of visiting teacher, home visitor or supervisor of attendance. We all recognise that the schools are very often so conducted as actually to stimulate delinquency. It would be the function of this office to study the school and the home conditions to the end that such forces might be eliminated. The less of the police and court ideas and the more of the leading teaching nursing idea we can get into our schools, the more positive and constructive will their program of training be. 7. Health supervision inadequate.

A fifth weakness, scarcely even now to be rated as a minor one, is the inadequate supervision of the health of the children. It will be shown later in this report, Boise has his health problems, and though the present nurse work is excellent in quality, is far from adequate an extent. A good solution of this problem for the present would be to make the present nurse supervisor of health and attendance, giving her a full-time assistant nurse whose work it would be to visit homes, where health advice is needed, or where special cooperation between school and home is necessary, and who, in carrying on such work, would serve as a tenant's officer. With some clerical assistance, this would give the school's much better health supervision and bring the management

of attendance problems directly under the superintendent's control where properly it belongs. These five criticisms of the plan for administering the schools of Oise are present, not so much because of apparent friction among the officers and teachers, as because the general waste of energy due to misplacement of authority with its consequent inefficiency. No evidence was found to show that the board or its committees have deliberately or careously infringed upon the rights of the superintendent. It is believed, however, that much of the work now done by committees would better be done by the superintendent, and that remainder by the board as a whole.

At this point it should be noted that the minutes of the board are so very brief that they reveal little of the history of the board's operations. No discussion is even reported, however important it may have been. There is little to show the kind or extent of information placed before the board, by the superintendent, and little to show the process by which the school's policy is kept up to date. This is not as it should be. Such ministers need not be a stenographic report of all that is said at the meeting, but they should finish a brief, clear report, not only of all questions handled, but of important discussions as well.

A right plan of organisation. The above criticisms and proposals have been made in light to the best practice in city schools throughout the country, and they are supported quite as fully by the fundamental principle of administrative organisation. Wherever these apply in business commerce of education, big business has made its way by means of a highly centralised government, and while the management of a school system may not be a case parallel in every detail with an industrial institution, wherever the essential principle of centralised control is being carefully worked out in education, its board results. With these facts and principles in mind, the plan of organization shown in figure 7 is suggested for the schools of Boise. The Board of Trustees are elected by the people to carry out the laws and orders of legislator and the State Board of Education.

No board committees are provided for. The superintendent of schools is the chief executive officer of the board. It is his duty to develop an educational policy, which, when adopted by the board, he will carry out. In doing this, he will give wide freedom within the limits of a carefully managed budget. Figure 7 is displayed on the page, desirable plan of reorganisation. In terms of this policy, he will choose his own staff of assistance, determine the function and salary of each, supervise the arrangement of facilities and the kinds of education to be offered, and keep his board fully advised of the progress being made.

When he fails to do these things satisfactorily, the board will not take over part of his board. his functions, but it will replace him by a man in whom the board has confidence. At present the cloak of the board is serving, and shall continue to serve as purchasing agent, and before long must have an assistant either for bookkeeping or to serve a stock clerk a passenger. Have present some temporary part-time student assistance should be provided. Aside from the severe brevity of minutes, the work of the clerk has been carried on in an orderly fashion. It is possible for anyone at any time to see what becomes the board's money or materials are on hand, etc. By consulting his books and files.

In figure 7, it will be noted that a line runs from the superintendent to the clerk and purchasing agent. This line is intended to indicate that the purchasing agent is definitely subordinate to the superintendent and takes all orders and work decisions from him. As clerk he is secretary of the board, Such overlapping of duties is inevitable, and the board should carefully define all the functions and relationships here involved, not because there is a lack of harmony or cooperation at present, but it's a safeguard for the future. One weakness of school organisation, and hence of administration and supervision over the country in general, lies in the fact that the functions of school officers are not clearly defined, and too often they are not clearly concede by either the board or the officers themselves. by vigour seven the office of building inspector which is by no means clearly defined at present is changed to that of superintendent of buildings and grounds this officer should be selected by the superintendent and in addition to the general upkeep of grounds and buildings he should supervise the work of the janitors and together with the principal recommend as to their appointment and dismissal the janitor should take orders from the principal without question though the general management of janitor services

should be in the hands of the building superintendent. It will be noticed, too, that figure seven changes the office of school nurse to that of medical supervisor, who, through an assistant, is also to be in charge of attendance and home visiting. The lines connecting with the City Board of Health Firentonant suggests there should be constant and systematic cooperation

with that board, and while no places left for contact with the juvenile court, in extreme cases, the supervisor of attendance should cooperate with that court. This plan calls for several marked changes in the present practice. It is believed to embody the best principles of organization and administration, and at no point to conflict with what is found successful expression in practice. Summary and recommendations.

The Boise Independent School District has been created by the state of Idaho. The trustees of this district are of state officers, to whom white powers have been granted. Special attention is called to the opportunity for unhampered development and to the large responsibility which the state has thus imposed upon the trustees of the district. Something of the extent to which Boise has borne this responsibility and utilised this opportunity will appear in the following chapters. Boise's Ministry of Organisation has been described, and five important points of weakness pointed out as follows.

1. The committee method of handling the business of the trustees is out of keeping with modern administrative theory and practice. 2. The placement of almost the entire supervision of instruction in the hands of the superintendent with one assistant, together with making all principals, headteachers, and leaving the superintendent too little time for an important executive work. Inevitably results in poor supervision and inadequate administration. 3. Lack of prominent limitation of the duties of the building inspector, with a consequent of wrong relationship between principles and janitors, creates serious trouble. 4. A wrong type of machinery for handling the problems of a tenants tend to stimulate rather than to discourage delinquency. 5. Inadequate health supervision cannot but result from the present arrangement. To correct these weak points in the system is recommended. 1. That the rules.

the board be so revised as to eliminate all standing committees, with a consequent enlargement of the executive powers of the superintendent, the introduction of a budget system of finance, and a definitely outline policy touching the main problems that have constantly to be met by the superintendent. 2. That the idea of teaching principles be done away with. That the superintendent be freed from any save general supervision of all the schools, and a more special supervision be introduced.

3. that the title of building inspector be changed to that to superintendent of buildings and grounds, that he shall work under the direction of the superintendent rather than under the board or one of the board's committees, that he shall have general supervision of all challenges services. 4. That a tenant's problem shall no longer be referred to the probation officer of the juvenile court, but that the school shall devise her machinery for meeting that problem by adding an assistant a visiting teacher to the office of the medical supervisor. 5.

Are the present nurse be made supervisor of health and attendance, and be given an assistant? With these changes, it is believed that Boise would have a thoroughly modern administrative and supervisory machinery. The change would likely cost someone more, but it would undoubtedly result in a large increase in efficiency throughout the system. End of Section 2 Section 3 Of the Boise's Survey By Jesse Brandage Sears This is a Libravox recording

All Librefox recordings are in the public domain For more information or a volunteer Please visit Librevox.org, recorded by Leon Harvey Chapter 3 The Teaching Staff Sears In Chapter 1 we've attempted to set forth The General aims and Purses of Education

and Boise, as dictated by the essential social, economic and intellectual forces which characterize the city. In Chapter 2, we have described and tried to evaluate the administrative machinery by means of which these educational aims and purposes are to be realized. Our next question is, by what kind of force is this machinery being operated? However wisely a city may have chosen its educational aims, and however satisfactorily it may have erected the chief administrative structure of its school system. It fails to provide a strong and progressive staff of teachers and principals through whom to work. Its aims and development can never be satisfactorily realized.

Size and development of the staff. At present, Boise staff consists of 128 supervisors and teachers, distributed through one high school and nine elementary school buildings as follows. One city superintendent of schools. 1 primary supervisor for grades 1 to 6 2 special supervisors for art and music respectively 1 nurse or medical inspector 1 building inspector part-time

1 high school principal 10 elementary teaching principals 34 high school teachers 74 elementary school teachers 2 special grade teachers 1 librarian According to the rules of the board of education the superintendent shall nominate for appointment all principals, supervisors and teachers

and assign them to their various positions and recommend salaries to be paid, subject to the schedule adopted. He shall also recommend the dismissal of teachers who have found to be unworthy of their positions. In the past, reports indicate that the teachers' committee assumed much more responsibility in the development of the teaching staff than is true at present. It cannot be too strongly insisted that the board as a whole, and not one of its committees should scrutinise the superintendent's recommendations of teachers. 1. Slow growth of Boise's staff. One important measure of a city's success in the development of its teaching staff

is seen the frequency with which changes take place from year to year. A decade of this feature of Boise's history is shown in Table 10, for which several interesting facts are brought out. Table 10 is displayed on the page, a decade of the growth of Boise's teaching staff compared with growth of enrolment. of enrollment. First, it appears that the size of the staff has just kept pace with the increase in the school population. During this decade there have been some fluctuation in the enrollment figures from year to year, but the actual increase in average school enrollment has been 25%. The increase in the teaching staff has been

slightly above 25%. It must not be forgotten that the modern curriculum of today requires a relatively larger teaching force than at the best curriculum of a decade ago. increases several percent in Boise's teaching force as compared with increase in enrollment, would therefore have occasion no surprise. In fact, such was to have been expected. 2. Staff becoming unbalanced in favor of high school. The second point of interest in this table is seen in the relatively rapid growth of the high as compared with their elementary school staff. The gain for the high school is more than 38%

while for the elementary school is less than 18%. 18%. These figures are significant when studied in comparison with enrollment figures. Boyz's age's 30% increase in high school staff has had to meet only a 31% growth in high school student population, while her 18% increase in elementary staff has had to meet a 21% growth in the elementary school enrollment. In other words, these figures indicate that Boise's high school policy has been one of expansion and that the opposite has been true. of her elementary school policy. 3. Staff should have more men.

A third point of interest in this table is a comparison of the number of men and women employed from year to year. For the high school, the balance between men and women has been fairly satisfactory, even during the war period. The same, however, cannot be said to supervisors and elementary teachers. At present, there are but two men employed in the elementary schools, one are men employed in the elementary schools, one a man manual training teacher, the other a principal. The latter is resigning because the opportunity for professional growth is too slight where practically all the principal's time is devoted to

teaching. We would pay boys they well to employ at least five men for principalships as many more vice-principles for upper-grade positions. The influence of the number of men among the children of the elementary schools of the city would be excellent. This is not to argue against the value of modern principles. Everywhere women have held high rank in these positions, and the excellence of their work is acknowledged. It is a mistaken policy, however, that permits that excellence altogether to rule out the masculine influence from the younger children. 4.2 rapid change of staff.

A fourth point in this table is, to what extent is the staff changing from year to year, is more clearly shown in figure 8, where the figures of table 9 have been reduced to The full length of the bar represents 100% of the staff for the year indicated on the left. The white portion of the bar indicates the percent of the previous year's staff that had been retained. The remainder of the bar represents the percent of the staff made up of new teachers. The percent represented by the gray portion changed because of resignations, dismissals, deaths, etc. And the black portion represents the percent of change due to the increase in the size of the staff. In 1909 and 10, 28.2% of the teachers in Boise had never taught there before.

21.1% of these new teachers came as a result of resignations, etc., while 7.1% represent the increase in the size of the staff. Reading down through the diagram, it once becomes apparent that Boise's teaching staff is rapidly becoming less stable, and a study of the figures does not convince one that the war fully explains this tendency. Is it low salaries or unpleasant conditions of work, or is it unsuccessful teachers that's causing this larger and larger amount of shifting in Boise staff? Whatever its cause is a tendency that must not go too far. Boise is in a position to demand a fair degree of successful teaching experience as a prerequisite for candidacy to teaching positions in her schools. This diagram seems to indicate that Boise has been training an increasingly large number of teachers for positions elsewhere.

Figure rate is displayed on the page, showing percent of changes in Boise's teaching staff 1909 to 1919. The training of Boise teachers The city of Boise is not conveniently located with respect to good facilities for the training of teachers, but being the capital and larger city of the state, and somewhat attractive for reasons of climate, it should be able to attract teachers of good training and experience. Table 11 shows in some detail what has been the schooling of the present staff of Boise's teachers Table 11 is displayed on the page

Kinds of amount of training received by the teachers of Boise From this table will be seen that six or about five percent of the 115 teachers included in the table Have had only a high school education Just half of the elementary teachers have had high school plus a full two-use course in the normal school and 16 more more I have had four years in college in place of the normal school course. Slightly more than half of the high school teachers have had full high school in college courses. Table 12 presents these data in terms of years in school above elementary grade. From this will be seen that a very large percentage of the elementary teachers have had between

five and six years of training and that between seven and eight years is equally popular with high school teachers. The average of median periods of training for elementary teachers are approximately six years, where the same figures for the high school group are not far short of nine years. In 1905-206, nearly 50% of Boise's teacher were a normal school graduates, and 25% of a college graduates. The first-te's figures are slightly higher, the second slightly lower, than are similar figures describing Boise's present staff.

In the light of figures for other cities, however, the extent of the trend of the training of Boise's teachers is little, if any, below the average. Table 12 is displayed on the page, user training received by Boise's teachers. 1. Training and Service An typically important question is, do the teachers keep themselves in training? In answer to a questionnaire given out to all teachers, asking how many summer terms they had attended during the past five years, it was found that 49 had attended one or more summer schools, and 15 had taken extension courses.

That is approximately one half of Boise's teachers having carrying forward their training during the vocational time. Of these, 23 had attended but one summer term. 18 and attended 2. 3 had attended 3, 3 had attended 4, and 2 had attended 5. When we considered that the state has supported a summer school at Boise for the past several years, it would seem that a larger number of teachers should have reported attendance at least one summer term in 5 years. It is not unreasonable for a board of education to expect its teachers to attend summer school to re-travel or other means keep up with their profession. It is not enough to enter the teaching profession with a good education.

Their education can be kept good only by a constant study. A lawyer, a merchant, a physician who ceases to study soon loses his income. The same principle should apply to teachers. Experience and tenure of Boise's teachers The question of whether Boise employees experienced or inexperienced teachers is well answered by the fact that 77 of Boise's 82 elementary teachers have taught outside of Boise. 50 of Boise's 82 elementary teachers have taught outside of Idaho. 28 of Boise's 33 high school teachers have taught outside of Boise.

6 of Boise 33 high school teachers have taught outside of Idaho. In other words, 6% of the present elementary school staff and less than 50% of the present high school staff entered the Boise schools without previous teaching experience. This should lay no special burden upon the city, though there is no need for Boiseo to employ any inexperienced teachers. Table 13 describes quite fully the kind of teaching experience Boise teachers have received to date. The wide variety of work which this represents is undoubtedly an asset,

which helps the schools to coordinate the work of various departments. Table 13 is displayed on the page. Teaching experience of elementary and high school teachers in Boise. In length of experience, Boise's teachers rank high in comparison with other cities. In a report of a government survey of the schools of Illyria, Ohio, the average teaching experience of the teachers of 26 different cities is shown. In this list, there are but eight cities where teachers on the average have taught longer than have the teachers of Boise. In median teaching experience for the teachers of Cleveland is 10 years. With St. Louis, it is approximately 8 years, while for Bozze it is 10.3 years. One-fourth the elementary teachers of Bozze have taught for 16 years or more,

one-fourth have taught for 5 years or less. For the high school group, the amount of teaching experience is from 3 to 29 years, almost exactly the range for elementary teachers, but with an average of only 8.5 years, or nearly 2 years less than the average for elementary teachers. The average teaching experience of boys as teachers may be raised somewhat by the fact that principals are included. The principals are practically full-time teachers, however, so they should be included. If a teaching staff is young and experienced, the city has a serious task of supervising and training.

If the staff is relatively old and has had long experience, it is likely to mean that new ideas are not filtering into the system as rapidly as they should. On the average, Boisei might wish for slightly less rather than more teaching experience for her teachers. The ages are Boise's teachers. Boys' agees teachers range in ages from 22 to 56 years. The average for the 63 elementary teachers and principals reported this item is 34.4 years, while the average for 33 high school teachers is 32.6 years. The middle 50% of elementary teachers are from 29 to 37 years old, and the same figures for the high school group are 30 to 34.

While Boise has no teachers who should be retired on account of age, yet according to the extensive study of Coffman, above-sighted, these ages are relatively high. These figures are of great importance to Boise, in view of the provision the district has made for retirement, old age insurance and disability funds for the care of its teachers. A recent state enactment makes it possible for an independent district employing 30 or more teachers to create

a teacher's retirement fund, for which may be paid $40 per month to any male teachers 60 years of age, and to any female teacher of 55 years of age. Men who have taught for 35 years, 15 of which has been in the schools of Boise, and women who have taught 30 years, 15 of which has been in Boise, are eligible to receive such income. The fund is also available for old age insurance and for providing income in case of permanent disability. In terms of this law, Boise is made wise and generally, provision for its teachers. 1. Bering of age statistics upon administration of Boise's insurance and disability funds.

In carrying out this law, it is obviously to Boise's advantage to employ teachers who still have before them a large experience of service. In doing this, there are two dangers which the city should carefully avoid. One is the danger of adding to the staff new teachers who are well long in years and will soon become pensioners. The other is that of employing teachers who are so very young in years and experience that they do not enter the service with proper equipment. Teachers who are very young and experienced

and teachers who have had more than 10 or 12 years of teaching experience a weekly poor risk for the standpoint of the serves they will render in the classroom. One is apt to be untrained but will have enthusiasm and capacity to learn. The other has the knowledge and skill but is apt very soon to become over-conservative. The younger teacher is of far better risk from the standpoint of insurance and not for immediate service. The older teacher is better for the standpoint of immediate service, but a poor insurance risk. When a teacher is employed, she becomes an asset to the city to the extent of the number of years' service she has yet before, and a liability to the extent, not of her present salary, but of all her future salaries plus the insurance and pension cost.

The insurance and pension parts of the liability becomes relatively large as ages are relatively high. Since Boise's age line is high present, caring the selection of teachers should be exercised, and a careful study made of what sort of financial burden each average year of age added to the staff were made to the city. Social composition on Boise's teaching staff It is important to know what kind of teachers one is employing, not only from the standpoint of training and experience, but also from the standpoint of training and experience, but also from the standpoint of race and place of birth. A teacher's personality is not all made up in school.

It is in very large part the product of home and community life outside of school. If we wish to know what ideas, transitions and social viewpoints are to determine the general atmosphere and methods of the classrooms, we must ask where the teachers are from. If all the teachers had been, reared in Boise and were of Boise Parentage, and in addition had had all their training in Boise. We could confidently expect that the outcome in-suchamp of inbreeding would be harmful. Each generation would become more and more provincial, and the city more and more isolated. Such an extreme situation is not possible in Boise, since city offers no teachers' training facilities.

These facts are shown clearly in Table 14. First of all, it is clear that American traditions dominate, the Boise's. schools. Secondly, it is especially noticeable that Idaho traditions alone do not. There have been practically no parents, only 13 or less than 12% of the teachers who were born in the state. Certainly it cannot be said that Boise employees too much home talent. It is interesting that the Pacific Coast states contribute less than to the New Eagle Estates, and a large percentage of the staff are from the north central states. More of the present staff are from Iowa than from Idaho. Kansas, Nebraska, Illinois, and New York are also well represented.

If these figures are typical for other cities and towns in the state, they may suggest that Idaho should try to speed up the development of our institutions of higher learning. For a city, they surely guarantee against any sort of educational tendency toward provincialism. Unquestionably, they indicate a wide variety in training, as well as in social traditions. For an inland city, there can be no better guarantee against isolation than to have a school staff so selected providing too large a percentage of the staff is not changed each year. Table 14 is displayed on the page

both played of Boise's teachers and of the parents of Boise's teachers. Boise's salary schedule. The final test of a city's ability to choose its own teachers freely is its capacity to compete in the open market. Climate and social opportunity may attract but they will have little holding power against greater financial returns elsewhere. It is the business of the superintendent to run the schools with as few teachers

as is compatible with the best methods for training the city's children, and employees' teachers at the least possible cost of the city. First, it must be decided what kind of schools are wanted. An old-fashioned curriculum requires fewer teachers that are necessary for holding a modern curriculum. This is true, not only because there are fewer and more formal studies, in the old curriculum, but also because the more formal to work, the more pupils a teacher can manage. 1. Basis for determining salary schedule. Before examining Boise's salary schedule, therefore,

we should ask how large a teaching force and how large a salary budget the city should have. The size of the staff will depend largely upon the number of pupils to be taught. At present, Boise employs 119 teachers, exclusive as civil. and as an average enrollment of 3,193, or slightly better than one teacher of each 28 pupils enrolled. Since the schools have been sadly disturbed by war and epidemics during the last year or two, he has thought that figures for 1915 to 16, as published by the United States Commissioner of Education, will be a better basis for the study of this question. From this source, therefore, Table 15 has been worked out to show the state,

for Western cities with which Boise can properly be compared. From this table it appears that Boise occupies a median position until column 3 in the table is examined. Among these 15 western cities, the range is from an average of 23.7 to 31.6 pupils per teacher. Boise with 25.8 pupils per teacher occupies a position somewhat better than that of the average for the group of cities. In pupils per supervisor, Boisei occupies a slightly more favorable position in the table, being fourth in the group of 15 cities. When it comes to principles, however, Boiseo together with Salem and Stockton, is at the bottom of the list. A careful study at this table shows that Boise on the whole occupies a position far below the average.

It will be recalled from Table 8 that Boise's tax rate is relatively low, and therefore that the city is not not compelled to occupy such a position among cities of a row class. It was pointed above that Boise's staff had barely kept pace with the city's growth in population. To occupy the best position in the table, Boiseu should have at least 129 teachers, seven supervisors and nine principals, instead of 119 teachers, seven supervisors and no principles, as reported by the United States Commissioner of Education. Table 15 is displayed on the page.

Number of pupils in average daily attendance per teacher, per supervisor, and per principal in schools of Western cities. To enter Boise's unfavorable position, it must be pointed out that the city has no un-created rooms. This means that all pupils, however difficult to classify, must be taught in regular classes. This is a wasteful method, particularly in the lighter schools. Further, Boise has all her manual training work for the grades, done in one building by one teacher, and the work of physical education and directed play

in the elementary schools is not adequately provided for. 2. Boise's present salary expenditures. What Boise is now expanding for teachers' salaries is clearly shown in figure 9. Salaries of elementary teachers, including principals, range from $600 to $1,900, while in the highest school the range is from $1,100 to $2,200. The median and average salaries for elementary teachers are $980 and $1,013 respectively, while similar figures for high school teachers are $1,250 and $1,360. In evaluating these salaries, it is worthwhile to consider certain facts gathered by Dr. George D. Strayer,

president of the National Education Association. You sent out a question to the teachers of their country, asking, among other things, for a statement of the annual amounts spent for personal living expenses, from rent, board, clothes, car fare, medical attention, etc. And the annual amount spent for recreation, books, magazines, travel, professional advancement, etc. for the year 1917 to 18, and the estimate of the same expenses for the year, 1980 to 19. Figure 9 is displayed on the page, distribution of teachers' salaries in Boise, 1918 to 1919.

Without giving the details of the answers given by the teachers of Boise is enough to say that the median amount spent for living expenses in 1917 to 18, men high school teachers expected, was $750. And for recreation, professional advancement, etc., the median amount was $125 for elementary teachers and $225 for all high school teachers. These figures, estimating similar costs for 1918 to 19, were in nearly every case higher. Surely all agree that the amount devoted to recreation and professional development is not too high if the teachers are expected to keep abreast of the times. If from the median elementary teacher's salary of $980, $750 spent for living, and $125 for recreation, etc., the teacher's very little left as insurance against old age and disability, In fact, society cannot wisely afford to have its teachers operating on such a narrow financial

margin. 3. Salaries and the rising costs of living. Figuinine shows her boys' salary schedule has been raised to offset the rising costs of living during the last three years. The disappearance of the very low salaries is offset by an increase in the number of higher salaries. This increase is well stated in terms of median average salaries, as shown in Table 16. From this table and from figure 10, it appears that Boise has tried to meet the increased salary demands that have so rabbly forced themselves upon us since the beginning of the war.

After a somewhat thorough study of teachers' salaries and costs of living in Idaho, Dr. E.A. Brian, State Commission of Education, makes a statement that for the year in 1917 to 18, the increase in salaries amounted to 6%, while the increase in cost of living was 17%. Of the 72 teachers in Boise's 1917 staff, who were retained, 52 received salary increases ranging from $45 to $325, and averaging $82.94 each, while 20 received no increase at all. Table 16 is split on the page, showing increase in median average salaries in Boise 16 to 191919. For the entire 72 teachers, this meant slightly less than a 7% increase. For the 52 salaries were raised, it meant an increase of 10.4%. Even assuming that Dr. Bryan's figures describing increase in cost of living are too conservative, as often most people would think, Boise has still fallen far short of her obligation to her teachers. 4. Boise's salaries compared with those of other cities.

What Boise has done in comparison with other western cities It's a further basis for judging the adequacy of her salary schedule. This is brought out clearly in Table 17, which shows the maximum and minimum salaries of elementary and high school teachers and principals of the superintendents for 15 Western cities, together with the percent of increase in these salaries during the last four years. This table shows the range of minimum salaries for elementary teachers is from $700 to $1,200, with $945,000.

as the average. The maximum salaries for elementary teachers range from $1,025 to $1,500, with $1,249 as an average. For high school teachers, the range in minimum salaries is from $1,000 to $1,560, with $1,196 as an average. For the maximum salaries, the range is from $1,200 to $1,560 to $1,000. $1,920, with $1,590 as the average. Figure attendance is displayed on the page, distribution of elementary and high school salaries in Boise for the past three years. In all teachers' salaries, Boise stands above the average for these 15 cities. A similar examination of the figures showing principal salaries shows that Boise is well

above the average of high school principals but below the average for grade principals. For superintendents, Boise's salary is also above the average for the group of cities from which figures could be obtained. As compared to other cities, therefore, it must be said that Boise occupies a fairly favorable position when we consider the salaries to be paid in 1919 and 1920. When we study the other columns in the table, however, we see that Boise has not kept pace with the average city in the percent of increase granted during the last four years. Boisei has granted substantial increases, however, so that at present we may say that, in the light of present-day standards. Boise's salary schedule is fully adequate.

In the light of the several arguments he presented, and of all our facts taken together, however, we would urge Boise to assume a larger place of leadership among Western cities in this very important matter. We cannot demand that teachers keep up with their profession unless we offer them reasonable financial return. In offering to their teachers a bonus of $60 to $100 for successful work done at summer schools, Boise has taken a commendable step forward. With such rewards and with adequate salaries, Boise should be able to choose her teachers from where she will. And besides, she will stimulate other cities to put their schools on a sound financial basis. Summary and recommendations In respect to Boise's teaching staff, the following points are of interest. and many of them deserve careful study by the city school authorities.

1. Authority for nomination of teachers in Boise is very properly vested in the superintendent of schools. 2. The size of Boise's teaching staff has for the past decade barely kept pace with the increased school population. Its growth has not been as great as is demanded for the handling of a modern curriculum. These statements apply much more particularly to the elementary than to the high school. Table 17 is displayed on the preceding page Comparative salary schedule in Western cities for year 1919-19-19-20, showing percent increase in last four years. 3. While the high school has continued to employ a fair percentage of men teachers,

there have been, and still are, practically no men in the elementary schools, to have a proper balance to boys' age teaching staff that should be at least five men principals and as many more men vice-principals. 4. There is a tendency in recent years towards an increasing number of changes in Boise's teaching staff. This is a tendency that can easily go too far if it has not already done so. 5. Boisei is without facilities for training around teachers and so must give special thought to the training of teachers while in service. The summer school, reading the social work, vocational professional lecturers, conventions and teachers meetings should be liberally drawn upon for such training. 6. As comparable with other cities, Boise's staff has about an average amount of training.

About one-fourth of the grade of teachers are under-trained. 7. Boise employs few inexperienced teachers and should not have to employ any. 8. The length of teaching experience for Boise teachers is greater on the average than as common in other cities. This is the point to be watched in developing a staff. 9. Boise's teachers are teachers. is average somewhat older than is common in other cities. This should be carefully guided against in all new appointments, not only because of the increased insurance and pension liabilities which it creates,

but because it does not mean the best service. 10. From the standpoint of race and birthplace, Boise's teachers are a very cosmopolitan group. This is an asset if the staff does not change too rapidly. 11. Boise is not maintaining as large a teaching staff. staff in proportion to pupil population as is common in other western cities. 10 to 15 teachers and principals added to the present staff

would not place Boise ahead of the best cities in this respect. 12. Boise's salaries are much too low when judged in the light of the present cost of living. When judged by salaries paid in other cities, Boise's salaries are up to standard, though they are not among the highest. End of Section 3 Section 4 of the Boysay's Survey by Jesse Brungett Sears

This is a Librevox according or Librevox According to the public domain For more information on a volunteer Please visit Libravox.org Recorded by Leon Harvey Chapter 4 The Curriculum Sears

Extempt of Boise's educational program The Child Labour Act To Vidho provides ample protection for children under 14 years of age, and up to 16 years of age for those who have not learned to read and write the English language, and who have not received instruction in spelling, English grammar, geography, and arithmetic. The State's compulsory education act applies to all children between the ages of 8 and 18 years who have not completed the 8th school grade. The Boysday Independent

School District utilizes the juvenile court machinery for carrying out the provisions of these laws in so far as the teachers are responsible for their execution. These laws are designed not merely to protect the physical well-being of the state's children, but also to provide a time for instruction and training. The Boise Independent School District has taken over from the state the task of training or the children within the jurisdiction of the district, and has provided the necessary equipment for giving every child a minimum of 12 years of instruction, beginning normally with the age of six years, and ending with the age of 18 years.

During this period, of 12 years, the Boise schools are offering what is commonly offered in the elementary and secondary schools over the country. No attempt is made to offer a kindergarten or junior college training. There is possible for high school students to carry on some postgraduate study if they wish. There may be no pressing demand for kindergarten in most parts of the city, but as we'll be shown elsewhere in this report, there are many and important reasons why a substantial junior college should be developed at Boise. What a curriculum is? Just what the program of

training for Boise or for any given city should include is most difficult to say. To decide upon the content of our curriculum is to give practical expression to our conception of what education means, what studies are of most worth, the relation of learning to citizenship, and many other questions which have puzzled philosophers as far back as Plato and Confucius. Without attempting a concise philosophical definition of what a curriculum is, it is believed that the following statements express the best thought on the subject at the present time. 1. A curriculum is a body of information exercises, physical, social, aesthetic, moral, intellectual, etc. to be utilized in the training of children. 2. The materials and exercises are used are chosen from among the facts and processes are known to have value to society. to society. Society is composed of children as well as adults.

3. There is vastly more useful information and there are vastly more useful activities available for curriculum purposes than can be used. Hence the necessity for selecting. 4. Each bit of information and each exercise should be selected for a certain desirable and will define purpose. Which purpose will be better served by that information or exercise than by any other? five the information exercises must be well balanced with respect to the essential recognized intellectual moral political occupational aesthetic of physical values in life in other words the curriculum must not be one-sided it will be known as such a curriculum calls for action as well as for knowledge we are now recognizing that the past has over-emphasized the factual or buggy types of training and under-emphasize of physical and social types the present conception of education and cause for a reinstatement of the curriculum of the due side of life. The test of good subject matter today is social utility.

