-- 


SERS PES 


BULLETIN OF THE DEPART- 
MENT OF SECONDARY-SCHOOL 
PRINCIPALS OF THE NATIONAL 

EDUCATION ASSOCIATION 


Issued Five Times a Year 
January, March, April, May, and December 


MAY, 1933 


Entered as second-class matter, December 29, 1925, at the postoffice 

at Berwyn, Illinois, under the Act of August 24, 1912. Acceptance 

for mailing at special rate of postage, provided for in Section 412, 
Act of February 28, 1925, authorized March 30, 1927. 


I =a are 
RRL 























=ocijasscalaianiaiiomioa 
SURSIEESS 


BULLETIN NUMBER 47 





Abstracts of 


Unpublished Masters’ Theses 
in the Field of Secondary-School 
Administration 














Prepared under the Direction of 
HARL R. DOUGLASS 
University of Minnesota 


THE DEPARTMENT OF 
SECONDARY-SCHOOL PRINCIPALS 
| OF THE NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION 








H. V. CHURCH, Executive Secretary 


Published in Berwyn, Illinois 
| DSP AE EI I TE TTT OE 7 


Collected st 




















DEPARTMENT OF 
SECONDARY-SCHOOL PRINCIPALS 
NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION 
1933-1934 


OFFICERS 


President: RoBert B. CLEM 
Principal Shawnee High School, Louisville, Kentucky 


First Vice President: CHARLES F, ALLEN 
Supervisor of Secondary Education, Little Rock, Arkansas 


Second Vice President: HARRISON C. LYSETH 
State Supervisor of Secondary Education, Augusta, Maine 


Executive Secretary: H. V. CHURCH 
5835 Kimbark Avenue, Chicago 





EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 


WILLIAM E. BURKARD 
Principal of Tilden Junior High School, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 


W. W. HaGcarp 
Superintendent Township High School and Junior College, Joliet, Illinois 


D. A. MorGan 
Principal of Shawnee-Mission Rural High School, Merriam, Kansas 


NATIONAL COUNCIL OF THE NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY 


M. R. McDANIEL, President 
Principal Oak Park and River Forest Township High School, 
Oak Park, IHinois 


CHARLES ForREST ALLEN 
Supervisor of Secondary Education, Little Rock, Arkansas 


L. W. Brooks 
Principal North High School, Wichita, Kansas 


R. R. Coox 
Principal Roosevelt High School, Des Moines, Iowa 


H. V. KEPNER 
Principal of West Side High School, Denver, Colorado 


A. E. MACQUARRIE 
Principal Washburn High School, Minneapolis, Minnesota 


Louis E. PLUMMER 
Principal of Fullerton Union High School and Junior College, 
Fullerton, California 


Harry C. SIEBER 
Principal of Junior-Senior High School, Red Bank, New Jersey 


M. CHANNING WAGNER 
Assistant Superintendent of Schools, Wilmington, Delaware 


H. V. Cuurcu, Secretary 
5835 ae ippen” Chicago 


ASSOCIATION 
DEC 12 1933 





















LV? 
lhl 


TO THE MEMBERS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF 
SECONDARY-SCHOOL PRINCIPALS 


Secondary education in the United States faces a serious 
crisis. It is being attacked from many quarters because of its 
cost and the so-called luxuries in its program of studies. The 
issues raised should be met and solved by those who under- 
stand secondary education rather than by its foes. 

The officers of the department desire to render every pos- 
sible assistance to the members in solving their problems. In- 
dividual members have no doubt solved many of their problems 
in a very successful way. If the experiences thus acquired by 
individual members could be pooled, the department as a whole 
would profit from the successes of the individual members. To 
this end we hope to publish soon a bulletin giving a classified 
list of the constructive measures employed by secondary-school 
principals in meeting the problems created in their schools by 
the depression. 

Will you please send in promptly a brief but explicit ac- 
count of any contribution you have made which has enabled 
you to meet critical problems in the administration of your 
school without serious impairment of efficiency. If you report 
more than one measure write each separately and give sup- 
porting data rather than opinion. 

It is hoped that a sufficient number of principals will re- 
spond to this request to enable us to publish a bulletin of 
great practical value to our membership. Some of the topics 
on which we hope to secure reports are: Teacher load, financ- 
ing extra-curriculum activities, budget administration, financ- 
ing interscholastic competitions, school supplies and equipment, 
operation and maintenance economies, curriculum administra- 
tion, schedule improvements, provisions for post-graduates, 

















public relations, etc. The following examples illustrate the ~_ 


form desired in your reports. 


Curriculum Reorganization 2 

A complete overhauling of our bookkeeping course has © 
been made. Much material has been eliminated. Bookkeeping < 
was changed from a double-period subject to a single-period 
subject. Our present teachers are now teaching 314 pupils. 
Formerly these same teachers took care of only 180 pupils. 
The change has enabled us to save the salary of one teacher, or 


approximately $2,200. 
(Continued on page 100) 




















SPECIAL NOTICE 


The Hollenden Hotel, Cleveland, Ohio, will be the headquarters hotel 
of the Department of Secondary-School Principals for the annual meeting 


in February, 1934. 
All sessions of the secondary-school convention will be held in the 


Hollenden Hotel, on February 26, 27, and 28, 1934. 


SECOND SPECIAL NOTICE 


The address of the headquarters of the 
Department of Secondary-School Principals and of the National Honor 
Society is 5835 Kimbark Avenue, Chicago 
H. V. CHURCH, Executive Secretary 


THIRD SPECIAL NOTICE 


A new directory of the Department members will issue soon. If the 
data opposite your name in the Directory of Bulletin 44 is incomplete 
or incorrect, please send correct material at once to the Department ad- 
dress above. If you do not have access to Bulletin 44, please fill blank 


below and send it at once. 


' 
; ' ! ' 
Benefits of Membership in the : 5 ig Ig 
' ' 's ! 
DEPARTMENT OF ' le 12 13 
SECONDARY-SCHOOL PRINCIPALS ' is | I~ 
! ' o tens ! 
1. Five Bulletins (each year) ‘> ie } 
le 
2. Reduced rates for: ; 13 g a 
(a) Uniform Certificates (transfer 1S is ' = 
blanks) ae. foe 
(b) Personal Record Cards (for scholas-_ | : a Fa ee ie 
tic and personal trait records) = are ‘ 5 
1% a i= 
3. Opportunity to members to have in their | 'g '@ 18 ify 
schools: H ¢ i> ts it @ 
(a) Chapters of Senior Honor Society {| |, 1g je Z 
(for third and fourth year pupils) } i$ a I | Z 
(b) Chapters of Junior Honor Society iC iy I } 
(for grades eight, nine, and ten) ' ' 3 ie 4 
4. Group Life Insurance (at very inexpen- | ' 4 4 
sive rates) 1 i — ic 2 
P i 14 S 5} 
5. Automobile Insurance (reduction of 35 | — 1g 12 , 
per cent to 40 per cent over manual H fe Ag 13 > 
rates) 1 I ‘ste toe 
' 4 16 iz 
6. Fire Insurance (at a saving of 35 per | ig cc ATS 
cent to 40 per cent) ' Pas 14 2 '¢% 
i> n i i - 
7. Consumers’ Research subscription (at a 1 5 he 13 = 
50 per cent reduction) is ig fs te a 
b - 
8. Dividends based on aggregate participa- | .7 1 i$ jo 
tion in the offerings of the Department ; i= {ogame aa 
: 2 
9. Back numbers of the Bulletins of the De- | | § Z = 
partment at 50 per cent off. (a & = 5 3 
DUES, TWO DOLLARS A YEAR. t= aw & &, 
i 
1 
! 
' 
' 
! 
! 
1 








Abstracts of Unpublished Master’s Theses 
at the 
University of Minnesota 
Relating to Secondary-School Administration and Supervision 





Prepared under the direction of 


HARL R. DOUGLASS, 
Professor of Secondary Education 
and the following members of the staff of the 
College of Education of the University of Minnesota: 


ie Paul Anderson, Graduate Assistant 


Clara M. Brown, Associate Professor, 
Home Economics Education 


A. C. Eurich, Assistant Professor of Educational Psychology 
A. M. Field, Professor of Agricultural Education 
Oliver R. Floyd, Principal of the University High School 
Lucien B. Kinney, Instructor in the Teaching of Mathematics 
Leonard J. Luker, Graduate Assistant 
S. E. T. Lund, Instructor in the Teaching of Science 
Ruth A. Merrill, Instructor in Educational Psychology 
Claude Nemzek, Personnel Office, University High School 
Ella J. Rose, Assistant Professor, Home Economics Education 


Homer J. Smith, Professor of Industrial Arts Education 





Edgar B. Wesley, Assistant Professor of the Teaching of 
History and Social Studies 


AR tr em 

































ABSTRACTS OF UNPUBLISHED MASTER’S THESES AT 
THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA RELATING TO 
SECONDARY-SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION AND 
SUPERVISION 


At the invitation of Mr. H. V. Church, Secretary of the 
Department of Secondary-School Principals of the National 
Education Association, the abstracts in this volume were pre- 
pared. In the majority of instances, the thesis was abstracted 
by the member of the staff under whom the thesis was writ- 
ten. A number of the theses, however, were written under 
the supervision of instructors now teaching at other institu- 
tions, including: 

Dean Greyson N. Kefauver, Stanford University 

Dean Earl Hudelson, University of West Virginia 

Professor Leonard V. Koos, University of Chicago 

Professor Claude N. Stokes, Temple University 


The theses abstracted constitute only about forty per cent 
of the theses written on problems of high-school administra- 
tion and supervision at the University of Minnesota. Theses 
omitted were not abstracted for one or more of the following 
reasons: 

1. Thesis had already been published. 


2. Data of thesis, particularly in the case of theses deal- 
ing with surveys of conditions or practices, are so old 
as not to be representative of conditions or practices 
to-day. 


3. Copies of thesis no longer available. 


4. Data or methods of treatment of thesis open to serious 
criticism. 














PART I 


Status, Training, Salaries, Responsibilities, 
and Teaching Load of Teachers 
and Principals 


Johnson, Carl L. A Study of the Social Status, Experience, 
Training, Teaching-load and Salaries of High-School 
Teachers of New Jersey. 1930. 


Problem.—This survey investigation points out pertinent 
facts regarding the social composition, experiences, training, 
professional attitude, instructional load and salaries of high- 
school teachers in New Jersey. 

Data and Technique of Investigation.—These data were 
obtained by means of a questionnaire sent to a large number 
of teachers in representative high-schools in New Jersey. The 
blank was circulated for and under the supervision of the New 
Jersey Educational Survey Commission and the percentage of 
replies was very high. By supplementing and comparing 
these data with the answers on a questionnaire filled out by all 
high-school principals of the state, it was shown conclusively 
that the data given on the first questionnaire was reliable. 

Findings and Conclusions.— 

1. Sex—Women comprise 61.8 per cent of the secondary 
teaching personnel in New Jersey. However as the size 
of the school increases the percentage of men employed in- 
creases, until in the larger schools (over 899 pupils) 41.9 
per cent of the teachers are men. 

. Age—The median age of teachers in small schools (100- 
399 pupils) was 27.9 years, in medium schools (400-899 
pupils) 28.8 years, and in large schools (over 899 pupils) 
35.6 years. New Jersey teachers are neither novices nor 
veterans. That they are old enough to have definitely set- 
tled on the teaching profession is evidenced by the fact that 
84 per cent of them said that “teaching was their perma- 
nent life occupation.” 

. Marital Status—Seventy-three and six tenths per cent of 
the men teachers and 14.9 per cent of the women teachers 
were married. Married teachers were found in larger 
numbers in the larger school systems. The factor of age 
may have accounted for this rather than any tendency of 


5 








6 ABSTRACTS OF UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA THESES 


smaller communities to discriminate against married 
women teachers. 

4. Teaching Experience—The amount of teaching experience 
possessed increases with the size of the high school. In the 
smaller schools the median number of years was found to 
be 5.8 years, in the medium sized schools 7.2 years and in 
the larger schools 14.8 years. 

5. Training—New Jersey recruits its teachers largely from 
other states. Only one of six New Jersey high-school teach- 
ers is trained within the state; nearly one in five is trained 
in Pennsylvania; one in three in New York; and one in 
three in some other state. 

Teachers in the smaller schools have a median academic 
training of 4.35 years above high-school. In the medium 
sized schools the amount of training is 4.3 years above high 
school and in the larger schools 4.7 years. 


DEGREES HELD BY NEW JERSEY TEACHERS (1928-9) 


Smaller Medium Large 

(100-399) (400-899) (Over 899) Total 

No. % No. % No. % No. % 
No degree ............ 25 228 45 21.5 58 163 128 19 
B. A. only............ 72 67.9 188 66.0 189 53.3 399 59.6 
RT ticdiensit names 7 67 26 12.4 108 29.0 186 20.4 
i Se 2 19 5 14 7 1.0 


As far as training in professional subjects is concerned 
the teachers in the small schools are as well off as those in 
larger schools. The median number of semester hours in ed- 
ucation subjects hovers close to 17.5 hours for each of the 
three groups. 

6. Teaching Load—Approximately 86 per cent of the teach- 
ers taught in only one field. The typical teaching load for 
the typical teacher of the state was five class periods daily, 
125 pupils in classes per day three distinct class prepara- 
tions daily, one period daily in study room supervision and 
two and a half hours per week in supervising student activ- 
ities. 

Summary.—The typical New Jersey high-school teacher is 
33 years of age, started teaching at the age of 22, and has 
four years of training beyond high-school. This typical 
teacher has had 36 semester hours in his major field and 17.9 
semester hours in professional subjects. 

The typical teacher has had 10 years of experience and 
has been in the same school for slightly more than five years. 





DEPARTMENT OF SECONDARY-SCHOOL PRINCIPALS 7 


Eighty-six out of a hundred teachers will be found teach- 
ing in only one field. The typical high-school teacher receives 


$1978 annually. 


Reichard, Clifford E. The Working Day of the High-School 
Teacher in Minneapolis. 1929. 


Problem.— 

1. To determine the relative contribution of several types 
of instructional and extra-instructional duties to the 
teaching load. 

. To furnish a basis for comparison of the relative load 
involved in teaching various subjects and various 
groups of pupils. 

. To furnish data relative to the length of the working 
day for teachers of each sex. 


Data and Technique of Investigation.—Teachers in six 
Minneapolis high-schools were asked to keep day by day for 
one week (February 14-20, 1921) an account of the time spent, 


checked by their watches, in each of 15 types of activities. 
Such a request was sent to approximately four hundred teach- 
ers and of these 131 furnished usable data (35 men, 98 


women). 


Findings and Conclusions.— 

1. The average total working week for men was 47 hours, 
for women 45 hours, for both 46 hours, with an interquartile 
range for both sexes of 38.4 to 52.5 hours. Other studies had 
reported average working weeks of from 41.5 hours (Brown- 
ell) to 49.5 hours (Koos, Frank H.). Other averages were 
47.8 hours (Carving), 46.7 (Koos, L. V.) and 44.5 hours 


(Greenan). 


2. Mosaic of work day 
Instructional Duties— Average Number of Hours per Day 
Type of Activity— Women Both 
Lesson preparation y 1.07 1.05 


Class recitation .... 3.10 3.00 
Correction of pupils’ written work .93 1.20 1.13 
Conferences with students 58 .70 .67 
Miscellaneous .93 1.11 
Total of instructional time ‘ 7.00 6.96 
Per cent of work day 77 

















8 ABSTRACTS OF UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA THESES 


Non-Instructional Duties— Average Number of Minutes per Day 
Men Women Both 
Study hall....... enisnibiiatateeatemisibsiniiaai 27.2 17.9 20.4 
|, ee 9.0 4.2 5.4 
Advisory period...........................2-.+- 11.3 13.0 12.6 
Teachers’ meetings.....................---...- 8.4 10.6 10.0 
Committees ........22......22ce-cceeeeeeeeeeeees 4.3 6.1 5.7 
Supervisory conferences.................. 3.1 4.1 3.8 
Student activities...................222....... 21.9 18.6 19.5 
University courses.......................----- 16.6 8.1 10.3 
Professional reading........................ 20.5 18.4 18.9 
Miscellaneous ....................---..--..------- 22.3 15.0 18.2 
Total non-instructional duties......152.4 116.6 126.0 
In hours per day.....................--.-. ... 2.56 1.94 2.10 
Per cent of work day.....................--- 27 23 24 


Findings of other investigators as to distribution of work 


day between instructional and non-instructional duties: 
Per Cent Per Cent Non- 


AUTHOR OF STUDY— Instructional Instructional 

Duties Duties 
RIIIIEE: .:siccnonancomimnonasibenciecseueiniiiahiommetbiaiemminaadinals 75 25 
Corning. .......... ssntinnbrenisnassiendieintiiminiaeialon 70 30 
TUITE: .«.curininininpesianinnaipitensinenpinntdlianetosstigataimiaitinaenial 71 29 
III nnn nce encecceecevencnseesnsnensnsstilineacintowsen 71 29 
SS ae, 24 
EE eT ee 68 32 
TUTIIIIITT: ,....snisinsstesissgiieeticetseawesiaestastiteaeiniuitinaiiimidibil 76 24 
Ce Ree 72 28 


3. Influence of certain factors on load: 


Total instruction time spent for each 45 minute class 
period. 


