W

WE HAVE outgrown State educational structure in many parts of the country. No more fitting analogy could be found to depict the present status of the structures of a number of State departments of education than the immortal words of Thomas Jefferson, inscribed on his memorial in Washington.

I am not an advocate for frequent changes in laws and constitutions. But laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind. As that becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths discovered and manners and opinions change with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also to keep pace with the times. We might as well require a man to wear still the coat which fitted him when a boy as civilized society to remain ever under the regimen of their barbarous ancestors.

Early in our history State structure and organization for education were fixed in constitutions and statutes by the people in terms of then existing social, economic, and educational conditions. Most of the basic structures were conceived and have persisted for more than half a century with little or ro modification. Yet during these same years the concept of the functions and services of State departments of education and the loads they must bear has changed radically. Organizational structures are conceived, they are employed, and they finally disintegrate unless remodeled. Those for education are no exception. They must be frequently overhauled to carry the load of the times.

Growth of State Services for
Education

A portion of the major developments in American education since the turn of the century, which are reflected in services State departments are called upon to provide, include: The universal extension of second

ary school opportunities to a high percent age of our youth, wide expansion of

vocational education and vocational rehabilitation, the extension of the ideal of equality of educational opportunity through more suitable programs of State financing, the transportation of millions of pupils daily to and from school, the development of more satisfactory local administrative

units, the establishment of State-wide programs for the care and education of exceptional children, the development of Statewide programs for improved school plants and sites, the growth of nursery school and kindergarten education, the provision of educational opportunities for out-of-school youth, the upward extension of public educational opportunities through the thir teenth and fourteenth years, and the rapid increase in higher education enrollments.

Because of these and many other educational developments, it is not surprising that some of the early State educational structures which have persisted have become less and less adequate to carry the load of the times.

Need for Modernizing State
Educational Structure Recognized

The urgent need for modernizing State educational structure is recognized by those who are chiefly concerned with the problem. The desire of the National Council of Chief State School Officers to perfect State organizational structure is clearly expressed in its Policy Statements. Moreover, it is currently sponsoring a 3-year self-improvement project which has this as one of its objectives. Literature in the field of State school administration, survey reports on State educational systems, and the Policy Statements of the National Council of Chief State School Officers are in general accord on the necessity for modernization and on the goals to be attained.

These major goals involve the three elements which constitute the central education agency in the State-the State board of education, the chief State school officer, and the State department of education.

A Single State Educational
Authority for Elementary and
Secondary Education

It is generally agreed that a most significant goal to be achieved is the unifying of authority and responsibility for the State educational program for elementary and secondary education in a single properly constituted State board of education. Eleven States now have State boards of

education vested with such powers. In other States there is a diffusion of authority and responsibility among State boards, agents, and agencies. In some cases there are as many as a dozen such authorities.

State educational survey reports show that such diffusion of authority and responsibility is a serious handicap to education; it renders difficult, if not impossible, the development of comprehensive State educational programs, it establishes barriers to effective coordination of State educational programs, it often fosters duplication of effort and leads to confusion, it makes difficult the fixing of responsibility for the suc cess or failure of the State educational enterprise and it hinders the development of a strong unified central education agency. The absence of a single State educational authority also makes it difficult for the Federal government to know with whom to deal in the State on particular educational problems.

Trend Toward Making State
Boards of Education Directly
Represent the People

Some of the early State boards of ed ucation were composed wholly of ex-officio members, that is, of officials elected by the people to State offices such as governor, attorney general, secretary of State, and chief State school officer. The trend is definitely toward the elimination of ex-officio members from State board membership and their replacement by laymen who are selected for the sole purpose of serving on the State board of education. With the recent change from an ex-officio to a lay State board in Colorado, there remain but 2 States which will have State boards composed solely of ex-officio members.

Another type of State board membership, that of special interest group representation, such as professional educators, farmers, employers, and the like, appears also to be on the wane. The inadvisability of having special interest group representation on State boards of education has been recognized so that now but 5 States continue such membership.