Social, not a narrow but in a broad sense. Personal cleanliness is as much as social as it is an individual virtue. Society wants as members to be physically strong and economically competent. It also wants each to make whatever intellectual or social contribution possible. A successful group is made up of successful individuals, and for the schools a so-called conflict between the individual and a social is entirely without point. The necessity for selecting from the mainly socially useful facts and processes is ever present, because as time passes, invention and discovery cause the development of new needs, hence new values arise.

It is the function of the school to detect these new values and to find a place for them in the curriculum. The war is called for a more thorough understanding of citizenship. It has insisted that we mean something definite when we say in my country. Our present task then is to work over our subject matter on civics and history with view to giving place to these new values. This merely illustrates how the school must keep up as selecting and sorting our process if it is to have a modern curriculum. In making a curriculum, e.g. in selecting

subject matter, nothing is more important than that we should have a clear aim. The modern sciences of psychology and sociology have shaken down some of the older aims as mental discipline, breaking the will, training the senses, etc., and giving us a clearer understanding of the laws of learning and of educational values. This new knowledge applied to education makes it possible for us to answer society's urgent demand, that the school shall meet the specific definable needs of the times. A fifth point called, for a many-sided curriculum. The traditional school exercises the child's memory, but seldom his hands, his eyes or his reason. It taught him wise sayings, but little

about how to match his own or his community's affairs. The monocurricular must be expanded to the end that the child may learn something of all the aspects of his present and future life among his fellows. In chapter one, we have presented a brief discussion of the many aspects of life in Boise, which are involved in the making the city's school policy and for which this curriculum material must in a measure be drawn. And there we suggested certain problems which the curriculum must face. Here let us repeat that the whole life of Boise, its occupations, its social life, its political life, its intellectual life, are all to be kept in mind as rich sources

from which the materials of the curriculum are to be brought together. Furthermore, the institutional life of Boise must become a real laboratory for the schools. The state capital, the city hall, and the courtons of Boise can and should be utilized in the teaching of civics. The City Health Department should be drawn upon the teaching of hygiene, etc. The elementary school curriculum in Boise. With these principles in mind, those enumerate the subjects taught in Boise's elementary schools and that to examine the content of those subjects.

In the first grade, we find reading, language, hygiene, phonics, nature of study, music, art and physical education. in grade 2 or add arithmetic and spelling. In grade 3, one school offers work in mechanical arts in addition to the studies offered in grades 1 and 2. Grade 4 adds history in geography and drops phonics. Grade 5 adds manual training and domestic science. These studies continue through grade 6 and to the middle of grade 7 when geography is dropped. Grade 8 drops reading and spelling and the middle of the year domestic science manual training and adds to general science and algebra.

The entire offering of the elementary schools is made clear by figure 11, which shows all that a child may study in each of the grades. There is some slight variation from this in a few schools. Figure 11 is displayed on the page, or is this elementary school curriculum by grades. Only five of the nine elementary schools offer the entire eight years' work. One school offers but five years and three schools but six years work. All the manual training and domestic science that is taught is taught in the central school. It is with some slight inconvenience, therefore, that all the studies suggested in figure 11 are available for all the children of the district.

In kinds of training offered, then we may say that all the traditional subjects are well represented, while art, music, domestic science, manual training and nature study add the newer content. To the customary courses, Boise has added algebra and general science, Whether these were intended primarily as introductory high school subjects or not, that would seem to be the only service that Algebra could render. As is shown elsewhere, a large percentage of Boise's pupils into high school, though large numbers of these drop out at the end of one year. In other words, Boise is no exception to the rule that upper-grade children need studies that will introduce them to life, as well as to high school and later to college. algebra has little value for the boy who goes no more than one year at high school. He does not equip him for a professional career, nor does it for a career in a trade.

It is therefore fair to say that boys' hair should offer several pre-vocational courses to meet the more pressing needs of children who are about to end their formal schooling. He is believed that a broad knowledge of our great industries, skill mechanical construction, tool presses and technique, mechanical drawing, etc., would make her, greater contribution if properly taught than would algebra. General science would be in line with this group of suggested subjects, and so is a commendable part of the present offering. Perhaps until Boise's buildings are better adapted to a real intermediate school

or junior high school plan of organisation the expense of putting in shop courses might be large. With the new building now being erected, it would seem possible to work out such a plan. If all almost of the 1,000 children of grades 7, 8 and 9 could be put into one building, then a widely variety curriculum such as would make a great advance in the city schools could be offered. Some modification of a few of the old buildings might be necessary, but the Commission fails to discover any permanent or even serious present difficulties in the way of such a program. What a printed course of study should contain? A printed or typewritten course of study is primarily a handbook for teachers and school officers.

Its function is to systematise and coordinate the work of the schools. This can be done only when each teacher knows the part she is to play in the sum total of the school's program. The outline must therefore give her not only the general plan of her own work, by the place of that work in the larger plan as well. If she is teaching fifth grade reading, she should know what the schools proposed to accomplish, not by the fifth grade reading alone, but by the entire course of eight years as well. What has been accomplished? What is yet to be done? What am I to do? Are questions which the printed outline must answer for her. To be useful a printed

course of studies should contain the following materials. One, a brief clear statement of the aim of each study and of the specific aim of each year's work in that study. The language used should not be so general as to be useless. To say that the aim of teaching, reading is ability to read readily, is entirely worthless unless there is an understanding of what read readily means. Two, a brief outline of the subject matter and exercises to be covered by years or terms. There should be many suggestions as to how to supplement the texts and manuals to be used. 3. A statement, quantitative where possible, of the work to be accomplished,

not only an amount of ground to be covered, but of the quality of work as well. Not only how much matter it is to be read, by the rate of reading, the ability to get the thought from the printed page, etc. In this particular subject, the Thorndyke, Gray, and other standard tests make possible a very clear statement of what is to be accomplished. 4. A statement of the amount of time there should normally be devoted to the study and recitation of each subject. 5. Enumeral brief suggestions as to the manipulation of materials, the use of devices, and the management of the class and the study and recitation. The outline should be brief and written in simple language, and above all, there should be in constant use by teachers. Boise's outline of courses. Boise does not have a preterned course of study. I-school course is in preparation, but uses mammograph sheets which each teacher may place together in a loose.

leaf forward. In some respects these outlines meet the standards just suggested. The outline for reading states the aims means and ends of the course, and quotes the starch, grey, and quarter standards for rate of reading. At many points, however, the aims of course is not stated, or is stated in a vague general way, in many cases helpful suggestions are wanting. The outline of subject matter is inadequate or similar to the textbook and two little supplementary material is suggested. 1. The English Courses As we'll be shown later, Boise devotes more than two-fifths the time of the elementary schools to the study of English.

Phonics, reading, spelling, writing, language and grammar are the subjects taught. Phonics in the first four grades, reading in the first seven, spelling in the second to eighth inclusive, grammar in the seventh and language in all grades. The outlines for phonics and reading are brief, but the plan and suggestions are good. The amount of reading material seems rather more limited and someone less varied than it should be, particularly for the upper grades. The work outlined for spelling is excellent, except that very much more emphasis is placed upon the use of rules and spelling than is warranted. Recent investigations indicate that most of the time put on spelling rules is lost so far as training and spelling is concerned. The course outline shows that attention has been given to most of the late investigations in this field.

is the writer's opinion that spelling could be dealt with much less formally in the 7th and 8th grades, though in this some difference of opinion exists. The work in language and literates suggest plenty to do, but offers altogether too little help as to how to do it. It also stresses the formal aspects of oral and written language. Language is barely the most successful part of the curriculum. It is so easy to talk commas, quotation marks, capitals, paragraphs, forms, etc. They often under stress easy, natural expression.

An expert teacher could follow Boise's outline and do good work, but an inexperienced teacher would surely teach too much form. 2. The Sciences Nature study is taught in the first four grades. Geography in grades 4 to 7 be inclusive, physiology and hygiene in all grades, and general science in grade 8. The subjects cover the usual materials, and the order followed in most modern schools.

school systems. In the early grades, the natural phenomena, closed and hand, are utilized quite effectively. Whether observations are made and recorded, the sun, the moon, star groups, winds and storms, as are streams, land and water forms, and the planet or animal life of the community. The materials and exercises outlined for nature study work are especially good. Again, however, there is a lack of helpful stimulating suggestions to teachers as to how best to utilize the many facts and observations suggested. The geography and material outlined is available in a good text on the subject and aside from an occasional reference to local situations one wonders why texts would need to be

supplemented by such an outline. To be useful it should suggest use of many books maps pictures advertising materials put out by railroads and industrial firms etc which not mentioned in the text. It should suggest many devices plans for field, study, home observations, etc. is that sort of material that supplements and enriches the ordinary textbook. The outline for physiology and hygiene as a manual of directions is wholly inadequate. Many excellent things are suggested, however, as will be shown in our latter chapter, and there is a reason to think that the work in the schools is of a good grade.

Especially noteworthy is a work suggested for the establishment of rights, habits, of, living. Clean teeth, care of eyes, and ventilation are emphasized. And on the social side, equal effort is made to teach the importance of clean streets, proper disposal of garbage, safeguards against epidemics, etc. Teachers cannot too often be reminded that the principle, learned to do by anything, applies no and more fully than in the teaching of hygiene and civics, two subjects intimately related at many points. Bacteriology is a large word for small children, but no study offers a more satisfactory source of hygiene material that is wonderful and also practical in its bearing upon health.

3. Manual training and domestic science. Manual training and domestic science are taught in grades 5 to 8b inclusive. The outlines for this work are very inadequate. In fact, they meet practically none of the standards we have set above for printed course of study. A barotopical outline is of use, but is not enough. These subjects are of the very greatest importance in the element of training of children, and they knew they should be fully outlined and every possible help given for their handling in the classroom.

4. History and civics are taught in all grades except 7A. The work is very informal and incidental in the first years. The celebration of holidays, stories and poems of primitive life in America, stories of heroes of ancient times, and myths and legends touching all. civilizations the world over. Grade 6B emphasized Greek and Roman history and 6A the coming of European peoples to America. Grade 7b and 8 are devoted to

American history and civics. The courses are outlined as much to commend it. While the outlines are not equally well developed for the different grades, it is clear that the aim of history teaching in Boise is to give the child a sense of the past and now that past has gradually built up the present. The people will will see the peoples at work in their homes, occupations, schools and churches, as well as at war, and will know something of local history, which is properly emphasised. Many of our best schools are utilising the present industrial life to a larger extent in the beginning years than it's done in Boise. And that is the writer's preference. The course is outlined,

however, is commendable. The work in civics is also well planned. The formal aspects stand out rather clearly, but suggestions for their proper use by teachers made the course of good training for citizenship. 5. Mathematics. Arithmetic is taught in grades 2 to 8b inclusive, an algebra in the final half year. In grade 1, number is studied incidentally, the aim being to give the child some familiarity with actual number of situations and graduate to develop a number vocabulary. Later in the year the pupils develop some familiarity with the use of the written symbols, the many of which they have learned by experience. In grade two, arithmetic becomes a formal subject and systematic training is provided. The work outlined for this grade is excellent.

They are seen to be little barren memory grind and much actual number experience. The amount of work to be accomplished is definite, and the outline offers helpful suggestions for handling it. Grade through continues use of number experience, with larger emphasis upon abstract number work. The aim is complete mastery of all addition, subtraction, multiplication and division combinations through the table of eights, reading and writing numbers of four places, and familiarity with certain arithmetical terms. Similar clearly stated aims are set forth from the following grades, and many excellence suggested so made for carrying on the work. From the start, constant uses made of standardized tests. The work in algebra follows a text and aims merely to introduce the class

to the simple fundamentals. For pupils who go on to high school and college, the work may be useful. For those who do not, the time could be used to better advantage if it were devoted to a study of business arithmetic, business forms, keeping accounts, short methods for computing interest, etc. Very few people use algebra, but nearly every one must become familiar with the simple forms of business practice. 6. Music and art. Music and art are taught throughout the entire eight years and are given a fair proportion of time.

The courses in music are very fully outlined and ample suggestions for directing work are given. The plan of work is well in accord with the plans in use in our better school systems. The artwork is similarly well planned and the applied work of the upper grades is especially well worked out. The suggestions of two teachers

are not adequate, with a present limited time of supervision. 7. Physical training The work in physical training is given to all pupils for the entire eight years. While it is well planned, not so much can be said for what is actually accomplished in the schools. Supervised players should have more attention to all the schools, as with positive drills, calisthenics and apparatus exercises. Much need exists for real supervision of this work. time allotment or the relative importance of studies.

There are two other angles from which we wish to view voice-case curriculum. First, from the standpoint of the time devoted to the various studies, and second, in the following chapter, to the standpoint of what is going on in the classrooms and the results being obtained. In many of the recent school surveys, careful study has been made of time allotment, and the results reported are of interest in showing the consensus of opinion over the country, touching the research.

this question. Table 18 shows the largest, the average and the smallest amounts of time respectively devoted to the various classes of the upper half grades in Boise. The wide variability in allotments that shown in this table is very striking. One first grade class in reading devotes 900 minutes per week to the subject, while another class supposed to do exactly the same work reported but 300 minutes per week. Similar differences will be found all through the table. Table 18 is displayed on the page, showing the maximum average and minimum amounts of time allotted by the various classes of the upper half grades to each of the subjects offered in the elementary school of Poise. It is of course desirable that there should be variation.

No one allotment would suit the needs of all schools and classes, but the extent of difference shown by this table raises a question which Boise's teachers and supervisors must try to answer. These differences have brought out even more clearly on Table 19, which shows a number of minutes per week devote to the subject of spelling by each teacher of the subject in each of the grades of Boise. For comparative purposes, as well as in fairness to Boise, similar data for the schools of Oakland and Salt Lake City are included in this table. From these figures would be that one second grade teacher in Boise devotes 200 minutes per week, four devote 150 minutes per week, one devotes 110, 5 to vote 100, etc. to spelling. A mere glance at this table

brings to light a problem which school people must face. We want elasticity in the management of children, but there can be no justification for the wide differences shown in these tables. Using the average time in lawment in each subject as a basis, figure 12 shows approximately how the entire eight years time where the elementary school pupil in Boise is divided up if he takes all the subjects offered. Figure 12 is displayed on the page, allotment of time among the various subjects of the elementary school curriculum.

From this will be seen that the three hours still dominate the schools. In figure 11, history and civics, physiology and hygiene, music, art and physical training seem to have a prominent place in the schools. Figure 12 gives these facts

a much foolish statement, with the result that the newer subjects tend to dwindle and importance. Table 19 is displayed on the preceding page, showing distribution of all classes in spelling in Oakland, Salt Lake City and Boise with respect to the grade and the amount of time spent on the subject. Table 20 shows the length of the various causes in the Boise scores in comparison with similar facts for other cities.

Table 20 is displayed on the page, showing their total number of hours devoted to the different subjects in Boise as compared with other cities. In comparison with Cleveland and with the average for a group of 50 representative cities, Boise's distribution shows entirely two large emphasis upon the group of English subjects. Boiseiworked 4,601 hours, Cleveland 3,420 hours, and the other 50 cities, an average of 3,014 hours, to the teaching of English. It is the opinion of many that the lowest of these figures is too high. In any case, Boise's allotment needs revision.

is now more than one-third higher than allotment that is fairly acceptable over the country. Similarly, Boise's emphasis upon mathematics is too great, or geography, domestic science, manual training and music receive too little attention. Especially commendable, however, is a relatively large amount of time which the Boise schools are devoting to history and civics. Summary and recommendations Boise has ample legal power to develop the kind of curriculum best suited to the the needs of the city. The social, industrial and political life of the city, with its legislative

halls, courts, libraries, parks, and wide variety of industrial and commercial life, offers the best of opportunities for connecting the works of the schools with the life of the community. This chapter has tried to state in brief form what are the modern requirements of a good curriculum. That is, what is good subject matter for school use? And so doing it is pointed with emphasis to the urgent demand for their kind of facts, principles and experiences that will help the child to an understanding and appreciation of life about him. The demand is for less of the memorandum, bogus training, and for more in the form of actual participation in the essential, social, civic and economic processes.

In breadth, the curriculum of Boise schools is typical of what is to be found in most cities of that size. In intensity, it lays relatively too great emphasis upon the traditional, formal studies, and too little upon the newer studies. Arithmetic, spelling and other works in English should be materially reduced, to the end that geography, manual training, domestic science, nature study, art and music, may receive greater emphasis. The whole curriculum, as judged by the Miami graph outlines, would profit if teachers, principals, and supervisors would unite in a thoroughgoing study and revision of each course,

having in mind the principles set forth at the beginning of this. chapter. The outlines of work in nature, study, geography, physiology and hygiene, and general science do not give one the impression that these courses are properly coordinated with each other. And to some degree the same can be said at the work in English. While observation of classes at work gave the staff the impression that the outlines of courses are being properly supplemented by individual teachers, yet such responsibilities should not be left too fully to teachers. A printed course that is worth making is worth making well. This chapter has tried to indicate what a printed course of study should contain and has shown that many of Boise's

outlines do not meet such standards. Finally, if Boisei wishes to add a few subjects to the usual offering of the elementary schools, we recommend that the algebra now taught become merely a part of eighth-grade arithmetic, and that in its place such applied studies as simple book keeping toolwork, mechanical drawing, further work in cooking, sewing and home decoration, and business arithmetic be offered. We recommend also that early steps be taken to establish an intermediate or a junior high school, consisting of grades 7, 8 and 9, and that large place be provided in its curriculum for such courses as those as suggested, to the end that many of Boise's children may have a good training for life as a few now have the higher study.

End of Section 4 Section 5 of the Boys A Survey by Jesse Bruntage series This is a Librevox recording or Librevox recordings from the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit Librovox.org Recorded by Leon Harvey Chapter 5 Efficiency of the Instruction The Staff

General Considerations A curriculum is, after all, only as good as it is made in the actual classroom. To make effective any plan of instruction whatever requires good teachers, good supervision, good buildings and good facilities for work. A careful estimate of the efficiency of Boise's buildings is presented in Chapter 9, from which it will be seen that much yet remains to be done before Boise will have added with school buildings. The question of supervision has been dealt with from the standpoint of administration in Chapter 2. It remains here to add that one of the obvious weaknesses in the instruction as observed by the surveyed staff is clearly traceable to lack

of supervision. As it is now stands, the supervisor can do little more in many cases, then work out plans and leave orders, that things be done thus and so. So far as the present supervision goes, it is useful by the actual instruction and the general management of the schools would greatly profit if a plan of supervising principalships such as has been suggested above were put into operation. The teaching staff in Boise has been described in Chapter 3. There it was printed out that Boise's elementary schools are decidedly understaffed, that the staff shows an increasing tendency to change from year to year,

and that the average age and experience of teachers are high. Yet in extent and character of training and attendance at summer schools, as well as in the general cosmopolitan makeup of the group, Boise's staff is up to the average. The additions needed, perhaps 10 to 15 teachers and principals, would bring the teaching force up to the best standards, would undoubtedly bring about substantial improvements of the work in every way. As to teaching equipment, the schools vary somewhat.

There are many good blackboards, though they are very often wrongly placed. The desks are in the main not up to standard, and the general appearance of rooms is on the whole, not above average. In some schools there seems to be a dearth of supplementary books and classrooms, though there were some maps, pictures, charts and like equipment in evidence, and little of it seemed to be of the dust-covered variety. Nowhere, however, did any member of the staff get the impression that teachers and school officers had more than a minimum amount of the necessary materials for carrying on the work of instruction? This condition was sufficiently marked, and the fact of sufficient importance to warrant mention in this connection. observations of classroom work Many visits of varying length were made to classrooms

and some attempt was made to use a common set of standards for observing the work. It is not possible to present the results of such observations in a manner that will make them comparable with similar effects in other cities. For the reason it seems wiser to base criticisms upon the results obtained from standard tests, which reveal far more effectively the present efficiency of classroom work. Such observations, as were made, however, were discussed by members of the staff, and the results can be stated briefly here for what they may be worth. No member of the staff reported having observed work of its strikingly superior quality,

thinking of the work as poor, fair, good, very good and superior. It is possible to say that some poor and much fair and good work was observed while a few cases of very good work were found. Some teachers were obviously disturbed by our visits, some were not well prepared on the lesson, some talked too much or quizzed too much, etc. On the other hand, some very good instruction in art and arithmetic was observed, where the teacher in charge had an excellent grasp of the work, was reserved but critical, and where the children showed initiative and worked to a well-understood purpose. Good supervision would overcome many of the defects observed in classrooms.

Standardized tests The place of standardized tests in present-day school administration is so well understood that it will need to be said in explanation of their character or function in a school survey. In the measure of educational products, standardized tests are readily coming to server, purpose similar to that of the pound, yard, and pint in the commercial world. In this survey, three objects were chosen for such measurement,

is writing, Lipit and Spelling. The results revealed are believed to be fully representative of the work being done in all the branches of study. The scales used have been thoroughly standardized

and used so widely as to make it possible to compare Boise's showing with that made by large numbers of school systems over the country. The test and handwriting show that the work being accomplished by the different grades

is quite uneven, both as to quality and speed. In quality, the city ranks below standard. while in speed is slightly above standard. The wide variety of results shown by different classes, different grades and different schools is its strongest evidence that supervision of this subject is weak. There are no sufficiently marked social differences among the pupils of the city

to explain the differences shown in these test results. The tests in spelling brought out the same abundance of unevenness in results. One school spells with efficiency of 90% while another, drops to 70%. Grade 3 in the central school makes the score of 63, while the same grade in Whittier School makes 98. More than 5% of all the children made scores below 40, while 23% made the score of 100. There is evidence of a lack of reorganisation and supervision. It's true that the city as a whole ranks high in spelling. Account must be taken of the time cost of these results. Reference to Table 19 shows that even such good results are not worth the cost,

for it has robbed more important studies of much needed time. In the arithmetic test, Boise shows good average results in the use of whole numbers, but serious weakness in the handling of fractions. There are also the same marked differences between schools and between classes as were found in writing and spelling, which points clearly to the need for a more thorough, coordination of the work in this subject and to the genuine need for integrated classes. The following section of this chapter will show the detailed results of the tests in these subjects. The test in handwriting. 1. How the tests were made. On Monday, May 26, each teacher in grades 4 to 8 inclusive

was sent the following instructions. Please write the following sentences on the blackboard. Fourscore and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth upon this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men have created equal. Today we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated cannot endure. We met on a great battlefield of that war. How do the pupils copy this until they are familiar with it? They should then copy it, beginning at a given signal, and write for exactly the war.

two minutes. Have them all stop at once and count the words they have written. Use ruled examination paper. Have pupils write with pen and ink. Do not encourage children to use any particular form or movement. Let them write in their own way and at the ordinary speed with which they would write a letter. Any attempt on that part of that teacher to have them do otherwise may result in lower score that would be obtained under natural conditions. On the same evening, 1,480 papers were returned to the survey of us, representing all pupils in attendance that day in grades 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. There were evidences that the teachers cooperated to a hard degree in securing of uniformed data. The samples obtained are probably as representative of the normal handwriting of the

boys' school children as can be secured. The fact of keeping time for the test leaves an open opportunity for regularities, but is believed that if there were any departures from the correct procedure, there of no serious consequence. Most of the teachers have had experience in the giving of handwriting tests, in fact using the same form of the Ares scale on which the scores for this study were based. Table 20 a is displayed on the page, distribution of handwriting, scores of quality by grades and schools. Two, scoring the papers. The procedure in scoring was that described by Dr. Ares in the directions accompanying the Gettysburg edition of his measures scale for handwriting. This scale consists of a series of handwriting samples

which have been selected upon the basis of relative quality value, from samples obtained from tests given to several thousand school children. The steps in the scale statistically evaluated and specimens grade in 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 are reproduced on the score sheet for comparative purposes. Each of the 1,408 papers from the Boise schools was compared with the samples on the Aero scale and was given a grade correspond to that to the sample, which are most nearly resembled in quality. After the papers for each room were graded, they are re-checked and arranged in order of score. Following this, the number of whole letters written on each paper

was recorded. Since the papers represented two minutes of writing, the number of letters divided by two was recorded as the rate per minute. The distribution of the scores for quality and rate are shown in tables 20A and 21. Table 21 is displayed on the page. Distribution of handwriting scores of speed rate per minute by grade and schools. 3. Boise A ratings and quality. The entire distribution of scores by schools and separate grades is shown in Table 20A. Here the median performance for each separate grade can be compared with a median for the entire city and the general norms.

The wide distribution of scores rating from 10 to 17 in grade 4, 20 to 80 in grade 5, etc. shows how important it is that we recognize the individual differences among children. Variations in native ability are clearly shown in handwriting, and the distribution of such a wide range as we find here is equally characteristic of variability in all the traits which make for school and life success. How the quality of handwriting in Boise, grade-for-grade, compares with the norms obtained by Dr. Ares from the scoring of 62,000 samples is shown in figure 13. The Boise ratings fall slightly below the norms in all grades.

The greatest difference being five points, grade four. The deviation for the city is relatively slight, and it may be safely inferred that the quality of the handwriting of the children of Boise on the whole compares favourably with that of the children in other cities. A study of the distribution of scores should be of value in deciding where the emphasis should be placed in order the handwriting efficiency of the city may be improved. Pupils in grade 4 who score no higher than 20 points, where more than half of the pupils in the same grade in Boise scored higher than 40, are obviously in need of special attention. To illustrate the variability of pupils within the same grade, a series of samples of the handwriting of Boise pupils has been arranged and reproduced in figure 14.

These have been selected from the best and the poorest papers in each grade, and a suggestive on what would happen if pupils would be able to beaubes placed in school grades according to handwriting ability alone. It is obvious that in such an event, some of the pupils in the lower grades could exchange places with some of those who will soon be entering high school. Fortunately, handwriting achievement is not the sole basis of promotion. Figure 13 is displayed on the page, medium performance of Boise pupils in handwriting quality by grades in comparison with standard scores. 4. Boise ratings and speed The edit of handwriting based on the average number of letters per minute is shown on Table 21.

Here we find a wide scattering of scores suggestive of marked individual differences. Figure 14 is displayed on the previous page, handwriting sample selected from best and poorest writing in each grade. Grade 4 at bottom, grade 8 at top. In some cases the speed with which different pupils in the same classroom write is such that the contest is strong. Of 300 pupils in the 4th grade, 62 write view within 40 letters per minute, while 52 write more than 80 letters per minute, or more than twice as rapidly. This difference can best be illustrated by quoting the actual passage used in the test, showing the text covered by approximately 40 and 80 letters.

One boy in the 5th grade wrote, 4 score 7 years ago our father's brought 42 letters, another boy in the same class wrote, four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth upon this concert's new nation conceived, 83 letters. These patches representing half of what each wrote in the two minutes of the test. The difference may seem slight

when applied to such a small passage, but when we realize that the second boy can do twice as much written work as a first boy in the same period of time, we cannot help looking at it in the light of its educational significance. It is interesting to note that the papers of the two boys refer to show the same quality ratings, which happened to be up to the average for their grade.

On the whole, the children of Boise write more rapidly than the children of other cities, as judged by a comparison of the median performance grade-for-grade with the norms attained by Dr. Ares. The comparison is shown in Figure 15. The rate of increase in Boise is less regular than that shown with Dr. Aries' curve. and appears that there is no appreciable increase in speed above the sixth grade. The difference is most marked between the fifth and sixth grades, the increase being approximately 20%. 82.68. 5. Relation between quality and speed.

A study of the speed and quality of Boisei handwriting samples resulted in finding a positive correlation of 0.23. This means that on the whole, the pupils who write well also write rapidly, and inverse Obviously, those who write poorly also write slowly. Figure 15 is displayed on the page, medium performance of boys or pupils in handwriting rate by grades in comparison with standard scores. There are many exceptions, of course, and it does not follow that any pupil who improves in the one respect will necessarily in the other. In fact, investigators find that causing a pupil to write more slowly does not improve the

quality of his writing. have also shown the efforts of individuals to increase their speed of writing tends to make them write a poorer quality. The Teaching of Handwriting Both the quality and speed of handwriting in the Boise Schools can be improved. It has been demonstrated that individual pupils, grade schools and entire cities can make material progress in both of these directions in a few months. The extent of the improvement can be determined only by the application of a standardized scale

for quality, and the keeping of accurate records as to speed. This can be easily done by the teachers. The compilation of such data at regular intervals and the making of comparisons would constitute a valuable cooperative study and would amount to a continuous survey. The ERAS scale is already used by many of the teachers in Boise, and in some cases it has been admirably adapted to classroom instruction. Competition among classes and scores based on the scale should be of value. The mootin question as to the relative efficiency of different systems of handwriting has not been answered by scientific comparison.

It can only be settled, if at all, by impartial gradings on a uniform basis. It is not unreasonable to suppose that at some time the different systems may be arranged in order of their respective merits. All methods tend to develop essential points. Eligibility, uniformity, general quality and speed. To write clearly, evenly and rapidly, or without any of these factors detracting from the others, should be the aim of every pupil. Children can be taught to watch their progress in relation to that at the other pupils in other schools. Teachers should watch the progress of their pupils, and each should aim to bring her class to the highest possible level of efficiency. The test in spelling.

1. Spelling in the course of study. Formal instruction in spelling begins in the second grade of the Boise schools and continues through the sixth grade. In the seventh and eight grades, spelling is taught as a part of the regular work in English, history, geography, etc. There is no regular spelling textbook used, the words employed for dual being selected from a res spelling list, A to O, the 100 spelling demons of the English language, and books use as text and supplementary readers in the various grades. The course of study does not indicate the amount of time per week that it would be profitable for each grade to spend on spelling, as shown in Table 19. The average for all the grades is 110 minutes per week, which according to the best available data, is fully 25% too much.

2. The test and how it was applied. In measuring the efficiency in spelling, the A.E.S. measuring scale for ability in spelling was employed. 20 words from List L were given to a. all the pupils in the third grades by the boys a schools. The same number of words from list O were given to the fourth, from list Q to the fifth, from list S to the 6, from list U to the 7th, and a set of 20 words compiled from list V, W, X, Y and Z, to the pupils of the 8th grades, respectively. The Averis Spelling Scale was compiled from Teter obtained through the application of spelling tests in 84 cities. The words of these tests later been arranged in

lists and scientifically grouped according to difficulty. The words for the Boise survey spelling test were selected from lists where the average score of the grade to be tested was found to be 73. For example, List L was selected as a list from which the 20 words for the third grade would be taken, because in the standardization of the area scale, the average score of third grade children was found to be 73. In like manner, List O was chosen for the fourth grade and so on through the seventh. The words for the eighth grade were selected from several lists, but in such a manner as

to bring the expected average score to 73 likewise. We may therefore accept 73 as a standard score which each grade in Boise should attain, if the instruction in this subject is as good as the average in a large number of cities in the United States. As a matter of fact, we could reasonably expect considerably higher scores from the Boise 3rd and 4th grades, because this A2O inclusive have been used. used as a part of their regular course of study in spelling. These selected lists of words were pronounced to the children by the regular classroom teachers

in accordance with written instructions handed to the principles of the nine buildings and by them communicated to their teachers. The teachers were instructed to follow the ordinary class procedure in the matter of writing, pronunciation, explanation of words, or more than one meaning, etc. Immediately upon completion of the test, the papers were collected, scored by the teachers, results recorded on sheets prepared for the purpose, and both papers and results sent to the office of the Survey Commission in the high school building, where the papers were checked for errors. 3. Results of the test. The results of this test appear in the following tables and diagrams, which present the facts by schools, by grades, and for the city as a whole.