SUBJECT F nll “E> sae 
I, on ccccsmmantsrnriniisnorecnsnniingsios 52 101 97 
All social studies..........0.0000000..... 35 93 89 
Foreign languages .................... 31 78 74 
Mathematics ............0....222--..-----+ 20 77 79 
Science 222... oc eeeee ee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee BO 71 76 
Commercial .......... secnaeameneenidieal 22 68 63 
Industrial arts...........................- 20 58 58 
Miscellaneous .......................----- 15 65 57 


BD IO asain nnsecicciccessnesed 225 76.5 75.2 
































DEPARTMENT OF SECONDARY-SCHOOL PRINCIPALS 9 


These findings are in close agreement with those of 
Brownell, Koos, and Woody and Bergman. 

The data of this study show that the time spent per period 
increases in certain subjects with the grade-level of the class. 
The figures for the four years of English being 92.7, 97.1, 98.9 
and 110.8, respectively. Algebra requires 10 minutes more a 
day than geometry. American History (llth grade) re- 
quires less than history and social studies of the 9th, 10th, and 
11th grades. Social science in the 12th grade requires a very 
much greater amount of time than the other years. 

Exceptions to the general trend are industrial arts, com- 
mercial subjects and science; biology (10th grade) requiring 
more time and physics (11th grade) requiring less. 

The amount of time spent in instructional duties in- 
creased with size of class, classes of less than 16 pupils requir- 
ing on the average 72 minutes, those of 18-29, 77 minutes and 
those of 30 or more 84 minutes. Classes in science and for- 
eign languages are exceptions to the rule. 

Most startling are the author’s conclusions that duplicate 
or repeated sections require as much instructional time as 
unique sections, though English and foreign language classes 
are exceptions with a slight decrease in time with number of 
similar sections. No doubt the nature of the subjects is in- 
volved inasmuch as certain types of subjects may tend to have 
more duplicate sections than others of dissimilar demands on 
teacher time. 

Due to greater non-instructional duties men teach about 
a half hour longer daily than do women. 

There exist great inequalities in teaching loads of teach- 
ers due probably to failure to recognize differences in demands 
of different subjects and to lack of a satisfactory means of 
measuring load. 


Schrader, F. A. The Organization of Minnesota High-Schools 
for the Purposes of Administration with Special Refer- 
ence to the Status of the Principal. 1930. 


Problem.—This investigation presents a study of the ad- 
ministrative organization of Minnesota high-schools with spe- 
cial reference to the status and duties of the principals. 

Data and Technique of Investigation.—Data regarding ad- 
ministrative organization of the school and the experience and 
training of the principal were gathered by means of question- 























10 ABSTRACTS OF UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA THESES 


naires sent to the principals of the high-schools of Minnesota 
listed in the Educational Directory of the state (1929-30) ex- 
clusive of those in schools located in Minneapolis, St. Paul, or 
Duluth. Of the 297 principals thus approached, 152 or slightly 
more than 51 per cent furnished usable replies. 

Throughout the study, the schools were grouped accord- 
ing to size of enrollment: Group I (43-100 pupils) —42 
schools; Group II (101-300 pupils)—78 schools; Group III 
(over 300 pupils) —32 schools. 

Replies to items on the questionnaire dealing with the 
administrative organization of the school and the duties and 
training of the principals were tabulated and presented for 
each group of schools. 

Findings and Conclusions.—1. The distribution of high- 
school principals by sex shows a preponderance of men, only 
36’ being women. 

2. The median annual salary of women principals is 
$1575.00; the median salary of men is $1800.00. 

3. All the principals who answered the questionnaire hold 
at least the baccalaureate degree. No principals in the small- 
est schools have master’s degrees. In the second group, two 
principals have the master’s degree and in the largest schools, 
eight principals, all men, hold master’s degrees. 

4. Seventy-five per cent of the principals received their 
undergraduate training in Minnesota colleges or universities. 

5. Sixty-three per cent of the men and 67% of the women 
had attended summer school sessions since 1924. 

6. All Minnesota principals have taken some courses in 
education and more than 50 per cent have had at least six 
such courses. 

7. The education courses taken by the largest proportions 
of the principals are history of education, secondary educa- 
tion, high-school administration, general methods, educational 
psychology, and practice teaching. 

8. Only 28 per cent of the men who are now principals 
had, upon entering college, planned to enter educational work 
of an administrative type; 16 per cent more intended to teach. 

9. Eighty-six per cent of the women who are now prin- 
cipals intended to teach when they entered college; only 9 per 
cent planned to become principals. 

10. In class I schools (those enrolling less than 100 pu- 
pils) where we may expect to find the largest number of 





























DEPARTMENT OF SECONDARY-SCHOOL PRINCIPALS 11 


“young” principals in length of service, over 40 per cent of 
the men now acting as principals had decided upon some form 
of school administration as a career when they entered col- 
lege. In class II, the percentage drops to 20 and in class III 
to 8. 

11. In class I, ten per cent of the women had decided upon 
administrative work. In class II no women had decided on 
administration and of the seven women in class III, one had 
chosen administration as her intended career. 

12. Only 12 per cent of the principals reported an under- 
graduate major or minor in education. In graduate work, in 
only scattering instances, is any other subject mentioned as 
of greatest interest. 

13. Fifty-one per cent of the men and 58 per cent of the 
women desire to continue in the principalship. 

14. Of the men who expressed a desire to change from the 
principalship, the superintendency is the choice of 16 per cent. 

15. No woman expressed a desire to change to the super- 
intendency. 

16. Seventy-five per cent of the principals in class I re- 
port no time available for general administration or super- 
vision. Twenty-eight per cent of the principals in class II 
have no scheduled time for these responsibilities. In the 
group of largest schools, all principals report some time avail- 
able for administration and supervision. Twenty-one per cent 
of this group have the entire day free for these duties. 

17. Ninety-three per cent of the principals in class I have 
no office accommodations. None have clerical assistance. In 
class II schools, 92 per cent of the women and 38 per cent of 
the men have no office facilities. Only one woman in this 
group has any clerical help and 53 per cent of the men are 
without this type of assistance. In the largest schools (group 
ITI) all of the men have offices. Only two of the seven women 
in this group have their own offices, but the remaining five 
share them with the superintendent. 

18. In 98 per cent of the cases, the superintendent’s of- 
fice is in the high-school building. 

19. Except in functions concerned with minor pupil rela- 
tions, initiative does not rest with the principal in the major- 
ity of schools. Especially is this true in the smallest schools. 
In less than one-third of all the schools does the principal call 
the meetings of the high-school teachers. In even fewer does 




















12 ABSTRACTS OF UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA THESES 


he consult with teachers regarding their work. The principal 
is responsible for classroom visitation in but 16 per cent of 
the schools. It is only in class III schools that the non-teach- 
ing duties assigned to the majority of principals are of any- 
thing but a clerical and disciplinary nature. 

20. Less than 2 per cent of the principals assume direct 
responsibility for health work in their schools. In 87 per cent 
of the schools reporting, neither the superintendent or prin- 
cipal had responsibility in this work. In over 50 per cent of 
the schools no one is responsible for health work. 

21. Replies indicate that in all schools the principal pays 
but little attention to the supervision of work in agriculture, 
physical education, home economics, and industrial education. 

22. All but one of the schools report one or more extra- 
curriculum activities. The smallest schools average 4.5 activi- 
ties per school, group II 6 per school and group III 5.5 per 
school. 

23. Fifteen per cent of the schools employ a dean of girls. 

24. One-fifth of the schools reporting have buildings de- 
voted exclusively to high-school uses. A building having only 
grades seven to twelve located in it is considered as being de- 
voted entirely to high-school work. 


Summary.—The following conclusions seem justified on 
the basis of the data presented. 

1. The principals of high-schools in Minnesota are often 
not the responsible heads of these schools, but merely teachers 
with added duties often of a clerical nature. Except in the 
largest schools, they have but little choice in determining poli- 
cies or practices. 

2. Until a school reaches approximately three hundred 
secondary pupils the superintendent can, and does, perform 
most of the administrative and supervisory duties. 

3. There is nothing in the data assembled in this study 
to justify the continuance of the legal requirement in Minne- 
sota that there shall be a principal for every accredited sec- 
ondary-school. 

4. In spite of the relatively low salaries paid, many Min- 
nesota principals show a wholesome desire to improve their 
professional preparation. 

5. Health work in Minnesota high-schools should be bet- 
ter organized than appears to be the case at present. 




















DEPARTMENT OF SECONDARY-SCHOOL PRINCIPALS 13 


6. Principals and superintendents do not assume respon- 
sibility for the supervision of agriculture, physical educa- 
tion, home economics and industrial education classes. 

7. The possession of specific building facilities such as 
separate high-school buildings, auditoriums, gymnasiums, etc. 
seems to depend largely upon the size of the school. 

Due to the errors of sampling, the findings should be in- 
terpreted as picturing a situation probably somewhat better 
than would have appeared had data from the entire group of 
schools been included. The findings are in general agreement 
with previous studies of the high-school principalship. 

















PART II 


Curricula, Courses of Study, Textbooks 
and Instructional Needs 


Anderson, L. Warren. A Survey of the Organization and Ad- 
ministration of the Curricula in the Accredited Public 
High-Schools of North Dakota. 1982. 


Problem.—The investigator concerned himself with seek- 
ing to find the outstanding characteristics and differences in 
the organization and administration of the high-school cur- 
riculum in North Dakota. 


Data and Technique of Investigation.—Data for this in- 
vestigation were obtained from the records in the State De- 
partment of Public Instruction at Bismarck, a check list an- 
swered by superintendents in various schools, the published 
annual high-school reports, the annual high-school report 
questionnaire, the general school laws of North Dakota, and 
bulletins from the state universities and colleges. Of the total 
of 199 public high-schools, replies to the questionnaire were 
received from 180. 


Findings and Conclusions.—Schools in North Dakota-are 
classified, “First Class’, “Second Class” and “Third Class” in 
general according to the size of the school, the third class be- 
ing the smallest schools. 


A. Organization.—Seventy-two per cent (74 schools) of 
the first class, 94 per cent (37 schools) of the second class, 
and 94 per cent (37 schools) of the third class operate under 
the 8-4 plan. Fourteen of the first class schools have 6-2-4 
plan and only 9 first class schools have the 6-3-3 plan. 


B. Offerings and enrollments.—Sixteen per cent of all 
subjects offered may be classified as Social Science; 16% as 
Foreign Language; 14% as Commercial; 10% as Natural 
Science; 10% as Mathematics; 10% as Industrial Arts; 10% 
as English; 6% as Household Arts; 3% as fine Arts and 2% as 
Physical Education. 


14 


























DEPARTMENT OF SECONDARY-SCHOOL PRINCIPALS 15 


TABLE I 


TYPES OF CURRICULAR ORGANIZATION USED 


First Class Second Class Third Class 


TYPE— Schools Schools Schools 
P . (Larger) (Smaller) 
1. The single curriculum type.......... 1 
2. Pure multiple curriculum type.... 5 1 0 
3. Constants with variables............ 67 40 28 
4. The combination type.................. 21 10 0 
BIN, sc cceciistidiiideliinidcndsiteabiastel 94 52 34 


Where specialized curricula are set up 19 per cent of the 
first and second class schools have a commercial curriculum, 
15% college preparatory, 6% agriculture and only 1.6% voca- 
tional, 1.6% scientific and 1.6% classical. 

Grade placement of subjects —While the customary place- 
ment of subjects under the 8-4 plan is generally followed yet 
second year mathematics is the only subject which is given in 
the tenth grade only. General science is given in the ninth 
and also in the 12th grade. First year German is given in 
either the 10th, 11th, or 12th grades. Home economics is uni- 
versal, being started in every grade. Woodworking II is like- 
wise a “man without a country”, being given in the 10th, 11th, 
and 12th grades. However, for the most part subjects are of- 
fered in only two successive years. This arrangement is made 
to care for alternation and combination of classes. 

Activities —The average number of pupils’ organizations 
in first class, second class and third class schools is 5.7, 4.6 and 
4.8, respectively. The lack of organizations is undoubtedly 
due to the smallness of the schools and the heavy teaching 
load of the teachers. North Dakota high-schools allow little 
scholastic credit for student activities, the greatest frequency 
being 14 credit and varying from zero to 14 credit. 

Responsibility for curriculum organization.—The super- 
intendent is in the great majority of cases responsible for cur- 
riculum changes, and in most other cases the superintendent 
and the board of education are jointly responsible. 

Miscellaneous Phases of the Administration and the Cur- 
riculum.—Class size. In first class schools median class size 
was 21.1 pupils; second class schools, 18.2; and third class, 
14.4. Many classes too small to be economical were found. 

Length of Class Period. Forty-one to fifty minutes is the 
average length of class periods in the majority of North Da- 
kota schools. There are very few instances of classes less 














16 ABSTRACTS OF UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA THESES 


than 40 minutes in length and in several of the first class 
schools periods have been lengthened to 60 minutes. 

Subjects in Which There Are Double Periods. Double pe- 
riods are most frequently required in practical arts, fine arts, 
natural science and commercial subjects. 

Alternation of Subjects. The alternation of subjects (of- 
fering each of two subjects but once in two years) is a com- 
mon practice. The subjects in which alternation is most com- 
monly practiced are the natural sciences, advanced social 
science, advanced English and foreign language. 

Promotion Policy. A large proportion of the high- 
schools of all classes allow pupils to take high-school work 
even though they have not passed in every elementary sub- 
ject. 

Ability Grouping. Sixty-two per cent of the first class, 
74% of the second class and 74% of the third class schools 
practice no type of ability grouping. 

Weaknesses of North Dakota Schools.—The author lists 
as the outstanding weaknesses of North Dakota high-schools 

(1) The offerings are too extensive in relation to the 
number of teachers, resulting in small sections and causing 
heavy teaching loads. 

(2) There are too few schools offering practical and 
household art courses. 

(3) In view of the nature of the state there are too few 
pupils enrolled in agriculture. 

(4) Too many units of foreign language of the elemen- 
tary type are being offered and not enough of the advanced 
type. 

(5) Art has not been accorded the deserved prominence 
in most schools. 

(6) The variety of extra-curriculum activities is inade- 
quate in many schools. 

(7) Some subjects are not taught early enough to fulfill 
their exploratory and finding potentialities. 

(8) The possibilities for guidance have not been fully 
realized. 

(9) There is too close adherence to traditional and con- 
ventional school subjects. 

(10) The number of required subjects or constant is dis- 
proportionately large. 














DEPARTMENT OF SECONDARY-SCHOOL PRINCIPALS 17 


(11) There has not been enough recognition of the policy 
of consolidation of schools as a means of alleviating curricu- 
lum difficulties. 

(12) The traditional 8-4 plan is still quite uniform. 

(13) There is little or no provision for ability grouping. 

(14) Heavy loads in small high-schools due to failure to 
employ extensively the practice of offering some subjects only 
in alternate years. 


Cole, Carl E. An Analysis of the War Content of Thirty Jun- 
ior and Senior High-School American History Textbooks. 
1933. 

Problem.—To determine the extent and the nature of the 
war content of thirty texts with a view to estimating the prob- 
able effects upon the pupils. A supplementary problem was 
a determination of the trend in the treatment of war in text- 
books. 

Data and Technique of Investigation.—Thirty widely used 
texts in American History were selected. While no statistics 
of the extent to which a specific text is used are available, it 
was assumed that the productions of the popular publishers 
all attained a reasonably wide use. Particular attention was 
given to the copyright date. Five texts with copyright dates 
before 1900 were included, the oldest being 1872. The most 
recent was copyrighted in 1930. 

The author devotes one chapter to a discussion of the bio- 
logical, political, economic, and social theories of war and an- 
other to a survey of studies which have been made of the war 
content of textbooks. In determining the extent of the war 
material the following were computed: (1) the percentage of 
the text devoted to military affairs; (2) the percentage of 
questions, topics, and references devoted to war; and (3) the 
percentage of illustrations of a war-like nature. The second 
step was an attempt at a qualitative evaluation of the probable 
effects of the war materials. While this procedure was some- 
what subjective in nature it was handled as objectively as pos- 
sible. 