(Continued on page 43)

"T

HE CLASS will please come to order." All over the United States, these words have been used again and again since schools opened in September. Plans have been taking shape for the class party, the class play, the orchestral concert, the Senior Ball, the Yearbook, Christmas holidays. And in the minds of some teachers plans for next summer and next year are stirring.

There has been a good deal of talk about teachers going abroad to study or to teach. for a year. State educational journals, publications of teachers associations, newspapers have carried stories about the possibilities of teaching abroad or about teachers who have taught in other countries. These accounts have led teachers to ask, "What is this teacher interchange program?" "How does one apply for an exchange position?" "Who is eligible?" "What about pension, tenure, and increment rights?" much will it cost?" "What countries may I select?"

"How

All of these questions and more have come to the Office of Education because the Office has been administering an interchange of teachers program since 1946. During that year, in cooperation with the Department of State and assisted by the National Education Association, the American Association of School Administrators, the National Association of Secondary School Principals, the American Council on Education, the American Federation of Teachers, the Institute of International Education, and the English-Speaking Union,

the Office of Education inaugurated interchanges of teachers between the United States and the United Kingdom as well as in the following year between this country and Canada.

Since that time teachers in 225 cities in

44 States have exchanged teaching posts with teachers from England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Canada, and France. During the present school year there are 97 American teachers in the British Isles, 7 in France, 16 in Canada who have exchanged positions.

Already announcements of the 1950-51 exchange program for teachers have been sent to State school officers, superintendents of schools, and educational journals throughout the United States, indicating that interchange programs will be operating in the United Kingdom, Canada, and France. In addition to these countries, plans are under way to send teachers to Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, New Zealand, Burma, and the Philippines.

In the announcements concerning the interchange of teachers between this country and Great Britain, Canada, and France, the fundamental condition is that the post must be an exchange. That means the teacher must not only secure a year's leave of absence with pay but must also make provision for the teacher with whom she exchanges positions for a place in the school system. In Great Britain and Canada, since language barriers are not obstacles, the exchanges are as nearly identical as possible; that is,

a second grade teacher from the United Kingdom exchanges with a second grade teacher from the United States. Or a teacher of high-school biology in a high school in this country exchanges places with a senior biology master in a grammar school in Great Britain. At this point a word of caution should be added to teachers of English in this country who wish to go to Great Britain because experience has taught us that not a large number of teachers of English from the British Isles have indicated a wish to come to the United States.

The openings in Great Britain are in all schools at all levels from the nursery-kindergarten through the grammar school. We have included and wish to continue to do so, teachers from special schools, such as those from the schools for the deaf, schools for the otherwise handicapped, and openair schools. There is also a rather marked interest in home economics, physical education, and some vocational subjects. In Canada similar conditions obtain so far as the identical exchanges are concerned. In France, our high school teachers of French are assigned to lycées, where they teach English; the teachers from France are assigned to French classes in American high schools.

All teachers in the United States are eligible for consideration for these posts abroad. The national committee has been reluctant to set rigid standards regarding age and experience. In the main, however, teachers with 5 or more years experience have been selected. Since approval by ministries of education abroad is one of the factors in final selection, those teachers under 45 have had a better chance of selection. One absolutely essential attribute each teacher contemplating an exchange must possess is good health, both mental and physical.

To apply for these exchange posts, the teacher may secure application forms from the city superintendent of schools or from the Division of International Educational Relations, Office of Education, Washington 25, D. C. When these forms are completed and signed by the superintendent, they are returned to the Office. Accompanying the application forms are reference forms which the teacher is responsible for distributing to the superintendent, principal, and one representative citizen of the community. In midwinter the teacher is informed that she is to appear before one of the 25 regional interviewing committees in this coun

try. These committees have been organized in localities so that teachers have only a limited amount of traveling to do, and the meetings are held on week ends so that school duties are not interrupted. Then in March the chairmen of committees in Great Britain and the United States match the pairs of teachers. During April and May announcements of completed exchanges are made and preparations begun for the year ahead.