The scores are computed according to the method employed by errors in arriving at his norms for the Aeroid spelling scale. 20 people spelling 20 words each would make 400 spellings. If 100 of the spellings were incorrect, the percentage of accuracy would be 400 into 300 or 75%. The median scores by grades and by schools are also shown, because they give a better idea of the spelling efficiency of a group of individuals than does the percentage of accuracy. 4. Results by schools and for the city as a whole. Table 22 gives results by schools and for the city as a whole. In this table the scores are arranged in rank order on the basis of the percentage of accuracy. Table 22 is displayed on the page, showing average of median scores by schools and for city as a whole.

Rank order by median scores is indicated by the figures in parenthesis to the right of the column art median score. The last column on right gives the average amount of time per week devoted to the number. per week devoted to spelling in each school. This table shows the average spelling ability of the pupils in the different schools, all-thone school with 90% of the accuracy on the average scale as the high-inch average score, and Lincoln School with 70% as the lowest average score. The letter is the only school in which the general average falls below the average scale norm of 73%. For the city as a whole, the percent of accuracy is 79, or six points above the area's standard on the same

words. From the column of medium scores, it appears that at least 50% of the children in every boys' age school made a score as 75% or better. In the Hawthorne School, 50% of the children made scores of 95 or 100. This is a small school, however, with only 57 pupils in the 3rd, 4th and 5th grade present on the day the test was given. The average amount of time divert to spelling in the Hawthorne schools is 193 minutes per week. or 83 minutes per week, more than the average for the city as a whole. Spelling efficiency in this score is undoubtedly attained at two greater cost in time. This 83 minutes would better be used otherwise.

5. Results by schools, by grades, and for the city as a whole. Table 23 shows the distribution of average scores in spelling by schools, by grades, and for the city as a whole, as well as the total number of pupils in each of the grades. The data presented in this table are graphically set fourth in figure 16, which shows the highest and lowest grades in each school. The school average, the average for this city as a whole, and the average standard norm for the words given to each grade. There is a marked difference in spelling efficiency between the different grades at the same school. From the figures above and below the margins, it may be seen that the third grade in the central school made only 64% whereas grade 5 made an average score of 93%. The Wittier School presents a similar extreme case where the third grade made a score of 98%,

while the fourth grade made an average score of only 69%. The grade making the lowest average score for the city as a whole was a fourth grade of the Lincoln School, with an average of only 55%, while the highest score was made by the third grade of the Wittier's school, with a score of 98%. All the grades on the lower margin except the fifth grade of the Hawthorn School made average scores below both of the city average and the average standard norm and give evidence of spelling efficiency below what should reasonably be expected of them. Grade 4 most often ranks lowest, grade 7 most often ranks highest and there is very little correlation between amount of time spent in

the study and resultation of spelling and average scores attained in the spelling test. Table 23 is displayed on the previous page, spelling test distribution of average scores by schools, by grades and for the city as a whole. Figure 16 is displayed on the previous page, results the spelling test by schools. Table 24 is displayed on the page, showing the percentage of children of each grade, who attained each of the possible scores in spelling. The above comparison of schools based on the best average score made by any grade, or on the lowest average score made by any grade,

or the comparison of any given school, with a city average and standard norm, clearly indicate the diversity of standards that exist among the different schools and among the different grades in the same school and suggest the necessity for careful administrative attention to the problem of equalizing the differences that now exist. 6. Results by individuals In order to get a complete picture of the spelling efficiency of the school children in Boise,

it is necessary to study the individual scores of the children in the spelling test, as well as the average scores by schools and by grades. For example, the average score of the pupils in the third grade of the orthone score was 92%. He has 74% of the mistakes were made by 30% of the pupils. The third grade of the Lincoln School made an average score of 81%, but 91% of the mistakes were made by 40% of the pupils. These cases suggest that a few very poor spellers in a given grade

may pull down the average of that grade materially. A distribution by individual scores will indicate proportion of poor and very poor spellers in the different grades and in the city as a whole. Table 24 shows the distribution of the individual scores and the percentage of children of each grade who attained each of the possible scores for 100 to 0 inclusive. The facts presented at Table 24 as shown graphically in figure 17 for each grade separately and for this city as a whole. Discussing first the distribution of scores for the entire city, which includes the records of

1,705 children. We find that 23.0% were nearly 1.10% or nearly 1.5.5 children. 1 or 4 for the total number spell the entire 20 words of the test correctly. 14% spell all but 1 word correctly, 9.7% spell all but 2 and 9.4% spell all but 3 of the words of the test correctly. All the other possible scores including 0 are represented by the table by rapidly decreasing percentages of children. When the distribution my grades are considered, we find the grades 3, 4 and 5 have a distribution similar to the 1 for the 6, city as a whole, while grade 6 and 7 have higher percentages attain the score 100, and grade 8 has higher percentages attaining scores 95-85, then attain 100.

Figure 18 shows the proportion of good spellers to poor spellers for each grade and for the entire city. There is 71% of the children of the Boise schools whose spelling ranks above the Ares scale standard, 73, and 29% whose scores fall below that standard. The eighth grade make the best showing in this comparison, with 77.6% of its pupils attaining scores above the area standard, while the third and fourth grades make the poorest showing with only 64.7 and 65.4% of their pupils attaining scores above the standard. From Table 24 and Vigures 17 and 18, it appears that the spelling test was too easy for approximately 25% of the children in the boys' age schools, and too difficult for another 25%.

pedagogical problem presented is how to adjust the work in spelling in such a way as to provide work sufficiently difficult to enlist the best energies of the good spellers, thus saving them from acquiring habits of oneness, and likewise how to bring the poor spellers up to a reasonable standard of efficiency without devoting a disproportionate time to the spelling work. Figure 17 is displayed on the page, showing for a city as a whole, and by grades the percentage of children attaining each of the possible scores. It is very doubtful if satisfactory results can be secured under the present plan of conducting spelling exercises by whole half grades. By the user's standard tests and by plotting the daily scores in spelling,

it should be possible for teachers to group their pupils according to spelling ability. Figure 18 is displayed on the page, showing percent of pupils in each grade, and for the city as a whole, attaining and the percent of those, failing to attain the area's standard score of 73. Work could then be given to these groups commensurate with their capacity to perform it. Whenever the fast group had attained approximately perfection in the spelling work assigned to its school grade, formal spelling for the members of that group could be dispensed with and the attention of the teacher concentrated upon the slow group.

In this way much time would be saved to those who are ahead of their grade in spelling, or those who are behind would receive the individual attention they need to bring their work up to the standard. Also the extreme variations that now appear between the spelling abilities of individuals and of grades would tend to disappear. 7. Conclusions In general it may be said then, though our Boise ranks well above the Aero's standard and average spelling efficiency. It ranks low in the percentage of poorest spellers found in each grade, and there is evidence of serious-lager coordination in the amount of time devoted to zayloric. spelling in the different grades.

Considering the way in which it is utilized, there is too much time given to spelling in most of the grades. According to the plan suggested above, of grouping pupils according to ability for purposes of drill and spelling, time could be allotted according to the needs of the groups organized. The slow groups could be given sufficient time to admit a considerable amount of individual attention to their needs by the teacher, while the fast group could be given less time, or more difficult work to accomplish. The excellent showing on the Boise schools in their spelling test should not blind the administrative authorities

to the necessity of making the necessary adjustments and methods of supervising the teaching of spelling in order to reduce a minimum, the number of pupils who fall below a reasonable standard of spelling efficiency. The present showing on 29% who failed to reach the area-scale standard of 73% of accuracy should stand as a challenge to teachers and supervisors alike. sparing them to make a determined cooperative effort to improve conditions with respect to this subject of spelling. The test in arithmetic. Tests in arithmetic were given to pupils in seven schools and grades 3 to 8 inclusive during the last week of May 2019.

1. Character of Tests The tests are known as the Cleveland Arithmetic Tests. They cover the fundamental operations of arithmetic. There were 15 different sets. designated by the letters, A, B, C, D, EFG, H-I-J-K, L-M-N, and O. The sets were arranged in a setting series according to difficulty, but the different operations were interwoven in such a way as to give change and varieties sufficient to sustain interest

and reduce fatigue to a minimum. The examples in Set A were in the addition of two figures. Set E was addition again in the form of five-figure columns. Set J of 13. figure columns and set M was composed of examples in the addition of four columns of five figures each. Set B was of a subtraction of one figure from one or two figure numbers. Set F, subtraction of three figure numbers from three and four figure numbers. Sets C, G and L were in multiplication, sets D, I, K and N in division and sets H and O in fractions. The above described tests were

used because they cover all the fundamental operations in arithmetic according to a spiral arrangement as to difficulty and likewise because essentially the same tests have been recently employed in the school survey of Cleveland, Ohio, Grand Rapids, Michigan and St. Louis, Missouri. The results of the tests in Boise, therefore, will show not only the absolute achievement of Boise public school children in various phases of the subject of arithmetic, but also their relative achievement when compared to the children of other cities where the same tests have been applied. 2. Methods of Applying Test. Members of the survey staff, assisted by principals, teachers and supervisors carefully instructed the methods of giving the tests, conducted the test exercises in the school

selected for the purpose. The time allowances were the same for each set as employed in the Cleveland and other surveys, and ranged from 30 seconds to three minutes, according to the complexity of the operation. Between each two sets, a few minutes rest period was allowed. After the completion of the 9th set, a 10-minute out-of-doors recess was given, before the last six sets were attempted. The following instructions to pupils were printed on each test folder. Inside this folder are examples which you are to work out when the teacher tells you to begin. Work rapidly and accurately. There are more problems in each set than you can work out in the time that will be allowed. Answers don't count if they are wrong. Begin and stop promptly at signals from the

teacher. At the conclusion of the test, teachers read the correct answer as loud, instructing the children to mark each correct example of a C. The children then are told to count the number of examples attempted at the number of Cs and to write the number in the columns at the right of the page marked, as and writes, respectively. Results were then transferred to the first page of the folder for ready reference, and teachers carefully verify the results before turning the folders over to the representative of the survey staff. Finally, all papers were checked for errors by the members of the survey staff and their trained assistance. Three, general results. The median number of examples solved correctly in each set, but each grade for this city as a whole is set fourth on table 25. The third

grades attempted only the first four sets, A, B, C, and D, while the fourth grades in order. attempt sets N and O. Wherever O appears in the tables as the median score of grade means that more than 50% of the pupils in that grade earn a score of zero in that set, i.e. failed to solve any of the examples attempted. Table 25 shows relatively constant progress from grade to grade in each of the fundamental arithmetic processes covered by the different sets. The most striking exception to this rule being found in connection with the median score is attained in set H. addition of simple fractions with like denominators. In this set the fourth grade makes a score of 0, the 5th a score of 3.7, examples, the 6th,

a score of 0, the 7th, a score of 3.5 examples, and the 8th a score of 5.8. There is only a difference of 2.1 examples between the score of the 5th grade and that of the 8th grade, while the 6th grade fails entirely, and the 7th makes a lower score and the fifth in this set. In set O, on the other hand, which involve complex operations in fractions, there appears to be consistent progress from grade to grade, beginning in the fifth. The fact that grade 6 makes a median score of 217 examples solved in set O, complex fractions, and a score of 0 in set H, simple fractions, would argue that it was something in the nature of test H that caused the results to be so uneven.

Comparison of the Boise results with those in other cities seem to point. On the other hand, to write the serious deficiencies in the Boise method of handling the subject of fractions. 4. Comparison of Cleveland In Figure 19, comparison is made between the median scores of all the grades in Boise in all sets, with similar scores attained by the public school children of Cleveland. Table 25 is displayed on the page. Median scores by grades in all sections of arithmetic tests for entire. city. The Boise scores are represented by the solid bars, the Cleveland scores by the broken bars.

It may be said in general that the Boise 3rd and 4th grades make high scores, set by set, then do the Cleveland 3rd and 4th grades. That there is very little difference between the median scores of the 2 cities for the 5th and 6th grades, except in test age, where Cleveland makes much the better showing, and that the Cleveland 7th and 8th grades appear to make better scores in the majority of the sets than in the Boise 7th and 8th grades. Of the 78 median scores compared, there are 40 in which the children of the Boise schools made higher scores, 34 in which they made lower scores, and four in which they made the same score as the children are the same grades in the Cleveland schools. Figure 19 is displayed

on the page. Comparison of the median scores in Boise, where similar scores attained in Cleveland. 5. Comparison of Boise with three other cities In Table 26, comparison is made between the median scores by Graze and sets HKLM and O for Boise, Cleveland, Grand Rapids and St. Louis. Sets H and O are fractions. Set K is a long division where 3 place and 4 place numbers are divided by 2 place numbers. In set L, 4 place numbers are what applied by 2 place numbers. In Set M, 4 columns of 5 figures, each are to be added. When we compare Boise's record in set H with that of the other three cities, we find that Boise occupies fourth place, whilst in Lewis occupies first place.

The record of the St. Louis 4th grade, a medium 7.3 examples solved, is 1.5 examples higher than the Boise 8th grade record. If we assume that the results obtained in Set H by the Cleveland and Grand Rapids schools, represent a reasonable standard of achievement. It is apparent that Boise is attaining very unsatisfactory results, while St. Louis is probably spending too much time on the subject of fractions. In Set K, Cleveland occupies first place. Boise and St. Louis are about equal, and Grad Rapids makes the poorest showing.

In fairness to the three last-named cities, it should be said, however, that the examples used in set K in their Cleveland survey were easier than the examples for set K in the revised test, used in Grand Rapids, St. Louis and Boise. The development of ability to handle problems in long division seems to be quite consistent from grade to grade in all four cities. In the multiplication of four place numbers by two place numbers, set L, St. Louis again occupies first place. Boise and Grand Rapids make records that are about equal and Cleveland is at the bottom. Table 26 is displayed on the page, comparing median scores by a grade of grade, and set HKL M and O for Boise, Cleveland, Grand Rapids and Zin Lewis schools.

Boisei occupies first place in the comparisons for set M, addition of four columns of five figures each, and requiring the carrying forward of results. St. Louis and Grand Rapids make records are about equal while Cleveland comes last again. Set O requires addition, division, subtraction and multiplication of fractions. St. Louis occupies first place, Cleveland, and Grand rabbits are about equal and Boise's last. The St. Louis 6th grade makes a better score than the Boise 8th grade in this set. If Boise had made an inferior record in a majority of the sets, where compared with the records of the other three cities, it might be possible to explain the failure in dealing with fractions on the ground of the nine weeks interruption of school activities

on account of the influencer epidemic during the school year 19, 18, 1919, but since Boise's record compares failure with the records of the the other three cities in all sets, except the two sets involving fractions, it is apparent that the failure here is due to some cause that can be eliminated by proper teaching and supervision. The treatment of fractions is the outstanding weakness of the Boise scores so far as the subject of arithmetic is concerned. 6. Results by schools. Median scores by grades for each school and each test set are included in table 27. The general result should shown in Table 25 and 26 are useful as revealing the status of the Boys A public schools

were compared with the schools of other cities in regard to progress in arithmetic. Table 27 was a much greater interest to Boys A teachers and school officials because it discloses the results set by set for each grade and each school where the tests were given. Thus the third grade teacher to the Woodier School is enabled to compare the median scores attained by her pupils in the four sets of examples with the scores of all the other third grades, taking the tests, and also with the city medians for that grade. The Longfellow School fourth grade makes a median score of 7.8 examples in set H, while all the

other fourth grades, except the Wittier, make median scores of zero. In fact, the record of the Longfellow school in set 8 supports the contention that proper methods and supervision in the teaching of fractions would have brought Boise's record up to that of the other cities. Longfellow's grades make the following scores in said age, fourth, 7.8, 5th, 8.0, 6, 410, 7th, 9.0, 8th, 10.2. Or about the equivalent to the median scores made by the St. Louis schools. Contrast the Longfellow scores in set age with the scores made by Park School, which were 4th, 0.5th, 2.5, 60, 7th, 80, 8th. Certainly the responsibility for such extreme differences in median scores must be laid to inadequate teaching and supervision. Differences that exist between grades in the same school may be illustrated by the contrast between the results attained by all the grades in the Longfellow school except the sixth,

or the median scores earned by the fourth, fifth, seventh and eighth grades of the Longfellow school are compared with the scores of the other schools. Set by set. Longfellow ranks 1, 2 or 3 consistently. but when it comes to the long for the sixth grade, the rank is 7. Table 27 is displayed on the following pages. Comparison of median scores by grades and schools for each test set. Third grades, total number of pupils, 89. Table 28 shows the ranks attained by each of the seven scores in their sixth grades. The final rank for each school's sixth grade was worked out by adding together,

the ranks attained by the sixth grade of each school and each set. and considering that score as ranking first the sum of whose ranks was least. Thus the sum of the ranks attained by the sixth grade of the Lowell school was 34, while the sum of the ranks for Longfellow school's sixth grade was 83. Lowell is given rank 1 and Longfellow ranks 7. By treating the results in all grades of all the scores, at the manner illustrated in Table 28, it was possible to arrive at an approximation of the relative standards of the seven scores,

where the arithmetic test was given, i.e. Lowell 1, Longfellow 2, Garfield 3, Central 4, Washington 5, Woody 6, and at Park 7. Table 28 is displayed on the page, showing rank order of schools in each set of tests for 6 grades. 7. Individual Differences Figure 20 shows the differences in schools owned by the 7th grade pupils of the Park School in each set of the arithmetic. test. Thus in set A, the number of examples solved range from 13 to 39, in sent B from 11 to 40, in set C from 9 to 30, inset D from 4 to 28, etc. A distribution of scores representing total number of examples solved in the time-allowed by each pupil according to the chronological ages of the pupil discloses the following. Chronological age, 11 years, total number of examples,

149, 12 years, 1. 141, 13 years 135, 14 years 123, 15 years 95. It is as much as the 11-year-olds in the 7th grade are accelerated, and the 15-year-olds are retarded for that grade. It appears that individual differences within a given grade are primarily due to differences in inevitability rather than to differences in training. This idea is further illustrated in Table 29, which gives in detail the scores made by the pupils solving the greatest, and least number of examples in the seventh grade of the Park School. Here it appears that a girl 12 years, 11 months of age, solve 225 examples in 22 minutes of working time, or 10.2 examples per minute. While a boy 15 years in one month of age,

repeating the 7b grade, solve 78 examples in 22 minutes working time, or 3.5 examples per minute. Figure 21, where the two scores just referred to, are shown with reference to the city median scores for the seventh grade shows how wide apart these two pupils were in every set of examples except set 1, where they both made a score of two examples correctly solved. The score of the lowest pupil correspond almost exactly to the median scores for the fourth grade, while the scores of the highest pupil are equal to or above the medians for each grade, except in set 1. Here then, are pupils in the same school grade who are fully four grades apart in

arithmetical ability. Figure 20 is displayed on the page, individual differences of 31, 7p pupils in Park School, showing lowest and high scores made in each set. Table 29 is displayed on the page, showing individual differences within the seventh grade part school. The existence of such individual differences, as have just been discussed, suggests the necessity for a more scientific system of grading a classification that needs to be found in the majority of our school systems. The use of intelligence test is a basis for classifying and grading pupils according to ability would undoubtedly be one of the features of such an improved system. An immediate need

for ungraded rooms for special cases like this is obvious. 8. Accuracy In all the preceding tables, meetings have been based on the number of examples correctly solved and no account is being taken of attempts. A few words should be said regarding the relation between attempt and rights, as a means of illustrating this relationship, the median number of attempts and the median number of rights for each grade in sets M and O in three schools where tests were given to all grades from 4th to 8th inclusive were worked out. The results are shown

in figure 22. Figure 21 is displayed on the previous page comparing Lewis and highest seventh grade scores in the Park School with city median. In the fundamental operations represented by set M, the percentage of accuracy is very much higher for all the grades than in the complex operations, represented by set O. For set M, the percentage of accuracy ranges from 68.0 to 78.4. While in set O, the range of accuracy is from 15.0% in the fifth grade to 40.6% the 8th grade. Since success in solving problems and following fractions seems to depend or knowing how than a routine drill. The maturity of the pupils is a fundamental item to be taken into account in teaching methods

and organization of subject matter in arithmetic. There would probably be no appreciable loss in ability to handle fractions in the 8th grade if their introduction into the courses in arithmetic should be postponed until the beginning of the 6th grade. Figure 22 is displayed on the previous page showing the median number of attempts and the median number of rights. For each grade in sets M and O in three schools. Summary 1. The general record of Boise in the arithmetic test when compared to that of other cities where the same test has been applied is very good.

The most important exception has been sets H and O, which deal with fractions. 2. The differences that exist between schools as shown by their records in the arithmetic test point in necessity of using the standard rather than local tests in determining the efficiency. of teaching methods. The results of such tests should be carefully studied by individual teachers and supervisors, with a view to revising and improving their own classroom procedure in arithmetic. 3. The uneven results secured in the tests involving fractions suggests necessity for improvement in the technique of hand the phase of the study of arithmetic, and also the possibility of postponing the introduction of fractions until the 5A or 6B grades.

4. The intimate connection between native endowment and success in the complicated operations arithmetic emphasizes the necessity for the use of psychological tests as it aided in the more scientific rating and classification on the pupils in our public schools. Recommendations Chapter 4 described Boise's curriculum and indicated the time cost of the various subjects. The results of tests here report indicate the extent of Boise's success in teaching three different subjects. and at the same time bring to light the weak and strong points in these three lines of instruction. The suggestions are obvious that these subjects are not properly supervised. Their no common aim denominates instruction in the various classrooms,

and at the time cost of these results has not been properly considered. In fact, when a grade 8 in one school makes a score of 68 in spelling, while another score the same grade makes 83, one must conclude that the term grade has little meaning in principle. practice. It is accordingly recommended the more real supervision of instruction being provided for that teachers and supervisors carry on studies similar to those here reported, to the end that the grade and class organization of the schools shall be thoroughly checked up, that some

kind of special classes be provided for handling the many pupils who are so far below standard that special attention also be given to the children who are so much above standard. the content of the curriculum be thoroughly revised and reorganized, and finally that series considerations be given to the relation of time allotment to results achieved in the classroom. End of Section 5. Section 6 of the Boys A's Survey by Jesse Brandage series. This is a Librevox according, or Librevox Accordings from the public domain. For more information on to volunteer, please visit Librevox.org.

Recorded by Leon Harvey. Number 6. Progress of the Children in the Schools. Williams. The distribution of the pupils. Like most other cities, the schools of Boise group the pupils in the elementary schools into 16 grades, each of which represents the half-year's work. The efficiency of the schools in holding pupils through this series of grades is indicated in a general way by the relative enrollment as we pass up the scale from the first grade to the high school. The holding power of the Boise School is more effective than in most cities, as evidenced by the fact that while the entering class contains 199 pupils, there are 145 pupils completing the last work preparatory to entering high school. The maintenance of even enrollment is a highly commendable feature of the school system and is complementary to the community. Figure 23 shows the percentages of the city's children who are retarded at age and accelerated respectively.

The distribution of the pupils by ages and grades is shown in table 30. This table includes 2,502 pupils representing the enrollment in May 1919, compiled from data furnished by the teachers. The heavy lines running diagonally down the table from left to right enclose the numbers which represent pupils who are at age, meaning that they are in the grade in which they should be expected to be according to commonly accepted age grade standards. These pupils may be said to be making normal progress in so far as that rate of progress can be inferred from their present location. This group includes, for the first grade, or the pupils who are between 6.5 and 8 years of age, for the second grade, those who are between 7.5 and 9 years, etc. It assumes the entering of school at about 7 and completing the grades during the 14th year.

The at-age group contains 1,012 pupils, or about 40, percent of the entire enrollment. This would suggest that the standard is fair and that it can be easily followed by most of the pupils according to the present standards of instruction and promotion. Figure 23 is displayed on the page. Extend of acceleration, normal progress and retardation in Boyshead schools in May 2019. Accelerated pupils The numbers above the diagonal lines in Table 30 represent the pupils who are beyond the grades in which the expectations would place them for their ages. This group includes 894 pupils or nearly 36% of the entire enrollment.

The extent of the acceleration is indicated by the distance above the upper diagonal line. Thus the child who is represented as being in the second half of the first grade at less than six years of age is advanced two years beyond those in the same grade who are just making the expected progress. Six pupils are completing the latter half of the eighth grade at 12 years, which also represents two years acceleration. Most of the rapid group, however, are but slightly above the more progress lines, and it will be seen that no pupil is advanced more than two years. From Table 31 is evident that the tendency to be two years advanced increases towards

the eighth grade, while the tendency to be one year advanced decreases. It appears that these pupils are accelerated, not by reason of the accident of entering school earlier than the other pupils, but because they have been found capable of more advanced work than most of the children of the same age. Table 30 is displayed on the page, age grade distribution in Boise Public Schools May 2019. Table 31 is displayed on the following page, extent of acceleration and retardation by grades. They have been permitted to skip grades or to be promoted into a higher grade before the usual promotion time.

They thus become a valuable asset to the schools and to the community, not only because of their superior ability, but because the schools have recognized as ability and have given it an opportunity for expression where it can operate most effectively. Some of the most important developments in public education in recent years have been found upon the variability of children at the same age. The promotional pupils according to their capacities is a commendable practice and should be further encouraged. a child is capable of completing the eight years' work in six years.

It is to his advantage and to the disadvantage of the scores that he be permitted and encouraged to do so. The promotional pupils on the basis of intelligence tests, as suggested in another chapter of this report, will serve to bring about a better distribution through the grades. Retarded pupils. Referring again to the age grade distribution table, 30, the numbers below the diagonal lines represent the pupils who are behind their class and point of age. The extent of the deviation from the normal section represents the degree of retardation. Each space and vertical columns representing a half year. For example, the two pupils in grade 3A were more than 12 and a half years of age,

are three years retired, being six spaces removed from the 82 children who are of the normal age for that grade. In the amount of retardation, Boise ranks high in comparison with other cities. Figure 24, in which a number of American cities are compared, shows a position of Boise in this respect. In most cities, it has been found that about one-third of the pupils are retarded. In Boise, the proportion is 23.5% or less than one-fourth. In some communities, as many as one-half of the pupils are retarded, but in most western cities, steps have been taken in recent years to bring these laggars up to grade, and thus to reduce the amount of retardation, with its undesirable consequences. Extent of Retardation

It will be seen from the accompanying tables, the retardation is common to all the grades. It increases up to the 6th grade and thereafter falls off slightly, probably on account of the dropping out of retired pupils in the upper grades. The smallest proportions, as might be expected, are found in the first two grades. Table 32 is displayed on the page, number and percentage of retired pupils by grades. Figure 24 is displayed on the page, retardation in American cities. Tables 31 and 32 summarize by grades, the extent to retardation and acceleration. While the amount of retardation is in part compensated by the amount of acceleration, each expressed in gross quantities. It should be noted that the extent of the downward distribution is greater than that of the upward distribution.

The greater proportion of each group deviates but one year from the limited normal progress, and while only 8% of the rapid group are accelerated more than one year, 32% of the slow group are retarded more than one year. This fact should be taken into consideration in any comparison of age-grade statistics. The number of accelerated, normal and retired pupils is shown by schools, by grades, and for the city as a whole in Table 33. Table 33 is displayed on the following page. Acceleration, normal progress, and retardation by whole grades and by schools.

Results of Retodation If the pupils of any classroom in Boise should be stood in a line, arranged an order of age, from the youngest to the oldest, and each decorated with a placard indicating his age, some of the difficulties of group instruction would be indicated to any observer. A class of 7a pupils, for example, might include pupils all the way from 10 to 17 years of age, arranged nearly equal to the span covered by the entire elementary school course. In some cases, as is pointed out in another chapter, the mental capacity range in single classrooms is nearly as great.

Figure 25 is displayed on the page, age distribution of pupils in grade 4B. In figure 25, the age range of pupils in grade 4B is shown graphically. The youngest pupil is 7.5, the oldest is 14. While this is not a single room, it nevertheless represents the range of ages among the pupils in Boise, who are doing the same kind of work, but in the same period of time. The pupils to the left of the chart, up to nine years of age, are young for their class. The pupils to the right above 10 years of age are overage for their class. Many of these older pupils are doubtless repeating the work, some of them for the second or third time.

Others are merely behind in their progress due to the sickness or other causes. Others are behind simply because they lack the capacity to do the work. Whatever the reasons for this wide distribution, the effects are not. throughout the schools. Large overgrown pupils are an associated with younger pupils. This is not necessarily an undesirable condition, but it would work better for social advancement if pupils of equal ability and equal experience associated in their work. Backward pupils often carry an attitude of indifference, which is psychologically bad for the school. The bringing of retarded pupils up to grade constitutes the definite

social and educational contribution on the part of the teacher who accomplishes the act. It refers, of course, to the actual improvement of the pupil, not merely to passing him along to the next grade, irrespect of his achievements. A still more important result of retardation and slow progress is lots of pupils from the schools because of discouragement. Many pupils drop out of school at the sixth or seventh grade. The reason given is usually one more justifiable than discouragement, yet it is evident in many cases that the pupil would have continued in school had he felt the encouragement of success. The present value placed on education in every line of practical endeavor

makes an urgent duty of the schools to carry all pupils as far as the mental capacity permits. The school should be made more attractive than the competing offers from the commercial world. Causes of retardation Probably the most common cause of school retardation is retarded mental development. There are often other accompanying conditions, some of which may appear to be the immediate cause. If a mentally retired boy is also physically handicapped, the physical defect, because it is more easily observed, is likely to be assigned as the cause. Investigations with intelligence tests among public school children have shown that pupils can do successfully only work which is within the limits of their intelligence. Sixth grade work, for example, which requires approximately a 12-year intelligence,

cannot be done well by a child whose mental development is but 10 years. Among the laggodes shown in the age-grade table, and especially among the more seriously retarded pupils, will be found many who are really up to grade if their mental ages were used as a basis for reckoning. On the other hand, among the same group of laggots may be found some who are really capable of doing the work of a higher grade, but who were being held back merely for the sake of the formal requirements of the school.