The results of the qualitative study are also presented in 
tables. Each of four columns are headed by one of the follow- 
ing questions: 1. Is the treatment so strongly emotional that 
it would create a desire in the pupil to participate in the ex- 
periences depicted? 2. Are the illustrations on war made so 








a A ce 














18 ABSTRACTS OF UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA THESES 


attractive to the pupil that he will be led to think of war as a 
worthy undertaking? 3. Is there a straight-forward presen- 
tation of the bare results relating to war which would produce 
little effect upon the pupils? 4. Does the author depict the 
horrors, the suffering, the destruction, the carnage, the besti- 
ality of war? 


Findings and Conclusions.—(1) The percentage of war 
content varies from 43.5% to 8.8% ; (2) Only two texts make 
any positive attempt to depict the horrors of war; (3) Twelve 
texts make war attractive by their illustrations; (4) Thirteen 
of the textbooks gave a straightforward presentation of the 
events; (5) Eighteen out of thirty textbooks made war at- 
tractive by favorable comments about war leaders; (6) Strik- 
ing words, phrases, and clauses describing war activities were 
found in twenty-four of the thirty textbooks; (7) The aver- 
age per cent of total war content in thirty texts was found to 
be 19.9%; (8) The total war content, including war illustra- 
tions, questions, pages, words and reading references, in text- 
books published before 1918 was found to be 27.33%. (9) 
The total war content of textbooks published after 1918 was 
found to be 15.6%. 

This marked decrease in the war content of American 
history textbooks published since the World War might be 
accounted for, (1) by the increased emphasis upon social and 
industrial history in this period; (2) by the revulsion toward 
war which has come upon people in general since the World 
War with its more modern and more horrible methods of de- 
struction and by still vivid presence of the horrors of the re- 
cent war in the memories of millions of ex-soldiers; (3) the 
realization which has come to many, including writers of text- 
books, of the futility of war in settling the great issues be- 
tween modern nations, and (4) the activities of peace organi- 
zations in the period following the World War, which may 
have had some effect in shaping the content of present day 


textbooks. 


Houghton, Max Howard. Age and Grade Classification or 
Factors Affecting Achievement in High-School Eco- 
nomics. 1932. 


Problem.—Primary— The effect of grade placement of 
high-school economics upon achievement. 














A 








DEPARTMENT OF SECONDARY-SCHOOL PRINCIPALS 19 


Secondary—The relationship of sex, intelligence and 
socio-economic status to achievement in economics. 
Data and Technique of Investigation.— 


Part I.—Economics in Minnesota High-Schools. 

1. The Minnesota Educational Directory showing in what 
schools economics and other social studies are offered. 

2. Teachers’ qualification blanks in the files of the state 
department of education were employed for data concerning 
the grade placement of economics in Minnesota high-schools. 

3. A questionnaire submitted to a representative group 
of high-school principals; one in every five in the state di- 
rectory, 133 in all, to which 115 replies were received. These 
replies furnished data as to enrollments for courses in eco- 
nomics in the respective schools. 


Part II. Experimental Study of Relative Achievement of Sen- 

iors, Juniors, and Sophomores in Economics. 

Sec. 1. The scores made at the end of a semester’s in- 
struction in economics on an especially constructed objective 
test made by 16 seniors, 16 juniors, and 16 sophomores varied 
roughly on the basis of 9th grade English marks, chronological 
age, Sims Socio-economic index, and Miller and Pressey men- 
tal tests. These students were taught classes made up hetero- 
geneously of seniors, juniors and sophomores. 

Sec. 2. Gains, percentages of possible gains and final test 
scores on the objective test 25 sophomores, 25 juniors and 25 
seniors closely varied on the factors mentioned above taught 
in separate sections in as nearly the same manner as reason- 
ably considering the differences in ages. 

The tests used consisted of 93 multiple choice, 50 comple- 
tion, and 17 matching exercises including 60 items from the 
Wesley Test on Terms in Social Studies. The reliability of 
the test was calculated to be .932 for the 75 students and at 
the end of the course. 

Findings and Conclusions.— 

I. The preliminary study-status of economics in Minnesota 

High-Schools. 

1. Offerings—Of the 422 schools in the state, 280 or 66% of- 
fered courses in one or more courses in social studies. Sixty 
schools offer courses in Social Problems, 43 in Introduction 
to Social Science and 24 in Economics. In all these schools, 
therefore, as well as 27 others giving year courses for the 




















20 


ABSTRACTS OF UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA THESES 


12th grade students, 154 in all teach some economics. When 
offered as a part of a course in social science, usually 10 to 
12 weeks are devoted to the study of economics. 


. Enrollments in economics—Eighty per cent of the students 


enrolled for economics were seniors, 18% juniors and 2% 
sophomores. As to sex, the division was 50.1% boys, 49.9% 
girls. 

Opinion as to grade placement-—Of 106 teachers replying 
72 stated that only seniors should be enrolled; 2 would of- 
fer it for juniors; while 32 would permit pupils of both 
years to enroll. 

Texts—The texts used most frequently where economics 
was offered as a separate course were Thompson’s Ele- 
mentary Economics, Sanborn, 1924—11 schools; Fawbel, 
Principles of Economics, Harcourt Bros. 1923—4 schools. 
Where offered as a part of another course: Arnold’s Prob- 
lems in American Life, Row, 1928—17 schools; Hughes, 
Problems of American Democracy, Allyn & Baer, 1922— 
16 schools; Williamson’s Problems in American Democ- 
racy, Heath, 1924—16 schools; Magruder, American Gov- 
ernment, Allyn & Baer, 1927—15 schools; Towne, Social 
Problems, Macmillan, 1924—12 schools. 


II. The experimental study of relative achievement of paired 


1. 


sophomores, juniors and seniors. 
Preliminary unit—16 sets of pupils: 


Median Mean Percentage 
Gain Gain of Gain 
PR ERE Rr 31.0 25.3 18.0 
III cecilia henccnacepiaceidiaicetel 21.0 21.4 16.3 
RE AE AOR 15.5 18.4 16.4 


The greater gross gains of the sophomores and juniors 


was no doubt due largely to the fact that due to lower initial 
scores, the gains were made in the easier ranges of the test. 
2. Main unit—25 sets of pupils: 


Median Mean Percentage _ 

Gain Gain of Gain Score 

Sophomores ............ 48.0 47.2 43.9 94.7 
| Pea 50.0 48.8 48.3 106.8 
RE 43.0 41.2 46.9 114.2 


None of the superior gains of the juniors or of the soph- 
omores to the seniors on median or mean gain, of the seniors 
to the sophomores on per cent of gain were “statistically sig- 
nificant.” It should be noted that while no significant dif- 











21 


DEPARTMENT OF SECONDARY-SCHOOL PRINCIPALS 


ferences as to gains and per cent of gains were obtained, the 
final mean score of the seniors was greatest and that of the 
sophomores least, though by not “statistically significant” dif- 


ferences. 


Humphrey, Alice Wise. A Study of Certain Leisure Time Ac- 
tivities and Financial Practices in the Homes of Minne- 
sota High-School Girls. 1931. 

Problem.—The study is fundamentally concerned with the 
devising of a new course of study in home economics for girls 
in the high-schools of Minnesota. Its immediate purpose is 
“to determine the extent to which leisure time is being well 
spent or misspent; the need for a definite place in a new course 
of study for training in the profitable use of leisure time and 
a development of desirable attitudes toward, and the cultiva- 
tion of an appreciation for worthwhile activities; and the de- 
gree of emphasis desirable to be placed upon both home and 
personal financial practices.” 

Data and Technique of Investigation.—The data comprise 
a portion of the material collected by the Minnesota State De- 
partment of Education in its state-wide survey of the home 
activities of high-school girls, and consist of the replies of 
6380 girls in 91 schools in 86 towns and cities in the state to 
questionnaire. The questionnaire was sent to 10,000 girls in 
110 schools. 

In tabulating the data two factors were isolated—the size 
of town and the amount of previous home economics training. 
The 18 items of the study were divided into two groups; Group 
I contains four sub-headings: (1) Is it usually done in your 
home? (2) Do you help to do it? (3) Do you do it alone? 
(4) Do you like to do it or think you would like to do it? 
Group II has the following sub-heads: (1) Does the family do 
it regularly? (2) Do you do it regularly? (3) Do you like 
to do it or think you would like to do it? Comparisons are 
presented between girls who have had no home economics 
training, girls who have had the work in grades 7 and 8, and 
girls who have had training in grade 9 or above. 


Findings and Conclusions.— 
1. With respect to financial practices, the author reports the 


following findings: 
(1) “There is more account keeping, both personal and 


household, than there is budgeting. 





7 Rares 











22 





ABSTRACTS OF UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA THESES 


(2) There is a higher percentage of participation in all 
of these financial activities carried on in the home 
than by the girls themselves. 

(3) Allowances greatly stimulate account keeping among 
the girls. 

(4) The size of the town has little or no effect upon the 
girls’ participation, attitude, or independence of work 
in these financial practices with the exception of the 
group which includes Minneapolis, where account 
keeping is required. 

(5) The girls having had training in the ninth grade or 
above are more interested and do more than those 
with less training. 

(6) Other studies show about the same or slightly less 
participation in account keeping than is indicated by 
the data from the Minnesota survey. 

(7) The percentage of participation in the ninth grade 
appears to be typical of the situation throughout the 
high-schools in Minneapolis.” 


2. With respect to leisure time activities, the findings are: 


(1) “There is a higher percentage of participation in the 
homes than among the girls in all items except out- 
door sports, club activities, reading books. 

(2) Among the activities in which the family engages, 
club activities is lowest and reading newspapers is 
highest. A similar situation prevails among the 
girls, where club activities.and attendance at lec- 
tures and concerts is next to the lowest, while read- 
ing books and newspapers rank above all other items. 

(3) The appeal of the movies is equally strong to the 
families as to the girls themselves, as it is the one 
item having the same percentage of participation for 
both groups. 

(4) There is a considerable number (67%) of the fami- 
lies and girls (49%) who find enjoyment in family 
outings of one kind or another. 


(5) The radio has not entirely taken the place of mu- 
sical performance in the home, for 2% more girls 
perform on some musical instrument than the num- 
ber who run a radio and 9% more girls desire to per- 
form than are able to do so. 














DEPARTMENT OF SECONDARY-SCHOOL PRINCIPALS 23 


(6) 


(7) 


(8) 


(9) 


(10) 


(11) 


(12) 


(13) 


(14) 


(15) 


Activity in outdoor sports among the girls ranks 
fourth in participation and second only to reading 
newspapers in interest. 

There seems to be an active interest in entertaining 
guests and a certain degree of interest in taking part 
in community affairs. 

The size of the town seems to exert a slight influence 
upon participation and interest in certain activities 
carried on in the home, namely, reading, running a 
radio, musical performance and guest entertainment, 
as the percentage of participation increases with size 
of the town. 

This is also true in the case of several leisure time 
activities carried on outside the home. 


City dwellers greatly enjoy family outings as a form 
of recreation, as 75% engage in this activity in com- 
parison with 63% in towns under 1000. 
Automobiles definitely affect the percentage of par- 
ticipation and interest in activities outside the home 
among the girls and their families. 

The school has apparently made some effort to train 
in this direction as there is more interest shown on 
all but two of the activities by the group having had 
home economics training in high-school than there 
is in the group without training. 

Even though the type of entertainment represented 
by concerts and lectures is more accessible to the 
city dwellers than to those out in the state as a whole, 
this item ranks the lowest in percentage of partici- 
pation among the ctiy dwellers as well as among 
those out in the state; while attendance at movies 
ranks about the same for both groups. 

In Minneapolis, 92% of the girls entertain guests, 
while out in the state 50% of the girls and 71% of 
their families do so; however, this activity ranks 
first among the girls in all groups. 

Participation in leisure time activities in Minneap- 
olis is greater than in the state as a whole and quite 
fairly represents a large city situation.” 





© 
ce 


2 - 














24 ABSTRACTS OF UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA THESES 


McArthur, Laura J. A Study of the Home and Family Situa- 
tions of High-School Girls. 1933. 


Problem.—This study attempted to obtain a picture of the 
characteristics and practices of typical homes and of the home 
responsibilities and interests of adolescent girls, with a view 
to curriculum modification. 


Data and Technique of Investigation.—Data were obtained 
from questionnaires answered by 731 ninth-grade girls during 
1930-31. Questionnaires were sent to 27 schools in Minne- 
sota and South Dakota, which had been selected as represent- 
ing different geographic locations and towns of various sizes. 
Because of the intimate nature of many of the questions, it 
was deemed necessary to secure in advance the permission of 
the superintendent and to discover how many students he and 
his home economics teacher agreed should be used in the 
study. This procedure probably explains the fact that prac- 
tically 100 per cent returns were received. 


Findings and Conclusions.— 
Characteristics of the homes of these girls— 

1. Two-thirds of the families owned their own homes, but 
only half of those in large cities did in contrast with from 72 
to 80 per cent in towns under 5,000 population. 

2. Most of the houses were from 10 to 25 years old and a 
fifth of them were more than 25 years old. 

3. Many homes lacked modern conveniences; half of 
those in towns of less than 1,000 population used kerosene 
lamps; a third of the homes lacked running water; 40 per cent 
had refrigerators and only 6 per cent had the electric vari- 
ety; except in a very few cases, gas was not used for cooking 
in towns under 5,000 population and only 11 per cent used 
electricity for this purpose. Two-thirds of the homes had 
electricity ; apparently the first electric equipment purchased 
is the iron (64 per cent), then the washing machine (54 per 
cent) and then the vacuum cleaner (41 per cent). Eighty per 
cent had sewing machines. 

4. The activities which were most enjoyed by the family 
as a group ranged from entertaining friends for the evening 
(70%) to working together outside the house (36%); be- 
tween these extremes were listed listening to the radio, riding 
in the auto, reading silently, going on picnics, and doing 
housework. 

















DEPARTMENT OF SECONDARY-SCHOOL PRINCIPALS 25 


5. Fifty-six per cent had telephones and 78 per cent had 
autos. 


Common practices in the homes— 

1. Laundry work, cleaning, canning, and food prepara- 
tion were carried on in most of the homes. 

2. Two-thirds of the families ate most of their meals in 
the kitchen—a situation which emphasizes the question of de- 
voting much attention to formal meal service. 

3. Only a third of the girls had bedrooms alone and an 
equal proportion shared them with more than one other per- 
son. 

4. Almost all of the families subscribed to newspapers 
and magazines, two-thirds taking three or more periodicals 
and a city paper in addition to the local paper. 

5. A fourth of the girls had allowances (36 per cent in 
large cities) ; almost two-thirds earned money and most of 
these had it for their own use; about an equal proportion had 
savings accounts. 


Home responsibilities of the girls— 

1. Three-fourths of them occasionally had the responsi- 
bility for running the house and seven per cent of them car- 
ried this responsibility all the time. 

2. Almost 80 per cent assisted with the housework; from 
36 to 90 per cent did their own mending, from 36 to 86 per 
cent did their own ironing, and from 23 to 85 per cent did 
their own washing—the lower percentage in each case being 
in the large city group. 

8. More of these girls earned money by caring for chil- 
dren than in any other way—about 40 per cent on the aver- 
age (55 per cent in large cities) ; but a much smaller percent- 
age indicated an interest in learning about how to care for 
children, and the greatest interest was expressed in studying 
child behavior problems and suitable games and stories for 
children. 


Interests and habits of girls— 

1. Almost half of them were interested in selecting their 
clothes while about a third were interested in family nutrition 
and in learning how to arrange equipment more conveniently 
in their homes. Only 8 per cent failed to express an interest 
in furnishing or re-arranging one or more rooms and the larg- 
est proportion wished to improve the living room. 














26 ABSTRACTS OF UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA THESES 


2. The greatest interest was expressed in certain per- 
sonal problems: learning how to entertain their friends, look- 
ing attractive, being well-dressed, knowing accepted social 
customs (etiquette), being popular with girls and with boys, 
keeping well, and learning certain sex information. 

3. Less than half of them belonged to any club or other 
similar organization. 

4. More rural than city girls were interested in learning 
how to select books (43 in comparison with 28 per cent) and 
pictures (43 in comparison with 24 per cent). 

5. A much larger percentage of city than of rural girls 
drank milk regularly (64 as contrasted with 40 per cent.) 
From 75 to 90 per cent regularly ate fruit and vegetables other 
than potatoes. 

6. One of the most interesting findings was that quite 
consistently a larger proportion of those who stated that their 
families enjoyed hearing about the “doings” of the different 
members indicated an interest in the following home prob- 
ems, than of those whose families lacked this element of soli- 
darity: family recreation, parental control, reasons for fam- 
ily happiness and irritability, and the satisfactory division of 
the family income. 