It is still the hope of the Committees on both sides of the Atlantic that selections may be made early this year, so that teachers who are going abroad may have a maximum time for preparation. Similar matchings are made for the Canadian and French exchanges and approximately the same schedule holds as for the British program.

The costs of the program have been carried by the teachers from the several countries involved. The American teacher is

paid by her school board and thereby protects her pension, tenure, and salary increment rights. The Canadian, British, and French teachers are also paid their regular salaries by their local educational authorities. During the present school year the teachers from the United States going to Great Britain and the British teachers coming here have received partial travel grants of $200 each under the Fulbright Exchange Program. The teachers from France and the American teachers going to France have received round-trip travel under the same

program.

The cost of living abroad for a year is approximately the same as the amount required in this country plus the additional amount necessary for travel during the long vacations in England and France.

Norway, Burma, and the Philippines. These teacher programs are not necessarily direct exchanges whereby a place must be provided for a teacher from those countries. And these posts do not require that the American teacher secure leave of absence with pay, because they are under the auspices of the Fulbright Exchange Program which provides a stipend, travel and maintenance allowance to teachers selected to teach in the national schools of these countries. In most instances the country involved requests teachers in certain fields and the recruiting, therefore, is more selective. Announcements of these opportunities as they become available are made in SCHOOL LIFE, in professional educational journals, and to the teacher placement agencies of the State departments of edu cation, State teacher associations, and

There are also limited opportunities for teachers in countries such as Belgium, Ceylon, Ethiopia, the Netherlands, Sweden, teacher education institutions.

BOTH TEACHERS and pupils brushed up on aviation experiences during the past few months.

For the boys and girls there were the events which bring together model airplane flyers in national and international competition held annually in July and August. Results were many brilliant new national records and at least one international record for the United States, established by an Alameda, Calif., school boy. His gaspowered model flew at a speed of 81.587 m. p. h., officially clocked by National Aeronautic Association officials as a new international model plane speed record. The previous record of 66.536 m. p. h. was held by Russia.

In the competition for the International Wakefield Trophy, established in 1928 by Lord Wakefield of England, the winner this year was a boy representing Finland. The two previous cup winners were boys from the United States and England. The United States six-boy team of aero-modeling experts with an experienced coach were flown by Pan American Clipper to the competition in Cranfield, England, where they ably represented this country. After the competition, the Wakefield team were guests of the British Society of Model Aeronautical Engineers in London.

The trend of increased attendance at a

greater number of Air Age Education workshops indicates that teachers will be more air-minded this fall. A record of 96 Air Age Education summer workshops are known to have been offered to teachers in all parts of the country. This figure of 96 workshops for 1949 compares with 84 in 1948 and 75 in 1947.

Many teachers experienced their first flight by means of these programs through the courtesy of arrangements made with local flight operators. Other teachers took special educational tours made available at lower rates to teachers by a leading airline.

One group made an air study of "Surface Geology" via a DC-3 Flying Classroom. Arrangements for this unique approach to teacher education were made by State Teachers College, California, Pa. The 2-day field trip took 24 selected educators on a planned observation flight to study the older geologic area of the Northern Appalachians including the Triassic Lowlands, Delaware Water Gap, Finger Lakes Region of New York, the glaciation area, and Niagara Falls.

Two worth-while publications on Air Age

Education were recently received. Both are jointly issued by State Departments of Education and State Departments of Aeronautics.

The first, entitled, Air Age Education in

Idaho, is in five sections: History of Air Age Education in Idaho; Analysis of Idaho Teacher Suggestions for Air Age Education; Future Program of Air Age Education in Idaho; Aviation for Teachers; Sources of Air Age Education Materials.

The second, entitled, Air Age Handbook for Teachers in Missouri Public Schools, replaced an older publication. It is concerned with aviation in the various grades and subject fields. It contains suggestions. for programs, activities, assemblies and stresses the need for proper school guidance facilities. Source materials are listed.