A recent investigation by Dr. Lewis M. Terman found that children who are in grades corresponding to their mental ages are doing work of an average quality. The standards for mental age grade classification are approximately the same as a basis of which we have calculated the age grade distribution for the Boise schools. We are children who fall below these mental standards. They usually found to being capable of doing the work of their normal classmates. without special individual instruction. Dr. Turnman also found that an equal injustice was being worked to children who were held back below the grade indicated by their intelligence. The promotion of pupils on the basis of mental age is likely to become

the practice for the public schools of the future. Physical conditions also may cause retardation. Eye, ear, nose and throat trouble, decayed teeth, etc. Frequently prevent the normal expression of intelligence as applied to schoolwork. A very large proportion of physical defects is found among retired children, while there is a tendency to overestimate the effect of these conditions on school work, especially where low intelligence is also involved. It is no less important that all remedial defects receive the attention of the school authorities. Another cause often given for retardation is poor home conditions. In incompetent or indifferent parents, weak supervision, crowded or in sanitary living quarters,

poverty, etc. cannot contribute much to the investment of the children. In some cases, the children are called upon to help support the family. Frequently sickness and disease prevent regular attendance. In many cases, the quality of the home reflects the intelligence of the family. These facts may not be so much the cause of retardation as an accompanying consequence of some social cause lying further back. Fuga 26 is displayed on the page. Ages of children, enrolled in beginning classes of Boise schools. It is surprising how little the schools know about the home conditions of the pupils and of the retardation between these conditions and school progress. The bringing of the home and the school into close a

relationship cannot fail to help incorrect the bad effects of retardation. Late entering of school does not appear to have been a serious factor in causing retardation of Boise. The distribution of age is indicated by figure 26 for the entering grade in the case that nearly all the children begin school early enough to allow for their continuance with their normal age limits throughout the grades. The 8-9-11-year-old pupils in the beginning classes are for the most part pupils who have entered at the usual age but who have failed to pass. Summary

The age-grade distribution suggests that Boise occupies a high place among American cities with reference to the grading of pupils by age. The proportion of retardation is 23.5% of the enrollment. This retardation, although of relatively small proportion, extends into 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5-year groups. The effect of seriously overage pupils is detrimental to the progress of the schools.

There are many causes of 4 retardation, chief among which is, the wide variability of children in mental capacity. The schools should inquire to specific causes for individual cases in order that a proper grading and classification of pupils may be maintained. End of Section 6. Section 7 of the Boys' A's Survey by Jesse Brunditch series. This is the Librivox According, or Librevox Accordings from the public domain.

For more information on to volunteer, please visit Libravox.org, recorded by Leon Harvey. Chapter 7. Individual differences among the children. Williams The variability of children It is evident that the present organization of the public schools implies an abundance of faith in the age of a given child as a basis upon which his education is to proceed.

It happens, fortunately enough, that the use of this basis is not incorrect scientifically. Recent psychological investigations have shown that mental and physical development proceed in the main with age. The average child of 11 years is physically and mentally 10% in advance of the average child of 10 years every year of age as a year of physical growth and intelligence to this strictly normal child. Thus when children are grouped together by ages as they are in the schools, they are also grouped roughly into comparable divisions as regards natural development.

The fortunate feature of this grouping is that the child who happens to be different from the other children of his age is required to suffer the consequences of being incorrectly placed. They are the misfits of the existing system, here the schools exist for these children as well as for the great majority who were more nearly alike. It is not within the power of most of these exceptional children to adjust themselves to the system, nor is it proper that they should be made to do so if they could. Such children are found in all the grades of the Boise schools and may have been pointed out by their teachers as special problems which cannot be effectively met by the regular school

procedure. It is the purpose of this chapter to indicate the extent as in the evidence of these cases and to make some suggestions for adjusting the schools to meet individual needs. Mental differences A blank was submitted to all the teachers, of which they were asked to indicate the intelligence of each pupil, classifying them to five groups. The intelligence groups were named and defined as follows. Feeble-minded Encapable of profiting normally from public school instruction

Will not develop mentally above the average child of 12 years Backward Mentally dull, blow normal But not feeble-minded With special help Could receive much benefit from regular instruction Average Equal to the average child of the same age

Superior Notably above average Amund the brightest 20% of the population Very superior Among the brightest 3 or 4% of the population Each teacher was requested to list all the pupils in a room and to indicate her classification of each child. Table 34 is a summary of the data obtained from all schools by grades.

As expected, more than one half of the pupils were classified as average and all but a very few placed in the adjustment groups. The feeble minor group includes 18 pupils and the very superior group 43 pupils. These proportions were generally found in the classifications by individuals. teachers and we are led to the belief that the terms were interpreted similarly throughout the schools. A few teachers who reported no mental differences among the pupils, making them all average

or superior, evidently interpreted the classification quite differently from the other teachers. The number of such cases was too small, however, seriously to affect the general classification. Indiligence testing The mental difference is revealed by the teacher's classification significant as they are merely suggest that still more important different different. which are brought out by tests of intelligence. Table 34 is displayed on the page, teaches estimates of intelligence by grades.

The science of education is progressing so rapidly that the school may well seek the most accurate and finely graded information it is possible to obtain for each child. We measure the length, volume and weight of physical substances. We measure water, light, electricity, gas, air pressure, temperature, rate of travel, and many other things, because by the length,

because by their measurement and evaluation we are enabled to use them more effectively and thus contribute to more efficient living for the same reasons it is desirable to learn as much as possible about the intelligence of school children intelligence being the most important single factor in their school achievement and life success the measurement of intelligence has been reduced to such simple terms there's within the range of all schools the minute's silent scale a series of tests for this purpose should be applied in all cases where decisions are necessary as to the mental capacity of children.

It will be still more desirable to have intelligence tests made regularly of all the pupils entering the schools. So much depends upon intelligence that the neglect of this important factor as hand-capped the education of many children. It will be a wise undertaking to have tests made of all pupils in the schools and to establish standards of classification and promotion upon the basis of the results obtained. Superior children According to the classification made by the teachers, 348 pupils, or about 15% of the enrollment, are of superior intelligence. Of this number, 43 pupils were classified as very superior, their intelligence being so marked as to place them among the brightest 3% or 4% of the population.

Allowing for minor errors of judgment, there is good reason to believe that these estimates represent as true an account of the facts in Boise as it would be possible to obtain without extensive psychological testing. These superior children are distributed throughout the city, each school and each grade having its quota. The majority of them are accelerated in their school progress, i.e. are in grades beyond average pupils at the same age. There's accounts, in part, for the acceleration shown in the age grade table. Some of them, however, are not accelerated, but have been held in the grades indicated by their ages. Some cases there is, actual retardation of pupils classified as superior by their teachers.

There are several reasons why some children of superior intelligence do not progress more rapidly in school. In some instances, sickness of physical ailment has prevented regular application to school work. In some cases the pupils are making up work lost through absence or transfer. There are some superior children, as there are children of all other degrees of intelligence who do not try to apply themselves to the fullest extent of their intelligence. intelligence. Frequently parents object to the promotion of their children more rapidly than the traditional rate. Another reason, perhaps the most serious of all, is a failure of the schools to recognize superior middle capacity and to assign pupils to the grades which are best suited

to their intelligence. Superior children contribute a valuable asset to the school system and to the community. Recent investigations have shown that intelligence is a fairly constant factor throughout the growing period and that bright children retain their brightness and become bright adults. The histories of many of our most brilliant men and women reveal the fact that they indicated their superiority when they were schoolchildren. Since it is the obligation of the schools to serve the community as effectively as possible, it should be considered prime due to provide educational opportunities commensurate with the intelligence of each child. Among the superior children, the Boise schools are some who will be classed among our leaders,

and even perhaps among our geniuses of the future. If the promotion is just to be. justified by actual measurements of intelligence. There is no reason why superior children should not be advanced as rapidly as their intelligence is developing. In some cases, this will mean advancing them until they are two, three or even four grades ahead of other children of the same age. Parents are sometimes reluctant to agree to rapid promotion, fearing that child's health would be injured by overcrowding his mind. There is, of course, grave danger of pushing any child to the point of extreme taxation of his mental processes. Overworking the mind is even more serious than of working the body.

It should be remembered, however, that a child of eight with a mental development of ten years is mentally equal to the average child two years older than himself. It is not a mental burden for such a child to do the work of ten-year-olds. In fact, it may be much more in keeping with his normal performance ability to advance him than to keep him with the eight-year-olds who are mentally two years his inferior. The safety valve is the psychological test in the hands of a qualifference. in the hands of a qualified person. Opportunity classes for gifted children. The skipping of superior pupils through a series of inflexible grades, while better for them than being made to adhere to a system which prevents the normal expression of their intelligence,

should be considered by a temporary expedient. The opportunity class, for very bright children, has now passed the stage of experimentation. Such classes have several advantages over the skipping system. Some of these enumerated by Dr. Ternman are as follows. 1. They allow children to make rapid progress without skipping vital parts of the subject matter. 2. They allow broadening and enriching of the course of study because of larger accomplishments possible to superior minds. 3. They are a discouragement to vanity because the level of competition is raised and the measure of a child's success depends upon his relative standing in the class.

4. They ensure the mental and moral training which can come are only. from sustained effort. Five, they furnished an atmosphere which is intellectually much more stimulating than that found in the average class. Six, since they bring together children of similar age and attainments, they go far to solve the problem with social adjustment. A trial class of this kind in Boise would doubtless meet with success, no less surprising, than has been obtained in other cities. Back with Children About 16% of the enrollment, 370s. certain individual pupils were listed by their teachers in the backward group.

According to the instructions given, this classification includes those who are mentally dull but not feeble-minded. It was implied that teachers should not list pupils as backward who were merely retired in their schoolwork, but only those who were slightly subnormal in mental capacity. Backwood is such a vague term as it is used in schools that any group of pupils so designated is likely to contain all kinds of pupils. A few years ago, The writer gave intelligence tests to groups of backward pupils in several California cities, and found intelligence quotients ranging from 50 to 108, from feeble modernness to superior intelligence.

It is not improbable that tests applied to the 377 backward pupils of Boise would reveal a similar range of intelligence. One reason for such a liberal use of the term, backward, is a tendency for teachers frequently to mistake backwardness in school subjects for mental weakness. While nearly all mentally adult children do have difficulty with their studies, there are also some normal and even superior children who fail for causes where lack of capacity is not involved. Another reason is the reluctance of some teachers to use the term feeble-minded to describe children in whom they recognise symptoms of a serious mental weakness.

The use of intelligence tests as a basis for classification will prevent many of the errors now made in classifying pupils. Although there are many degrees of backwardness, we may roughly classify backward pupils into three groups. 1. Those who are mentally normal, or nearly so, but his dullness is expressed by lagging in one or two school subjects. 2. Those who are mentally like the group just mentioned, but his donoless is indicated by a rather consistent lagging in nearly all school subjects. And 3. Those in whom actual sublimality of the mental processes is the obvious condition, rather than merely failure in school subjects. is emphasized that all these groups are limited to pupil who are above the level of feeble-mindedness. Batavia teaching for backward pupils.

For the first two groups, the plan of special instruction without segregating in permanent special classes has met with success in many cities. Several methods for this group have been devised, all of them being based chiefly on what is known as the Batavia Plan. By this plan several teachers, especially skilled in the teaching of individuals, individual school subjects and with special training and experience with back with children. Gather the pupils from the different rooms for special drilling in one subject at a time. The first period, for example, may be devoted to arithmetic. At this time the teachers send to the Batavia room all the pupils who had recently fallen behind in arithmetic. The class will be made up of pupils from several different grades,

but the time will be devoted exclusively to helping each pupil with the work which he has failed to get from the regular class. from the regular class. At the end of the period the pupils pass back to their rooms and a period is given in the Batavia room to their teaching of another subject. Any individual pupil may be sent into this room once, twice, or

for a week, two weeks, or as long as may be required. The supposition is that if the pupil has the necessary intelligence he will soon be called up with his class and continue under his regular teacher. If he lacks the capacity to do the work, even with special help of this kind, he may be placed in a lower grade or transferred to a special class.

Skillful and energetic batavia teachers, with the supervision of a good principal, may exert much influence among the pupils of a school, and materially reduce the amount of retardation. The plan merits a little more trial in Boise. Special classes for backward pupils. Pupils are the third group, those whose essential condition is sub-normality, should neither be demoted nor should they be permitted to clog the batavia classes. Achievement in the school's subjects has not increased mental capacity, and there is much in the usual school curriculum of the upper grades

that is best not taught to children bordering on mental deficiency. Such pupils need a special curriculum adapted to their intellectual development. This does not mean intensive drilling on reading, writing, arithmetic, etc., as in the Batavia rooms, but work which may be of an entirely different sort from that at the regular grade. The essential aim of education for all children, normal and subnormal, should be training for the practical adjustments of life. Whether or not the present curriculum succeeds in doing this for normal children, it cannot be expected to function with children who do not have intelligence enough to grasp it or to use it effectively after leaving school. The subnormal

child could be trained especially in meeting the problems of the world in which he used to live. While some occupations require a high degree of intelligence, there are many in which persons of sonorable development can successfully complete, improperly trained and intelligently guided. In these occupations where Lions is placed chiefly on manual skill. In shops, factories and stores where efficient supervision is provided, there are hundreds of persons of subnormal intelligence attaining success and living sober, industrial lives through the encouragement afforded by their vocational achievement. It is children for whom we can anticipate such careers that special classes should be formed in the Boise schools. The special classes should be under the direction of special teachers, professionally trained in the teaching of backward children. Some teachers now engaged in regular classroom work may be developed for this special service. They should have more than the usual teacher training, however.

The special class should never be conceived as simply a place for extra fine teaching of the regular curriculum. In these classes, the use of tools, different kinds of handwork, cooking, sewing, etc., should occupy the greater part of the time. The regular school subjects, if needed at all, should be reduced to the essential minimum. The classes should not exceed 15 pupils at the most, because the individual instruction, not group work, should have the prevailing method. There should be enough of these rooms in Boise to accommodate every backward child who cannot be reached by regular methods or a batavia teacher. or Bataviaeatio teaching. Feeble-minded children.

18 pupils were classified by their teachers as feeble-minded, being incapable of profiting normally from public school instruction, and being incapable of developing mentally above a level reached by the average child of 12 years. This represents about 8 tenths of 1% of the children in the schools at the time in the survey. Most of these children are over age, many being seriously retired, and there are evidences that

teacher's judgments of their intellectual grade are essentially correct. In some instances, the mental deficiency is so obvious that it would not require a psychological examination to establish the validity of the teacher's classification. There is also reason to believe that the teacher's estimates with respect to feeble mightness have been too conservative. A study of the data supplied by the teachers on all classrooms feel suspicions of mental deficiency where the teacher is given backward as a classification. In these cases, of course, the teachers played safe when her mind was in doubt, and the absence of facilities for a psychological diagnosis, her choice has not been unfair.

The detecting of feeble-mindedness is a difficult matter, even for trained persons. Psychologists never attempt to diagnose intelligence without careful examinations, and it's not surprising that teachers will often doubt in making the classifications for the survey. Feble-mindedness is a social problem which cannot be successfully met by the process. public schools as they are now constituted. Feeble-minded children do not belong in the public schools. In refusing to accept mentally defective children, the schools can assist in preventing this condition by making necessary for the state to take prophylactic measures. Every feeble-minded child is a burden to society, and it is the urgent duty of society

not to give him a smattering of schoolwork and turn him loose to propagate his kind, but to place him in an institution where he can receive custodial care, and continue with supervision at least during the reproductive period of life. Our prisons, reformatories, arms houses and houses of prostitution are teeming with feeble-minded persons for whom the public schools have succeeded, if at all, only in camouflaging their true mental condition. It would be well for the public schools to take a definite stand regarding feeble-mindedness and to quarrel upon the state to make it impossible for feeble-minded children to be born.

There are, and always will be, feeble-minded children of high grade, possessing enough intelligence to do simple tasks, and even capable of making independent living under supervision. For these, as special classes can do much by way of vocational training. There are probably several such cases among the pupils classified as backward. Procedures should be based, however, on the diagnosis of a clinical psychologist. Examples of feeble-mindedness During the survey, a number of feeble-minded children were brought to the attention of the writer.

In some cases, estimations were made. Two of these seem of sufficient interest to report here. One is a feeble-minded child in the third grade, struggling along with the regular class, both barely enough intelligence to do the work of the first grade well. The other is a child who has fortunately been refused in minutes into the schools, in which action, the writer fully agrees with the school authorities. The real names of the children are not used.

Mary S. age 10 years, two months, is in grade 3B. Physically normal, fine appearing and would never be suspected of being other than normal mentally, except that she cannot do the work of the grade, was given a clinical examination, requiring about 30 minutes, from which it was learned that a mental age is 7 years and 2 months. Her intelligence gradient is 0.72, indicating high grade feeble-mindedness. The tests indicate that she is incapable of doing the work of the third grade, and it appears that she has been passed without good reason. She should be placed in a special class

or transferred to a school where she can receive special training suited to her intelligence. It is unlikely that she will ever develop mentally be on the level of the average child of 12 years. This child has been adopted into an excellent home, but despite the care bestowed upon her has never shown normal intelligence. Her mother died of tuberculosis. Dora G. age 8 years, 9 months. Tried and score but was returned home and refused in minutes because of inability to learn and repulsiveness to other children. Can barely talk using mumbling sounds.

For a book she says boo. For ki, Gae. Watch, wa. Coat, do. Shoo do. Ten,

Jen, etc. Unable to make sentences except for mechanical repeating of simple phrases often repeated to her. Has been defected from birth, first set up when one year, age, first walked at two and a half years, first repeated words at seven years, cannot yet be said to talk intelligently, can count to-for by sounds intelligible only to those who know her, unable to handle a pencil better than to make uncoordinated meaningless marks. This child is an idiot, or at best a low-grade imbecile.

Her intelligence is barely that of a child of two years, and it is unlikely that she will have developed much more. she will never become normal by any process of educational training. The parents, as often the case, strongly resent the suggestion that Dora is in any way different from other children and make strenuous efforts to teach her to act and talk normally. So obsessed are they with the idea that she is normal, that they make repeated efforts to make the school authorities look at the case in the same way. The bringing of the child to the writer during the survey was an attempt to secure evidence from the survey staff to do it.

substantiate the claim of normality. The psychologist was strongly rebuked by the mother for not concurring in her opinion or their test has been made as an accommodation to her. Table 35 is displayed on the page. Teacher's Estimates of Conduct by grades. Differences in conduct On the same form on which the estimates of intelligence were made, the teacher were asked to indicate the essential facts regarding the conduct of each child. Most of the pupils, as expected, were marked average. About 17% or 466 individual pupils were marked superior. Some 300 pupils were reported to be of inferior conduct, being addicted to lying, truancy, mischief, immorality or fighting.

The distribution of grades is shown in Table 35. In this classification, as in the intelligence gratings, the teachers were asked to be conservative, and there's reason to believe that most of them were extremely careful, especially in denoting cases of bad conduct. The terms use as subject to various interpretation, but allowing for serious areas it appears that the accompanying table is a reliable picture of the facts of conduct among the boys' school children. The table merits detailed study, and some teachers will do well to make a similar survey of their rooms and make more detailed observations. Juvenile Delinquency in the Schools It may seem incredible to many persons

that the figures of the foregoing table could represent actual conditions in the Boise schools. It is not so surprising, however, when we realize that more than 90% of juvenile delinquency has its origin in the public schools. This is true not only in Boise, but in all cities. Lying, stealing, truancy, mischief, immorality and fighting a size of potential

if not actual delinquency. Case histories of hundreds of juvenile court cases show that the symptoms were present in just such forms when their children attended the public schools. The more serious suppressing condition did there the child to the juvenile court. This does not mean, of course, that all the children reported by their teachers for unrulyliness are necessarily bound to become delinquent. All rules are subject to infraction, and any child at some time may be guilty of irregular conduct. But children who habitually or frequently lie still, run away or commit a moral acts are repeating the histories of children.

who have become delinquent. It is therefore the duty and the privilege of the school to take steps to see that the actual delinquency does not occur. Principles and teachers should learn more of juvenile delinquency in its causes. Special observations and studies should be made of children who depart seriously from ordinary conduct. The home conditions should be inquired into, the child should receive a psychological examination and every effort should be made to correct wrong conditions which come under the authority of the schools. Where the school authorities, authority is not sufficient, corporation should be given to those with whom the matter rests. We are rapidly approaching the time when juvenile delinquency will be looked upon as primarily an educational problem.

Already steps have been taken to extend the authority and scope of the public schools to include children whose irregular conduct now automatically takes them to the juvenile court. Our courts and industrial schools are crowded to capacity and the belief has been generally accepted that many of these children could have been kept from the court. had their individual cases been better understood by the public schools. Organized effort on the part of teachers and principals toward the study of this problem should go far in preventing delinquency. Dependent children. Dependency is a condition of inadequate or incompetent parental care. Children so declared by legal processes are usually placed in the custody of private or public agencies.

The education of these children becomes very important, because of their greater suspectability towards delinquency and other social irregularity. In some case, delinquency has actually begun before the law recognizes the condition of dependency. Fable mighterness is relatively frequent among dependent children because of the inheritance of the mental weakness that prevents the stability of many homes. Where the children are placed in other homes, there is always danger to neglect, abuse and other conditions which are related to the child's education. An interesting group of dependent children forms one of the cases of the Boise Schools located in the children's home. One full-time teacher was employed for this purpose, being a regular member of the teaching staff

and under the supervision of the city superintendent of schools. At the time when the survey and extra teacher had been employed for part-time. The schoolroom contained 33 desks, crowded together in a small room, all occupied. There were three extra pupils sitting on the front seats of our desks. The seats were all adjustable, but were not adjusted. The pupils were using slates, most of which were broken, and some of which were merely pieces of slate without frames. The slates were dirty and foul smelling,

and were anything but an encouragement to neatness and order. The pupils had short, broken pencils, many of which were so short as to cramp the hands. All grades were represented, one to eight inclusive, and the ages, sizes, and levels of intelligence were a pretext. apparently as varied as one could well imagine. The room is lighted from the left and front with large ample windows, all of which were tightly close at the time of the plight as visit, a warm spring day.

The room was decorated with the artwork of the pupils, the quality of which was a credit to the teacher. The work of this room was conducted in a mechanical hasty manner, being handicapped by all the limitations of an overcrowded one teacher at rural school. It appears that whatever the children learned was in spite of the school rather than because of it. Although an attempt is made to follow the city course of study, liberties have been taken entirely in keeping with difficulties under which the teacher worked. A visitor could hardly fail to observe the contrast between this room and the better equipped

rooms of the regular schools. A recitation and spelling was in progress at the time of the writer's visit. The following words selected from the dictionary by the teacher and group is shown were used by grades. Hasty, rash, impulsive, tame, docile, teachable, holy, divine, sacred, shame, disgrace, dishonor, shine, glitter, fill, cram, gorge, dark, gloomy, dismal, inert, lightless, sluggish. The pupils had diligently sought these words in the dictionary, and were required to spell and technically define each. The definitions for the most part were repeated mechanically with little comprehension of the meaning. In some cases seemed fortunate that

child expended little effort in connecting the meaning of the word with the practical necessities of life. The forgoing description is not intended as a criticism. There's probably no more conscientiousness and certainly no more hard-working teacher in the entire city than the teacher of this room. It is physically and mentally impossible consistently to adopt up-to-date methods in a room which might better have fitted in the 18th century school. The overflow room of this school, for which a part-time teacher is employed, was almost devoid of equipment and was worse than makeshift. An advantage was afforded by its proximity to a large screened porch, which would make an excellent open-air room. As in the main room, the pupils come and go regularly as a home is a place of temporary detection in the case of some of the children.

These conditions make teaching especially difficult, even when normal equipment. is provided. The education of these unfortunate children should be considered an obligation, not an act of charity. Or advantages in the school system, with its best supervision, belong so much to these as to the other pupils. If the opportunities cannot be made equal by teaching at the institution, the children should be transferred to the regular schools. If such transportation is not feasible, the institution should be equipped at the expense of the public schools, with schoolrooms and equipment equal to the best in the city. Two classrooms with two full-time teachers should be provided.

The same standards of equipment and procedure which are held for all the schools should also apply to these. It would be well in keeping with the importance or the problem to assign the two best teachers in the city to these classes. I went to the great variability of dependent children. Psychological examinations should be made of all who come to the home. backward pupils found here should attend special classes as in the other schools. Physically handicapped children Scaded through the schools were observed children who were prevented from receiving the full benefit of the regular classes

by reason of physical handicaps. A special class centrally located could care for children who are crippled, who are partially a wholly deaf, who stutter or stammer, and who have seriously defective vision. The struggle made by such children for an education, attended by constant embarrassment and hardship, is little appreciated by those who are more fortunately equipped. Research work in the schools.

The topics touched upon in this chapter are suggestive of the hundreds of problems which confront the modern public school. We have ceased to look upon the school as merely a convenient means and cramming facts of knowledge into children's brains, but have come to regard it as one of the most essential elements of civilization. There is no phase of public welfare which does not relate to the public schools. The service which the schools are called upon to perform is no simple task. The community should demand, not a traditional set of schools,

but an energy-producing organization whose vitality reaches into every phase of our local, state, and national existence. The schools should become laboratories for the study of these problems, so that each child passes through the schools, the facts regarding his development, His differences, his weaknesses, his strength may be set in order and interpreted for the benefit of those who will follow. We must do in education what has been done in our other lines of human endeavor, in mechanics, in agriculture, and chemistry, in medicine. We must learn new facts by making careful study of the facts now before us. To this end, every effort should be made to collect and interpret the facts,

need for which this report has made evident, and in the near future. the city might well look forward to the establishment in the schools of a department of research. Such a department should be equipped to make a continuous survey of the school system. Facilities should be provided for obtaining the mental, fiscal and sociological facts concerning each child. The information should be systematically kept and classified for analysis and interpretation. The superintendent could call on this department for exact data regarding any phase of the school system. He should be able to be the facts presented to know exactly what progress has been made in sixth grade arithmetic, which school is in making the best record in spelling, how the age grade distribution compares with other cities,

how many pupils could advance more rapidly in opportunity classes, how many children come from homes in which there is need of attention, what is needed in the community for Americanization work, how the school tax can be distributed more efficiently, and the answers to many other questions which have to do with the efficiency of the schools. Any principal could call for a special diagnosis of each child for the recommendations regarding the child's probable development. The possibilities for valuable work of this order limited, only by the effort expended.

A department of research properly conducted would keep the Boise schools at a continual high level of efficiency and would probably do more than any other department in placing the city educationally among the foremost of the country. The department should be under the direction of a clinical psychologist who should be assisted by trained workers in the different phases of the problem attacked. The size of the staff would depend upon the extent of the desired information. Experience elsewhere has shown that better teaching, better supervision, better grading, greater interest among the pupils and a better community spirit toward the schools usually results from the introduction of this

work. Summary and recommendations. This chapter represented some of the facts relative to exceptional children. The use of individual differences as a basis for classification and grading is rapidly becoming the practice of progressive school systems. Information supplied by the teachers revealed the presence of the Moseys schools of several groups of exceptional children. While attempts are now being made to place these pupils in the best way possible, the present system does not permit of the classification which ought to be obtained. Special classes should be forced to be forced. for children of mob superior intelligence and for subnormal children.

The work of these classes should be adopted to the exceptional capacities and limitations revealed by psychological examinations. Special teaching on the Batavia Plan should be provided for children who are backward in the school subjects. The feeble-minded children who are incapable of property from school instruction should be excluded from the schools and placed in institutions. Pupils whose conduct indicates that delinquency is imminent should be given special attention to prevent the necessity for action by the juvenile court.

Teachers should become informed on the subject of juvenile delinquency as causes. The work at the children's home should be placed on the same basis as the work of the other schools and two full-time teachers should be assigned to that institution. A inquiry should be made as to the feasibility of establishing a special class for children who were physically handicapped. It is recommended that steps be taken to establish department of research for the study of problems related to the efficiency. of the schools.

End of Section 7. Section 8 of the Boys A's Survey by Jesse Brunage series. This is a Libravox recording, or Librivox recordings on the public domain. For more information on a volunteer, please visit Libravox.org. Record by Leon Harvey. Chapter 8. The Children's Health. Williams What Boise is doing.

Health work in the Boise scores is supervised by one full-time nurse, with a cooperation of local physicians. The survey staff is of the opinion that the resulting supervision is excellently done in proportion to the investment which the city annually makes for this work. At the time of the survey, it happened that the school nurse was undergoing treatment

in a local hospital following a temporary breakdown due chiefly to her activities in connection with the influenza epidemic. But for unsolvish devotion to the schools at the time, the epidemic emboise might have assumed, and far greater proportions. The information for this section was obtained from a personal interview at the hospital,

subsequent checking over records and the cooperation of the superintendent and teachers. The school nurse divides her time between examinations at the schools and visits to the children's homes. The lack of clerical assistance has impaired the keeping of more extensive records and is evident that the statistical data found

a too meager adequately to represent the work actually accomplished A busy nurse has little time for clerical work and can be of more value to the school by pursuing the work for which she is trained. Several of the forms used are herewith reproduced. The forms have been littered arbitrarily, A, B, C, etc. for purposes of this discussion. The school physical examinations are conducted as follows. The nurse enters the schoolroom, preferably in the morning, and asks the children to stand.

At that time she notes any defects of posturates. She then passes down a child, making a hasty inspection of each pupil, noting cleanness of face and hands, skin disorder, and large glands, nervousness, mouth breathing, discharging ears, suspicions of eye trouble, signs of court, etc. Form A is displayed on the page, Boise Public Schools Physical Examination. Form B is displayed on the following page, Public Schools, Boiseo Idaho Department and School Hygiene. Form C is displayed on the following. page, Public Schools Boise, Idaho, Department of Hygiene. Each pupil showing physical regularies of any kind is then sent to the principal's office or into the corridor, there being no nurse room. She then makes individual examinations of these pupils with special attention to the condition noted or suspected. As time permits, however,

an individual examination is made of each pupil, following the outlines in Form A. Pupils who show special defects or signs of contagion or infest. a certain home with a note to the parent requesting an examination and a signed statement, form B, from a physician. In case of requiring consultation with the parent, the principal notifies the parent on form C. The nurse makes daily reports to the superintendent, a representative sample of which is shown in form D. Tabulation of daily examinations is made on the cumulative record card, Form E, which shows a history

of each child's health from year to year as he brings up to a history of each child's health from year as progresses through the schools. A summary of the past year's work is shown in Table 36, made up from the daily reports transmitted to the superintendent's office. The nurse made 222 visits to the schools, made 2,439 examinations, excluded 87 cases, and recommended treatment for 298 pupils. It is significant that 290 of these cases actually received treatment. The value of the work can be appreciated when we realize that the vast majority of the illness and defects treated would probably have escaped the attention of teachers and parents had it not been for the nurse's examination. Preventive work in these cases alone would justify many times over

the amount expended for health supervision. Form D displayed on the previous page, data report, classroom examinations, poiseate public schools. Form E displayed on the following page, Health Record Table 36 is displayed on the following page Summary of Daily Reports of School Nurse on Classroom Examinations for the school year 1918 to 1919. Figure 27 is displayed on the page

results of examinations by school nurse 1918 to 19. The numerous defects found and the reasons listed for exclusion from school are suggestive of the duty which the city owes to its children. Figure 27 shows graphically the extent to which the schools contain children who,

without special treatment, may contaminate or impair the efficiency of the entire school system, helps supervision with the intelligent cooperation of teachers and parents, prevents untold suffering and actually preserves the lives of efficiency of future citizens. Additional nurses needed. Health supervision in Boise is too great and too important a task to shoulder on a single school nurse. She must necessarily work hurriedly and limit herself to the most important. urgent cases. One nurse for each 1,000 pupils would be much better and the results would probably more than justify the additional cost. Three school nurses, each with three elementary

schools and a share of high school work, would be a wise provision. The minimum improvement should be one additional nurse, who, in addition to assistance and health inspection work, should be used in home visiting and for assisting in the matchment of attendance, as suggested in Chapter 2. Extra provision for clerical assistance is also needed. The keeping of records is second only to the actual supervision of the children's health. The inspection of these records will often save time and money. They also serve as a permanent cumulative record of the health conditions of the city. The present school nurse is capable of directing the work of one or more assistance and supervising the clerical work. The energy and enthusiasm which she has already

reporting to the work should be an inspiration to her associates and to the teachers upon whose corporation so much depends. A brief health surveyed by the teachers. Although the reports of the school nurse reveal conditions based upon professional inspection and must therefore be considered the official source of information, it was desired to have each teacher make a brief survey of her room and to report the observation of which she and her pupils made. The following questionnaire was used, a copy beans,

sent to each teacher in the elementary schools. Boys a school survey May 1919. Form B, one for each teacher. Teachers survey of health and physical conditions. School teacher grade pupils. Part 1. Fill out without asking children be accurate. 1. Number of pupils who have frequent or chronic difficulty in breathing through the nose. 2. Number who have frequent or chronic nasal discharge. 3. Number showing size of perfect hearing.