Olson, Ruth I. Trends of the Changes in the Content of Ninth 
Grade Mathematics Which Have Taken Place in the Last 


85 Years. 1930. 


Problem.—The purpose of the investigation was to furnish 
the data for making certain comparisons, and to show from 
these data the trend of the changes which have taken place in 
the content of ninth grade mathematics from 1895 to 1930. 


Data and Technique of Investigation.—Three periods were 
considered, and referred to as the early (1895-1900), middle 
(1910-1915), and recent (1924-1929). Thirty books were 
selected, ten from each period, on the basis of number of 
schools using the books. These were analyzed by topics to de- 
termine the percentage of space devoted to each topic of alge- 
bra. These percentages were compared to discover trends as 
indicated by changes in the percentage of space allowed to 
each. 

The tendency with respect to changing emphasis was also 
investigated in certain groups of topics classified according to 





























27 





DEPARTMENT OF SECONDARY-SCHOOL PRINCIPALS 


recommendations of writers and agencies active in the field. 
These groups are as follows: 

Group A: The “core topics” generally considered as be- 
ing the essentials in algebra include fundamental operations 
in integers and fractions, parentheses, evaluation, factoring, 
special products, linear equations, simultaneous equations, 
powers and roots, and arithmetic square roots. 

Group B: Topics recommended by writers in the field for 
decreased emphasis. These include quadratic equations, lit- 
eral equations, radicals and surds, ratio and proportion, vari- 
ation, highest common factor and least common multiple, and 
theory of exponents. 

Group C: Topics recommended for omission. These con- 
sist of the complex cases in factoring, parentheses, fractions, 
simultaneous equations, and equations of higher degree than 
the second, as well as various theorems. 

Group D: Topics recommended for increasing emphasis. 
These are graphs, numerical trigonometry, statistical meas- 
ures, and intuitive geometry. 

The statistical significance of the differences found in the 
comparisons among the three periods was determined by the 
use of Fisher’s method for use with means obtained from 
small samples. 

Findings and Conclusions.—There was no evidence of any 
consistent change in the proportions of space devoted to topics 
considered as essentials in (Group A). From the early period 
to the middle period the percentage of space devoted to this 
group diminished from two-thirds to one-half of the text, and 
rose to seven-twelfths in the recent period. 

While there were some changes in Group B those recom- 
mended for decreased emphasis were not statistically signifi- 
cant, and may very well have been due to errors of sampling. 
There was a distinct tendency towards. decrease in the space 
allotted to topics in Group C, those recommended for omission. 
The decrease in space allotted to topics in Group C is par- 
alleled by an increase in space allotted to topics in Group D, 
those recommended for increased emphasis. This group in- 
creased from less than one per cent to thirteen per cent be- 
tween the first and middle periods, and to twenty per cent in 
the recent period. 

The general aspects of the content of ninth grade math- 
ematics, as revealed by the comparisons, together with con- 














28 ABSTRACTS OF UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA THESES 


sideration of the recommendations of various authorities, in- 
dicate that a desirable textbook for use at the present time 
would be one in which the contents were distributed about as 
follows: Group A, about 60 per cent of the space, Group B, 14 
to 17 per cent of the space, Group C confined to complex frac- 
tions, and included only for college entrance requirements. 
The remainder of the material would be derived from 
Group D. While some of the topics in this group have been 
more widely accepted than others, the entire group, repre- 
senting as it does, an effort to increase the immediate and 
practical values of the subject, has found a permanent and 
important place in the subject-matter of the course. From it 
would be selected a reasonable amount of historical and bio- 
graphical notes, and portraits, a rather full treatment of the 
formula, statistical measures, graphing, trigonometry, and 
possibly logarithms and the slide rule. 


Moos, Gretchen Ann. Organization of Music Education in 

Minnesota 1929-1930. 1930. 

Problem.—This study purposes to survey the opportuni- 
ties for music education in the high-schools of Minnesota. 

Data and Technique of Investigation.—Questionnaires 
were sent to 500 high-schools in Minnesota; 131, or 26 per 
cent, responded. 

Findings and Conclusions.— 

A. Curriculum Practices— 

1. Of 22 music subjects which were offered, only 5 were 
included in the programs of more than 25 per cent of the 
schools reporting. The 5 were: Girls’ Glee Club, 87 per cent; 
Boys’ Glee Club, 54 per cent; Orchestra, 53 per cent; Band, 48 
per cent; and Mixed Glee Club, 26 per cent. Other subjects 
were offered by 2 to 20 per cent of the schools. 

2. Of the schools reporting, 32 per cent stated that credit 
in music is accepted toward graduation. 

3. In 75 per cent of the music classes less than 40 pupils 
were enrolled. 

4. Sixty-two per cent of the music classes are scheduled 
during school hours. 

5. One-tenth of the music classes meet for less than an 
hour a week. 

6. “Cultivation of good musical taste and desire” is con- 
sidered as the most important objective. 




















DEPARTMENT OF SECONDARY-SCHOOL PRINCIPALS 29 


B. Practices regarding equipment— 

1. Only two basal song books were used by more than 7 
per cent of the schools. They were: Music Education Series, 
34 per cent; Progressive Music Series, 23 per cent. 

2. Ninety-five, 85, 57, and 33 per cent of the schools have 
pianos, phonographs, books on music theory, and radios, re- 
spectively. 

3. Forty-four per cent of the schools reported that instru- 
ments were available for student use; 48 per cent stated that 
instruments were not available. 

4. Out of 44 per cent of the schools reporting instru- 
ments, 39 per cent lend them to the students, the others rent- 
ing them to the students. 

5. More brass and percussion instruments were reported 
than all other choirs combined. 

6. The schools own more solo instruments than inner 
voices. 

7. Fifty-four per cent of the schools make some provision 
for teaching instrumental technique. 


C. Public and out-of-school opportunities for music edu- 
cation— 
1. Operettas and assembly programs, reported by 74 and 
75 per cent of the schools, respectively, are the most fre- 
quently reported types of public appearances. 
2. Forty-four per cent of the towns involved imported 
musicians for concerts and lectures; 45 per cent did not. 
3. Seventy-two per cent of newspapers in the towns in- 


volved do not devote space regularly to music. 
4. In 67 per cent of the towns, facilities were available 


for adequate private piano instruction; in 40 per cent, for 
band; and in 37 per cent, for strings. 


D. Administrative status of music teachers— 
1. Only 3 per cent of the schools reported that courses are 
taught by a person who is not a member of a school faculty; 
71 per cent stated that courses are taught by a faculty mem- 


ber. 
2. Thirty-three per cent of the schools indicated that 
music teachers were part-time instructors; 41 per cent stated 
that they were full-time instructors. 
8. English and history are the subjects other than music 
most frequently taught by the music teachers studied. 














380 ABSTRACTS OF UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA THESES 


4. The median and modal number of other subjects 
taught in combination with music is two. 

Summary.—1. There is a lack of standardization of the 
music curriculum in Minnesota schools. 

2. The emphasis on a few subjects in the small schools is 
a favorable practice, because too much diversification of activ- 
ity would result in a loss of quality and thoroughness. 

3. Data from previous investigations indicate more music 
activity than is revealed by this study. 

4. Mixed Glee Club or Special Chorus offers a desirable 


field for expansion to many schools. 
5. The status of music education in Minnesota high- 


schools is semi-curriculum. 

6. Although music supervisors favor cantatas rather than 
operettas, the latter predominates. 

7. The private instruction available in most towns is 
meager. 

8. Because most of the music teachers were found to be 
faculty members, it is apparent that music activities may be 
easily correlated with those of other classes. 


Rose, Ella J. Analysis of Home Economics Textbooks in Sec- 

ondary Schools. 1927. 

Problem.—The investigation was made to determine which 
home economics books were used widely in secondary-schools 
and to set up certain criteria by means of which to evaluate 
such textbooks. 

Data and Technique of Investigation.—A list of 147 home 
economics books published between 1915 and 1926 was 
checked by 62 per cent of 412 home econemics teachers in 
Minnesota to indicate which of these books and how many 
copies of each were in use in their schools, as well as the char- 
acteristics which they would like textbooks to possess. 

A second check list describing the mechanical character- 
istics found in the texts in common use and the content of 
these books was filled out by 67 per cent of a group of 399 
home economics high-school teachers, teacher trainers, city 
and state supervisors, and authors of home economics texts. 

It was assumed that a book of which there were less than 
ten copies in a school should be regarded as a reference book; 
hence only those books were tabulated which appeared in 
quantities of ten or more in a school, with the number of 


























31 





DEPARTMENT OF SECONDARY-SCHOOL PRINCIPALS 


schools using each book. Then from this list all books were 

eliminated which were used by less than five schools. 

The twenty books that remained after these eliminations 
were analyzed on the basis of the number of lines devoted to 
the various phases of subject matter; these data were con- 
verted into number of pages, and finally into the percentage of 
the whole book. The amount of space devoted to illustrations 
and other graphic material was also converted in a similar 
way. 

Findings and Conclusions.—In 1926, 325 different books 
were in use in home economics classes in Minnesota high- 
schools and fifty of these were apparently used as texts; in 
the majority of cases they were furnished by the school. The 
analysis of textbooks revealed that the more recent books, as 
contrasted with those published toward the beginning of the 
decade, devoted proportionately less space to food composition 
and recipes, and more space to nutrition, marketing, and meal 
planning; and a trend was evident toward a reduction in the 
amount of space devoted to clothing construction processes 
and the history, sources, and production of textile fibers and 
an increase in the space devoted to clothing selection. 

There was a great variation in the content divisions of 
the different books: the proportion of space given to subject 
matter ranging from 66.9 per cent to 92.3 per cent, that allot- 
ted to teaching aids and methods ranging from 2.4 per cent 
to 25.8 per cent, and that allotted to graphic material ranging 
from 3.7 per cent to 24.4 per cent. 

No one book included subject matter dealing with all of 
the material which it is rather generally agreed should be 
taught in homemaking courses; content dealing with child de- 
velopment was particularly inadequate. 

The majority of the home economists who expressed their 
opinions indicated that they wished secondary-school text- 
books to have the following characteristics: 

1. Average size (5x714 or 8 inches). 

2. Not too heavy to be held comfortably in one hand. 

3. Cover of middle value or darker, with simple, straight 
line design; large, plain printing which showed a moder- 
ate contrast with the cover; brief title on both front cover 
and back of book. 

4. Thick, durable cover; but binding on back flexible enough 

for book to stay open easily. 








10. 


11. 
12. 


13. 


14. 


15. 


16. 





ABSTRACTS OF UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA THESES 


. Paper of slightly cream color, medium thickness, moder- 


ately tough, little or no glaze (except in case of illustra- 
tions), and with no imprint visible from the reverse side. 


. Paragraphs of average length with conspicuous headings. 
. Few or no footnotes. 
. Many illustrations in black and white, each numbered and 


carrying a legend; arranged either one per page or 
grouped to form a unit, rather than scattered; referred to 
specifically in content ; and having teaching value. 


. Detailed index; table of contents, including both chapter 


and topic headings; a list of illustrations; and a summary 
at the end of each chapter or unit. 

Few, well-chosen references, planned for students’ rather 
than for teachers’ use and listed at the end of each chap- 
ter or unit. 

Chapter or topic rather than lesson organization. 
Suggestions, either at the beginning or the end of each 
unit, for problems and projects, especially those relating 
to the home. 

Few experiments, simple in character, interpolated in the 
text material at appropriate points, and planned to be 
performed by the students. 

Standard recipes with indication of number they will 
serve and with ingredients listed apart from directions, 
interpolated in text material, rather than segregated in 
one section of foods book. 

Vocabulary adapted to age of students and involving 
fewer technical words than most books in use. 

Texts for junior high-school should arouse interest in 
homemaking activities and should include in one book 
more phases of subject matter than do those for senior 
high-school. On the other hand, the senior high texts 
should place greater emphasis upon principles and their 
application to homemaking problems and upon selection 
rather than doing. 


Wiseman, C. R. Factors of Establishment and Discontinuance 


of Departments of Agriculture in Public High-Schools, 
1929. 


Problem.—The purpose of this study was to determine the 
main factors apparently responsible for the discontinuance of 
agricultural departments in Minnesota with the idea in mind 


























































that these findings would serve as a guide to setting up a list 
of satisfactory criteria for the proper placement and adminis- 
tration of agriculture departments. Thus guidance and direc- 
tion for the future were sought in the mistakes and failures of 
the past in the discontinuance of these departments. 

Data and Technique of Investigation —High-Schools hav 
ing agriculture departments 1918-19—1926-27 were considered. 
These comprise two groups: those where agriculture continued 
and those where agriculture discontinued. Comparisons and 
contrasts of the two groups were made. Enrollment in high 
school was used as a measure of size and was found to be a sig- 
nificant factor and basic to several others. In the main, two 
kinds of data were secured: factual and judgments of strategic 
people. The strategic people were those who had first hand 
knowledge about specific cases, as the superintendent of 
schools, the last agriculture instructor, the state supervisors, 
and the school board members. 

The factual data were secured largely from official records 
and reports and included the usual information kept on file in 
the office of the state department of education. Additional data 
were secured from questionnaires, personal letters, and by per- 
sonal visitations. 

From the data gathered, the appraisal was made of va- 
rious factors as bases for comparison and evaluation of the 
causes for continuance or discontinuance of agriculture depart- 
ments. 


Findings and Conclusions.— 

1. There was a rather significant tendency in Minnesota 
to place agriculture departments in medium and larger high 
schools of the state—those of 100-200 and 300 pupils enroll- 
ment rather than placing it in the smaller ones of 50 pupils in 
size. 

2. There is a somewhat larger mortality of agriculture 
departments in the smaller high schools—those under 100 pu- 
pils than in the larger high schools—those of 200 or 300 pupils 
in size. 

3. The mortality of agriculture departments is somewhat 
higher where the assessed valuations are down below 14 million 
dollars. 

4. When agriculture is placed in smaller high schools, it 
is much more frequently placed in consolidated schools than in 
non-consolidated schools. 


DEPARTMENT OF SECONDARY-SCHOOL PRINCIPALS 83 


ie > cmmnan 








34 


4 


0. 





ABSTRACTS OF UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA THESES 


Agriculture departments persist much better in 


smaller high schools consolidated than in smaller high schools 
not consolidated. ; 


6. 


The average tenure of the agriculture instructor in the 


discontinued departments was 1.82 years as against an average 
tenure of 3.1 years in the continued departments. 


Other significant causes of discontinuance revealed largely 
through the reports of strategic people were: 


1. 


oe 8 by 


= S 


Low enrollment in agriculture. 

Retrenchment in the school. 

Too frequent change of agriculture instructor. 
Inadequate recruiting of agriculture students. 
Ineffective work of agriculture instructor in classroom 
and in community. 

Negative or neutral attitude of farm folk. 

Lack of support of the department by the superintend- 
ent. 


The following are somewhat typical of the set of princi- 
ples derived for placement and administration of high-school 
departments of agriculture: 


1, 


Choose a reasonable sized high school—one of more 
than 100 pupils rather than one of fewer. 

Select a reasonable sized assessed valuation—surely 
more than $500,000 and $1,000,000 is better. 

Neither too high nor too low tax rate seems conducive 
to continuance of agriculture—30-40 mills was best in 
Minnesota. 

Where agriculture is placed in the smaller school, a 
consolidated school has a distinct advantage. 

New departments should be placed where the super- 
intendents are vitally interested in the work—ready 
and capable of helping the agriculture instructor. 
The agriculture department should develop at least 
two or three other legitimate activities of the agri- 
culture department besides the regular agriculture 
classes. 

Periods when there is a change of superintendent at 
the school or change of agriculture instructor appear 
crucial in the life of the department. 








DEPARTMENT OF SECONDARY-SCHOOL PRINCIPALS 35 


Schools should be chosen in which the superintendent 
and the patrons of the school have a favorable atti- 
tude toward the department. 

Agriculture should be the dominant occupation of the 
school patrons. 

The enrollment of farm boys should be twenty or 
above. 




















PART III 


Supervision and Methods of Instruction 


Ladenburg, E. Amanda. The Study of the Reliability of the 
Morrison Attention Checking Technique. 1929. 


Problem.—This investigation seeks the answer to the fol- 
lowing question, Is the Morrison technique as reliable when the 
index is based upon observations made at two, three, four, or 
five-minute intervals as when the index is based upon obser- 
vations made at one-minute intervals? 