-Willis C. Brown, Specialist in Aviation Education, Division of Secondary Education.

On Other Countries

MANY countries throughout the world have established services to provide commercial, travel, and general information to those requesting it. Kenneth H. Campbell, manager, Foreign Commerce Department, Chamber of Commerce of the United States,

Washington 6, D. C., announces publication of "A Guide to Foreign Government Information Services" which lists and gives the specific addresses of these information offices. Copies of the guide are available upon request.

P

UPILS make the school, but the professional staff makes the success of the school. Ample equipment aids the learning process very little unless a competent specialized staff stimulates and guides pupils' growth. Teachers, guidance counselors, librarians, principals, clerks, and other specialized personnel are the ones who make possible a high quality of suitable education for youth. Therefore, the number and disposition of adequate professional and clerical staff are most important factors in the effectiveness of highschool programs.

Though the importance of an adequate professional and clerical staff has long been recognized as an ideal of secondary education, it is now possible to check our practice against our ideals. "The common practice norms" indicated on this page concern statistical averages and do not portray actual service in particular schools. Obviously, many high schools exceed these norms; the extent to which they exceed them be a measure of the numerical may adequacy of their professional and specialized personnel. The high schools which fall short of achieving these norms may find them a stimulant to professional improvement. Your school or schools, classified by type of secondary school organization and size of pupil enrollment, are represented in the statistics on this page. Where do they stand?

The accompanying data present in capsule form some basic norms involving 19,522 secondary schools in terms of organization, enrollment, and professional staff. See High School Staff and Size of Schools? (Office of Education Circular No. 317) and How Large Are Our Public High Schools? (Office of Education Circular No. 304), for more detailed information.

......

(b) a full-time principal and full-time assistant principal?....

(a) one full-time clerical assistant?...

(b) two full-time clerical assistants?...... 13. At what enrollment does the high school have(a) the greatest amount of guidance personnel per teacher?.....

(b) what is the ratio of teachers to counselors?. 14. At what enrollment does the high school have(a) the greatest amount of library personnel per teacher?.......

(b) what is the ratio of teachers to librarians?. 15. At what enrollment does the high school(a) have the greatest amount of clerical staff per teacher?..............

(b) what is the ratio of teachers to clerical staff?..

16. At what enrollment does the high school have(a) the greatest amount of clerical staff per principal?....

....

(b) what is the ratio of clerical staff to principals?.....

17. At what enrollment does the high school have(a) the fewest number of teachers per principal?...

(b) what is the ratio of teachers to principals?. 18. At what enrollment does the high school have(a) the largest number of teachers per principal?....

(b) what is the ratio of teachers to principal?.

1 Statistics for the separate 3-year junior high school are available for only a few of the above questions: 1 (2,654);

2 (all States); 3 (2 schools); 5 (1.3 millions); 6 (480 pupils); 7 (425,000 pupils).

2A "full-time" professional staff member means one who devotes half or more than half of his time to the duties implied by the title of the position.

Radio Scripts

Life With the Kenworthys. A series of 13 radio scripts now available through the Office of Education Script and Transcription Exchange. Designed for use in programs of vocational guidance, the 15-minute scripts include dramatizations of daily happenings in the lives of a typical American family-the parents and their four teenage children. Problems are pointed up in such a way as to stimulate discussion after each broadcast. Scripts were prepared by the Elmira (N. Y.) Free Academy Radio Workshop, under the supervision of William F. Dobberstein, Director of Guidance. Copies may be borrowed for the customary 4-week period.

Nutrition in Our Health Programs. The title of a script as it was broadcast by a representative of the Iowa State Department of Health and which is now available on loan through the Script and Transcription Exchange. It is an interview type of script containing basic material about the importance of proper food in our daily. health programs, with special emphasis on the "basic seven" foods. It is written in such a way as to be easily adapted to local situations.