4. Number who stutter or stammer. 5. Number showing D.FX. Vizal vision. 6. Number whose vision has been tested this year. 7. Number who wear glasses regularly. 8. Number who show nervous irritability, timidity, tendency to worry, crying without cause, etc. 9. Number who show signs a moral weakness. 10. Number who show marked lack of mental alertness. 11. Number who show unusual men. mental aloneness. 12. Number lacking in playability.

13. Number delicate or frequently ill. 14. Number whose posture sitting or standing is faulty. Part 2. Ask the children the following questions and record the results. Be serious and secure and accurate results as possible. 1.

How many have headaches often? 2 or 3 times a month. 2. How many have earache often? 2 or 3 times a month. 3. How many have sore throats or colds often? 4. How many have had tonsils or denoes removed? 5. How many have had tonsils or adenoise removed during the past year? 6. How many can't easily read the writing on the blackboard?

7. For how many does the print in the book seem to blur run together or look black? 8. How many have ever gone to a dentist? 9. How many have done so during the last year? 10. How many have a toothbrush? 11. How many have a toothache often? 12. How many usually come to school without breakfast? 13. How many do not usually eat lunch? The reports summarise on table 37.

The notion of distring and valuable supplement to the findings of the school nurse. The number of defects reported by the teachers is much greater, but teachers cannot be expected to detect conditions with the accuracy of a trained nurse. and their teachers used varying standards as evident from the open en masse of the replies on certain items. At the Hawthorne School, for example, and only one of 112 pupils was reported as having faulty posture, where the long fellow school more than one-fourth of the enrolment was so reported. There is reason to believe, however, that the teachers took the task seriously

and the observations are to be considered highly significant. The teacher's daily contact with her pupils gives her an opportunity for observation which the school nurse cannot have. For this reason, the nurse must continuously rely upon the teacher's help. Some of the problems of health which are important while schools will be briefly renewed here with special reference to their findings among the school children of boys. Posture The teachers report 405 pupils as having fully posture.

Although none are reported by the school nurse, she has doubtless observed many cases. Table 37 is displayed on the page, summary of data, gathered from questionnaire on health conditions reported on by each teacher in the elementary schools. It is not unreasonable to suppose that disorders of growth with their evil effects on school life are as common in Boise as in most other American cities. Terman and Hoag estimate that from 20 to 30% of the school children in the United States are affected by spinal curvature, which is a common pathological cause for incorrect sitting and standing. Spinal curvature is a

functional disorder and does not have its origin in the school. The school should be held responsible however, for providing desk and seats which are adjusted to the physical requirements of children thus affected. They're probably not enough adjustable desks in Boise schools to supply the deformed pupils if their use were to be so limited. The school also may be held responsible with a poster of children whose spies are not occurred, but who have formed incorrect habits of sitting, standing and walking. Often these habits result from desks which are not properly set, or which are not properly set, or which are not often. or which are not fitted to the pupils using them. Even a stationary desk can be set the minus distance,

and with desks of different sizes, each pupil may be reasonably fitted. The instruction of the proper carrying of books and incorrect standing, sitting, and walking will go far toward improving posture in the school. Exercises may be given, which will not only benefit all the pupils, but will also improve those affected with functional curvature. Nutrition Nearly 10% of the pupils are reported delicate or frequently ill. The teacher's observations in this respect cannot be often mistaken. While there are numerous causes for this condition, it may easily result from insufficient

or improper feeding among children. His physical condition is otherwise normal. The seriousness of this situation in Boise is made more apparent by the testimony of one of 25 children who regularly come to school without breakfast and 38 who regularly eat her lunch. The proportion of these cases, Credo, hacked the Longfellow, Lowell and Park Schools. It does not follow that all children who do have breakfast and lunch are probably fed. Some of the lunches brought to school would be better not eaten. Close supervision of such matters with home visiting and advice by the school nurse will help bring about better feeding. The cooking classes

can be utilised as good advantage to the dissemination of food knowledge. Tuberculosis This disease is so common among school children that a knowledge of its causes and effects should be made a part of the professional equipment of every teacher. So common is the plague if the total number of cases in the United States were to be spread evenly according to the population, Boise's share would be nearly 500.

About 100 of these would be school children. It is probably that Boise does not have her full share thanks for a location and climate, On the other hand, many tuberculosis persons seek such climates for their recovery. It is conceivable that there are dozens of cases in this city, and that many children are in daily contact with the disease. Through inspection, medical supervision, clean buildings and fresh air are among the contributions the school can make. Prevention should be made the key word of all health work. Contagent in the schools

The influencer epidemic illustrated in Boise, as in other cities. how rapidly disease can spread even when drastic preventive measures are taken. The mingling of hundreds of children from hundreds of homes give the schools an opportunity to become either the city's greatest source of illness or its greatest source of health conservation. Particularly in the matter of contagious diseases, the schools are closely related to the social economic welfare of the community. Rigid care, support by legal requirements, has been exercised in the Boise schools relative to contagion. Forms F and Chi indicate the cooperation of the school, the home and the state in the prevention of spreading diseases.

Form F is displayed on the Pays, Public Schools was a auto. Ventilation and health Suggestions for the improvement of the ventilation systems in the schools are made in the chapter on building grounds. The effect of bad ventilation should logically come to the attention of the school nurse. Her evidence will support the recommendation that an abundant and constant supply of clean, fresh air can be circulated through each schoolroom. Teeth About 15% of the pupils examined by the school nurse will recommend her for dental treatment. This includes, of course, only children whose parents had not previously provided adequate treatment.

That there are many parents and boys who not attend to their children's teeth is indicated by the statements of 858 children that they have never been to a week. dentist. This represents more than 30% of the elementary school enrollment. The number who say they have no toothbrush is 280 or about 10% of the enrollment. Even if one half of these children are mistaken, the numbers represent significant proportions. In the light of other facts, it seems probable that considerably more than one half of them have told the truth. One wonders how many of the 450 who report frequent toothaches among those that tooth brushes and who have never had a mouth inspection. We are also compelled to wonder

how the toothbrush drill must seem to the 280 who have nothing with which to practice at home. Regular instruction by the school nurse in the use and importance of the toothbrush has brought effective results during the past year.

Use of form H for instructing parents is commendable. A school whose pupils clean their teeth each morning has made a worthy accomplishment. Form G displayed on the previous page certificate of disease nose and throat more than 11% of the pupils or more than the total enrollment of the Washington school are reported by the teachers of having difficulty in breathing through the nose more than one half of

this number have nasal discharge sore throats and calls are common according to the testimony of the children these facts are not surprising in the climate of Boise the air is dry and necessarily contains particles of dust Unless the air is mixed with moisture before being breathed, the sharp dust particles irritate the delicate membranes of the nose and throat, which, when allowed to become dry, are powerless to resist. The broken and roughen membranes become easily infected and serious ailments often result. Many of these cases must escape the attention to the school nurse, owing to the necessity of a hasty inspection. Nasal discharge and impaired breathing are easily noticed by the teachers. only to their effect upon the recitation and study periods.

Such cases should always be reported to the school nurse. We cannot afford to pass over them likely. Still more serious are the indications of adenoids and disease tonsils. The school nurse reported 249 cases of hypertrophy tonsils and 45 cases of ananoids, have 2,439 estimations during the past year. The children reported 153 operations. most of which were probably made on the recommendation on the school nurse. It is to the credit of the school health department that these suggestions were carried out.

Assuming that the operations represent the most serious cases, the remaining 250 must include many cases needing immediate attention. No doubt some of these were taken out of care during the summer vacation. It is not unlikely, however, that children were returned to the school in September, whose health was greatly impaired through neglect or those reported conditions. Disease tonsils are now known to be the source of much disability and mortality forming attribute to other causes. Teachers and principals should cooperate with their health authorities to stamp out nose and throat

diseases in the schools. Form aged displayed on previous page, instructions to parents. Hearing. In the case of view defects, there is a wide discrepancy between the teacher's observations and those of the school nurse. The teachers report 170 cases of imperfect hearing while doing the past year, but 27 cases came to the attention of the nurse. Here again it is probable that only the more marked cases were reported at the classroom examination.

It is probable that the teachers' estimates are nearer the truth. Hearing is an essential factor in instruction. Teachers are in an excellent position to detect temporary or permanent auditory defects. All the teachers know how the weakness of this important sense may reduce school retardation. It has been found that some children are needlessly repeating their schoolwork by reason of ear defects that could easily be remedied. The statements of 224 boys' age children to the effect that earaches are common with them should be a matter of grave concern to the schools. Hearing tests in which the teachers can cooperate with the school nurse are now available and should be used at least once a month in each school room. more attention should be given to the seating of the children who do not hear well.

Eye troubles. Tests of vision have been made through the schools, but as in the case of other health observations, they have been limited chiefly to the pupils whose defects were marked, or who, for some reason, were especially called to the attention of the school nurse. The number of defects reported is relatively small, and is probably a conserved estimate. The nurse reports 150 cases out of last year's examinations, 75 which were cases of defective vision. The teachers report 249 cases, which indicates that about 10% of the pupils enrolled have vision so poor that it has come to the attention of the teacher. From the children themselves come the reports that 535 find out the print in the textbook blurs,

266 cannot clearly read ordinary writing on the blackboard, and 6202.2.2.2.2.2.6 can not clearly read ordinary writing on the blackboard, and 612 have frequent headaches. While all of these probably cannot be due entirely to eye defects, most of them can be traced to that source. These facts are shown graphically in figure 28. Probably the proportion of pupils needing the attention of an oculist is far greater than has been suspected. It's not unlikely that summer,

the difficulty can be traced to the improper lighting of the schoolrooms, to which reference has been made in another chapter. The testing of vision is such a simple manner that it should be more widely carried on in the schools. The Macaulay vision cards, which have been successfully used in many cities, constitute a convenient and reliable means of measuring relative visual capacity. These tests have been given by a teacher to all the pupils in a room in less than 15 minutes. $5 would buy enough tests to supply all the schools for many years.

Such work done at regular intervals would be of great help to the teachers and would furnish invaluable cooperation with the school nurse. children's eyes are one of the most precious assets in the requirement of an education. The efficiency of the school's demands a careful attention to matters of visual hygiene. Nervous conditions All of the 167 pupils reported as being nervous require further observation, and many of these are of a high-strung excitable temperament, which may interview with the schoolwork and health if not guarded.

Children who are naturally weak in the control of their nervous mechanisms are subject to many undesirable conditions, the neglect of such cases turning to the juvenile court's hundreds of children whose relinquency might have been prevented through their proper care during the early years of school life. A special study of all nervous children will be to undertaking in which the principals and teachers could well afford to make. Figure 28 is displayed on the page, data relating to a vision in the schools of Oise. Speech problems. The number of pupils' report as being subject to stuttering or stammering is relatively small in proportion as some of the the other defects, but there are enough cases to justify the establishment of these two

or three special classrooms for speech development, which is a practice in some cities. The fact that nine out of every ten cases stammering can be cured by relatively simple treatment argues strongly for this work to become part of the educational program. The employment of a single special teacher in Boise for this purpose would probably cost less than the extra cost of the retardation of these pupils. With a little instruction, some of the regular teachers could assist in bringing about normal speech habits and stammering children. Dr. Lewis M. Terman, in his hygiene in the school child, suggests the following of these simple

directions. Arrange with the child to remain, a half hour after school, three or four times a week for a speech lesson. Letters consist slightly of conversation and low ordinary tone of voice. Convests the child that he will be able to overcome the defect. this assurance until it becomes an absolute conviction. Stuttering will ordinarily not cease as long as the fear of it remains. He must be taught to take a reasonable attitude toward his defect and toward people. Mental conditions and health. About 10% of the children

are noticeably lacking in mental alertness, according to the observations of their teachers. Sluggishness of mental operation is not infrequently a definite system of physical defect. General physical weakness, malnutrition, adenoise, tonsils, impaired hearing, speech impediments, and other defects refer to often prevent the proper exercise of the mind. Indeed, so close is the relation of existing between school success and health, that the belief has sometimes been expressed, that the development of intelligence is retarded by physical defects. Intelligence tests have shown that this is not true to the extent suppose, but many physically defective children have been found to being capable of doing the work which would normally be

expected from their mental ages. School efficiency requires sound minds and sound bodies. It should be the business of the school to see that both of these important elements are given the full measure of attention. Plain and health. Judging from the teachers observations, the ability to play normally is common to nearly all the children in the boys their schools. The ability to play is a natural gift and fortunately does not depend entirely upon the amount kind of equipment provided. There is no foundation, however,

either in theory or practice, for the notion that playground apparatus is unnecessary to the best use of the play instinct. It might be said truthfully their children can learn to read without textbooks, and they could learn to write by marking on the ground with stinks. At the same time, we encourage

use of good books and writing materials, because we know that the more efficient results can be obtained from their use. The fact that the teachers report 61 pupils to be lacking in playability, may not be due altogether to the lack of apparatus. But it is reasonable to suppose that many of them can be developed by putting playground work on the same basis as classroom instruction.

Sources of infection. Numerous references are made in the chapter on buildings and grounds to point in buildings constructed and sanitation, which is directly related to the health of the children. In fact, there is hardly a part of the school plant which is not so related. Some parts are especially liable to affect the fact that. physical condition of the pupils through infection or contamination. Among these perhaps the toilets are of greatest importance. These rooms should be kept clean, dry and well-lighted at all times. Amber washing facilities including

clean basins, warm water, liquid soap and paper towels should constitute the standard equipment. Habits of cleanliness and sanitation can be best learned in the presence of wholesome surroundings and equipment which infight its regular use. Benister is in other parts of the building which the children touch with her hands should be kept clean with the disinfectant. All forms of equipment attendant for general use should be systematically and frequently cleaned. In sum of the dark I regularly used parts of the boys' air school buildings is an easy matter for challenges to neglect these details. Among the 89 exclusions from school during the past year on the

recommendation of the school nurse may be found case which showed the necessity for taking advantage of every possible means but finding the spread of infection. Hygiene teaching The course of study provides for instruction and hygiene in the first sixth grades of the elementary schools. The outline of the current year is as follows. Hygiene grades 1, 2, 3.4. 1. Form habits of personal cleanliness. 1. Bath frequently. 2. Brushed teeth, up and down as well as across after each meal. 3. Keep clean face, neck, ears, hands and fingernails.

4. Wash scalp and hair at least once each month. Keep hair neatly combed. 5. Brush clothes and shoes. 2. Form habits of regular living. 1. Go to bed early. Keep windows wide open in sleeping rooms so that the air may pass through freely. 2. Eat at regular hours. 3. Playing the open air. 5th grade.

Care of the body and its horns. 1. The necessity for pure air and how to secure it. Adequate ventilation. 2. Micropes and cleanliness. 3. Value of sleep and amount necessary. 4. Care of the eyes, ears, nails, hair, skin and clothing. 5. Work of the nose and lungs. 6. Appropriate physical exercises play in the open air.

6th grade. Medusible Health. 1. Clean streets and children's part in this. 2. Proper disposal of garbage, ashes of rubbish. 3. Need of playgrounds. 4. Prevention of fires. 5. Importance of good water supply and food inspection. 6. Epidemics and safeguards against them. 7. Effects of alcohol and vigor. 8. Cost of liquor to the municipality. Health habits are Shia and Kellogg. Aim to fix the right habits of living. 6B pages 1 to 105. 6A. pages 106 to 206. This outline, although too brief to serve as a manual of directions, suggested the teacher the essential feature of hygiene teaching during the first years of school life, namely that it should be informal with a view towards inculcating correct habits of living, rather than filling the children's minds with the technicalities of physiology and disease. In the lessons of this outline I learned and followed regularly by the school children of Boise, there will be health and figure in the growing generation, especially commendable in the end. encouragement of frequent bathing, fresh air, habits of regular living, exercise and general

preventive work. An excellent opportunity is offered here for the follow-up work on the part of the teachers and the school nurse. Regular surveys could be made by classrooms to see how many pupils were profiting from the instruction. Hogue and Termin in health work in the schools show how health surveys can be conducted quickly and easily by a teacher. Children find pleasure in undertaking such surveys. surveys, the regulars may be made a valuable source of unconscious self-instruction. It is unfortunate that the hygiene course is limited to the first six grades.

Commendable as this informal work is, its effectiveness would be multiplied many-fold by following it with more definite instruction in the seventh and eighth grades. Here the practical aspects of bacteriology, home hygiene, municipal and industrial hygiene, etc., could be emphasized by concrete observations and illustrative, material. Good teachers can make hygiene a popular and highly profitable course in the upper grades. The emphasis throughout the schools should be on preventive and wholesome living, with as little as possible of the morbid aspects of the problem. The teacher's health. It is generally recognised that helpful schools require healthy teachers. The importance of this may be expressed

before long in the requirement that all candidates for teaching positions pass a physical examination as a prerequisite to their employment. The Army enlisted standards of health could as logically be adopted for those who enlist in the teaching ranks of the public schools. The Board of Education as well as any business concern is justified to many that its employees be in sound physical and mental health

at the beginning and throughout the period of employment. Efficiency in teaching is no less dependent upon health than success in the industrial or commercial world. The teacher's health is more important than that of a factory hand, for not only it is a personal welfare at stake, but the welfare and even the lives of pupils may depend upon its strength, vigor and habits of living. The community should cooperate in this health program by providing teachers and pupils of clean, wholesome surroundings. The janitor and health school janitors in Boise, as in many other cities, are employed without much regard to either health or training.

yet the responsibilities vested in him make him next to the principal the most important official in the school. We may confidently expect that within a few years, janitors in all of the more progressive school systems will be selected with as great care as is now exercised in the selection of teachers. The janitor will be required to know, in addition to the necessary mechanical knowledge, the fundamental principles of school hygiene. It will be necessary for him to know how to be required to know how to be. produce correct heating, lighting and ventilation, how to adjust seats and desks scientifically, how to properly do disinfect rooms, how to prevent the accumulation in spit of dust, what diseases are transmissible, and how they can be prevented. In short, how to keep the

school as hygienic as a hospital or a kitchen. Moreover, he should know of such matters in their relation to the health and of the physical success of the school. This will require scientific and educational training which needless to say few school janitors ever receive. Obviously, it will not be possible to provide the schools at once we've trained janitors. There is little inducement at present for cable men to choose this vocation early enough in life to become trained. There are few places, in fact, where such training is offered. The most practical step for the schools to take lies in the direction of insisting on highest standards of intelligence. and set in education and pay enough to secure men who meet these standards.

Such men will usually be found willing to devote a portion of their time of study at every hour so spent will yield valuable returns to the schools. The Board of Education could well afford to finish each janitor with a good book on school hygiene and with magazines devoted to the problems with which he has to deal. Dr. Fletcher B. Drsler in his school hygiene gives a list of 20 rules for janitors, which, if learned and applied, in themselves, furnish available elementary textbook. Open Air Schools All the classes in the Boise Schools are conducted within closed walls.

Inasmuch, as most of these rooms are incorrectly ventilated, there is nothing in the city which approaches the open-air class. If there are enough tuberculosis and pre-turbculosis children alone, to fill at least one such class, probably three or four classes will be none too many, to handle properly all the children who could profit greatly from them. To give these children a chance at recovery is the least they should be done for them. Many cities in the United States during the past 10 years have adopted the plan of having

open-air classes and every instance the benefits derived was officially evidence to warrant their continuance. In some instances, the improvement in the children is almost incredible, but actual measurements and tests has substantiated the claims made. No city which has established open-air schools has abandoned them. It will be well for Boise to follow their example and at least test the method. Open-air schools are not expensive. In fact, they can often be very cheaply constructed or made out of buildings which no longer

serve the needs of regular schools. It has been suggested that the Hawthorne School be converted to such use. It is recommended that consideration be given to this suggestion before the schools abandoned. Some cities have adopted a policy of providing at least one open-air classroom in each new building. In California, it is not uncommon to construct schools so that all rooms may be converted into open-air rooms in a few minutes. A study of the buildings in Boise, especially in connection with suggested improvements in lighting, will doubtless reveal plenty of opportunities for making open-air classrooms with very little expenditure.

Summary and recommendations 1. Medical supervision in Boise is carried on by one school nurse, employed for full time. The work accomplished thus far is commendable, but should be extended and supplemented. It is recommended that at least one additional school nurse and clinical assistance be provided. 2. A survey of certain health conditions revealed health facts of far-reaching significance. Many children have defects which could easily be remedied by extended health supervision. The extra cost of the schools of the retardation of these children is probably much greater than would be the cost of the attention they need. 3. The large number of cases of faulty posture may be closely related to the fact that most of the seats and desks are non-adjustable.

It is recommended that at least one-fourth and eventually all the pupils be provided with adjustable desks and seats. 4. Too many pupils come to school without having been sufficiently fed. It is recommended that all these cases be immediately followed up to the end that better conditions on nutrition be secured. 5. Tuberculosis, which is found in more than 10% of public school children, is probably as common in Boise as in other cities. It is recommended that teachers be better informed as the symptoms causes consequences, prevention and treatment of this disease. 6. Commendable care has been exercised by the school nurse in preventing the spread of contagious diseases. With the larger working staff, this work can be carried on still more efficiently to the direct profit of the community. 7. The improper ventilation of many of the schoolrooms cause for special attention, with emphasis on the relation of pure, fresh, moist air to the health of the children.

Recommendations on this point are made in the chapter. on building and grounds. 8. Conditions regarding the proper care of teeth are deplorable, nor is saying the regular toothbrush drills and supplementary instruction given by the school nurse. Education of this point should extend to parents as well as pupils. A good beginning in this has already been made.

9. Nose and throat affections are especially common in the Boise schools, do perhaps in large measure to the dry air and dust of the schoolrooms. ten imperfect hearing and discharging ears are frequent with extended supervision many of these conditions can be overcome or early treatment provided it is recommended that hearing tests be made regularly in the schools eleven defective vision with as attendant complications is more common that has been supposed more than eight hundred children have been given vision tests during the year this work is excellent but should be extended to include all the puke The pupils. Satisfactory tests of vision can be made by the teachers. It is recommended that such tests be given at least twice a year and that just must be made according to the findings.

12. More attention should be given to the problem of nervousness among the school children. Juvenile delinquency often follows the neglect of this matter. There are 167 pupils in the Boys A's schools who are reported as nervous. 13. It is recommended that special instruction be given to the students. special instruction be given to children who started a stammer by establishment of speech classes. 14. It is recommended that further attention be given to the development of play activities with the equipment of the playgrounds.

There should be at least one playground supervisor of other schools. 15. Some conditions in the Boise schools are sources of infection because of an adequate sanitation. Regular use of disinfectants is urged. 16. A good beginning has been made in the teaching. of hygiene the first six grades. It is recommended that this be followed by courses in the 7th and 8th grades. 17. It is recommended that higher standards of health be held regarding the employment of teachers,

and that the schools cooperate in the maintaining of our physically and mentally sound staff by making the school conductive to the health and comfort of the teachers. 18. It is recommended that higher standards be maintained in the selection of janitors. that higher salaries be offered in the securing of competent men, and that professional advancement be promoted by providing the genres with books and magazines relating to school housekeeping. 19. There are enough children in need of fresh air treatment to justify the establishment of several open-air classes, or one open-air school.

It suggested that the Hall of Law and School will be converted to this use. He is recommended that future buildings be provided with at least one open-air room in each. End of Section 8. Section 9 of the Boise Survey by a Jesse Brunette series. This is Librivox recording, or Librivox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit Libravox.org, recorded by Leon Harvey. Chapter 9. Buildings and Grounds Williams

The building situation in Boise. No one would expect to judge the efficiency or a school system entirely by its buildings and grounds, but these factors are of such importance. that they may often serve as the index of the educational progress of a city. As a rule, good school systems are equipped with good buildings and cities which are negligent with reference to their school plant also neglect other things which relate to the education and welfare of the children. In Boise, the school plan is perhaps the greatest outstanding weakness of the school system.

Not only do many of the buildings grade far below the standard, but in some respects they are so inferior as to raise serious doubts as to their present suitability for school purposes. It's not a single standard building in Boise, there are at least five buildings which require immediate improvement. It is not difficult to understand why these conditions exist. Standards for school building construction are a relatively recent origin. Of the 10 schools in Boise, only two have been built during the past 15 years, figure 29.

Since that time, enormous strides have been taken in school planning. The modern building is erected according to the dictates of science, following the fundamental principles of educational hygiene and school efficiency, that these principles do not direct the construction of the Wideo, Linnikin, Garfield and Hawthorne's schools only emphasizes the educational progress of the past two decades. As Boise has busied herself about other problems, and as the city has rapidly enveloped these old structures, that decreasing efficiency has been little.

realized. The lack of adequate fire protection, the insufficiency of lighting and ventilation in many of the classrooms, the lack of means for humidifying the air, the use of unsanitary basement rooms for janitor's living quarters, the lack of telephone connections between the schools and the superintendent's office. The inadequacy of library facilities and almost total absence of playground equipment has been left unnoticed or unattended to for so long and they seem to affect no protests from the community. Figure 29 is displayed on the page, ages of Boise School Buildings. The problem here takes on three aspects. First, the improvement of the present buildings, bringing them up as nearly to the standard as possible. Second, the embattlement of the oldest buildings, and replacing them with modern structures. Third, the formulation of a building policy that embodies the ideals that make for the highest school efficiency, that the consideration of these steps may be based upon existing facts. Let us view the Boise School Plant in the light of standard measurements.

Buildings measured by standard scale. The method used is the application of the school of card for city school buildings by Dr. George D. Estreya of Columbia University. This is a guide for the inspection and grading of school buildings, following a detailed outline of the importance items in school building instruction, each of which is accorded a standard number of points. The scale is divided into 1,000 points, divided with relative weighting among five general items, site, building, service systems, classrooms, special rooms. Each of these is divided into several smaller items, and each separate part is given a number of points according to its relative importance. The values for the scale have been derived from the scorings of a large number of persons

competent to judge school buildings. The ratings of the boys' air buildings were made. by the writer after a careful study that data gathered through a personal inspection of each building accompanied by the school principal. The study also included interviews with the superintendent of buildings and with janitors, teachers and other school officials, as well as the checking of data in the office of the superintendent. It's believed that the observations were made with sufficient accuracy and thoroughness to warrant the judgments rendered on at least the more important items. The grading of each building in comparison with the standard is

presented in detail in Table 38. The comparative gross ratings are shown in figure 30. The number of points in each case represented by the length of the bar may be easily read on a percentage basis. Thus the lowell school grading 837 points rates 87.7% the high school 83.16 etc. The lowest rating is that of the Whittier school 3.6%. These figures represent only the total scores. It does not follow that because a score grades higher than another in the gross score. It is necessarily better in each separate item. On the whole, however, the total scores are a good relative index the general efficiency of the buildings. The 10 Boise buildings obtained a total score of 7,274 points. By standards used,

it may be said the efficiency of the school plant is approximately 73%. Let us now review in detail the observations of which the scores were based. The outline follows the items as they appear at Dr. Strait of Scale. Table 38 is displayed on the previous page, ratings of Boise School buildings by Straser Scale. Figure 30 is displayed on the page, gross efficiency ratings of buildings by Strait of scale. The school grounds. The sites chosen on the whole are highly favorable from the stand. of accessibility and environment. All but the Park School are located in residents districts which are relatively free from noise, smoke, etc. dusty streets

are found in many of these districts and with the improvement of street sprinkling and the extension of painting this objectionable feature will be removed. The accessibility of most of the schools to the homes of the children is especially commendable. The Park School has a most fortunate location, its proximity to the railroad yards and business streets noticeably impairs the school work. Often in warm weather is necessary to close the windows in some of the classrooms because the clouds of black smoke and soot which drift in from locomoters across the street. The noise from passing trucks and trains frequently interrupts the class work. It is

dangerous for children to have to cross business streets going to and from school. Travel regulations should be originally enforced on the three streets which intersect at the corner school grounds. A special officer should be stationed at this point. It would seem the value of this property and its unsuitability to school purposes should lead to its conversion to other purposes. In most cases the soil is suitable for satisfactory drainage. There should be sufficient slope on all sides of the buildings so that the water will quickly run off. In a low wall and long-fell of schools there is room for improvement in this respect. The grounds range in size from 10,000 square feet, guard.

to a 66,600 square feet level. There is usually sufficient space to allow from 50 to 100 square feet of play space for each child. This minimum presupposes, of course, that the slope of the grounds is adequate to play purposes. Some of the more important facts, religious sites and buildings are shown in Table 39. Playground Equipment There is practically a total absence of playground apparatus in the Boise Schools. The entire equipment consists of one portable slide, which is passed around from school to school and which happened to be at the Garfield School at the time of the survey.

In two of the school's rough turning bars had been made by the older boys. The playgrounds are as handicapped as schoolrooms, would be if there were no desks, books or pencils. There is some doubt as to whether the playground can be said to be less important than the classroom. Without adequate facilities for organised play, the children are deprived not only of the equipment they deserve, but also of real necessities for their proper development. A relatively large vacant space is in itself no longer considered a playground in the present-day conception of education. There should be at least a minimum allotment of standard apparatus for every school based upon the distribution and the ages of the pupils.