Data and Technique of Investigation.—Seventy-eight 
classes in six junior high schools in Minneapolis and two su- 
burban schools were visited by the author for the purpose of 
applying the Morrison technique. Over 2300 pupils were en- 
rolled in these classes. The author visited classes in nearly ev- 
ery subject field taught as well as observing fifteen study-hall 
periods. 

Under the original Morrison technique the checker at reg- 
ular intervals checks the inattentive pupils. At the end of the 
period these checks are counted and a ratio is obtained for at- 
tention and non-attention. This ratio is generally expressed as 
the “percentage of attention.” 

In this study a device, planned by Professor Leo J. Brueck- 
ner of the University of Minnesota was employed in which by 
means of a blank seating chart, the checker can also keep a 
record of the inattentive pupils individually. 


Findings and Conclusions.—In the 78 classes visited by the 
author attention was checked at one, two, three, four, and five 
minute intervals. Percentages of attention of each period were 
computed. When the one minute interval was a criterion it 
was found that the median variation in percentage for the 78 
classes was only 2.5 per cent for three-minute intervals, 2.0 per 
cent for four-minute intervals and 2.57 per cent for five-minute 
intervals. This shows quite conclusively that it makes little 
difference whether inattention is checked at one-minute inter- 
vals or at any other interval up to five-minute intervals. 

The investigator also presents some interesting compari- 
sons regarding attention in various subjects. In foreign lang- 


36 




































































DEPARTMENT OF SECONDARY-SCHOOL PRINCIPALS 


uage the average rating was 95.04; English 93.44 per cent; so- 
cial studies 93.16 per cent; mathematics 92.35 per cent. The 
average percentage of attention in fifteen study hall groups 
was found to be only 87.28. It was found that attention rat- 
ings in the forenoon were much higher in the study hall than 
in the afternoon. 


Stallard, B. J. Supervised Study in Ninth Grade Algebra. 
1932. 


The Problem.—The experiment was intended to compare 
achievement under one plan involving long assignments with 
study sheets, and no regular daily recitation, with another plan 
where the period was divided equally into recitation and study 
parts respectively. 

Data and Technique of Investigation.— 

(1) The experiment was carried on in the Junior High 
School at Wauwatosa, Wis. during the first semester of the 
school year 1931-32. The school program employed a lengthened 
period of sixty minutes together with a form of homogeneous 
grouping. 

(2) The arithmetic ability scores were obtained from the 
Stanford Achievement Tests. 

(3) The intelligence quotients of the students were ob- 
tained by the use of the Oties Self-Administering Test of Men 
tal Ability—Form A. 

(4) The achievement of the students was determined by 
the Douglas Standard Survey Tests. 

The students were paired on the basis of I. Q., arithmetic 
achievement, C. A., and sex. There were two main groups, di- 
vided according to high and low intelligence, with 24 pairs in 
each group. Each of these groups was sub-divided into two 
equally paired classes one of which operated under a plan in- 
volving long assignments with study sheets and no regular 
daily recitation. In the other class each period was divided 
equally into recitation and study parts respectively with daily 
assignments. A test was given to all the students at the end of 
each assignment period. The experiment was concluded at the 
end of the first semester but a test was given at tne end of 
the year to determine the second semester progress. An initial 

test was given before any formal instruction and the second 
form of the test was used as a final test. In order to compare 
the achievement of the two groups the difference between mean 


37 


oe 

















38 ABSTRACTS OF UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA THESES 


gains, the standard deviation of gains, the standard error of 
the mean gain, the correlation between gains, the standard de- 
viation of the gains of individuals, and the standard error of 
the difference between mean gains was computed from the 


data. 


Findings and Conclusions.—In the group of students of 
higher intelligence the results were in favor of the class which 
followed the long assignment plan of supervised study. In the 
lower intelligence group the results favored the class which fol- 
lowed the daily recitation and supervised study plan. 

In the brighter group the chances were 97 in 100 that the 
true difference in gain was greater than zero as far as chance 
errors of sampling and measuring are concerned. The percent 
of superiority, being 15%, was large enough to indicate a sub- 
stantial difference. In the slower group the chances were 83 in 
100 and the percent of superiority 7%. 


Summary.— 

(1) A unit-type of assignment with mimeographed in- 
structions and supervised study is a feasible arrangement. 

(2) A large amount of time spent in recitation and oral 
discussion is not essential to pupil progress in Algebra. 

(3) The ninth-grade pupils in this experiment seemed 
capable of proceeding in Algebra guided by printed directions. 

(4) Neither plan proved superior by an indisputable mar- 
gin, although the difference in favor of the unit-type assign- 
ment with supervised study for the brighter students was 


found to be fairly significant. 











: 
| 











PART IV 
Guidance, Failures, and Elimination 


Abrahamson, Ada. The Relation of the Pattern of the High- 
School Student’s Course to His Success in College. 1930. 


Problem.—This investigation attempted to find objective 
evidence of the relationship between the pattern of the high- 
school course and success in college work. Special attention 
was paid to the group having a “vocational” pattern. 

Data and Technique of Investigation. — 

(1) Data were obtained from records in the registrar’s 
office of 385 University of Oregon students who completed five 
consecutive terms. 

(2) Data regarding high-school record was obtained from 
transcripts submitted to the University at time of entrance. 

(3) Data regarding industry of students while in high 
school was obtained by means of a rating sheet filled out by the 
high-school principals in the schools from which the students 
concerned were graduated. 

In order to determine the relationship existing between 
college marks, high school marks, quantity of work done in 
high school in various subjects, the evidence of industry on 
the part of the student, and his intelligence, zero order, par- 
tial, and multiple correlations were obtained from the data. 

College marks were averaged for the five quarters in the 
various subjects. High-school marks were averaged for differ- 
ent subjects. Quantity of work done in high school was evi- 
denced by the number of units given on the high-school tran- 
script. An “index of high-school work” which combined quanti- 
ty and quality of work was obtained by “multiplying the num- 
ber of units of a subject and the mark received in the subject.” 
Intelligence ratings were obtained by means of the American 
Council in Education Psychological Test. 














Findings and Conclusions.— 
HIGH-SCHOOL MARKS RELATED TO COLLEGE MARKS 
HIGH-SCHOOL MARKS pee ery a 
English ........... 494 .025 
Foreign Language ... 460 .028 
Mathematics 437 .028 
Natural Science ~...............2....2.-----.--------++ .540 .024 
Social Science 441 .028 
EERSTE ee Ne Ne .365 .033 


39 
















40 ABSTRACTS OF UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA THESES 


The correlations found in this table compare favorably 
with those found by earlier investigators such as Gilkey, Jones, 
Bolenbaugh and Proctor, and Lauer and Evans. 


NUMBER OF YEAR UNITS OF HIGH-SCHOOL WORK AND 


COLLEGE MARKS 
HIGH-SCHOOL MARKS yew arg sy 
RESP ene ee see ee caine .053 .034 
Foreign Language ......................---.....---- .170 .033 
a ik ea -.016 .034 
RS ae -.011 .034 
LT ee —.040 .034 
EE Re ET eS .034 .034 


It is shown that the amount of foreign language taken in 
high-school has a higher relationship to college marks than the 
amount of any other subject. This in line with the findings of 
Yates and Sorenson’s study of the same variables. 


HIGH-SCHOOL INDEX (UNITS X NUMBER) AND 


COLLEGE MARKS 

HIGH-SCHOOL INDEX Correlation Petaiie Coenen 
STC a .039 .034 .041 
Foreign Language ...... .231 .034 .239 
Mathematics .............. .124 .033 .128 
Natural Science .......... —.066 .034 —.006 
Social Science .............. -.015 .084 -.015 
Vocational .................. ~.042 .040 —.043 


The quality of work done in high-school was obviously 
more important as preparation for college than the quantity 
of work taken in high school. 

Neither the quantity nor the quality of high-school work 
indicated that any subject was significantly superior to another 
as a prerequisite for college. 

By means of the technique of partial correlation the rela- 
tionship between high-school marks and units of credit in the 
various fields were studied, with industry and intelligence held 
constant. 


CORRELATIONS BETWEEN NUMBER OF HIGH-SCHOOL 
UNITS AND INTELLIGENCE 


Intelligence 
are eae 
Foreign Language ........................----------- .293 
lls .207 


















































DEPARTMENT OF SECONDARY-SCHOOL PRINCIPALS 41 





Natural Science .....................---------0e--00--00- -.062 
Social Science ...............--...---..00------ -.119 
Vocational ................ haaninitiiaeduiilaas -.140 





It is evident from the data that the brighter students took 
more mathematics and foreign language than students of av- 
erage ability. 


CORRELATIONS BETWEEN COLLEGE AVERAGE AND 
THE NUMBER OF HIGH-SCHOOL UNITS, WITH INTELLI- 
GENCE AND INDUSTRY HELD CONSTANT 


119 aie nae 12.84 
BI srsiiinthetsictinciadda’ .053 .025 * 031 .007 
Foreign Language .......... .170 .047 151 .042 
Mathematics -................. ~.016 —.126 -.031 —.126 
Natural Science .............. -.011 .019 .010 —.034 
Social Science .................. ~.040 .015 -.043 .007 
Vocational ..............2.0-..... .034 110 .064 127 


1. College marks. 2. Number of High-School Units. 3. Intelligence. 
4, Industry. 

Upon partialing out the effects of both industry and intel- 
ligence it was revealed that there was materially no relation 
between the number of units in high-school subjects and col- 
lege success. The highest partial, .127, obtained between col- 
lege marks and number of units in vocational subjects may 
have been influenced by the fact that it included a high per- 
centage of special students and majors in business admin- 
istration. 

No combination of units of high-school work when corre- 
lated with college achievement gave objective evidence that 
colleges were wise in requiring definite amounts of certain sub- 
jects combinations. 

In general the evidence is clear cut and shows by all three 
methods of correlation that, 

1. The number of credits a student had of a subject was 
of much less importance in predicting college success than the 
quality of work done in the subject. 

2. No pattern of high-school work was found that indi- 
cated any subject or group of subjects as superior for prepara- 
tion for college. 

3. No evidence was found that suggested that having 
taken vocational subjects in high-school lessened a student’s 
ability to do college work. 


cuheanitteomenan eee 











42 ABSTRACTS OF UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA THESES 


The conclusions seem to be well supported by the data, and 
inasmuch as they agree with previous investigations, general- 
izations from the data are probably possible. 


Campbell, Ina S. Case Studies of Term Failures in the Jun- 
ior High-School. 19382. 


Problem.—This investigation is the case method type in 
which an attempt is made to ascertain the causes of failures in 
the junior high-school. 

Data and Technique of Investigation —The problem con- 
cerns itself with 37 term failures and 102 promoted pupils in 
the Wendell Phillips Junior High-School in Minneapolis, Min- 
nesota. 

For the purposes of the study a large amount of informa- 
tion was obtained about each student. These data included 
teachers’ marks, teachers’ reports regarding pupils, pupils’ 
permanent record cards, school health data, intelligence test 
data, Sims Socio-economic score card, Haggerty-Olson-Wick- 
man Personality rating card, over-age table, interest blanks, 
and the Stanford Achievement Test—Higher Form. These data 
were supplemented by a personal interview with the child. 

Findings and Conclusions —The number of failure boys 
exceeds the number of girls by 24.3 per cent. 

The average age of the seventh grade failure is 14 years 
and 5 months, which is eighteen months higher than that of 
the average pupil in the seventh grade. In the eighth grade 
the average failure is 15 years one month of age, which is six- 
teen months more than the average eighth grader. The age of 
average ninth grade failure is 15 years 10 months, thirteen 
months older than the average ninth grade pupil. Seventy-five 
per cent of the failures are from six months to thirty-six 
months over-age for their grades. 

Eighty-nine and two-tenths of the failure pupils have re- 
peated one or more grades. 

While absence from school is greater with failure pupils 
than with the promoted pupils, it is not the chief cause for 
failure, as one half of them were absent not more than 15 days 
out of a total term of 92.5 days. 

Physical defects cause individuals to fail but poor health 
is not a chief cause for failure in the junior high-school. 

The average I. Q. (Otis Self-Administering, Higher Form 
A) of the failure boys was 100.11; the average I. Q. of the 




















































DEPARTMENT OF SECONDARY-SCHOOL PRINCIPALS 43 


boys in the control was 102.31. The average I. Q. for failure 
girls was 93.21; the average I. Q. for control girls was 101.72. 
These data would indicate that low intelligence is more of a 
factor in the failure of girls than in the failure of boys in junior 
high-school. However, differences in I. Q. are so small between 
the control groups and the failure groups that one realizes that 
intelligence is not the sole criterion of success or failure. If one 
accepts an I. Q. of 90 as being sufficiently high to carry on 
high-school work it seems that fully three-fourths of the fail- 
ures should be able to do passing work. 

In order to ascertain the relation between socio-economic 
status and failure the failure pupils filled out the Sims Socio- 
economic Score Card. This instrument was used because it has 
been widely used in Minneapolis and norms are available for 
the city. On the basis of percentages, none of the failure pu- 
pils rank in the upper one-fourth of the scale, whereas 14 per 
cent of the retained pupils do. 40.54 per cent of the failures 
rank in the lower fourth of the scale, while only 6.3 per cent 
of the retained pupils rank in that quartile. The differences 
between the mean score of the failure pupils (11.32) and the 
mean score of the retained pupils (18.63) is 7.31 points or 1.72 
standard deviations of the scores of the promoted group. 

By means of the Stanford achievement test the writer 
demonstrated the apparent validity of the failures by showing 
that the failure group stands lower on this test than the pro- 
moted group. However in some individual cases the failed child 
stood higher than the test norm for his grade. 

This investigation while it deals with relatively small 
numbers is carefully done. The author has reviewed an enorm- 
ous amount of related literature and compares her data with it 
where ever possible. 

The writer points out that the chief value in such a study 
is that it points out that one may detect “failure patterns” 
early and provide the type of school wo) < in which the child 
may be able to succeed. Home environment seems very closely 
associated with failure and the school should not be lax in as- 
certaining the status of each child. 


Harcey, Sister Yvonne. A Study of General Intelligence and 
Other Factors Related to Success in Plane Geometry. 
1927. , 
Problem.—Inasmuch as several studies have shown that 

ability in geometry is not correlated closely with ability in al- 











44 ABSTRACTS OF UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA THESES 


gebra, it is the purpose of the study to discover to what extent, 
intelligence, memory for images, constructive imagination, and 
the power to reason and arrive at a conclusion are related to 
proficiency in plane geometry. 

Data and Technique of Investigation.—The subjects used 
in this study were 105 female students in plane geometry in 
St. Joseph’s Academy, St. Paul, Minnesota. 

Intelligence quotients were derived by averaging the quo- 
tients obtained from giving the Terman Group Test of Mental 
Ability twice with an interval of seven months. 

Memory for images was tested by Whipple’s Digit Span 
Test. The power of constructive imagination was tested by 
Starkbridge and Trabue’s “Mentimeter No. 5”; “Painted Cube 
Test” and Rugg’s “Geometrical Objects Test.” 

Reasoning power was tested by the Miller Analogies Test. 

The Schorling-Sanford Achievement Test in Plane Ge- 
ometry was used to measure success in plane geometry. 

All tests had reliability coefficient above .78, sufficient 
for accurate group comparisons. 

The investigator developed a regression equation based on 
the various tests and attempted to prognosticate the score on 
the Schorling-Sanford test. 


Findings and Conclusions.— 
COEFFICIENTS OF CORRELATION 


L Q. Digit Miller Mentimeter 
Span Analogies 205 
Schorling-Sanford _........... 46 .02 53 41 
¢, ERD RRE RSS Rae oe ars 21 .65 15) 
BR MIS. -snicsncmasoennessnninnen 1 13 
.29 


pa 

When mental ages were related to scores on the Schorling- 
Sandford test the coefficient was found to be .50+.05 which 
indicates “a fairly high relationship.” 

By means of a regression equation in which Xg (Schor- 
ling-Sandford Score = .09X + Terman I. Q. + .294 Xr (Miller 
Analogies Score) + 80X, (Score on Mentimeter No. 5)—8.31 
it was possible to show that a predicted score of 15 or less in- 
variably pointed out a student who actually failed in plane 
geometry. 

The multiple coefficient of correlation R; (234)—.61, 
standard error of estimate — 6.447. 

1. Schorling-Sandford. 

















DEPARTMENT OF SECONDARY-SCHOOL PRINCIPALS 45 


2. General Intelligence. 
3. Analogies. 
4. Multimeter No. 5. 


Murray, Dottie E. M. A Survey of the Personnel and Present 
Practices in the Field of Girls’ Advisory Work in Two 
Hundred Small High-Schools in the Pacific Northwest. 
1930. 