Radio Programs

Radio Programs for Student Listening. Selected by the Federal Radio Education Committee for the 1949 fall quarter, this list contains descriptive annotations of more than 50 programs currently being broadcast by the four major radio networks. Purpose of the list is to provide the classroom teacher with sufficient information about existing programs to enable her to select those she may wish to assign both for in-school and out-of-school listening. Available in limited quantity to teachers on request.

Films

Army Film Documentaries of World War II. The famous "Why We Fight" films, produced by the United States Army for the orientation and education of military personnel during the war, are now available for nonprofit educational use in American schools and colleges. These film

documentaries, which were produced under the direction of Colonel Frank Capra of the Signal Corps, picture the rise and fall of Nazism and the triumph of democracy. They have been released by the Department of the Army through the facilities of the U. S. Office of Education and may be purchased under a Government contract. from Castle Films, Division of United World Films, Inc., 1445 Park Avenue, New York 29, N. Y. All of the pictures are 16mm sound, black-and-white films. The

titles are self-explanatory, and the lengths are: Prelude to War (54 minutes); The Nazis Strike (41 minutes); Divide and

Conquer (60 minutes); The Battle of Britain (55 minutes); and War Comes to America (67 minutes).

Filmstrips on Surveying. The Department of the Army has released, through the U. S. Office of Education, five filmstrips on surveying which may now be purchased from Castle Films for 72 cents each (65 cents to schools). The self-explanatory titles are: Surveying-Measuring and Leveling; Surveying-Traversing; Surveying-Building and Utility Layout; The Transit-Description, Set-up, and Leveling; and The Transit-Verniers.

Air Force Activities. Four films portraying the functions and duties of the U. S. Air Force have recently been released and may be borrowed from Air Force Headquarters or purchased from Castle Films. The films are: Air Chaplain, Know Your Air Force Better, New Wings for Peace, and Road Show.

Rural Co-op. The activities of rural cooperatives in the United States are portrayed in a new film, "The Rural Co-op," produced by the Civil Affairs Division of the Department of the Army for showing

overseas and released for use in the United States through the facilities of the U. S. Department of Agriculture and the U. S. Office of Education. The film, 16mm sound, black-and-white, 23 minutes, may be borrowed from the Farm Credit Administration or purchased from Castle Films.

"A Step-Saving Kitchen." This film, same title, picturing the now-famous kitchen developed by the Bureau of Human Nutri

tion and Home Economics of the U. S. Department of Agriculture, may be borrowed from the official film depositories of the USDA or may be purchased from Castle Films. The film, 16mm sound, color, 14 minutes, shows the why and how of this U-shaped kitchen, illustrates its features, and demonstrates its practicality. An accompanying publication, same title, M. P. 646, may be obtained free from the Office of Information, U. S. Department of Agriculture, Washington 25, D. C. Bibliography of Democracy Films.

Write to Castle Films, 1445 Park Ave., New York 29, N. Y., for a descriptive bibliog raphy of U. S. Government films on democracy. (Ask for Newsletter No. 37.) This bibliography lists and describes, briefly, with audience recommendations, 38 films of various Government agencies which deal with different aspects of American democracy. Subjects portrayed in the films include American Traditions, America Today, Democracy in the Community, Democracy in Industry, Democracy and the World, Racial and Religious Freedom, Welfare of the Individual, Your Government in Action, and American Songs. Films on Latin America. The U. S. Office of Education, in cooperation with the Institute of Inter-American Affairs, Pan American Union, and the Department of State, has prepared a catalog listing all of the motion pictures on Latin America produced and/or distributed by United States Government agencies. There are 108 such films and the catalog explains how and where to purchase, rent, or borrow them.

Single copies of this catalog, United States Government Motion Pictures on Latin America, can be obtained without charge from the Visual Aids to Education Section, U. S. Office of Education, Washington 25, D. C.

Visual Aids Reference Materials. Write to the Visual Aids to Education Section, U. S. Office of Education, for the following reference materials. Only single copies can be furnished. No charge.

How to Obtain U. S. Government Motion Pictures. General Catalogs of Educational Motion Pictures and Filmstrips.

Lists and Directories of 16mm Film Libraries.