Table 39 is displayed on the page, miscellaneous data in school property in Boisei from figures supplied by superintendent of buildings and clerk of board of trustees. All four directions of the compass are represented in the facings of Boise School Buildings. Three face east, two west, two south, two north, and one, Park, has frontage on both east and west. Evidently, their orientation has been determined by chance, rather than by the requirements of school efficiency. The direction which a building faces often has much to do with the amount and direction of the light in the classrooms and exposure to storms. The danger from mice-coated or wet steps and other factors definitely related to the welfare of the children. The position of the building on the site is another important matter in which external appearance,

rather than utility is permitted to be the deciding factor. Many of the Boise buildings are located at such points that an efficient playground cannot be made from the remaining space. The Park School, Figure 31, is an example of such placing. The Longfellow Central and Widyo schools also divide the site to the disadvantage of the playground. Improvement in this respect must be confined to the location of future buildings. Type of buildings All buildings are of the two-story basement type. The older buildings are square, with shingled sloping roofs.

The newer ones are rectangular with flat roofs. All are constructed of brick, six pane of pressed or hard brick. None of the buildings may be so much. None of the buildings may be said to be strictly fireproof. All are apparently in good repair, indicating good supervision on the part of the building inspector. The general appearance of most of the buildings is pleasing. They have evidently been built for strict utility

and are commendably free from the extravagant architectural features which characterize the schools of some cities. As a group, they are in appearance creditable public buildings. Interior Construction Practically all interior work, including walls, floors and stairways, is of wood construction. Stairways at Lowell and Washington and the newer part of the high school are overlaid with composition material, which adds much to their efficiency. In other buildings, the wooden steps, with the usual noise, dust and unevenness due to wear,

are noticeable features to the buildings. The resulting risk from fires should call for special attention. All banisters are of wood, and in no matter of wood, and in noisable features, they're not. case is there a lower one for the small children. Figure 31 is displayed on the previous page, plan of school grounds at Park School, from measurements made by principal and pupils. The corridors appear to be left over space rather than to have been definitely planned. In older buildings, they are too narrow and too poorly arranged to allow for proper lighting and ventilation. In the central school, the wide hallway is used as an auditorium in the absence of any other

space for assembly purposes. Corridors should range from 11 to 13 feet width, should be well lighted and ventilated, suitable for decorations, but should not be used for classrooms. The requirements are satisfactorily met to the level at Washington schools. All corridors were found relatively clean and free from obstructions. There is a noticeable lack of decoration as one enters the buildings. Basements All buildings are equipped with basements, which are generally utilised for a furnace, storerooms and toilets. In most cases they are deeper than should be allowed, and in several instances

the walls are not made waterproof. Lighting, ventilation and heating in these rooms are wholly inadequate. A basement room there cannot be made sanitary should be abandoned for any school purpose. And Lincoln, Central and the high school, the janitors live in this underground space. At the Longfellow school, the janitor has but recently moved out. The righter closely inspected these quarters and has not hesitate to pronounce all of them unfit for human habitation. The stained and crumbling walls in the rooms, formerly occupied by the janitor's family at the Longfellow School, where alone sufficient justification for his exodus. At the other schools in which janitors live, the conditions are fully as unfit.

Iniquet toilet and laundry facilities, lack of ventilation, and the necessity for almost constant use of artificial light, cause one to wonder how any saving can be affected by inducing janitors to occupy such places. The furnace rooms are, for the most part, located in dark parts of the basement, access to which is not easy. A splendid example of well-lighted and severely arranged furnace rooms is at the newer wing of the high school. This stands in strike in contrast to dingy living quarters of the janitor

in the other end of the building. Heating and ventilation The heating plans of the new buildings are of the plenum type For various sorts of systems, even to the use of stoves, may be found in the city. The most satisfactory plans are those at the Lowell, Washington, Central and Longfellow schools. These plans, however, are more strictly for heating purposes, and little or no correct ventilation is obtained from them. Although air from the outside is drawn in, there is no provision for washing it or adding moisture. At Longfellow and Central schools, the intakes are located just above the left of the playgrounds,

and clouds of dirt are constantly blown into the classrooms, by the water. the fans. The discoloured walls and ceilings show but one of the minor results of this. The injury to the health of the children is not so apparent, but is vastly more importance. At the high school, one of the intakes is located in a hidden nook just above the level of the ground, on the flat roof of the furnace room, a space which serves as a general catch-all for blowing dirt, trash, etc. Such an intake is very unsatisfactory, but could be greatly improved by elevating the intake shaft to a high level, a change that would be feasible and inexpensive. One of the greatest limitations in the heating plans of the Boise schools lies in the absence

of any method for adding moisture to the warmed air which the fans force into the schoolrooms. Increasing the temperature of the air in the winter to the extent necessary for heating decreases the ratio of moisture as much as 60 or 70%. In other words, the air taken into the furnace rooms on an ordinary winter day is delivered to the pupils where perhaps one-third as much moisture as the same volume of air originally contained. As a result, the air of some schoolrooms is drier than that of a desert. Moreover, as already suggested, it may be accompanied by many dust particles which attack the dry membranes of the nose and throat. The resulting danger from contagious diseases to say nothing of the discomfort to pupils and teachers

is greater than is commonly realized. Several methods have been devised for introducing moisture into warmed air and their cost is more than compensated by the lessening of one of the greatest evils in the schoolroom. Fire protection. In the recent survey of the schools of Denver, Dr. Termin wrote concerning fire protection in the schools. Notwithstanding the large number of school buildings of old construction and notwithstanding the many antiquated heating plants still in use, the school children of Denver are well guarded from the danger of fire. All the buildings having two or more stories are reasonably well supplied with fire escapes. Nearly all classrooms are provided with two doors and panic bolts are to be found on the outside doors of all buildings.

Although similar conditions prevail in Boise with reference to the age of school buildings and the dangers from other sources, it cannot be said that the children are well guarded from the danger of fire. There are but two fire escapes in the entire school plant. One of these is at the Garfield School operating from a window of the attic which is used for a classroom. The others at the rear of the Hawthorne School has made entirely of wood. is not a panic bolt in the entire city and many classrooms have but one door. No building is equipped with fire doors. Four of the buildings, Wadier, Hallthorne, Garfield and Lincoln have no fire hose. In the other schools, the water connected where the fire hose is turned off in the basement

and what seems to be the most inaccessible point in the building. In the Longfellow and Park schools, it is necessary to crawl through dark passages in order to reach the tap. This is due, the service staff was told, to the supposition that the fire hose be turned on from the halls who will be tampered with by the pupils. All buildings are equipped with some form of hand extinguisher, although the supply is insufficient. In some instances, these two are in places which are not readily accessible. Teachers and principles should be better instructed with reference to location and use of apparatus. One teacher stated that for several years she had by a fire extinguisher hanging near the door of her classroom, but that she

had not the remotest idea how she would make use of it in case of fire. Some teachers do not know where the extinguishers are located. It would doubtless require some timing for them to find one during the excitement of a fire. The fire alarm was sounded on the regular school gongs, which are of the spring type, operated by pulling a cord. There are no electric signals and no connection with the city fire department except where out-of-door alarm boxes occurred in the school. In most cases it is necessary to cross across the playground or the street to reach the alarm. There is no method of signaling from the basement or upper stories.

The gong usually been operated from the main floor only. The electric wiring appears to have been well done as been subject to rigged inspection. Protection from this source, however, should be systematically considered. The fireproofness of the buildings has already received comment. The fact that all are of and flammable construction should in self be sufficient reason for better extinguishing. a pairadus. Eleven years ago, the disastrous school fire at Collingwood a higher occurred.

The origin of the fire is unknown, but it was supposed to be resulted from defective furnace piping. The building was this two-story brick structure, with wood floors, stairways, and petitions, as are the schools in Boise. In type it resembled the Garfield, Lincoln, and Whittier schools,

except that it was provided with iron fire escapes and panic bolts and all outside doors. When the fire alarm was sounded, the children in the upper class rooms pass through the coached rooms which opened into the corridor as they do in Boise and crowded together in the hallway before the congestion could be relieved the flames swept through the building and 173 children and two teachers were burned to death although Boise has had no such experience as yet the tragedy could be repeated

here at any time no of it should be spared to secure the best protection possible to the lives of the children special commendation is due for the excellence or the fire drills in the Boise schools and the frequency with which they are held. The rider has never seen school buildings emptied more quickly and less confusion than it witnessed in Boise. Every building was emptied in less than one minute and some case the entire time consumed. From the ringing of the gong to the exit of the last pupil was about 40 seconds. While this is not and cannot entirely make up for the lack of other fire protection, it is a relief to know that such an excellent practice is in effect.

No mechanical systems for cleaning have been installed. Janitors used brooms and sweeping compound. An ample supply of the compound was found in all buildings and no difficulty seems to be encountered in securing enough for its daily use. Feather dusts have been abolished. On the whole, the buildings were found to be clean and orderly. Floors are cleaned and oiled once a year. Emboisy, this is not sufficient,

as may be inferred from the larger areas from which the oil has been worn off. The nature of the soil in this locality is such that it acts almost with the efficiency of sandpaper when adhering to the soles of shoes. Wherever oil is thus removed, the floor becomes absorbent and retains particles of dirt with the disease germs that often adhere to them. Three or four oilings a year would be none too many. Vacuum cleaning systems should be installed in future buildings. Windows are washed twice a year in most schools. Oil and struck as relative to such matters are used. issued by the superintendent of buildings and principals are not authorized to issue modifying additional orders. Some of the bad results of this may be observed by visitors to the schools. The necessity for placing candidates under the direct supervision of the principal is referred

to elsewhere in this report. Artificial lighting. Provisions for illuminating the school buildings during the evenings or on dark days are inadequate. Electric wiring is limited chiefly to the principal's offices all. basements and a few classrooms. In anticipating of the wider use the school planned for community service, all buildings release the newer ones should be well equipped for electric lighting.

Clocks, gongs, telephones. Electric bell systems connected with clocks have been installed only in the high school and at the central school. The latter system has been out of order for some time and was not operating during the survey period. A general lack of clocks, even of the ordinary type, was noted.

All schoolrooms should have clocks, preferably soft winding, with central and bell connections. Gongs are operated by hand. They should be replaced as soon as possible by electric gongs, which may ring by push button from all parts of the building. This is especially necessary for purposes of sounding the fire alarm. There should also be connections with the city fire department to avoid the delayed resulting from finding the fire alarm box in the street. One of the most serious needs in the physical equipment is for telephones. Even at the high school there are but three, including those in the offices of the superintendent and principal. None is provided for the elementary schools.

The amount of time wasted during the course of a school year, if it could be accurately tabulated, would probably convince anyone that no economy is affected by the lack of communication facilities. In one school the teachers contribute to a fund for part rental of the telephone in the Chandler's basement quarters. In one instance, the principal pays for the use of a telephone in a neighbouring residence. Boys are taken from their classes to carry messages, which could be just as well conveyed by telephone. When we realise that modern school buildings have been equipped with regular telephone connections, with private systems connecting all classrooms,

we may justly urge improvement of the Boys A's schools in this respect. Drinking Fountains Drinking Fountains are provided for all schools. but in insufficient number, at least in the elementary schools. All founders are located indoors. The drinking line following recess periods, a characteristic feature of the boys' schools, testified to the need for more fountains.

The children enter the building in single files, one column for each fountain, and drink each in turn. Although in most instances this was carried on with reasonably good order, the method is not then itself to the best results. The necessity for hurried formal stops prevents some children from drinking all they want and drinking in the correct manner. The right to observe instances of children passing by the fountain without drinking rather than go through this formality.

It appears to the distribution of drinking fountains as being governed, if at all, by factors other than the distribution of the children. At the Lincoln School, for example, there are four fountains for about 180 children. At the Longfellow School, the same number of fountains are provided for 440 children. There are also four each in the widower school for 221 children and it's central for 387 children. These are located at the end of the halls, two and each floor. These being confined largely to the period of the drinking line. The location of fountains should be based upon their accessibility at times when children

are most apt to want to drink, and the number should be based upon the number of children using them. All playgrounds should be provided with fountains in addition to the regular number in doors. There should be a fountain for every 75 children. The drinking of plenty of fresh water during the day is a health requirement that the schools can well afford to encourage with an adequate supply of cool bubbling fountains. Lavatories and bars Wash basins have been installed in the basements of most of the buildings, but no bathing facilities are provided in the elementary schools.

School baths are imperative of health and sanitation are to be properly taught. Showers could be installed on all buildings at relatively small expense. Their costs would be more than compensated by the educational and social results which could be attained from their use. Fortunately, roller towels and common soap have been banished from the Boise schools. Toilets In Dr. Straser's 1,000 points scale for grading buildings, an allowance of 50 points is made for toilets. The scores in Boise grade from 5 to 47 points in respect to this item. this item. The best systems were found at the high school, Lowell, Washington and Central.

The others may be said to be distinctly inferior. They are inadequate, poorly located, and unsanitary. Little or no effect to be made to grade the height of the seats according to the size of the pupils. The automatic flushing system, which operates only doing recess periods, or at the option of the janitor, should be replaced by a more up-to-date system. In some cases, the intervals between flushing is too long. At times the system fails to operate. It is the common practice of the janitor to turn the water on only doing recess and play periods, notwithstanding the fact that they are used by the children during the regular school hours. This illustrates another significant result of keeping,

former of the principals, the authority for janitorial supervision. The worst toilets are those of the park and widower schools. The former are located in the passituary between the old and new parts of the building. See plan and figure 31. Were it not for the fact that they are above ground and well lighted, they could be justly condemned. In order to pass from one part of the building to the other, it is necessary to go either through these toilets or to use a frame bridge, which has been attached to the exterior of this connected section. The arrangement makes the toilets accessible, however, both from the playgrounds and from other parts of the building. The video toilet is one of the worst the brighter has ever seen in a city school, located in a small, flat.

roof building without windows. It receives no light, heat or ventilation. Were it not for the assistance of the janitor, in whose hands rests the authority to turn on the electric light, the interior of the building would have been in total darkness. The use of this light, the janitor stated, is limited to recess and play periods. This toilet is equipped with the range system of seats, the flashing which automatically occurs every 15 to 18 minutes between the hours of 10 and 3 only. The two sides for boys and girls respectively contain but five seats each, all of the same height, and a single roll of toilet paper is provided in each division of the building. The floors and walls are damp, and the place could be no less sanitary if it were located 50 feet underground.

The building inspector concurs in the writer's opinion that this toilet should be immediately condemned. Few of the buildings are provided with separate rolls of toilet paper for each seat. The argument that to do so would result in the occasional waste of paper should be ignored, in light of health and sanitation. The toilet rooms should be thoroughly disinfected and cleaned at regular and frequent intervals. Wherever possible, provision should be made for letting more daylight into these rooms. The floors and walls should be more often treated with a non-absorbent. Cement is not as satisfactory material for toilet floors by reason of the almost unpreventable action produced by uric acid. Asphalt or tile floors are far superior.

The toilet rooms should be as well lighted and as clean as any other room in the building. The location in the basement should call for additional emphasis on these points, rather than serve as an excuse for their negligence. Classrooms As a rule, the classrooms have been well located and have received considerable attention in the planning of the buildings, at least as regards accessibility and convenience. They approach the standard size and shape as well as may be expected from the age of the buildings. The falls are generally of hard wood and are in good condition. The doors open out wood and in the newer buildings are constructed without thresholds and transoms. The walls are hard, durable plaster, although of an undesirable rough finish in some buildings.

Blackboards Of the 86 classrooms reporting, 53 were equipped with slate blackboards. 25 of coated plaster and 8 with composition boards. The newer buildings are equipped with slate. A plaster and composition boards are unsatisfactory, as they crack easily, wear smooth and is subject to other limitations. Slate or ground glass boards should be substituted for these wherever possible. Measurements made by the teachers show that the blackboard in many of the rooms are set

without much regard for the heights of the children who use them. The standards for school building construction call for a carefully graduated scale of heights from grade to grade, ranging from 24 to 30 inches for the elementary schools and from 32 to 36 inches for the high school. Table 40 is displayed on the page, height of blackboards from 4 to chalk rail in newer buildings of Boise in comparison with standard heights, measurements made by the teachers. The comparison for three of the newer buildings is shown in Table 40.

These are representative of the whole city. Wherever the boards are too high, as in the case lower grades at the central school, they should be lowered, or a platform built underneath to bring the children to the height necessary. Of these two corrective measures, the former has more advantages. In the level school, one of the newest in the city, the blackboards are consistently too high. In future buildings, the standard heights should be insisted upon. Lighting of classrooms Approximately one half of the classrooms in the Boise schools are correctly lighted.

Five of the buildings are constructed for unilateral lighting, with reasonable satisfactory distribution. Four of the buildings, Garfield, Hawthorne, Lincoln and Wideo have retained the black left lighting, together with other undesirable features common to buildings around 20 years ago. The standard ratio of one fifth glass area to floor area is retained at about two-thirds of the classrooms. The distribution may be seen in figure 32. Figure 32 is displayed on the page, distribution to a window glass area in boys a school rooms. Of a total of the 83 rooms reporting, 18 are provided with one square foot of glass every four square feet of floor space. In 37 rooms the ratio is 1 to 5, in 13 rooms 1 to 6

and 11 rooms less than 1 to 6. In 1 room the teachers measurements reveal a ratio of 1.18. There are perhaps 800 children in poise who regularly attend classrooms in which the construction of the building makes it impossible to secure sufficient daylight. Windows. Fully as important as the glass area is the location of the windows. The lighting of school rooms exclusively from the people's left as shown in figure 33 has long been an accepted standard for school buildings. Windows on two sides of the room however were found in five schools, and in a total of 24 rooms.

In many of these rooms, the windows have been placed far enough apart, so that the intervening space may be used for blackboards. This causes the light to enter in streaks, and often the pupils' desks are located in the shadows. Photometric tests, which had been made in rooms of this kind, show that such places are so dark that eye strain is sure to result from their use. Few businessmen will tolerate such lighting in their offices. The space between windows would never exceed 12 inches,

and is preferable to have the windows in steel frames which entirely replace the part of the brick or stone structure which occurs in the lighting area. Rear windows should be permanently blocked, or at least treated so as to minimise that blinding effect. Not only is the teacher compelled to face them for long periods with resulting eye strain, but every pupil is directly in his own light. The crosslights in rooms lighted from two sides produced numerous evil effects. Window shades The window shades, except in the Lowell and Washington schools, are unsatisfactory. The common opaque green shades suspended from the top of the window only serves to cut down the amount of light

and to illuminate the light nearest ceiling, which is the most essential part. The figure is showing that two-thirds of rooms have sufficient light only apply with the shades removed from the windows. Figure 33 is displayed on the previous page, planned devised by a Cleveland architect for the schools of the city, reproduced by Dr. Ares in the Cleveland Survey Report. Most teachers do not know how to operate window shades

and cannot be expected to learn with the window equipment provided. The right of visit rooms having the stand of one-fifth window to floor area in which the position of the shades reduced this proportion to less than one-tenth. In fact, it is quite common to find, but one half of the window space in use where opaque top rolling shades are used. Some teachers apparently think that the appearance of their room is improved by keeping the shades pulled down to the middle of the window. If the shades rolled at the bottom, the same aesthetic effect could be produced with better lighting results. Correctly built window shades are completely adjustable and are made of translucent material.

The purpose of a shade is not to cut down the amount of light, but they need to prevent direct sunlight from state. striking the desks. Translucid shades defuse these direct rays without the total loss of light. With better knowledge of correct lighting and with better equipment, teachers may be relied upon for more uniform results. Cloak rooms and wardrobes Cloak rooms are mostly of the clothes type and not lend themselves good lighting, ventilation or ready supervision. Future buildings should have wardrobes constructed with classroom connections as shown in figure 33. Classroom equipment

Seats and desks are of the stationary non-adjustable type, except in the Park School and a few rooms and other buildings. At the Longfellow School many desks are incorrectly placed and can be changed only by laborious effort involved in removing and replacing the screws by which they are secure to the floor. The placing and adjusting of desks should always be done under the direct supervision of the principal and all left janitors or carpenters. Teachers' desks are all placed on the floor, usually to one side the room, without platforms. This is to be commended. The teachers' platform inherited from the early schools is still too frequently found in other cities. Classroom bulletin boards were found in several schools.

These are a valuable asset to the teachers and the wider use should be encouraged. Teachers who have them speak highly of their instructional value. stacking space over the blackboards should be provided wherever possible. Special rooms. In regard to this item, the Boise schools are especially limited. There is not an auditorium, library, gymnasium, lunchroom, or a satisfactory playroom in any of the elementary schools. The need for playrooms is especially urgent, as testified by the efforts made by the principals to utilize vacant space for this purpose. The basement rooms that the Washington and Lowell Schools serve is an emergency, but in view of the many purposes to which it is necessary to put them, do not satisfactorily meet the needs of the school.

Fortunately, the climate of Boise permits of many out-of-door days for play. The lack of gymnasiums is a good argument for the better equipment of the playgrounds. The use of corridors for auditorium purposes is not the best practice because of the inadequate heating, lighting and ventilation. The eating of lunches in their classrooms is not to be encouraged. Relatively few of the children in Boise bring their lunches, however, and there are indications that satisfactory supervision is obtained for those who do remain over the noon hour. The newer buildings contain principals' offices,

but the older ones that has been necessary to resort to make shift. The present teaching schedule for principals leaves little time to attend two office duties, but the need is none the less important. The business of a large school like Park cannot be effectively transacted in a blocked-off hallway. Restrooms for teachers are also too few a number. In no case has a school provided proper equipment for these. The restroom at the central school was furnished by donation from the teachers. In most of the other schools, the principal's office serves in lieu of other special rooms.

The school nurse uses the hallway, where other space does not happen to be vacant. janitors have no separate rooms, except where basement living quarters are provided, and usually sit in the furnace room or in the hallway. Figure 34 is displayed on the page, a relation between age and efficiency of poisex school buildings. Age and efficiency. That the efficiency of a building decreases with age is not surprising. Many of the items in which efficiency is judged refer to improvements of relatively recent origin. Where buildings have been reconstructed or where auditions have been made, The improvement of the general quality of the school has usually followed.

This is manifestly true of the high school. The two newer wings make up for many of the shortcomings of the old central portion. The interesting relation between age and efficiency in the Boise School buildings is shown in figure 34. The arrangement of the elementary schools according to their ratings is exactly the reverse of their arrangement according to age. The newer the building, the higher its score. This relation is not entirely due to the structural advantages of the newer schools. poorer equipment is tolerated in an old building than would be permitted in a new one. This distinction is often unconscious on the part of the school officials, but it is common.

Even an acknowledgement of the greater danger from fires is not made apparent by more extensive equipment in old buildings. These conditions may easily be corrected. Summary and recommendations. 1. The school plant and Boise, although favourable in some respects, presents one of the most important educational problems in the city. None of the buildings attains the standard, and many are far below. Some of the older buildings, including Hawthorne, Garfield, Lincoln and Whittier should undergo some reconstruction or be replaced by modern structures. 2. The average rating of the buildings on the Australia scale is about 73%. The building score from 596 to 837 on a scale of 1,000 points.

3. The locations of the schools, with the exception of that at the Park School, are desirable and convenient. The grounds meet the standard minimum for play space, but are entirely devoid of apparatus. It is recommended that standard playground equipment be supplied to all schools. 4. The city is to be committed on the fact that the school buildings have been instructed for utility and are consequently free from superfluous architectural features. 5. It is recommended that living quarters other than the basement be provided for janitors.

The direction of a small portable building on or near the school grounds would be more desirable. The wall and floors of the basements should be better protected from the seabage of water. 6. The heating system should be equipped with facilities for washing and adding moisture to the air driven into the school rooms. Intakes should be elevated, wherever possible, above the level of playground and street dust. 7. Fire protection equipment should receive immediate attention. Every building should be provided with a good fire hose for each floor and a sufficient number of hand extinguishers. Water should be instantly obtainable by turning on the tap at the base of each hose. All buildings should be equipped with metal fire escapes.

electric fire alarms and connections with the city fire department should be installed. None of the buildings is fireproof. The older buildings are especially in need of better protection. The fire drills are excellent and deserve compensation. 8. Brooms with sweeping compound prevail as a method of cleaning. It would be desirable to have vacuum systems, and provision for such systems should be made in future building plans. 9.

Better electric equipment is urged, including artificial lighting, clocks, gongs and telephones. Every school should have telephone connections with the office of the superintendent. 10. The number of drinking fountains should be increased, and they should be distributed according to the number of pupils using them. Playground fountains are especially needed. 11. No bars are provided in the elementary schools. It is recommended that show has been installed wherever practical. 12. The toilet's excessive. in the newer buildings are very unsatisfactory.

It is recommended that all toilet rooms be provided with more light, better ventilation, and with not-absorbent floors and walls. The range system should be replaced by individual flushing systems, while the range system remains it should be operative throughout the day. Seats should be better graded as to height. A separate roll of toilet paper should be provided for each seat. The dungeon toilet at the widow school should be condemned. 13.

Blackboards of plaster or, composition should be replaced by slate or ground glass. The height of the black boards should be governed by standard requirements. 14. Approximately two-thirds of the school rooms have the standard ratio 1 to 5 a window space to floor area. This is satisfactory where it comes exclusively from the pupils left and is obstructed as in about one half of the rooms. Many classrooms are not only deficient in window area but the placing of the windows render's correct lighting impossible. It is recommended that if the older buildings are to be retained, immediate steps be taken to reconstruct them, so that all classrooms will have unilateral and sufficient lighting.

It is further recommended that the present of peaked shades be replaced by adjustable translucent shades, and that teachers be instructed as to their proper use. 15. The preponderance of stationary, not adjustable seats and desks makes it impossible to seat children accordingly to their varying sizes. At least one third of the seats and desks in each room should be adjustable and their adjustments should be supervised by the school principal. 16. Commendable use of bullet boards was observed in several schools. The continuance and extension of this practice is recommended. The lack of special rooms prevents the development of newer, more efficient educational methods. It is recommended that future buildings be equipped with playrooms, auditoriums, libraries, gymnasiums, luncheons. rooms and bottom rooms for school officials, including the school nurse. 18. It is evident that building's scoring relatively low on the standard scale can be brought much near the standard by improvements which require little or no structural changes. Among

these are the equipment of playgrounds, the improvement of basements and ventilation systems, better equipment for fire protection, increase in number and better distribution of drinking fountains, improvement of toilets, replacement of blackboards, and more extensive use of adjustable seat, and desks. The improvements which requires some structural changes, including the introduction of paths, the reconstruction toilet rooms, and securing of unilateral lighting, are, however, of no less importance. The cost of these improvements should not be looked upon as innovation expense, but the change shall be viewed as necessities which have not received timely attention in the development of the school system. The present lack of many essentials is suggestive evidence

of the lesser costs of the uniform educational growth, in which equipment keeps pace with other developments. In the preparation of this chapter, the writer has been fully conscious of the danger that such a section, which must of necessity be critical, may be misinterpreted. He has been reluctant to call attention to some of the long-standing defects in the physical equipment, but on the other hand, he has been guided by the obligation to make judgments on the basis of generally accepted standards. Whatever local reasons may exist for present conditions, The efficiency of this plant can be fairly determined only in planning comparisons with these standards. Fortunately, the improvement of the school plant among standard lines can be brought about more quickly, more easily, and less expense than can educate your developments in other directions.

It is believed that the adoption of the changes suggested will go far towards giving Boise a modern school system, and one that will be accredited to a geographical and economic importance. The writer wishes to acknowledge his indebtness to the recent publications of Dr. Fletcher B. Dr. D. Srella of the United States Bureau of Education, Dr. George D. Strayer of Columbia University, Dr. Lewis M. Terman of Stanford University, and Dr. Leonard P. Ayers of the Russell Sage Foundation. End of Section 9. Section 10 of the Boise Survey by Jesse Brandage Sears. This is a Librevox recording, or Libby Vox Accord.

In the public domain, for more information or to volunteer, please visit the bravox.org, recorded by Leon Harvey. Chapter 10. The High School. Proctor Articulation between the elementary grades and the high school. There is evidence to show that the administrative officers of the Boys A public schools are making a genuine effort to bridge the gap between the elementary grades and the high school. Among the plans that have been adopted with this end in view are the following. A. Departmentalization. of the seventh and eighth grades,

B, beginning of algebra and general science in the eighth grade. Departmentalization accustoms the grade pupils with different teachers with different subjects and trains them to more independent study methods. The beginning of algebra and general science in the eighth grade gives those who are planning to go to college an opportunity for a more varied course in the high school and tends to influence others to continue with their education

beyond the elementary grades. Table 41 gives the distribution of the graduates of the last seven classes graduated from the Boise 8th grade and includes the January and June groups for their years 1916, 1917 and 1918, as well as the January group for 1919 comprising a total of 758 pupils. There are 668 to the Boise 8th grade graduates who have entered the Boise High School and four who have entered other high schools during the three and a half years covered by the table. In all 672 or 88.65% of the eighth grade graduates went on to high school. This is surprisingly good showing when compared with the aggregate grade distribution of 386 American cities.

Aries found on the basis of 1,000 children who entered the first grade. They'll be found in the eighth grade 263 children and the first year high school, 189, or 71.4% of that number. Boise's record for the past 3.5% of that number. for the past three and a half years is 17.25% higher than for the 386 cities considered by areas. Less than 5% of the Boise 8th grade graduates gave up further effort to get an education and went to work. These facts are shown graphically in figure 35. Table 41 is displayed on the page, given the distribution of the 8th grade graduates of the Boise scores

comprise in the January and June class for three and half years. Table 42 gives the total enrollment, the average enrollment, and the percent of the total enrollment represented by the average number in the high school for the 10-year period, 1909 10 to 1918-19. Then we take an average of the percents that the high school enrollment is of the total enrollment for the five school years, 1912-13 to 1916-17, inclusive. The result is an average of 25.7 percent for the five. two school years, 1917, 18 and 1918 and 19. The years when a tennis in high school was

most affected by the war and the influencer. The result is also an average of 24.1%. The average percents for the 10-year period is 23.5%. Referring again to Aeroa statistics for the 386 American cities, we find that total high school attendance is only 8.3% to the total enrollment. And in the state of California, the total average daily attendance in the high schools is only 15.6% of the total average daily attendance in all the schools, elementary and high school combined. Figure 35 displayed on the page showing what became of the eighth graduates from the Boise School doing a period of three and one half years. Table 42 is displayed on the page showing total enrollment and average enrollment of the Boise Elementary in high schools.

and also the percent of total average enrollment made up of high school pupils for a period of 10 years. Table 43 shows how Boise compares with 10 other cities in respect to the percent of high school attendants, in its relation to total attendance. Boise ranks 1 with 23.8 percent. Reno, Nevada, occupies the median place, with 18.1 percent. And Great Falls, Montana, ranks lowest, with 14.3 percent. Boise's very favorable position among these cities is shown to good effect in figure 36. Table 43 is displayed on the page, showing the relative standing of 11 cities in the percentage of high school pupils in total average enrollment of elementary and high school pupils. From tables 41, 42 and 43, it is apparent that the Boise High School is attracting and holding an unusually large percent of the total school population.

The conclusion is therefore justified. that the articulation between the elementary schools and the high school is very satisfactory. A still better situation with respect to articulation will be brought about by the bringing together of all the 7th, 8th and 9th grades the city into one building under a distinctly intermediate school or junior high school organization. This would make possible the introduction of adequate provocational work, as well as the beginning of modern languages, from one to two years earlier in the People's Course Study.