Problem.—The major purpose of the study is an analysis 
of the trend of activities developing in small secondary schools 
under the general title of girls’ advisory work. The specific 
problem is a survey of high-schools of 700 or less enrollment in 
the Pacific Northwest to determine “(1) the relative salaries 
of girls’ advisers and principals, the rank of the adviser, her 
qualifications, and the amount of time that is spent in coun- 
selling and guiding; (2) the organization and activities that 
come under her supervision, the subjects she teaches, her dis- 
ciplinary duties, her handling of special case work, and the spe- 
cial instruction she gives the girls; and (3) the value of an 
adviser to the school as judged by the principal.” 

Data and Technique of Investigation.—The data were ob- 
tained by questionnaire method. Check lists were sent to prin- 
cipals and girls’ advisers of 456 small high schools in Wash- 
ington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana whose names appeared in 
the state educational directories for the years 1929 and 1930. 
The lists were prepared in two parts: one part addressed to 
principals and the other to teachers serving as girls’ advisers. 
Usable data were returned by 200 principals and 161 advisers. 
The term “adviser,” as used in this study, is defined as any 
woman or women performing advisory duties in the school; the 
term “principal” refers to the person replying to the question- 
naire regardless of title (principal or superintendent). 

85% of the schools surveyed were of the 4 year type; none 
were junior high-schools. 31.0% were in Group I; 28.0% in 
Group II; 25.5%, Group III; and 15.5%, Group IV. Four-fifths 
of the schools reported some form of organized advisory work. 

Findings and Conclusions.—Less than 14 of the advisers 
hold special titles; the majority rank as teachers only. When 
titles are used the order of frequency is: adviser, dean, di- 
rector of physical education, coach, club adviser, counselor, 
girls’ reserve adviser, supervisor of girls, director of girls, and 
assistant teacher. 














46 ABSTRACTS OF UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA THESES 


Median salaries were found to be: Group I, $1383; Group 
II, $1481; Group III, $1457; Group IV, $1650; Total group, 
$1445. Salaries tend to increase with size of school. Salary com- 
parisons with teachers and principals are presented in some 
detail. There is a difference of only $37 between median sal- 
aries of advisers and teachers; principals’ salaries, however, 
range consistently higher, the median salary for advisers be- 
ing about 64% of the median for principals. The author’s in- 
terpretation of her findings is that advisers, in general, are 
teachers who assume the work on an extra-curricular basis, and 
hence no additional salary is thought necessary. 

71% of the advisers are unmarried; of those married the 
majority are in schools of 400 or over enrollment. The median 
age of the total group is 27 years with 40% between the ages 
of 25 and 30; analysis by groups, however, reveals a median 
age of 26 years in Groups I, II and III, and 34 years in Group 
IV. 

With regard to training, advisers with normal training, 
1.4%; A. B. degree, 94% ; life certificates, 5% ; graduate work 
without degree, 28% ; A. M. degree, 2.8% ; Ph. D. degree, 0.7% ; 
about one half have special training for their positions as ad- 
visers. The larger schools show the higher percentages with- 
out degrees; these are the older women. In comparing these 
findings with the California study the author notes that the 
California group excel in degrees and amount of graduate work 
but the Northwest group show more special training. 

The median for experience is 5.4 years; approximately 14 
of the group have had two years or less. 

No adviser devotes all her time to advisory work. The av- 
erage is 31 periods (45 minutes) per week. 39% teach one sub- 
ject only; 37% two subjects and the remainder three or four 
subjects. Practically all subjects are represented although Eng- 
lish predominates with 34% ; music stands lowest in frequency 
(3.8%). The author calls attention to the fact that no attempt 
is made to select teachers of subject matter, such as home 
economics, physical education, social studies, or biology, which 
affords greatest opportunity for contacts with students. 


With regard to office space and records, 77.3% report that 
they have classroom space only; 15.3% report office space; 
7.3% no room. 24% keep records of their own; 58.6% have ac- 
cess to principal’s records; whereas 17.3% have no records with 














































DEPARTMENT OF SECONDARY-SCHOOL PRINCIPALS 47 
which to work. The larger schools are better equipped in this 
respect. 

Duties in order of frequency, as reported by advisers, are: 
(1) disciplinary, (2) supervisory, (3) advisory, (4) social, (5) 
special cases and (6) clerical. 71.9% are responsible for disci- 
plinary duties and only 41.0% for true advisory or guidance 
functions. Special instruction is given in manners, dress, health 
and hygiene, social relations, personal charm, education, amuse- 
ments, ethics, conduct, study habits, and sex. 


Principal’s opinions as to the value of advisers’ work were 
distributed as follows: essential, 50.9% ; desirable, 44.0% ; value 
limited, 16.2% ; valueless, 5.6% ; undesirable, 0. Principals’ es- 
timate of student reactions showed: enthusiastic, 14.1%; fa- 
vorable, 68.2% ; passive, 19.4% ; unfavorable, 2.3% ; antagonis- 
tic, 0. On the whole age, experience, and special training tended 
to increase the principal’s evaluation of the position. 


In commenting upon her findings the author stresses: (1) 
the advisability of early teaching contacts with students in sub- 
jects which offer greatest opportunity for contacts; (2) the 
need for better training; (3) more time for advisory duties 
and greater freedom from disciplinary duties; (4) time to or- 
ganize work, more space and better equipment; (5) salary pro- 
portionately higher with increased training; (6) combining of 
vocational counseling with advisory work in the interests of 
economy. 


Short, Vivian. A Study of the Relation of Intelligence and 
Achievement in the Specific Skills of Algebra. 1927. 


Problem.—The purpose of this investigation is to study 
achievement in the specific skills of ninth-grade algebra in re- 
lation to intelligence. 


Data and Technique of Investigation.—The Terman Group 

Test, Form B, was given to 315 pupils from four high-schools 
- within the last month of their ninth-grade algebra work; and 
the Douglass Standard Algebra Tests, Series A and B, Form I, 

| with the exception of Tests I and VI, were given within the last 
two weeks of their ninth-grade algebra. 


| Findings and Conclusions.—The r’s between Terman in- 
telligence quotients and Douglass Test scores were computed. 











48 ABSTRACTS OF UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA THESES 


P.E Mean S. D. of 
*“" Mean 1.Q. S. D. of I. Q.’s Douglass Douglass 


School— N r > : oe 
A 119 .88 .053 104 9.80 34 9.25 
B 86 43 .059 109 10.30 36 6.45 
C 45 .89 .085 104 10.80 34 7.90 
All 
D 65 .67 .046 111 11.75 41 10.95 


Schools 315 .50 .028 107 10.90 36 9.20 

(1) Achievement in algebra, as measured by the Doug- 
lass Tests, depends, in part, upon intelligence, as measured by 
the Terman Group Test. (2) Prediction of the achievement in 
algebra on the basis of I. Q. calculated from scores on the Ter- 
man Group Test may not be made with any great degree of ac- 
curacy, though the chances for reasonable success are very 
slight for pupils of I. Q.’s of less than 85. 


Wind, Kate. A Comparative Personnel Study of Retained and 
Eliminated Pupils in Junior High-Schools of Minneapolis. 
1931. 

Problem.—The purpose of the study is twofold: (1) to ex- 
amine certain factors with regard to their relationship to the 
prediction of early withdrawal or retention of junior high- 
school pupils, and (2) to stimulate interest in the factors which 
cause elimination, with a view toward providing suitable edu- 
cational and vocational guidance. 

Data and Technique of Investigation.—Basic data con- 
sist of information regarding intellectual ability, age, scholar- 
ship, and social-economic status of three groups of students in 
the junior high-schools of Minneapolis; Group A—1355 stu- 
dents, 16 years of age or over, who withdrew from grades 7, 
8, 9 and vocational school during period 1924-29, presumably 
to go to work; Group B—415 of above group who were avail- 
able for interviews by school counselors, visiting teachers and 
attendance officers; Group C—1213 pupils from the 9a grades 
of 8 junior or junior-senior high-schools, selected as repre- 
sentative of school population with respect to nationality, oc- 
cupational level of parents, educational background and wealth. 
Comparisons were made between Groups A and C and between 
Groups B and C. 

Groups are compared largely in terms of percentages; a 
table showing “tabulated values of the standard error of per- 
centages” is, therefore, included. Biserial r is computed when 

















49 





DEPARTMENT OF SECONDARY-SCHOOL PRINCIPALS 


data warrant. The chapter on Case Studies is apparently in- 
cluded to illustrate the importance of “exceptions to expect- 


ancy” 


from the counseling viewpoint. 


Findings and Conclusions.— 


1. 


2. 


10. 


11. 


12. 


Approximately 20% more boys than girls are elimi- 
nated before completing grade 9. 

Marked differences in age-grade status are found; all 
eliminated pupils are retarded; of retained children, 
54% are normal status, 33% accelerated, only 13% re- 
tarded. 


. Retained group averages .04 years acceleration at com- 


pletion of grade 9; eliminated group averages 2.21 years 
retardation. 


. As measured by bi-serial r, a high relationship exists 


between overageness and junior high-school elimina- 
tion (.876+.001). 


. Both retained and withdrawing girls are younger per 


grade than retained and withdrawing boys respectively. 


. Elimination is not characteristic of any particular 


grade; about 20% withdraw before reaching grade 8, 
20% from 8B, 20% from 9B, 20% from 9A and 20% 
from vocational school. 


. A determining factor in withdrawal is the 16th birth- 


day—the compulsory age limit. 


. The median number of grades repeated by the elimi- 


nated group is 214, by the retained group, 0. 


. Less than 20% of withdrawals had skipped semester 


grades; over 30% of those retained had been doubly 
promoted from 1 to 4 times. 

On the basis of ability grouping, children of superior, 
mediocre and inferior ability are found in both groups, 
the greatest differences showing in the extremes. Less 
than 1% of the withdrawing group ranked A in ability 
compared with 16% of retained boys and 11% of re- 
tained girls; 3314% of eliminants are found in lowest 
group compared with 13% of other group. 

Failure and low marks are characteristic of early with- 
drawal. 

Median score for socio-economic status is 7 points (Sims 
Seale) higher for retained group (approximately one- 
fifth possible range). 
















































50 





20. 


14. 


15. 


16. 


17. 


18. 


19. 


ABSTRACTS OF UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA THESES 


13. Educational status of parents is lower for withdrawing 


group; 73.72% of parents have less than high-school 
education compared with 41.31% of retained group; in 
latter group 8.99% are college graduates, in former, 
1.21%. 


Homes showed marked differences with respect to quan- 
tity of books; nearly 60% of eliminants reported less 
than 25 books in contrast with 30% of other group; 
median number of books in homes of eliminants 19.8 
compared with 74.3. 


Homes showed same trends with respect to magazines, 
the retained group having access, on the average, to 
twice as many as other group. 

Occupations of parents showed rather striking con- 
trasts, approximately 24 of the retained groups coming 
from the professional and proprietary classes whereas 
approximately 24 of the eliminants came from the labor 
classes. The major difference was in the professional 
group, the retained group having approximately 30 
times as many representatives. 

Elimination varied somewhat with city districts, the 
heaviest elimination occurring where economic status 
was lowest and industrial opportunities greatest. 
Children born in the United States, and particularly 
within state, are more likely to complete junior high- 
school; no appreciable difference between sexes. 

Case studies furnish typical picture of withdrawing 
child: boy, 16 years, 4 months, entering grade 9, 214 
semester grades repeated, no grades skipped, inferior 
in mental ability rating, average scholarship “D”, born 
in Minneapolis or Minnesota, living in industrial sec- 
tion of city, comparatively low socio-economic status, 
parents did not attend high-school, 19 books and 1 
magazine in home, father a laborer. 

A typical retained child would be: girl, 14 years, slight- 
ly underage for grade 9A, never failed or repeated 
grade, average or superior in mental ability, 1 double 
promotion, high C average, born in Minneapolis, liv- 
ing in good residential district, home comparatively 
high in socio-economic rating, library of 74 books and 
2 magazine subscriptions in home, father in profession- 








DEPARTMENT OF SECONDARY-SCHOOL PRINCIPALS 51 


al or proprietary group, expects to graduate from senior 
high-school. 

For purposes of prediction, marked over-ageness is the 
outstanding characteristic of early withdrawal; socio-economic 
status ranks second; since all the factors examined seem to act 
conjointly, all should be considered in predicting school stay of 


individual child. 


Constructive proposals— 

a. The need for early recognition and remedial work in 
cases of retardation is obvious. 

b. Over-ageness should be attacked where it begins in the 
lower grades. 

¢. The logic of repeating grades appears to be faulty. 

d. Cumulative detailed personnel records are important. 

e. The school should devise a program, curriculum and 
social, so that the children who tend to withdraw early 
may do so with a feeling of academic and social suc- 


cess. 











PART V 


Pupil Organization or Extra-Curriculum 
Activities 


Knight, Pearle. Club Activities in Secondary-Schools. 1930. 


Problem.—The general purpose of this study was to de- 
scribe in some detail the practices, procedures, and policies in 
the organization, administration and supervision of club ac- 
tivities in high-schools. 

Data and Technique of Investigation.—The data applying 
to the school year 1928-1929 were collected by means of a 
questionnaire sponsored by the Minnesota High-School Prin- 
cipals Association from 20 states and the District of Colum- 
bia were represented in the study. The states included were 
Oklahoma, New York, Minnesota, Ohio, Nebraska, Iowa, Cal- 
ifornia, North Dakota, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, Penn- 
sylvania, Wisconsin, Kansas, Wyoming, South Dakota, Texas, 
Indiana, Massachusetts, Maine, and the District of Columbia. 
Enrollment of the schools varied from 62—3,334 students. 


NUMBER OF SCHOOLS REPRESENTED BY 


CLASSIFICATION 
Classification 

TYPE A TYPE B TYPE C 

ENROLLMENT— Junior Six Year Senior Total 
High-Schools School High-Schools 

Group I 62-299 .............. 24 21 45 
Group II 300-999 _.......... 11 14 22 47 
Group III 1000 over........ 7 8 29 44 
18 46 72 136 


Findings and Conclusions.— 
Types of organizations— 

1. The total number of different varieties of club activi- 
ties reported was 144, with a median of 20 for all 
schools, and a range of 6 to 67. 

2. The average number of type activities were: All- 
school 4.6, Music 3.4, Civic-Social-Moral 3.1, English 
2.7, Physical Education 1.7, Miscellaneous 1.2, Science 
1.1, Language .9, Domestic Arts .7, Art .6, Commercial 
.4, Agriculture .2, Mathematics .2. 


52 











- 


DEPARTMENT OF SECONDARY-SCHOOL PRINCIPALS 53 


. In junior high-schools the average number of social- 


civic-moral clubs was 5.8 and exceeded all other types 
of clubs. 


. Number of clubs is directly proportional to enroll- 


ments. 


. The student council is generally found in medium and 


large schools. 


. The honor society is found in about three-fourths of 


the medium and large schools. 


. New types of clubs such as Rifle, Radio, Aero, Har- 


monica, and Chess are being organized to interest 
boys. 


General administrative policies— 


1. 


2. 


It is the general policy of the schools to give definite 
encouragement to club organizations. 

The three most common procedures used in initiating 
and promoting clubs, in order of their frequency, are: 
publicity through the school paper, assembly talks, 
and special assembly programs. 


. Granting special awards is the most favored means of 


definite encouragement of student participation in ac- 
tivities. 


. There appears to be very little uniformity in the mat- 


ter of school credit for extra-curriculum activities. 


. About 11 per cent of all the schools require participa- 


tion. 


. In the formation of a club it is a rather general prac- 


tice to obtain the approval first of faculty members 
and then of the principal. 


. In about three-fourths of the six-year high-schools the 


students in all the grades take part in club activities 
together. 


. Almost universally, the responsibility of the club pro- 


gram rests upon the principal. Only one director of 
activities was reported. 


Membership— 


3 


2. 


Approval of sponsor as a method of admission to mem- 
bership is reported by 47 per cent of the principals. 
Though almost universally condemned by educators, 
approval by members is a basis in 31 per cent of the 
schools. 








54 


iv) 


5 


6 


7 





ABSTRACTS OF UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA THESES 


. Very few schools, 14 per cent, employ school marks as 
a requirement for holding office. 

. About 16.1 per cent of the schools require minimum 
participation, and about one-fourth of the schools set 
a definite maximum. 

. The point system is the most popular means of regu- 
lating maximum participation. 

. More than one-half of all schools keep some record of 
participation. 

. Administrations consider that the most important use - 
of records is to discover a student’s capacity for lead- 
ership. 


The sponsorship of clubs— 


1. 


2. 


There is a pronounced tendency (95 per cent) to re- 

quire that all organizations have sponsors. 

The most preferred means of encouraging teachers to 

sponsor clubs is recognition in the principal’s rating. 

Reduction in the teaching load is considered next in 

importance. About one-sixth of the administrators 

report that an extra salary is paid. 

. Administrators believe college participation is of 
greatest importance when considering training and 
experience for sponsorship. 

. The most accepted procedure in selecting advisers is 

appointment by the principal. 

In about one-sixth of the schools the students choose 

their own advisers, but in no junior high-school does 

that practice appear. 


Meetings— 
1. Meetings are held on regular schedules in 34.6% of 


2. 


the schools. 

Provision for meetings on school time is made possible 
by seven-eights of the junior high-schools and about 
one-half of the other schools. The most popular hour 
for the activities period is between ten and eleven 
o’clock and after three-thirty. 

Practically all clubs meet in classrooms. Only about 
one-fourth of the schools have an “organization” or 
“social room.” 

In the large schools there is a tendency (68.2 per cent) 
to require constitutions for all organizations. The 
total requirements for all schools is 40 per cent. 

























































DEPARTMENT OF SECONDARY-SCHOOL PRINCIPALS 55 
5. About one-half of the schools limit the number of so- 
cial meetings. The preferred policy is to have two so- 
cial meetings a year. 


Smith, George B. The Relation Between Participation in Stu- 
dent Activities in High-School and in the University. 
1930. 


Problem.—This investigation attempts to shed light upon 
several pertinent and pressing problems in the extra-curricu- 
lum activity field. The investigator states the problem to be 
six-fold: (1) To ascertain the relationships of the number of 
activities participated in in high-school and those participated 
in in the University. (2) Average number of activities en- 
gaged in by various sex and curriculum groups. (3) Relation 
of character traits to activity participation. (4) The number 
of activities in relation to curricula carried at University and 
in high-school. (5) The “pattern” of extra-curricular partici- 
pation. (6) Relationship of intelligence to activity participa- 
tion. 

Data and Technique of Investigation.—This investigation 
is based upon data gathered for 762 students in six Minneapo- 
lis high-schools for the years 1922-1925, and their further 
performance in the University of Minnesota between 1925 and 
1929. Activity participation records were obtained from the 
Annuals of the several high-schools and from The Gopher, the 
yearbook of the University of Minnesota. Intelligence rat- 
ings were obtained from the tests given all entering students, 
and are expressed in percentile ranks. 

Findings and Conclusions.— 

1. There appears to be a positive but almost negligible 
relationship between the number of activities participated in 
in high-school and the number participated in at the Univer- 
sity. This relationship is expressed by a Pearson coeffcient 
of +.197+.023. 

2. The average number of activities engaged in by women 
in high-school was 4.82 and by men, 4.49. 

3. In the University, the women participate more widely 
than men as indicated by their respective means of 4.61 and 
3.39. 


4. From ratings by high-school student advisers on char- . 


acter and personality traits it is found that low ratings on 
such traits accompany meager participation in activities. 








56 ABSTRACTS OF UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA THESES 


5. Very few pupils, except in athletic and social organi- 
zations, participate in activities in the University in which 
they have had previous experience in high-school. 

6. Students enrolled in academic curricula participate to 
a slightly greater extent in activities than do students enrolled 
in technical and professional curricula. 

7. Athletes are not “one activity” participants but par- 
ticipate widely in other types of activities. 

8. Men in the university show the highest per cent of 
single activity participation in the semi-curriculum groups. 
Women tend to scatter their choices more widely. 

9. In high-school, the men with higher mental ability par- 
ticipate in dramatics and publications, while athletic and mu- 
sic groups are composed of those of lower ability. 

10. In the University men with higher ability are found 
in music, drama, and publications. The intelligence of reli- 
gious organizations and the no-activity groups is somewhat 
lower. 

11. Dramatics and publications attract the women with 
higher mentalities in high-school. Those more definitely in- 
terested in social life have on the average slightly lower men- 
tal ability. 

12. In the University women in dramatics and publica- 
tions are above average in mental ability and those in music 
and semi-curriculum orgaizations are below average. 

13. The following positive but small relationships be- 
tween intelligence and the number of activities engaged in 
were reported as follows: 


1. High-school men........................--. 07+.047 
2. High-school women ..................... 13+.038 
3. University men .............-.........-+: 08+ .046 


4. University women.......... acleemeala 16+.038 




















PART VI 
Junior College and Junior High School 


Clark, Leonard A. An Analysis of Certain Fundamental 
Characteristics of Public Junior Colleges in Iowa. 1930. 


Problem.—To furnish data relative to the status and 
trends of the public junior college movement in Iowa, with 
particular reference to growth, size and distribution, relation- 
ships to high-schools, teaching staff, curriculum offerings, ef- 
fects upon the four-year colleges and conditions under which 
the work of the junior college is being carried 07. 

Data and Technique of Investigation—The data were 
gathered largely from the reports of the public junior colleges 
in the state of Iowa to the state department of public instruc- 


tion. 


Findings and €onclusions.— 
1. Growth and enrollments—There were in 1930, 28 pub- 


lic junior colleges in Iowa, all but 6 of which had been estab- 
lished since 1925. All but 7 of them were located in towns of 
less than 7500 population, half of them in towns of iess than 
5000 and three of them in towns of less than 2000. The me- 
dian enrollment was 47.5 and the interquartile range 34.75 
to 70.38. But 2 had an enrollment in excess of 105. Slightly 
more than 25% of the students came from outside the district. 
Among those living in the district the enrollment in junior 
colleges was 9.4% the enrollment in the high-schools. At- 
tendance was affected only slightly by the presence of nearby 
colleges. 

2. Instructional staff—But one of the 181 instructors had 
no degree, 17.6% had only a baccalaureate degree, 81.9% had 
a master’s degree, and none had a doctor’s degree. The com- 
parable figures for six 4-year liberal arts colleges in Iowa were 
9.2%, 34.5%, 36.7% and 19.6%. The median total teaching 
experience was 7.2 years and the interquartile range from 3.7 
to 13.2 years. More than half of the experience had been in 
high-schools. Practically all teach at least one class below the 
junior college level and on the average half of the load of 
junior college instructors is in high-school classes. The me- 


dian teaching load is 14.5 periods per week, with an inter- 
57 





See 


mn cals ane ne 


eee 




















58 ABSTRACTS OF UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA THESES 


quartile range of 12.1 to 17.4 periods. Approximately two- 
thirds of the instructors teach in but one field, 31.82% teach in 
two fields and but 3.3% teach in three or four fields. About 
88% of their classes are in the fields of their college majors 
or minors. The median annual salary was $1748, with an in- 
terquartile range of $1546 to $2049, about $300 a year greater 
than that paid in comparable high-schools. Instructors with 
master’s degrees were in general paid from $100 to $300 more. 


3. Curricula offering—The offerings ran largely to Eng- 
lish, foreign language, mathematics, science, and history. 
Government was taught in 19 schools, psychology in 16, speech 
in 14, and economics in 10. No other subject was taught in 
more than three schools though fourteen other subjects were 
taught in from one to three institutions. The median number 
of semester hours of curriculum offerings was 84 hours with 
an interquartile range of 58 to 97 hours. 


4. Location—Not only are many of the junior colleges 
located in close proximity to four-year institutions, but many 
are located so as to overlap in the territory from which they 
may be expected to draw their students. They are concen- 
trated along the eastern and southern borders of the state 
with a north and south chain through the middle of the state. 
In general there are the more thickly populated areas of the 
state, but not the areas greatest in wealth per capita. 


5. Certain conditions under which work is done—The pu- 
pils per teacher ratio ranges from 5 to 1 to 23 to 1 with the 
median at 12 to 1, the smaller ratios being largely in the 
smaller schools. A wide variation in size of library exists, the 
number of books ranging from 90 in one school to 9,732 in 
another, the median school having about 1300 books and the 
interquartile range being 300 to 3870 volumes. All but two of 
the schools have chemistry laboratories, 12 have biology, seven 
physics, five agriculture and four home economics laboratories. 
The student load is 15 or 16 hours per week with more carry- 
ing less than 15, than more than 16 hours. A number of the 
laboratories are poorly equipped. 

The establishment of junior colleges has seriously af- 
fected the enrollments in a number of the small four-year col- 


leges. 
The thesis also contains discussions of factors to be con- 


sidered in determining whether a junior college should be lo- 























DEPARTMENT OF SECONDARY-SCHOOL PRINCIPALS 59 


cated in a given community and suggestions for study of the 
question. 

Conclusions of the author are not indicated above: 

1. The rapid growth of junior colleges and of enrollments 
indicates that the people of Iowa are taking the junior 
college seriously. 

2. The education, experience, and teaching load of in- 
structors in Iowa public junior colleges compare fairly 
favorably with those in junior colleges of the United 
States as a whole and with the standards set by accred- 
iting agencies. Salaries were however definitely 
lower. 

3. The chief function of the Iowa junior college as shown 
by the curriculum is isthmian (university prepara- 
tory) rather than terminal or vocational. 


Stowell, L. L. A Study of Space Provisions in the Floor Plans 

of Junior High-School Buildings. 1930. 

Problem.—The purpose of this study was to investigate 
the different types of space provision found in the plans of 
junior high-school buildings, together with the uses which 
were made of the various facilities provided. 

Data and Technique of Investigation.— 

A. Nine questionnaires sent to six groups respectively as fol- 
lows: 

1. State Departments of Public Instruction. 

2. State Chapters of Architects. 

3. City School Superintendents. 

4. Architects and Superintendents. 

5. Architects, three forms. 

6. Principals, two forms. 

B. Floor plans of school buildings visited and floor plans pub- 


lished in periodicals. 
C. A study of the questionnaires and blue-prints used involved 


a four-fold problem. 
1. A study of the space provisions—areas and frequen- 


cies. 
2. A consideration of the administrative practices af- 


fecting the provision of space in junior high-schools. 
3. Criticisms of present buildings. 
4. Current practices in the determination of space pro- 


visions. 























60 ABSTRACTS OF UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA THESES 


The schools were divided into the following classifica- 
tions: 

Class A. included junior high-schools housing grades 
seven to nine exclusively, for which floor plans were obtained 
and questionnaires returned. 

Class B. included those schools having a variable number 
of junior high-school features, which set plans, and returned 
questionnaires. 

Class C. included all schools which entered into this study, 
having various numbers of junior high-school features. 


Findings and Conclusions.— 

1. Over 50 per cent of the schools studied, which were 
constructed during a 30-year period, were of three-story type. 

a. Tendency toward two story buildings since 1922. 

2. On the basis of average cost per cubic foot, the schools 
ranked one-two-three from the cheapest to the most expensive, 
identically with the number of stories in height. 

3. School buildings shaped like the letter I predominated 
in the Central States. 

4. In terms of average cost per cubic foot of content, I 
shaped buildings were the cheapest, and U shaped buildings 
were the most expensive. 

5. Most of the schools in the middle Atlantic and Cen- 
tral states were built with south and west orientation. 

6. A much greater provision in quantity and variety of 
space of all kinds was made in the school buildings of the 
larger cities. 

7. The total occurrence of the twenty-one major classes 
of space provisions was more frequent in basements than on 
either the ground or third floors. 

8. Of the 98 schools reporting, 56 per cent had multiple 
use of one or more rooms; auditoriums and gymnasiums re- 
ported most frequently. 

9. The average time to reach maximum pupil capacity 
and the time between building operations was 3.8 years for 
all schools which had building programs and school enroll- 
ment surveys. 

10. Over 50 per cent of all schools which reported on the 
subject indicated a separate housing for the junior high- 
school. 

11. Out of 49 schools, 31 had less than 21 per cent of 
their total basement area excavated. 























DEPARTMENT OF SECONDARY-SCHOOL PRINCIPALS 61 
12. City school principals criticised the size and location 
of rooms: 
a. Rooms too small in 43 per cent of the schools. 
b. Rooms poorly located in 30 per cent of the schools. 
c. Space provisions poorly located in 32 per cent of the 
schools. 


Van Gorden, Cole R. Jr. The Public Junior College in Iowa. 

19382. 

Problem.—To discover what kind of institution is devel- 
oping in Iowa; to discover the place of the public junior col- 
lege in Iowa’s state educational system; and to bring into re- 
lief what possible contribution the junior college may make in 
a local system of democratic education. 

Data and Technique of Investigation—Data were gath- 
ered concerning the 28 public junnor colleges in Iowa 

a. By a personal visit to each institution including inspec- 

tiom and conference with local administrators, in- 
structors, pupils, and patrons. 

b. From the Junicz College Conferences held in Des 

Moines in 1929 and 1930 in connection with the Iowa 
State Teachers Associations. 

c. From annual reports made by the heads of the junior 

colleges to the State Department of Public Instruction. 

d. Records of the county auditors. 

. Questionnaire replies from 13 Iowa junior colleges. 

f. Bulletins or catalogues of the junior college, four-year 

colleges, of 14 institutions to whom the questionnaires 
were sent. 

Findings and Conclusions.— 

1. Location. Iowa’s junior colleges are located in all sec- 
tions of the state except the middle western section. The sup- 
porting population of the colleges ranges from 9,000 to 40,000, 
median, 21,000. 

2. Supporting wealth. Assessed valuations range from 
$864,000 to $23,292,000; median $3,300,000, interquartile 
range, $2,500,000 to $5,500,000. 

3. Teaching staff. Master’s degrees, 73.2%; Bachelor’s 
degrees 26.8%; more training than public junior colleges in 
the U. S. or the private junior colleges in Iowa, but less train- 
ing than 4-year colleges in Iowa or in the United States. Total 
teaching experience: 11.4 years (average), 9.7 years in high- 


© 










































hi = SE ar Se og re ee Ty oe : = 


= ee ow Ss 














62 ABSTRACTS OF UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA THESES 


school and junior college. Salaries: men—median $2,038; in- 
terquartile range $1,825 to $2,250; women—median $1,758, 
interquartile range $1,566 to $1,937. Iowa junior college 
teachers are less well paid than for the country as a whole 
and four year colleges in Iowa. 

4. Laboratory and library facilities. Value of labora- 
tory equipment in science subjects, agriculture and home eco- 
nomics—median $3,500; interquartile range $2,200 to $6,600. 
Number of volumes in library—median 1,787; interquartile 
range, 405 to 4,319. All schools have card catalogues and a 
trained librarian in charge. 

5. Enrollments and retention. Enrollment ranged 
(1930-31) from 24 to 162; median, 51; interquartile range, 35 
to 72. With respect to proportion of enrollments made up of 
graduates of local high-school, the median was 73.4%. The 
number of junior college students per 1000 of local popula- 
tion was—median, 6.4; interquartile range, 3.5 to 9.3. The low 
percentages were all in larger cities. The percentages of en- 
rollments in sophomore class to freshman class of year previ- 
ous ranged from 24% to 111%; median 55.6% ; interquartile 
range, 44% to 73%; entire state 56%, as compared to com- 
parable figures for 13 four-year colleges in the state—median 
59% ; interquartile range entire state 75%. 

6. Curriculum offerings. All schools offer courses in 
English, foreign language, mathematics, science, and history; 
20 offer courses in psychology and 20 in government and 7 in 
economics. Courses are offered in 16 other fields in from 1 to 
4 schools. The number of semester hours in all subjects of- 
fered varies from 19 to 158; median, 80; interquartile range, 
70 to 98. Few vocational or other terminal courses are of- 
fered. One school offers a pre-engineering curriculum, one a 
commerce curriculum, one an agriculture curriculum and six 
teacher training curricula. In general the courses are quite 
similar to lower division courses at the University of Iowa and 
other liberal arts colleges. 

7. Tuition. The standard tuition charge is $50 a semes- 
ter, four schools charging slightly less, and four charging 
slightly more. 

8. Reasons for establishment. The chief motive for es- 
tablishing the junior college as given by 25 institutions for 
which catalogues were available was economy to the student— 

















DEPARTMENT OF SECONDARY-SCHOOL PRINCIPALS 63 


mentioned by all. In 22 bulletins, continuance of home influ- 
ence was mentioned; in 18, small classes and personal rela- 
tions with teachers; in 16, to avoid difficulties of orientation 
and adjustment in large institutions. Others given frequently 
are—the cultural influence upon the community, the transi- 
tional function of the junior college, greater opportunity for 
training in leadership. Mentioned only by seven, but no doubt 
influential in others, as may be suggested by the favorable at- 
titude of commercial and service clubs, was “keeping money” 
at home. 


Summary— 

1. The junior college has become a permanent part of 
Iowa’s public system of education. 

2. The establishment of junior colleges in Iowa seems to 
run by counties. 

3. Instructors as judged by prevailing standards in terms 
of degrees are adequately trained, not exceedingly heavily 
loaded, and poorly paid. 