There may be reasons why this separate housing of the intermediate school cannot be put into execution at the present time, but it is an item that should be included in the plan for future development of the Boise School System, perhaps be worked out with the completion of the building now in process of erection. Figure 36 is displayed on the page, showing relation of enrollment in high schools to total school enrollment in 10 West Western cities. Building and Equipment

A full discussion of the high school building as equipment will be found in the chapter on building and equipment, but there are two points in particular to which attention can be called in this chapter. The laboratory for elementary agriculture is poorly equipped and entirely too small to accommodate the pupils registered in those causes. The gymnasium, both as to floor space and apparatus, is not up to the standard for a high school of 1,000 pupils. It may be necessary to wait for adequate gymnasium facilities until the central portion connecting the two new wings of the present building is erected, but proper provision should be made as soon as possible for laboratory and recitation rooms for the other

three courses in agriculture. The High School Faculty Details as to training, tenure, salaries, etc. of the high school teachers have been discussed in the foregoing chapter on teaching staff. As to teaching, as to teaching, teaching technique and methods is not possible to give in this report a detailed account covering each individual instructor the classrooms of most of the members of the high school teaching staff were visited by members of the survey commission all grades of teaching ability were found but taken as a whole the teaching staff of the Boise High School was found to be well up to

the standard set for high schools of from 800 to 1,200 pupils Unfortunately for the high school, four of the very best teachers found by the surveyors will not be with the school in another year. Two were planning graduate work at universities, and two were taken from the high school by business corporations who appreciate their ability sufficiently to pay them adequate salaries for their services. The loss of these four experienced teachers can help lowering the efficiency and morale the high school for some time to come. The regrettable part of the matter is that two of them could have been retained if they had been assured of reasonable increases in salary early in the spring.

Curriculum features In the organisation and administration of its curriculum, the Boiseau High School enjoys the advantage of being free from outside dictational domination. The fact that the district is absolutely dependent makes it possible for the board of directors to authorise any course of study that may be submitted by its administrative officers. without having to take into account state or county educational requirements. This means that if the curriculum adopted does not meet the needs of Boise and vicinity, the responsibility rests upon the board as educational advisors. It also means that any adjustments necessary to be made in order to bring the courses of study up to the best standards for secondary education

in a progressive American community can be made by authority of the Board of Education directly, without awaiting the approval of outside agencies. It will be the purpose of the following discussion of the curriculum of the Boise High School to indicate to an extent the curriculum, as at present constituted, meets the needs of Boise and conforms to an accepted stance of curriculum, making for secondary schools in American cities, as well as to make constructive suggestions for the improvement of any defects that may be apparent. 1. The working out of the curriculum. The statement of courses, which has recently been recommended to the board for publication, was worked out by the teaching staff of the high school as a cooperative enterprise.

All the instructors in a given department were constituted members of a committee to agree upon the type of the courses that should be offered and to formulate a statement of the aims, content and mothers of presenting the courses. The high school principal was an ex-officio member of each other. committee. Whenever a committee had arrived at an agreement, report was made to the entire teaching staff at the regular teachers' meetings. Thus, not only did each departmental group faced directly the problem involved in curriculum building, but all groups were required to square their final reports with the general aim and purpose of the course of study as a whole.

The statement of courses evolved under the plan just described in a social product. Every teacher who had a part in working out the details was educated into a new sense of responsibility for the successful operation of the courses of study as therein outlined. The high school principal might have worked out the course of study alone, submitting it in its finished form for the approval of the teaching staff. In such an event, the resulting course of study might more nearly have approximated the ideal, but there would have been a distinct loss to the morale and teaching of efficiency of the high school instructors. The Boise High School plan of curriculum making deserves, therefore, commendation has been in line with the best tenants in school administration. 2. Curriculum content. It stated in Chapter 11, on educational vocational guidance. The aim of the courses of study in intermediate and high schools should be to give preparation

A, for citizenship in a democracy, B, for a vocation or ability to make a worthy contribution to the world's work. C. For evocation, or the socially profitable employment of leisure time. The courses offered in the Boise High School that come under A, citizenship, are those in history and general social science. Judging from the work of classes which were visited is evident that full advantage of the situation Boise as capital of the state and county seat of Ada County is not taken by the

teachers. There is need for a great deal more laboratory work in the state. in a city which is itself the best possible type of citizenship laboratory. Another source of citizenship training which is not being adequately cultivated is to be found in connection with various student activities. Thy school, for the time being, is a pupil's world, in which he is in the truest sense citizen. Every phase of the school life, whether in the classroom or in extracurricular activities, should be so organized as to develop high ideals of social and civic conduct, and also

give opportunity for participation in social and political situations requiring the application of principles learned in the classroom. The history courses are supposed to furnish a background for the understanding of present-aid problems. As at present outlined, too much time is given to ancient and medieval history and no place is provided for elementary economics. The introduction of two courses in economics, even at the expense of all the time now given to ancient and medieval history, would give a better balance course in the social sciences.

The course is offered that would naturally come under B, vocational, are agriculture, manual training, mechanical drawing, home economics and the commercial subjects. Of these, the course in agriculture is distinctly vocational coming under the Smith's use act. The high school owns a 40-acre farm with complete equipment of buildings, stock and farm machinery. The students are required to devote one half their time to classwork and one-half. after experimental work on the school farm. During the summer vacations the work of the school farm is carried on by students who were paid at the current wages for their services. The farm director and teacher of agriculture has had excellent training, both in practical farming and

scientific agriculture, and is carrying on lives of experimentation that would be of greatest service to the farmers in the region around Boise. There appears to be commendable coordination between the courses in agriculture, manual training and mechanical drawing. Plans for new buildings needed on the farm are drawn by the mechanical drawing department, and much of the work is performed and furnished made by the manual training department. Plans for a machine shop to house the work in auto mechanics were being perfected by the advanced class in mechanical and architectural drawing when the members of the survey staff inspected this phase of the work.

The Home Economics Department did all of the purchasing and prepared all the food for the high school criteria, in addition to offering the customary courses. Olsen well-prepared food was supplied to the high school pupils at a very low cost. The head of this department

made such a success of her work that a Boiseo department store secured her services at a good salary to manage the lunchroom of its women's department. The work of the commercial department seen to be carried on in efficient way, so as the teaching of the separate subjects themselves

was concerned. But there was not the coordination between the work of this department and other departments that there should be. Some use of the students in typing and shorthand was made by the superintendent of schools and the high school principal, but much more could be done to give all the pupils in the commercial department experience in handling real accounts, keeping up office files, etc. If the bookkeeping of the agricultural and home economics department and that of certain student enterprises could be turned over to them under the supervision of the head of the department. The fact that 63 or more than one half of the girls who were planning to be stenographers intended to complete their training in a business college is evidence that the commercial

department is not furnishing them with a sufficiently practical type of experience to meet the demands of boys' air business men. The work in auto mechanics was well organized and carried on as efficiently as could be expected in the building used. full space was adequate, but the lighting and ventilation were wretched. Seeing that this is the automobile age, no more acceptable service to the community can be performed that is undertaken in the day and evening auto mechanic classes of the Boise High School. The Board of Education can well afford to furnish all necessary buildings and equipment. The subjects

which may be classified under sea of vocation are art, expression, music and the foreign languages. It is true that for particularly gifted persons any one of the vocational subjects may become vocational. For the great majority of high school pupils, their chief value lies in the fact that they contribute to the enlargement of one's capacity for enjoyment of leisure time. There should be opportunity for the pupils highly endowed along the lines of art, expression or music to receive sufficiently advanced causes to enable them to go from high school to special scores for the completion of their training.

But there's greater need that all pupils who enter a high school shall receive a type of training that will develop their ability to appreciate and enjoy the masterpieces of art, literature, and music. Both of these aims can be accomplished in the Boise High School. At present, the Tennessee seems to be to neglect the aim, which would seek to cultivate in every pupil a spirit of amateur interest in the appreciation of the world's highest achievements in the line of artistic endeavour. In addition to the subjects which may be said to bear directly upon the three principal aims of secondary education. There are those of English, mathematics and science, which may be said to be basic in character.

Eight courses in English, eight courses in mathematics and eight courses in natural science are offered, make it possible for a pupil to earn four units of credit in any one of these departments. Aims, contents of courses, and methods of presentation in these three departments were found to be very satisfactory. 3. Administration of the curriculum. Selection of courses by pupils in the Boise High School has, for the past few years, been entirely elective. Limited only by the necessity of taking certain courses in sequence, and the meeting of prerequisite requirements before other courses could be had, pupils were free to make out their own curricula. A new policy of requiring three majors of three units each, one of which shall be English, which to be inaugurated during the school year. 1919, 20. The results of the system of free election on the choice of subjects by the pupils during the five semesters beginning September in 1917 is shown in table 44. The percentages of

pupils taking the subjects arranged according to the divisions suggested in the preceding section are as follows. Basic group English 20.8% mathematics 11.0%. Science 6.6%. Total basic group 38.4%. A vocational group, art, 2.5%. Expression 3.6%, music, 0.8%. Foreign languages, 15.4%. Total avocational group 22.3. Vocational group, agriculture, 2.8%, manual training, 2.2%.

Mechanical drawing, 1.9%. Home economics, 8.0%. Commercial subjects, 11.3%. Total vocational group, 26.2%. Citizenship group, General Social Science, 2.3%. History, 10.8%. Total citizenship group, 13.1%. Table 44 is displayed on the previous page,

showing number of pupils taking various subjects for five semesters and the percent that the number taking each subject is of the total number of elections. The plan of major groups should be so directed as to bring about the equalization of the percentages of pupils found taking courses in the four main divisions. Many who are now taking mathematics should be encouraged to take courses in science instead. In the avocational group, foreign languages claim disproportionate percentage of the pupils. It is doubtful whether one in ten of those who take a foreign language in our high schools and requires a sufficient mastery of it to serve either as a vocation. asset or as a means of enjoying the literature for which the language is the medium of expression.

Considering the doubtful value of foreign language study for the great maturity of high school pupils and the meter returns that may be had through the proper development of various lines of artistic expression and appreciation, a consistent effort should be made to attract more pupils to the art, music and expression courses. In the vocational group, there is a great contrast between the percentage of pupils who have elected the commercial subjects and those who have elected agriculture. Four times many have taken up commercial work as have been involved in agriculture, notwithstanding the fact that the Boyset High School

as one of the very best courses in agriculture offered by any high school in the West. As shown in the chapter on educational and vocational guidance, agriculture will absorb 32.0% of the gainful workers, while clerical occupations will demand the services of only 4.6%. The world needs scientifically trained farmers. The Boys at High School has the equipment for training many more than are now taking the courses. The conclusion is obvious.

Meaning should be devised for directing more boys and girls into this important field. In connection with the citizenship courses is desirable that more attention to be paid to the study of elementary economics. This could be done by telescoping certain history courses and making more room for the study of present-day social and political problems. While the subject of physical education is not mentioned in the statement of causes, and statistics regarding it were not contained in the data from which Table 44 was compiled, the Boise High School does pay attention to the physical well-being of the pupils. Military training is provided under the direction of an Army officer, detailed by the War Department for that service,

and a physical director has charged of the gymnasium classes and athletic games. Physical examinations are made to the basis of work for correctnesses, gymnastics and a system of simple tests has been employed to discover those who need particular attention the aim of the director is to secure the participation of every pupil in some form of health or physical activity but he is handicapped by the lack of gymnasium facilities certain phases of the internal administration one the high school principal the principal or the Boise High School is given practically a free hand in the management of the internal affairs

of the high school. This is as it should be. The high school principal should be an expert in secondary education with the training, personality and executive ability to handle the problems of his office, and should then be held responsible for results. It ought to be possible for the principal so to organise his time as to give a certain amount of attention to the supervision of instruction and to the coordination of the work of the different departments in order each may make its proper contribution to the announced aim of the whole school. The members of the survey staff are of the opinion. At the high school principal is too much burden with petty details of office accounting.

As one illustration, his office was keeping all the accounts of the cafeteria. And the absence of competent help, the principal himself was doing the bookkeeping and checking over. This work should be turned over to the bookkeeping section of the commercial department. and other student help should be furnished to care for registration daily routine accounting under the management of a competent principal secretary. The Board of Education cannot afford to pay a principal's salary for a bookkeeper's services. A high school with from 800 to 1,000 pupils in attendance needs all of our principal's time and attention, and ought to have it applied where it will result in the establishment

and maynance of the highest standing of excellence in all departments of high school work. 2. Scholarship and grading In giving the marks indicative of scholastic attainment, the teachers of the Boise High School are expected to plot the curve of marks given by them at the end of each six weeks of schoolwork and also the end of each semester. If there's any great variation in the curve representing the marks which a given teacher may award and the normal curve of distribution for the entire school, the teacher must see the principal and justify his deviation from the norm.

Table 45 shows the results of this plan on the distribution of marks given during five semesters, covering the school years 1917-18-1919 and the first semester 191919. A glance at the percentage of marks of each degree given for each subject will show that the adoption of this plan has resulted in a relatively uniform distribution of marks in each subject. So a 1 plus a 1, a 2, etc, means approximately the same thing in the department and to each teacher. The relatively small percent's 3.4 and 3.3 found in the condition and failed columns of Table 45 are accounted for by the 9.0% in the dropped column. That 1,407 pupils should have been permitted to drop courses during two

and half years indicates that proper care and guidance were not exercised in amending pupils to courses. Table 45 is displayed on the page showing percentage of marks of each degree given in all subjects in Boiseau High School from September 1917 to February 1919. Simple preliminary tests should be devised to assist teachers in selecting the pupils who will be very likely to fail if permitted to undertake their courses in order that they may be directed into courses where they will stand a chance to succeed. If carefully safeguarded against becoming mechanical, the marking system of the Boiseau High School can be commended as a distinct advance over the ordinary hit or miss plan in vogue in the average high school.

3. Supervised Study The time schedule of the Boise High School caused for five periods of one hour each, three in the morning and two in the afternoon. The afternoon session does not begin until 155, which gives opportunity for certain phases of the physical education program to be carried out between 115 and 155 o'clock. There is a five-minute intermission between class periods, but this is so arranged

as to leave a full of 60 minutes for each class exercise. This 60 minutes is supposed to be divided into a recitation period of 30 minutes and a supervised study period of 30 minutes. There is no warning signal to indicate that the 30 minutes for recitation has expired. The teachers are left to determine for themselves the amount of time to be given each day to supervise study.

The result of this arrangement is that in most cases the entire 60 minutes is taken up with recitation and discussion and no time slows for supervised study. If the supervised study period is to be retained, there should be some means of providing for the carrying out of a more satisfactory division of time between recitation and study period. 4. The advisory system. 33 of the 34 classroom teachers in the Boiseau High School act as advisors to groups of pupils varying in size from 16 to 34. The pupils belonging to a given advisory, assembled the room of their advisor 20 minutes before the time of the first regular period in the morning and 20 minutes before the first period in the afternoon. During this time, the role has taken special announcements for the day I made, and the remainder of the time is supposed to be occupied by the advisory giving special counsel and help to the pupils of his group, particularly those who are reported as doing poor work in their classes. The advisor keeps not only the attendance record, but the scholarship record as well.

The first reports of scholarship deficiencies are made to the advisor, who confers with the pupil and the classroom teacher with a view of aiding the pupil in making up his work. No teacher is permitted to give a pupil a failing mark in a course, as he has previously notified the pupil's advisor of the character of the work being done. This notice must be given in time to enable the advisor to be of real son. service to the pupil in overcoming its difficulty. The idea behind the advisory system is a very good one. And a great many of the teachers are utilising the two 20 minute periods per day to good

advantage. But there are a number of the teachers who permit extreme disorder to rain as soon as the role has taken and the announcements made. It is a serious question whether it would not be better to devote five minutes to role-taking and announcements morning and afternoon, and either add five minutes to each period, making them 65 minutes long, so that 40 minutes could be devoted to recitation and 25 minutes to making a start on the preparation of the next day's lesson under the supervision of the teacher, or shorted the school day 30 minutes. The advisory system could also be utilized to

advantage in connection with a systematic organization of the work in educational vocational guidance. As administered in 1918, it did not justify the 40 minutes allotted to it. The need for a junior college in Boise. The establishment of a junior college would give Boise a more completely articulate educational system. The arguments in favour of adding two years of college work to the present four-year high school course are briefly stated as follows. One, the young people Boise are under the necessity of travelling great distances when going to institutions of higher learning. The nearest college of standard grade is located at Walla Walla, 315 miles north and west. In order to reach the University of Idaho, it is necessary to pass through parts of Oregon and Washington and to make a 465 mile journey.

The University of Montana is 648 miles north, while the University of Washington is 676 miles northwest, and the University of Oregon is 492 miles west. 2. An institution of college rank in or near our community tends to influence many young people to continue their education beyond the high school, who otherwise would not do so. This idea is supported by the data presented in Table 46. Table 46 is displayed on the page showing percentage of high school pupils going to the college from Boise, Everett, Pello Alto and Wella Wella. Everett has one year of junior college work. The percentage of Everett High School pupils who continue their education is 36.6. And of this group, one half remained for the one year of work offered in the Home High School.

The Palo Alto High School sends 66% of its graduates onto college. Stanford University is located within one mile of the Palo Alto Union High School. The most telling comparison with the Boiseau High School, is out of the Walla Wella High School. Wella has about the same population as Boise and has very much the same natural surroundings. The two high schools are of nearly the same size and graduate about the same number of pupils each year. From Boisei 23 and from Wella Wella, 63, out of every 100 high schools are of the same size and graduate about the same number of pupils each year. From Boise 23 and from Wella Wella, Wela 63 and of every 100 high school graduates go on to college.

The fact that Whitman colleges are catered in Wella Wella and doubly accounts for most of this very striking difference. A junior college in Boise would doubtless mean that 45 and of every 100 graduates of the high school will continue their education and that at least one half of them would remain in a local school for one or two years of work. Educationally considered the junior college is advisable because it serves to complete the cycle of secondary education. It is estimated that from 40 to 60% of the subjects pursued in the first two years in American colleges and universities is of secondary grade. These subjects are frequently taught by instructors whose training is not the equal of the best high school teachers.

The sections are too large to permit individual instruction. In the junior colleges, the classes are relatively small, individual instruction as possible, and better results may be secured. A two-year extension of the present high school course study would make it possible to offer additional courses in agriculture, commerce and social science that would function more completely in the economic, social and civic life for the community. The graduates of the junior college who went up to the universities will be ready to enter the profession in advanced courses, where they would come at once into contact with their strongest men on the university staff. 4. It is socially and morally desirable for adolescents to remain under home guidance and supervision as long as possible. In a great university enrolling 10,000 students, approximately 6,500 of them, will be in the freshmen and so for more years.

Adequate supervision of such a group in a large city is practically impossible. The result usually is that there is a very heavy percentage of a limit. at the end of the freshman year due to failure in college work. In the first two years of college life were spent in junior colleges. Those who went on to the universities would be more mature, more settled as to life purposes and more capable of meeting university standards of conduct and scholarship. 5. Not only would a junior college promote the social, moral, and educational welfare boys as young men and women, but it would be a distinct economic asset to the city as well.

Graduates of neighboring high schools would be attracted to Boise for one or two years of college work, and many of those who now live Boise to attend college would remain at home until the courses offered in the Boise Junior College had been completed. The money spent in support of these young men would aggregate a goodly sum that would find its way every year into Boise business channels. The reputation of the city as an educational centre would be enhanced, and many families would thereby be influenced to be influenced make Boise their home. 6. The cost of establishing a junior college would not be prohibitive. The present high school facilities, with appropriate additions to library and scientific laboratory

equipment, would meet the needs of the junior college. By making the selection of future high school instructors with the work of the junior college in mind, men and women could be secured with the regular training to give the college courses in an acceptable manner. To introduce the first years the junior college course would probably not require more than three teachers in addition to the present high school staff. It has been found in California where the junior college movement has attained its highest development and the cost per pupil of junior college work is from $125 to $250 per year.

Accredited junior colleges are affiliated with the University of California and the graduates receive junior standing at that institution and at Leland Standard Junior University. A plan of affiliation between the Boys A junior college and the University of Idaho could undoubtedly be worked out to the advantage of all concerned. Summary and recommendations 1 The articulation between the Boise High School and the elementary school of the city is very satisfactory, as shown by the percentage of eighth grade graduates going on to the high school, and also by the relationship between the total average enrollment in the high school and the total average enrollment.

in all schools. This articulation could be improved by a distinct junior high school organization housed in a building by itself. Two, gymnasium equipment and elementary agricultural laboratory equipment are inadequate. Three, the loss of several most competent teachers might have been prevented by judicious salary increases. Four, the working out of the statement of courses was found to have been a social enterprise at which the entire teaching staff was unlisted. The result is a well-balanced modern course of study designed to carry out the fundamentals aims of American secondary education. Certain suggestions for administering the course of study were made in the light to the percentage of pupils electing various high school subjects

during the preceding five semesters. Five. As to internal administration. A. The high school principal should be given sufficient clerical assistance to enable him to devote more time to supervision of teaching and carrying out the larger educational policies at the high school. B. The plan of standardized values in grading for quality of work is commended. But attention is core to the unusual number of students who are permitted to drop courses. More carefully organized educational guidance would tend to eliminate this defect. C.

Supervised study is not administered to the best advantage. Teachers disregard study periods. Warning signals are needed, as well as close. closer supervision by principle of teachers' methods of utilizing study periods. D. The advisory system is not functioning as it might. Too much time is now wasted. This could be made an effective means of carrying out a systematic plan of educational and vocational guidance.

6. The establishment of a junior college would round out Boise's educational system, afford opportunity for many more young people to have collegiate advantages, and be a social, economic, and economic and, educational asset to the city. End of Section 10. Section 11 on the Boise's Survey by Jesse Brundon-Siers. This is a Libravox recording.

All Libravox recordings are in the public domain. For more information on to volunteer, please visit Libravox.org. Recorded by Leon Harvey. Chapter 11. Educational and vocational guidance. Proctor. The need for educational and vocational guidance in Boisee. It should be the purpose of the public schools of any community.

to prepare the boys and girls of that community for the places they are to occupy as men and women. In general, that preparation should be threefold, i.e., for participation in the duties of citizenship, for earning a livelihood, and for the proper use of leisure time. There is evidence that the Boys A's schools are endeavouring to perform the second of these functions, preparation for earning a livelihood. Courses are offered in agriculture, woodworking, auto mechanics, mechanical drawing, etc. in addition to the courses that lead to college entrance and preparation for a professional career. But there is no indication that anything has been done to guide the boys and girls of the Boise schools

in selection of their respective vocations. There are no life career classes in which information is given regarding the vocational opportunities of Boise and vicinity. Nor is there any systematic effort made to discover and record the vocational capabilities and interests of the pupils as a first step in advising them regarding the occupation in which they would be most likely to succeed. There can be no doubt that the lack of systematic educational and vocational guidance results in serious misapplication of effort in schoolwork, as well as in many misfits in vocations. One, occupational opportunities, occupations of fathers and occupational ambitions of children. The relation between the occupational

opportunities of Boise and vicinity, as shown by the 13th United States, census and the occupations the fathers of boys a school children and the vocational ambitions expressed by boys high school pupils is brought out in tables 47 48 and 49. These data are supplemented by other information obtained from the pupils regarding their reasons for choosing the occupation mentioned. Their course of study and their educational plans after completing high school. The high school pupils who filled out the questionnaire relating to vocational matters numbered The vocational ambitions of the grade pupils were not as obtained, but at the time of giving

the spelling test, one of the items of information obtained was in regard to the occupation of the father or breadwinner of the family. There were 1,705 grade children, from the third to the eighth grade inclusive, who took the spelling test. Thus there were 2,454 boys' school children who gave information regarding the occupational status of the homes from which they come. The occupational designations used in the following tables are those found in the report of the 13th United States Census 1910, following 4, page 40. Table 47 shows the occupational distribution of the homes from which the children, from the 3rd to 12th grade's inclusive, come.

For the purposes of this survey, the census designations trade and clerical are combined to the heading commercial. Since the occupation of father or breadwinner is a reasonably accurate index of the service status, of the home for which the child comes. High school and grade pupils have been separated in this table in order to see whether there is any marked difference in the social status of the homes from which grade and high school pupils come. This contrast will appear in a more marked degree in Table 48, where the occupations of the fathers have been assigned to ranks based on preparation and ability necessary for success. The data set forth in Table 47 shows clearly the occupational

trends in Boise. It is true that not all the people of boys have children in the public schools, but those who do are thoroughly representative of the general population. Agriculture, commercial, manufacturing and mechanical and professional occupations absolves 78.9% of the fathers of the boys' age of school children. 5.0% are engaged in common labour. 5.10% of the children come from homes where the father is dead or no occupation was given, which leaves only 11.0% engaged in extraction of minerals, transportation, public service and domestic service. Table 47 is displayed on the page, giving the distribution on the pupils of the Boise scores, from the 3rd to the 12th grade is inclusive, according to occupation of father or breadwinner. Table 48 is displayed on the following page, comparing the percentage of people engaged in the various occupational divisions in the United States as a whole,

in the Pacific and Mountain Divisions and Boise, as shown by occupations or fathers or school pupils. How Boise compares in the occupational distribution of its citizens with the rest of the United States, where the Pacific Coast states and the mountain states, is set forth in Table 48. Boise appears to have a larger proportion of its gainful work as a manufacturing, mechanical, commercial, professional and public service occupations than either the Pacific Divisions and Mountain Division, or the United States as a whole. On the other hand, it has fewer representatives engaged in extraction of minerals, transportation, domestic service, or agriculture than the other sections mentioned. The relatively high percentage of children coming from homes where the father is engaged in agriculture is explainable on the ground that Boise is a centre of an extensive agricultural region.

Professional workers and those engaged in public service are more numerous in Boise than the average community because it is the state capital of Idaho and the country's seat of Ada. County. Table 49 is displayed on the page, comparing occupational choices of 749 Boys A High School Pupils distributed under the designation employed in their 13th United States Census 1910, with the occupations of the fathers or breadwinners in the homes from which the pupils come. 2. Contrast between occupations of fathers and the occupational ambitions of their children. Table 49 makes a comparison between the occupations of the fathers of the boys' high school pupils and the vocational ambitions of the pupils themselves. Approximately 25% of the fathers are engaged in agriculture.

Only 7% of the pupils plan to engage in that vocation. 23% of the fathers make a living in manufacturing and mechanical pursuits. Only 5% of the boys and girls are ambitious along those lines. When we come to the commercial subdivision, which includes trade and clerical occupations, we find that there are 24% of the fathers and 24% of the pupils classified under that head. It should be noted, however, that most of the fathers are engaged in trade, or most the pupils, especially the girls, are ambitious to occupy clerical positions as stenographers, bookkeepers, etc.

The most pronounced contrast between occupations of fathers and ambitions of pupils is found under designation professional. Here we find that while only 11% of the fathers are engaged in professional callings, there were 49% of the boys and girls who would like to enter some profession. Of the 125 boys who mentioned some profession, it wanted to be chemists,

24 lawyers, 26 doctors, 57 engineers, and only three teachers. None wanted to be preachers. There were seven miscellaneous. Of the 234 girls who mentioned a professional career, eight wanted to be artists, eight musicians, three actresses, three missionaries, four librarians, 24 trained nurses, and 175 teachers, miscellaneous nine. These two groups, 125 boys and 234 girls, comprise 49% of the 749 high school pupils who expressed a vocational preference. 3. Social and economic status are factor in high school attendance. Table 49, middle section, showing percents of fathers of grade and high school pupils coming under each rank,

shows that the high school recruits its pupils more from the upper three ranks, 1, 2, and 3, then does the grade school. It appears that 81.78% of the high school pupils come from homes where the rank of the father's occupation is 1, 2, or 3, and only 11.6% of high school pupils come from homes where the father's occupation ranks 4 or 5. In their case of the grade children, there are 68.8% who come from homes where the father's occupation ranks 1, 2 or 3, and 26.6% or of the twice as many in proportion who come from homes where the father's occupation ranks 4 or 5. These facts combined with the fact as shown in Table 47, that while 117 fathers of grade pupils, or 6.78% are engaged in common labour.

Only six fathers of high school pupils or 0.8% are engaged in common labor. Make it clear that the high school population is rather high-certed socially and economically. The unavoidable inference is that a great many children from the homes where the father is engaged in semi-skilled or unskilled labour, which are represented in Table 50 by ranks 4 and 5,

under the economic necessity of leaving school, are going to work as soon as they have completed the eight grades of the grammar school. Failing to arrive at this goal, they drop out and go to work as soon as they have reached the legal age, which for the state of Idaho is 18 years. Statistical studies by Thorndyke and Strayer show that from 40 to 60% of the pupils who enter the grade schools never enter high school at all. That by far the greater proportion of those who drop out are the children from the homes where the occupational status of the father is at a semi-skilled or unskilled labour, is indicated by tables 49 and 50.

The same fact is indicated by a similar study of 1,439 California high school pupils. From this study it appears that only 10.3% came from homes where the father's occupation ranked 4, and 2.6% where the father's occupation ranked 5. Over 80% of the high school pupils in the nine California high schools included in the study came from homes where the father's occupation ranked 1, 2 or 3. These facts tend to prove that the greatest amount of elimination from our public schools is found among pupils who come from homes where there is the least chance that they will receive adequate educational and vocational guidance. There is much evidence to support the contention that most of this elimination will be prevented

about public schools gave the attention they should to scientific guidance in the matter of schoolwork and possible life careers. As further evidence of the need of guidance in the matter of the selection of a vocation, reverence has had a gain to tables 48 and 49. Table 48 gives the percentages of people engaged in the main occupational subdivisions in the United States, in the Pacific and in the Mountain States, and also in Boise. Table 49 shows the occupational ambitions of the Boiseau High School District. pupils and the distribution of the occupations of the fathers. Almost one half, 49.0% of the high school pupils plan to enter a profession, whereas only about one-tenth,

11.4% of the fathers of the high school pupils in Boise and only 5.2% of the gainful workers of the mountain states are engaged in professional pursuits. Again, only 6.7% of the Boise High School Pupils plan a career along agriculture. agricultural lines, while 25.2% of the fathers of Boise High School pupils are engaged in agriculture, and 32.4% of the gainful workers in the Mountain Division are engaged in agricultural occupations. The same discrepancy is found in their case of manufacturing and mechanical pursuits. There are 23.3% of the Boise fathers of high school pupils engaged in the last-mentioned occupations, but only 5% of the high school pupils have vocational ambitions in that direction.

The only point where there is a proximate agreement between the percentage of workers engaged in a group of occupations and the occupational ambitions of the high school pupils of Boise comes on the heading commercial, where 23.6% of the pupils' ambitions fall and in which 24.4% of the fathers of the high school pupils are engaged. But as previously explained, most of the fathers are engaged in trade or business as owners, managers or salesmen, while the bulk of the ambitions of the pupils were engaged. amongst the clerical positions. Table 50 is displayed on the page, showing the rank of the occupations of the fathers of Boise, high school and great pupils, and also the rank of the vocational ambitions

of 749 high school pupils, according to an occupational scale based on training and ability, necessity for success in the occupation. Rank 1 is made up of the professional occupations, law, medicine and ministry, higher grade of teachers, engineers, etc.

also of high state and government officials, large property orders, owners and managers of large business and manufacturing establishments, etc. Rank 2 consists of semi-professional, higher clerical and managerial positions, grade teachers, etc. Rank 3 is made of of skilled workmen, carpenters, mechanics, etc., also of office workers, salesmen, etc. Rank 4 includes semi-skilled workmen, also streetcar motorman and conductors, policemen, lituriers, Rake 5 includes unskilled miners, mill workers, factory hands, day labors and all classes of unskilled operatives.

4. The school's responsibility for guidance. It is reasonably certain that in the long run, the occupational distribution of the pupils in the public schools of Boise will approximate the percentages of the mountain division of states and of Boise itself. Much time will be saved, much energy conserved, and the best interests of the pupils and the and the state will be advanced. If the pupils of the Boisei schools receive such information about occupations in general, and about the qualifications necessary for success in them, and such help from their teachers in estimating their abilities,

as will enable them to make wise selection of their life occupation while still in school. If in addition to wise vocational guidance, the pupils in the intermediate and high schools are giving careful educational guidance, i.e., such help in planning their courses of study in the light of the their vocational ambitions, as will enable them to see the connection between their school tasks and their life beyond the school. They will result a better motivation of school work. Pupils will remain in school longer, and the schools will more nearly fulfill their function of preparing the boys and girls of boys' hay for the duties of citizenship, the responsibilities

of breadwinning, and a socially profitable enjoyment of their leisure time. A reasonable program of educational and vocational guidance for Boise. 1. BARTime Councilors At least one member of the high school teaching staff should be qualified to organise and supervise the work in an educational and vocational guidance in the high school. This teacher, preferably of vice-principle, should be relieved from at least one half, his teaching work and charged with the responsibility of carrying out definite plan for the educational and vocational kindness of high school pupils.

In the grades, there should be one teacher in each building, preferably the principal to take charge for this important feature of the school work. 2. Uniform blanks and cards for gathering necessary information. Space should be provided on the regular record cards for items relative to vocational attitudes, preferences, etc., as observed by pupils' different teachers doing his progress through the grades. It should also be notations regarding moral and physical qualities. These items combined with the customary record of school marks would be of invaluable aid to educational and vocational councillors.

The necessity for recording these facts would give the classroom teacher a more intimate knowledge of her pupils and tend to develop her interest in the vocational future of those under her care. Thus cooperation with the official counsellors would be assured. 3. Life Career Classes After a vocational survey of the vocational survey, the high school has been made, or of the pupils in the upper grades of the grammar school. Those who express a preference for a given occupation can be brought together in a special class or group once a week to make a special study of their occupation. These classes should take up and discuss personal qualities demanded of those who engaged in such an occupation.

Preparation required, wages or income to be expected, length of working season, conditions of work, organization of the industry, opportunities for regular employment, opportunities for advancement, etc. Beginning with the occupation in which the members of the group are most interested, the work can be expended to include many different occupations. Where it is not possible to organise special classes, much available information regarding vocations can be imparted by the pupils, by assisting different occupations as topics for them in English composition, and also by encouraging debates on the relative merit of occupations in which the children are interested.

The local Chamber of Commerce will be glad to cooperate in the matter of collecting information about the occupations of Boise and vicinity. The public library will no doubt be willing to develop a collection of standard books, dealing with the various occupations, while business and professional men will gladly give time to talk with interested boys and girls about their own lines of work, provides specific dates are made, and definite instructions as to just what is wanted of them are forthcoming. 4. Placement The most satisfactory vocational guidance is at which not only assist the individual in acquiring vocational information and in estimating his own qualifications in the light of the demands of different occupations upon intelligence, character and aptitude, but also provides opportunity for vocational experimentation.

The so-called vocational subjects are for the most part given under school conditions, and for that reason do not constitute a genuine try-out. in the occupation for which they are designed to be a preparation. It is necessary for the school authorities in charge vocational and educational guidance, therefore, to work out some plan of part-time employment, or vacation placement, the occupations akin to the life career interests of those who are about to complete their education. This is not so vital in the case of those who expect to continue their education colleges, universities and other institutions beyond the high school.

but for those in the grades in high school, there must enter the occupation for a livelihood, without the advantage which comes from higher education. There is need for a certain amount of occupation prospecting in order that final adjustment to the best possible occupation may be made as soon as possible after leaving school. To this end, the public schools should maintain a placement bureau, which would have available all the information concerning the vocational ambitions

and physical and mental characteristics of the pupils that the teachers and vocational counsellors have been able to gather. The effort should be made by this bureau to place the boys and girls who are most likely to be compelled to leave school early in positions in line with their vocational interests and abilities for the summer vacations, or for part-time work during the school year. By keeping in touch with use so place, their counsellors would be in a much better position to give them sound advice, and to help them in selecting the occupation which they should ultimately enter than at any other way. five employment of psychological tests psychological tests were applied to the drafted personnel of the army and the results provided to be immensely valuable in the classification of the men and their placement in the situations where they would be able to render the most effective service among other things it was found that there are different levels of intelligence found among those occasions different occupations for example engineer officers made an average score in the psychological tests four to

times greater than that made by common laborers. A commission under the auspices of the Rockefeller Foundation is now at work adapting the tests used in the Army to the needs of the public schools. Every city of the size and importance of Boise should have on the teaching or supervisoryl staff of its public schools a person competent to administer and interpret the results of individual and group mental tests. A concrete example will illustrate the possible use of mental test in educational and vocational guidance. One of the members of the survey staff was requested to test a high school pupil with the standard revision of the Bin and Simon and Tillet's scale.

It was found that the pupil, who was in the 9b grade, and 17 years and 2 months old, had the mentality of a child 11 years of age. She had attempted for her subjects, English, Latin, general science and sewing. She failed doing the first semester in Latin, general science and sewing, barely squaring a passing grade in English. The mental test was given near the close of the school year and all her teachers had handed in her name as one doing work below passing grade for the second semester. The test revealed in 40 minutes what it took the high school teachers a whole year to find out, namely that the girl did not have the mental ability to do high school work. A year of her time and of the energy

of her teachers was wasted. Mental tests wisely employed would put the teachers and vocational counselors in possession of knowledge of the people's intellectual capacity which could be utilized both in planning his course of study so they would be able to master his school work and make progress according to his ability and also determining the general occupational level to which you might aspire with reasonable hope of success summary and recommendations one educational vocational guidance was found to be neglected in the boys a schools 2. That work along these lines as much needed is shown by tables giving the distribution of occupations engaged in by the fathers of boys 8 grade and high school pupils, also by the distribution of gainful workers in the main occupational subdivisions in the United States at large, as well as for the Pacific and Mountain States. Finally, by the discrepancy shown to exist between the vocational ambitions of pupils and the percentage of workers engaged in the different lines of gainful endeavor,

in Boisei and vicinity. 3. A reasonable program of educational and vocational guidance is recommended for the Boisei Public Schools. Such a program will consist of A. the appointment of part-time counsellors in the high and grade schools. B, the use of uniform blanks for recording educational and vocational data. C. The organization of life career classes for gathering and imparting information concerning occupations. D. Development of a system of a system of of placement to enable pupils to get part-time and vocational experience along the lines of their occupational ambitions.

E. The employment of mental tests as a means of discovering the native endowment of pupils in order that the school task may be adapted to their ability and vocations suggested in which they will have a chance of ultimate success. End of Section 11. Section 12 of the Boys A Survey by Jesse Bruntage Sears. This is a list. Libravox according, all Libravox recordings in the public domain. For more information on to

volunteer, please visit Libravox.org, recorded by Leon Harvey. Chapter 12, Costs and Business Management. The problem stated. There is no single aspect of a school system more difficult to judge accurately at the present time than that of costs. The conditions of war have not only modified our educational aims, but they have so altered the value of money and of commodities as to make all past financial standards next to useless as a basis for judging present-day expenditures. Any comparison of present with past costs must therefore be considered in the light of these fluctuating values. We can keep in mind that most fluctuations have been upward and that figures for 1919 must for this reason alone be much higher than similar figures for five or ten years

earlier. In this report, the weak points in Boise School system have been pointed out and recommendations have been made for numerous improvements. The report calls for a larger teaching force, for more thorough supervision, for additions to curriculum, for added library and equipment, for better buildings, for greater attention to matters of health and fiscal development, for certain lines of reorganization, for the organization of special classes, for vocational educational guidance, for night schools, and finally for the development of a junior college. While some of these changes will call for no more than a rearrangement of present expenditures, others will call for additional

atlays. Is Boisei financially able to assume this larger obligation, remembering that the city is growing rapidly and even with the present program must gradually enlarge her educational budget? In Chapter 1, certain facts were brought out which tend to show that Boise occupies a favorable position in the matter of educational costs. The city is growing. It is promise of rapid financial development. The population is becoming more and more homogeneous. The city ranks low in number of children of school age and high in young adults. General government, police, fire and health protection, etc., costs relatively less in Boise

than elsewhere. In literacy, there's still a problem, is on the decrease. There is no unusual pressure for the development of technical schools for expensive laboratories, and the city has been operating with a relatively low tax rate. Every one of these items gives Boise a financial advantage when it comes to providing the kind and amount of education needed by the city's children. Opposed to this fable showing is a single fact that Boise's per capita wealth is slightly below average for cities of their class. The following tables will form a basis of a judge-in of the extent to which Boise is living up to applications in the matter of expenditures of education. Boise's income for education is derived mainly from the state, the country and the district, and from tuition from outside. During the past decade the total annual income has arrived from $200,000 to $250,000,

while the expenditures have ranged from $180,000 to $280,000 per year. With the amount of money Boise is now keeping up 10 school buildings and adding a new building this year and providing training for approximately 3,500 children or roughly 1 fifth of the city's population. Table number 51 shows Boise's place among 26 cities of our own class in respect to per capita cost of education. From this table will be seen that Boise spends $5.36 for each man, woman or child in the city. The range for the 26 cities is from $2.30 to $8.96 per capita. This gives Boise a median position. A closer study of the table, however, shows that there is not a Western city that ranks lower than

Boise. Among the 91 cities of this class in the United States, there are four western cities which are not included in our table, Pasadena, San Jose and Fresno, California, with per capita costs of $10.6, $7.2 and $8.33, respectively, and but Montana, with a per capita cost of $5.30. A table is displayed on the previous page, Boise's school costs compared with those in other cities. 1. Pro-capital cost of education. Table 51. Pro-capital cost of education in 26 cities financial statistics of cities' United States Census

1917. Figure 37 is displayed on the page. Pro-capital cost of education in western cities of Boise's population class. Boise should be compared with Western cities rather than with the United States as a whole. So when so compared, her position is seen by figure 37, to argue that the city. that Boise must increase her expenditures for education if she wishes to keep pace with neighbouring cities. 2. Cost per person, 5 to 19 years old inclusive. If Boise were providing scores for all who are legally entitled to it, they would include all children

between the ages of 6 and 21 years. Figures to compute costs on this basis are not available for all cities. They're by using figures from tables 4 and 51, we can compute approximately the 1917 cost per centis child. Table 52 shows Boise's position among the 26 cities when so compared. Owing to Boise's extremely low percentage of children, 5 to 19 years old, the city holds a more favorable place in this table. The range is from $8.27 to $44.35. Boise spends $24.47. The average for the 26 cities is $21.991. and the median is $22.50. The slight advantage, however, cannot be interpreted to mean that Boise is making relatively large expenditures for schools.

Being fourth and lowest in point of numbers to provide for, the city should hold the fourth place from the top in this table, whereas it is number eight instead, which must be regarded as relatively low. Table 52 is displayed on the previous page, costs of schools per person, five to 19 years old. This is approximately the cost per census child, compared from tables 4 and 51. Table 53 is displayed on the page, cost of schools per child in average daily attendance, computed from statistics and report of the United States Commissioner of Education for 1917, volume 2. 3. Cost per child and average daily attendance.

From the standpoint of average daily attendance, Boise's position among these cities for the year, 1916, was substantially what it should. should have been. From Table 53, it will be seen that Boisei holds third place in the list. The range and expenditure per pupil in average daily attendance for these 26 cities is on $21 to $76. Boise spent $58, ranking among the more progressive cities. In view of a relatively low number of school children, this really places Boise as an average city or varies slightly above the average and not as one of the leading cities. 4. Amount of wealth behind each dollar spent on education. Another view of Boise's position among these cities is seen in Table 54, where the cost

maintaining schools is stated in terms of the city's wealth. From this table we see that for every dollar spent on education, Boise possesses 160 dollars of wealth. Columbia SC has $723 for each dollar it spends on schools, while Elmesea, New York, has but $102. The average for the 26 cities is $252 and the median is $212. When judged by what other cities are doing, this table argues that the wealth of Boise is bearing somewhat more than an average burden for its schools. It must be remembered, however, that there are a number of wealthy eastern cities included in this table with which Boise could scarcely expect to compete. Attention also is called to the fact that in this table

only one of the western cities, Stockton, ranks above Boise. Finally, by Table 8, we are again reminded that Boise's tax rate is below rather than above the average. 5. Cost of education per capita of young adults. The meeting of Table 54 is further modified when we consider Boise's expenditures in terms of manpower to produce wealth. Table 4 shows that Boise ranks high in adults 20 to 44 years old. years old, and this must be recognized as an asset to the city. Table 55 shows her Boise spends on her schools less per young adult than is spent by the average of cities in her class.

Table 54 is displayed on the page, showing the amount of real wealth behind each dollar spent for the maintenance of schools. After careful study of the facts touching, 1. Cost per capita of entire population, Table 51, 2, cost per per per per per per person 5 to 19 years old in the city, table 52. 3. Cost per child and average daily tenants, table 53. 4. Amounted real wealth back of each dollar spent for schools, table 54. 5. Cost per young adult 20 to 44 years old, table 55.

The writer is convinced that Boise could immediately increase their educational budget by enough to carry out the principal recommendations of this report and sort of a tax rate below that of the leading cities of the group studied. Table 55 is displayed on the previous page, amounts spent of education for each person in this city who is 20 to 44 years old, computed from tables 4 and 54. The highest tax rate, $25.30 per $1,000,

of the 26 cities is born by Everett, Washington, the lowest $10.46 by Columbia, South Carolina. Boise ranks 14th in the list, with a rate of $18.4 cents. The difference between a rate of $18 and $0.20 for Boise is a difference between a mediocre school system on the one hand and a high-class modern system on the other. Boise should be in the lead, not only for her own sake but because the wide influence of leadership would exert over the whole North West. The taxpayer Boise must see that to exercise such leadership will in the long run bring large returns to the city aside from the immediate value of country. good schools, to which the people of Boise are justly entitled.

How Boise School Expenditures are distributed. 1. Distribution of a decade of Boise School expenditures. In figure 3, was shown how Boise spends each dollar of her income. In Table 9, it was noted that Boise devotes a relatively large portion of that dollar to the maintenance of schools. Our question here is, does Boise spend her school money wisely? Table 56 shows the distribution of Boise School expansion as the past 10 years.

There are several points of interest about these figures. The cost of general control has not increased very correctly, the cost of instruction increased rapidly for a few years, and then remain stationary even through the war years. The cost of operation has about doubled, the effects of the war being evident. The increase of cost of maintenance has been steady, but more rapid than that for operation.

The expansions for outlays, buildings and grounds, have been irregular and roughly on the decline, and the total costs have grown rather slowly. Figure 38 makes the more important of these facts and tenancies clear. Table 56 is displayed on the page, showing a decade on the distribution of Boise School expenditures, compiled from annual reports of the clerk or the Board of Education. As has been shown in this report, the upward tendency of the curve representing outlays is inevitable. The real surprise of the figure is that the instruction curve does not rise noticeably after 1914. In the light of increase in population of wealth, this is not as it should be. 2. Division of cost between elementary and high schools As yet, little theorising has been done on the relative emphasis which a democracy should place upon secondary education.

The high school has fought its way into the public school system, and now its rights to the public school system, and now its rights to expand are rarely questioned. In fact, the high school has become so popular in some states that there is some question as to whether it is not getting the lion's share of the school money. Figure 38 is displayed on the page. A decade of boys as expenditures for schools together with the three principal items of the education budget. Figure 39 shows what percent of total school expenditures went for high schools in 26 cities in 1915 to 1916. Figure 39 is displayed on the page showing the percent of total school expenditures devoted

to maintenance of the high school as compared with the percent of total school attendance at the high school. It also shows what percent of the total number of pupils in average daily attendance were attendance at high schools. Joplin, Missouri put 14 percent of its total school expenditures into high schools, while forever at Washington, the same figure was 33 percent. Boise stands eighth from the high school expenditures into high schools. the highest, dividing 24% of all school expenditures to her high school.

The average for the 26 cities is 21.9% and the median is 20.5%. Boise stands relatively high, therefore, in the percent of a school money devoted to high school purposes. An examination of the second item in the figure, however, shows that there is good reason for this wide variability in the percent of total cost devoted to high schools. But 6% of the school population of West Hoboken, New Jersey, went to high school in 1916, while in Boise, 26% went to high school. In our other city of the group was the attendance at high school so large a percentage of the total average attendance for all schools as at Boise. This is a record of which Boise may justly be proud, and one which this record must present a substantial evidence of the need of a junior college for the district.

if average daily attendance is used as a basis for determining what portion of school expenditures should be diverted to high school support, that a comparison of the two bars for each city in figure 39 is of interest. When this figure is so studied, it becomes evident that in practice there is little relation between the portion of total funds and the portion of total attendance that go to the high school. The figure representing the percent of cost is, in every case, but too, larger than that representing attendance, and those two are Elmira, New York and Boisei. In both of which cases, the difference is but 2%. In the other cities, the percent of total expenditures devoted to high school

is from 2 to 13 percent high, then is, percent, of total school population which goes to high school. There is therefore but one other city in the list which devotes a relatively lower portion of the total school budget to the high school, then does Boise. stated another way, Boisey gives her elementary schools as a larger portion of the school budget, as is given by any city in the list, and far larger than most. Without attempted to say just what relation there should be between attendance and cost, as shown in figure 39, it will be noticed that Boise occupies an extreme position among the 26 cities and one that is favorable to the elementary schools of the city. It is the judgment of the survey staff, based on the district.

upon a study of the schools, apart from costs, but the elementary schools are at present more in need of funds than as the high school. In view of the experience of other cities, and also the popularity of the high school, Boise would be warranted in a somewhat more liberal use of funds for high school work, though the present distribution is not to be criticised. 3. Percent of total expenditure is devoted to payment for instruction. The extent to which a school system keeps down its overhead costs is to some extent measure the efficiency of the system. The lower the overhead costs, the higher will be the amount left to pay for instruction. Table 57 shows for 23 cities what part of their total school expenditures goes

to pay for instruction. In this table, Boise occupies seventh place. One city devotes as lower as 59% of its total expenditures to the payment for instruction, while another city this figure is 83%. In Boise, 74% of all costs are for instruction. Since the average for all the cities in the United States of this population group is 72%, and the average and median for this group is 70%. Boise seems to be keeping overhead costs well in hand. The business management of Boise schools. 1. The size of the task. The Board of Education in Boise now has 11 buildings to care for and operate. purchase supplies and equipment for the schools, you must receive, store and distribute its supplies and equipment as needed. It must finance the project, and it must keep track of its accounts.

Altogether this means the expenditure of a quarter of million dollars yearly, which, from a standpoint of business, is no small enterprise. Table 57 is displayed on the page, percent of total school expenditure is used to pay for instruction. 2. How the Business is handled. The machinery for carrying on this business. is partially shown in figure six to consist of the board of trustees the board's committees to finance our treasurer and the clerk of the board the clerk acts as bookkeeper and purchasing agent and has charged storage and distribution of supplies butters are made only upon requisitions signed by the superintendent of schools and are carefully accounted for each stage of the process of purchase receive storage and distribution the plans for handling all the necessary accounts are relatively new but when fully operating as planned for by the present clerk of the board the school system will have a thorough system of checks on all expenditures in this connection it is recommended that the clerk of the board be given a title that more clearly describes as actual functions or the functions suggested by figure seventeen

cloak of the board and purchasing agent would accomplish this ends to this office then should be definitely delegated the necessary authority not determine what to purchase but to purchase and to manage the received storage and distribution of materials this would do away with an annoying tenancy on the part of some to neglect to account for things used in granting this added authority it should be made clear that all these duties are to be performed under the directions of the superintendent of schools It is largely because of the harmonious relationship between the present superintendent and clerk rather than by delicate power that the clerk is able to handle the work so efficiently at present. A change in either of us might alter the situation for the worse. Figure 7 presents this plan. Very shortly a bookkeeper and supply cook will be needed in this department. The present storage facilities are entirely inadequate and unsatisfactory. They enforce delays.

they are not very secure against theft and they are not sanitary. Many schools applies as books and paper should be kept free from dust. 3. Bookkeeping and cost accounting. Boise's system of accounts confirms reasonably closely to the plan recommended by the United States Commissioner of Education, the N-EA, and the Association of Public School Accountants. The classification of items is sufficiently detailed, so there is little chance of charging an item in the wrong account or of covering up large expenditures under such titles as other things miscellaneous etc.

The filing system he uses simple and workable and the books are being kept in good form. Any citizen of boys could easily see what has been done with every single cent of the school money. He could see vouchers for every cent and the financial condition of the schools on any day. There is one kind of cost accounting, however, the needs expansion. in Boise. That is the statement of costs in terms of some workable unit. It is necessary to know what results various kinds of service are producing under different conditions, etc. in order to locate sources of waste and economical methods of operation. One school may be using paper at a cost of several cents per child per month, more than is common in other schools fully

comparable. By wrong educational methods, one school may be spending twice as much as another for results in spelling arithmetic or writing which are no better. Bored teaching often costs more than good teaching, that we pay less. When schools have introduced adequate financial as well as pedagogical methods of accounting, so that we may compare cities, schools and departments with respect to janitorious service, user supplies, time and money, cost of instruction, supervision, etc. Then and then only can we expect efficient service. A superintendent should be able to tell his board what it has cost per pupil to run each course offered by the schools.

Dallas's method is used more or less in informal reports, but recommend that such a plan be worked out and made part of the permanent records in order that each year these costs may be compared with similar costs of previous years. 4. 4. Boise does not budget its school funds. There is every reason why a school system should keep pace with modern methods in public finance. The budget method of handling state expenditures has been adopted by proper legislative enactment in most of our states. Very recently, including Idaho and many cities use budgetary procedure in municipal and school affairs. The method is not very old, but its methods for economy and wise use of money are well understood.

With the budget, costs cannot easily become one-sided. Each expenditure is carefully decided upon at a time, with the needs of every other expenditure have been studied. To budget the year's money is practically to write out in full the board's school policy. That's precisely what any other method of finance does not do. In fact, the old way of pay debts as they come discourages the making of a policy, and so makes administration difficult. When a board has written its budget in the summer months, it has made it possible for the

superintendent to work out full plans ahead of time. When a budget is made, it is assumed, even if not stated, that the superintendent is authorised without consulting the board or any committee to use the funds as budgeted. If he wishes he may have the purchasing agent buy in large lots and advance and so effective as saving. At present, this is really done in Boise. The bad system of buy it in our town is still too carefully followed. Local merchants should not seek arms at the schoolhouse door. There are a few little merchants of this pauper variety in every city and the taxpayer ought to deal with them justly. The making of the budget should be one large, serious and constructive piece of work which a board of education does.

The work should be done as a single task by the entire board. It should be based on estimates made by the superintendent and his staff, together with full inventories of supplies on hand and total and unit statements of all expenditures for previous years. With the budget system and a proper annual audit by certified accounted, the need for a permanent finance committee disappears. The use of budgetary procedure and the doing away with the present committee on finance are strongly recommended. Summary on recommendations. The main questions which this chapter tries to answer are, does the Boise Independent School District spend as much money for the maintenance of schools as it is able to spend? Does the district make a wise appointment of that money to the various school needs?

Is the business management of the school satisfactory? In answering the first of these questions, Boise's expenditures have been compared with those of a group of cities of approximately the same population as Boise and in the following particulars. 1. The per capita expenditure for all educational activities. 2. The expenditure per person 5 to 19 years old. 3. The expansion of her pupil in average 10 years. daily attendants. Four, the amount of wealth back of each dollar spent for school maintenance. Five, the expenditure for a young adult, eight is 20 to 44. In answering the second question, similar comparisons were made with respect to. One, the division of expenditure has been

elementary and high schools. Two, the percent of total expenditures devoted to the payment for instruction. Boise's per capita expenditure of schools is approximately the average expansion of the 26 cities studied. Boyza's expenditure per person 5 to 19 years old is very slightly above the average in the median for the 26 cities. Boys' expansion per pupil in average daily attendance is well above the average and the median of 26 cities. Boyza's is less wealth per dollar spent on education than either the average or median of 26 cities. Byses expenditure per young adult is less than either the average or the median for 26 cities. Boise's division of expenditures between elementary and high schools is less favorable to the

high school and more favorable to the elementary schools than is true of any other city among the 26 studied. Boise spends a larger proportion of her school money for the payment of instruction than is true of the average or of the median city of the 23 studied or of the entire group of cities the United States of 25,000 to 100,000 population. In addition to these facts and analysis of 10 years at Boise's school expenditures shows very slight increases in spite of the rapid increase in the city's population and wealth and the more recent high costs. The arguments of these facts together with those brought out in other parts of this report are in the judgment of the survey staff unansweral to their claims for a larger expenditure for schools

of Boise. Boise is not at the foot on the list of cities in a class school expenditures but she is far from being in the lead of the cities, and at most points, Boise is no better than average or below average. A slight increase in tax rate would give to the schools the money they need to get out of the average and into the modern group of city school systems. In business management, Boise's greatest need is for the adoption of a budget system, accompanied by a more detailed system of accounting. A careful plan of records showing unit costs is highly desirable and almost a necessity in working out. a budget. To carry on the business so the school satisfactorily, the cloak of the board should have added to his ordinary duties as clerk, those of purchasing agent, and it should be furnished with proper distribution and storage facilities, as well as the necessary clerical assistance.

With these changes all of which are believed to be thoroughly feasible, Boise would have a modern system of business management. End of Section 12. Section 13 of the Boise's survey by Jesse Bruntage series. This is a Librevox recording, or Librevox according to the public domain. For more information on the volunteer, please visit Librevox.org. Recorded by Leon Harvey Chapter 13. Summary and Recommendations Sears

The following is a brief statement of the more important criticisms and recommendations presented in this survey. 1. From the standpoint of maintaining a school system, Boise is favorably situated in respect to its political and geopolitical geographical location, the composition and age distribution of its population, the low cost of its government, its present low tax rate, its prospect for rapid growth and increase of wealth, and the generally high intellectual level of the population. 2. Because of its location and prestige, Boise was responsible for exercising large educational leadership in the Northwest, and so should be satisfied with nothing short of the very best in education.

Boise should be the educational experiment station for a territory much larger than the state. 3. The Administrative Machinery at the City's Schools is working harmoniously, but with only fair economy, and needs revision in the following particulars. A, the Board should do away with its standing committees and operate as a Board only. B, the Superintendent should be relieved of much of his present responsibility for the supervision of instruction. C. teaching principal ships should in principle and to a large extended practice be done away with and supervising principal ships established. D, the management of the tenants should be in the

hands of school and not juvenile court machinery. E, the present school nurse should be made supervisor of health and attendants and be given at least one assistant to serve mainly as home visitor and a tenant's officer. F. The present clerk of the board should be made purchasing agent and in that capacity be a member of the superintendent staff. G the present building inspector should be made superintendent of buildings and grounds having general oversight of cleaning and repairing buildings and should be a regular member of the superintendent staff

janitors should be under the direct charge of school principals. 4. The extent of the present teaching staff is inadequate for any except a formal curriculum and should be supplemented by five or six supervising principles, three or four teachers for ungraded rooms, and several supervisors special subjects such as play in physical education, domestic science, etc. 5. Boise is paying its teachers something like average salaries, but in view of the high class of service which the city expects, and in view of present money values, these salaries are still too low. 6. Boise's high school courses study is in the main excellent, and the outlines are now in preparation should be printed.

More laboratory work in the social science courses, better coordination of commercial work and other lines of work, better facilities for evening continuation courses, and a more liberal offering in art expression and music are strongly recommended. 7. The elementary courses are in need of a thorough revision. Many of the courses contain excellent materials, but the courses need to be balanced up. 8. To bring about the desirable changes in boys' curriculum, a junior high school organisation should be affected at an early date, at which several pre-vocational courses should be offered. 9. Supervision of instruction of health and physical development

and of janitorial service is in varying degrees inadequate. 10. The efficiency of instruction is observed and as indicated by tests is somewhat lower power in service. certain particulars, but up to standard in others. Children write rapidly enough, but not legibly enough. In some classes they spell well, enough or too well, but others they're weak. In arithmetic, they handle combinations of whole numbers fairly well, but not so with fractions. 11.

There are now existing various serious ill adjustments in the allotment of time to the various studies in the elementary schools, which may in part account for the far-02 wide variation in test results. To correct this and to overcome these wide variations by a more perfect classification of the children is a function of supervision. 12. The amount of retardation in the schools is not unusually large, but it is enough to warrant the recommendation that schools should make provision for a number of uncredited classes. The results of the tests also point clearly toward this need, and unless better supervision can be provided, the need is urgent. 13. Very great additions to the present playground equipment are needed. The schools are almost without play apparatus, so important in health development work in the schools. 14. One of the weakest points in Boise School System is its buildings.

As measured, they are from 20 to 40% below standard. They were all located and provided with proper play space. They are without play apparatus. They are without proper fire protection and they are without much needed telephones. There are few adjustable seats and desks, very inadequate and unsanitary toilets, and two few drinking fountains. 15. Present articulation between elementary and high school is good, though by the organization of a junior high school and the accompanying arrangement of the curriculum, this articulation could still be improved. 16. Educational vocational guidance in the schools is much neglected, though the need for both is clearly shown by this report.

17. A part-time educational and vocational counsellor committed to use mental and other necessary tests, uniform blanks for recording necessary data pertaining to these problems, the organization of life career classes, and the development of system of vocational placement which class training would be supplemented by strongly urged as important needs in upper grade and high school classes. 18. The development of a junior college is possible and altogether desirable as a culminating feature of Boise School System. 19. Boise's expenditures for the maintenance of schools have not kept pace with the growth of the city's population and wealth, and are at present or above, in fact in some respects they are below, the average for cities of their class as measured by the best means at hand. It is accordingly recommended that the rate of tax for schools be slightly increased in order that the most important of the needs set forth in this report may be realized and thus give to Boise the place of leadership which a city of right ought to maintain. 20. School expenditures in Boise are evenly divided between elementary and high schools. Considering the present efficiency of the two, this division should be maintained for at least the next few years. 21. It is recommended that Boise adopted a budget system of finance for its course

and pointed to use a more detailed system of cost accounting. End of Section 13 And the end of the Boise Survey by Jesse Brandy Sears.