4. While the majority of the schools have from good to 
excellent library. and laboratory equipment, a considerable 
minority are inadequately equipped. 

5. The junior colleges draw well from the local high- 
schools but many of the schools do not hold their students as 
well as do four-year colleges. 

6. The curriculum is largely “isthmian” or of the conven- 
tional liberal arts type. 

7. The schools are supported in large part by tuition 


charges. 











aie te ee 








PART VII 


Management and Discipline 


Fosness, Absalom. The Supervision of High-School Pupils 
During Non-School Hours. 1929. 


Problem.—To ascertain the means used by high-schools in 
supervising the non-school hours of pupils. Especial refer- 
ence is paid to the class of students who must be “away from 
home” in order to attend school. 

Data and Technique of Investigation.— 

1. Questionnaires were sent to 225 principals of high- 
schools located in villages in Minnesota, South Dakota and 
North Dakota, with populations from 1,000 to 2,500. Returns 
were received from 94 schools. 

2. Questionnaires were sent to rural parents whose chil- 
dren were not in high-school to determine the reasons for non- 
attendance—of these too few were returned to make a sig- 
nificant analysis. 

3. Questionnaires were filled out by students in high- 
schools relative to residence or non-residence, distance trav- 
eled to school, methods of travel, rooming conditions, extra- 
curricular activities and outside gainful employment. 


Findings and Conclusions.— 

A. From information supplied by principals— 

1. It was found that about 40% of the pupils in the 
schools replying were non-resident and 60% resident. 

2. Non-resident pupils remained in high-school in greater 
proportion than resident pupils. 

3. In 56% of the larger schools (7-24 teachers) there 
was some supervision of non-school hours, of pupils, 
while only 26% of the smaller schools (3-6 teachers) 
reported such supervision. 

4. Methods of supervision were: Conference with par- 
ents; written report to the parents; conference with 
pupils; visits to the home of pupils by principal or su- 
perintendent. 

5. In only 20% of the larger and 17% of the smaller 
schools are parents regularly informed concerning the 
conduct of their children. 


64 














emma 














EE 





DEPARTMENT OF SECONDARY-SCHOOL PRINCIPALS 65 


B. From information supplied by high-school pupils— 


pi 


— 


Non-resident pupils who traveled back and forth from 
home to school lived an average of four miles from 
school. The non-resident pupils who roomed in town 
lived an average of 9.7 miles from school. 


. The rooming place was in 90% of the cases chosen by 


the parents. 


. 37% of the non-resident pupils reported that they en- 


gaged in no vocational occupation. 57% of the resi- 
dent boys and 41% of the resident girls engaged in no 
gainful occupation. 

No occupation was reported for 39% of the boys 
and 41% of the girls who roomed in town. Only 25% 
of the non-resident boys residing at home were not em- 
ployed. Non-resident girls living at home are not en- 
gaged in gainful occupation to any greater extent than 
the other classes of girls. 


. Farm work was the principal occupation of the boys. 
. Housework was the principal type of work done by the 


girls. 


. Work in stores, etc. was the type of occupation in 


which resident boys engaged. 


. Amount of study outside of school during school week: 


a. 28% of resident boys as compared to 23% of non- 
resident boys did no studying outside of school 
hours. 

b. 20% of resident girls rooming in town as compared 
to 18% of the non-resident girls did no studying 
outside of school. 

c. Only 75% of the pupils devoted less than 6 hours a 
week to study outside of school hours. Girls devote 
more time to study than boys. (Three-fourths of 
those devoting more than 6 hours were girls.) 


. Little or no time is devoted to study over the week-end ; 


about one-third state they do no studying and 80% 
devote less than 2 hours. 


. Number of hours study per week outside of school 


hours: 

Non-resident girls rooming in town.............. 7.5 hours 
Non-resident girls rooming at home.............. 6.1 hours 
Resident girls .............. .. 6.0 hours 





Non-resident boys rooming in town.............. 4.5 hours 





= OR Re 8 


on 


a oon 














Re 


66 ABSTRACTS OF UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA THESES 





Non-resident boys rooming at home 8.6 hours 
Resident boys...... 8.3 hours 
10. Outside activities: 64% of the pupils reported at- 
tendance at church; the resident pupils participated 
in a greater number of activities than the non-resident 
pupils, and devoted a little more time to such activi- 


ties. 
11. Resident pupils participated in more extra-curriculum 
activities and devoted more time to their activities 


than did non-resident pupils. 





No 2 or More 
Activities Activities 


Non-resident girls rooming in town.... 49.1 13.7% 
Non-resident girls rooming at home.... 38.5 19% 
ROI GIIED on sncncececcensserieenteneceectnemneenee 22.5 35% 
Non-resident boys rooming in town.... 33.7 23% 
Non-resident boys rooming at home.... 38.5 21% 
Resident boys...... 19.2 48.1% 





Krantz, LaVern L. Typical Disciplinary Problems and Prac- 
tices in the High-School. 1931. 


Problem.— 

1. To discover distinctive characteristics of the major 
disciplinary problem pupils in high-schools. 

2. To discover the immediate location of disciplinary of- 
fenses. 
3. To survey the practices that obtain in high-schools 
with reference to maintaining order and handling problem 
pupils. 
Data and Technique of Investigation—A questionnaire 
was sent to 500 high-school principals in Minnesota, Mis- 
souri, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska. Of 
these 154 were returned and were made the basis of the study. 
Over half of the replies came from Minnesota and Missouri. 
Of these, 42 came from schools with enrollments of less than 
125 pupils, 49 from schools of from 200 to 325 pupils and 63 
from schools of over 400 pupils. Of the schools replying 62% 
were 4 year high-schools, 10% junior high-schools, 17% six 
year high schools and 17% three year senior high-schools. 

In addition to the information as to practices in meeting 
problems of discipline, the principals were asked to furnish 
certain specified information concerning from one to four of 











RR 

















DEPARTMENT OF SECONDARY-SCHOOL PRINCIPALS 67 


their most aggravating disciplinary problem pupils. Such data 
were received concerning 282 pupils. 


Findings and Conclusions.— 

1. Pupils participate in the disciplinary control of 36% 
of all the schools, over 50% of the larger schools, and in less 
than 25% of the smaller schools. 

2. The students assisting most frequently in disciplinary 
control of the library and the corridors. 

3. Students report offenders in about one-fourth of the 


schools. 
4. Students assist in determining punishment in about 


one school in seven. 

5. Nine out of ten principals believe that there are oc- 
casions when pupils should be sent from the classroom to the 
principal’s office, though in general for only two causes, “In- 
subordination” and “Causing general disturbance.” 

6. When pupils are sent from the classroom in 539 of the 
schools they are re-admitted only by written permit and in 
40% of the schools they arrange their re-admission in an in- 
terview with the teacher. In 28% of the schools the principal 
does not always know of such cases. 

7. Principals rather uniformly believe that pupils do not 
lose respect for a teacher who occasionally sends a pupil to the 
office and that the pupils lose respect for the teacher who does 


so frequently. 
8. In 82 of the schools, the principal has the power to sus- 


pend pupils from school. 

9. About half of the schools have no teachers’ meetings 
with discipline as the main topic. The median number of 
meetings on this topic is less than one a year, although nine 
schools have as many as ten a year. 

10. Among teachers having the greatest trouble with dis- 
cipline is a disproportionate number teaching their first year 


in their present position. 
11. Excellent teachers rarely have trouble with disci- 


pline. 
12. Principals are equally divided in their belief as to 
whether the most popular teachers have the least difficulty in 
discipline. 

13. Boys constitute 90% of the disciplinary cases and 
students in grades 9 and 10 constitute more than their share. 


— ay 


a a ee 

















68 ABSTRACTS OF UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA THESES 


14. Most frequent major offenses are, next to truancy: 
stealing, insubordination, and continued disturbance. No one 
type of offense except truancy includes more than 11% of the 
cases. Fighting seems almost to have disappeared. Insub- 
ordination is most prominent in grades 8 and 9, stealing in 
grades 10 and 11. 

15. The problem pupil is characterized as follows: four 
times out of five, a boy; indifferent towards his school work; 
quite frequently an athlete, most frequently of I. Q. lower than 
average of school; more often than not failing in one or more 
subjects; rarely an accelerated pupil; usually doing poor work 
in class in which he causes trouble; comes in disproportional 
numbers from family of moderate or poor means, is neither a 
leader or social outcast. 

16. In 37.8% of the cases cooperation of parents is ex- 
cellent, in 24.6% of the cases they are indifferent; in 10.6% 
of the cases they are antagonistic. 

17. The principals report a much greater per cent of 
cases as improved among those where parental cooperation is 
obtained. 

18. Nine out of ten principals do not advocate punish- 
ment before a class. 

19. Corporal punishment is used rarely above the ninth 
grade. 

20. The most frequent methods of attempting to handle 
entering types of offenders are as follows: truancy—suspen- 
sion and detention; stealing—heart-to-heart talk and suspen- 
sion; insubordination—suspension (markedly). 




















PART VIII 
Costs 


Berning, Theodore J. A Study of Elementary and High-School 
Costs in Districts Maintaining Class A High-Schools and 
High-School Departments. 1930. 


Problem.—To furnish information on school costs and 
state and local support in two classes of schools throughout 
Minnesota, 65 Class A four-year high-schools and 163 high- 
school departments, for the school year 1928-29. 

Data and Technique of Investigation—Data obtained 
from local superintendent’s annual report, teachers’ qualifica- 
tion blanks, County auditor’s report, County superintendent’s 
annual report, tuition aid blanks submitted by local superin- 
tendents, and special reports on state aid to the State Depart- 
ment of Education, Minnesota. 

The accounting classification used in Minnesota does not 
show separately the current costs for maintaining the several 
organization units within the system, as for example: to dis- 
cover elementary school costs as compared with high-school 
costs. 

The formula used for separating the expenditures for the 
high-school and the elementary grades in the study of these 
Minnesota schools is a modification of the one developed by 
Hunt’ and Stoops.? Ratios of this type cannot be true stan- 
dards but more or less relative, since conditions are constantly 
chenging. The salary ratio employed in this study represents 
from fifty-nine to sixty-five per cent of the total annual current 
expenditures. It gives an indication of general tendencies for 
comparison among these small schools. The validity of the 
modified formula can be assumed to a reasonable extent when 
comparing costs within a state as a whole. 

Formula for Separating Elementary and High-School Ex- 
penditures. 

Multiply 
A. The total current expenditures, including these items, 
general control, total teachers’ wages, (If a high-school train- 





1C, W. Hunt. The Cost of Secondary Education in the State of New York. 
The Macmillan Co., 1924, p. 9. 

2R. O. Stoops. Elementary Costs in the State of New York. The Macmil- 
lan Co., 1924, p. 8. 


69 










































aS AR he oo Sn nS Fan 








a eR Nien 


I 














70 ABSTRACTS OF UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA THESES 


ing teacher is employed, her salary should be deducted.) text- 
books and supplies, library, operation, maintenance, and 
other expenses. 
by 
B. Total high-school teachers’ salaries. (This item includes 
only such portion of the superintendent’s time as is actually 
devoted to high-school teaching. Assembly and library duty 
are considered actual teaching time and charged to the high- 
school.) 
Divided by 
C. Total teachers’ salaries minus that portion of the super- 
intendent’s time not actually spent in high-school teaching. 
(If a training teacher is employed, her salary should be de- 
ducted.) 
Equals 
D. The total high-school current expenditures. 
A times B 
——— 
E. The total elementary-school current expenditures are 
found by subtracting the total high-school current expendi- 
tures from “A,” the total expenditures. 
A minus D = E 


Findings and Conclusions.— 

1. The average elementary per pupil current expenditure 
in schools connected with the high-school departments was $74, 
(extremes, $39-$142), and in schools connected with the Class 
A four-year high-schools, $72 (extremes, $51-$120). The av- 
erage per pupil funds received from the state was $20 for the 
high-school departments (extremes, $9-$89), and $17 for the 
Class A four-year high-schools (extremes, $9-$35). The aver- 
age per pupil cost to the district for current expenditures was 
$54 for the high-school departments (extremes, $18-$126), and 
$55 for the Class A four-year high-schools (extremes, $20- 
$98). 

2. The average high-school per pupil current expendi- 
ture in the high school departments was $154 (extremes, $82- 
$526), and in the Class A four-year high-schools, it was $149 
(extremes, $83-$391). The average per pupil funds received 
from the state was $53 in the high-school departments (ex- 
tremes, $23-$101), and $56 in the Class A four-year high- 
schools (extremes, $19-$83). The average per pupil current ex- 
penditures to the district was $101 for the high-school de- 

















71 





DEPARTMENT OF SECONDARY-SCHOOL PRINCIPALS 


partments (extremes, $1-$488), and $93 for the Class A four- 
year high schools (extremes, $21-$232). 

3. The average total per pupil current expenditures for 
both elementary and high-school pupils was $109 for the high- 
school departments (extremes, $61-$250), and $106 for the 
Class A four-year high-schools (extremes, $73-$172). The av- 
erage per pupil funds received from the state was $39 for the 
high-school departments (extremes, $18-$91), and $38 for 
the Class A four-year high-schools (extremes, $21-$62). The 
average per pupil current expenditures to the districts was 
$69 for the high-school departments (extremes, $6-$197), and 
$68 for the Class A four-year high-schools (extremes, $26- 
$131). 

4. A low pupil-teacher ratio was responsible for a large 
part of the high current expenditures. 

5. The high-school cost per pupil decreased as the enroll- 
ment increased. 

6. The state of Minnesota paid seventy-five per cent of 
the transportation costs in Class A four-year high-schools 
and seventy-four per cent in high-school departments. 

7. The cost of transportation per transported pupil was 
slightly lowered as the number of pupils transported increased. 

8. The amount of standardizing aid paid by the state, 
per pupil, increased as the enrollment decreased. In the schools 
maintaining one or more special classes in general industrial 
arts, home training, commercial training, or agriculture, the 
amount of state aid, per pupil, increased as the enrollment de- 
creased. 

9. The current expenditures per pupil increased slightly 
with the assessed valuation. The funds received from the state 
per pupil decreased as the assessed valuation increased. 

10. Minnesota paid high-school tuition for 39.4 per cent 
of the high-school pupils enrolled in districts maintaining 
Class A high-schools, and 38.6 per cent in high-school depart- 
ments. 

11. In 1929 there were 7,340 rural schools that qualified 
for state aid. The high-school tuition deducted from 433 school 
districts in which the special tax levy was less than four mills 
and from which 1,356 pupils attended high-school, amounted 
to $44,481.50. This amount was three and six-tenths per cent 
of the $1,222,381, the total amount of high-school tuition that 
the state paid for nonresident pupils in 1929. 








































a ea Oe een 


SE 











6 
f, 





72 ABSTRACTS OF UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA THESES 


12. Supplemental aid was paid to forty-five per cent of 
the Class A schools and to fifty per cent of the high-school de- 
partments in Minnesota. 

13. Minnesota paid twenty-four per cent of the elementary 
current expenditures based on averages, excluding transpor- 
tation, and thirty-eight per cent of the high-school current ex- 
penditures in districts maintaining Class A high-schools. The 
high-school departments received twenty-seven per cent of 
their elementary current expenditures, excluding transporta- 
tion, and thirty-five per cent of their high-school current ex- 
penditures from the state. Both groups of schools received 
thirty-six per cent, based on averages, of their total current 
expenditures including transportation from the state. 

14. There was a wide range of individual school expendi- 
tures and funds received from the state at median enroll- 
ment intervals. 


Miller, Earl G. An Analysis of Current Expenses in Town- 
ship High-Schools of Illinois. 19381. 


Problem.—The purpose of this study was to analyze the 
current expenditures in township high-schools of the state of 
Illinois in order to determine the expense for different items of 
the school budget and to provide a basis for making compari- 
sons of expenses between any two or more schools. 

Data and Technique of Investigation.—The data were se- 
cured from the Biennial Reports of the Superintendent of Pub- 


’ lie Instruction of the State of Illinois for the school years 


1919-20, 1923-24, 1927-28 and 1929-30. Expenditures of 167 
representative township high-schools were examined. 
The high-schools of Illinois are required to report their 
current expenses according to the following clascsification: 
General Control 
Instruction 
Operating School Plant 
Maintenance of Plant 
Auxiliary Agencies 
The cost per pupil for each of these five major budget 
items and for total current expense was found by dividing the 
gross expense for each item by the average daily attendance. 
This was done for each of the high-schools included in this 
study. The per cent which each item is of the total current ex- 
pense, and the per cent of increase in the amount spent for the 




























































DEPARTMENT OF SECONDARY-SCHOOL PRINCIPALS 73 





various major items for each of the high-schools for the school 
years 1919-20, 1923-24, and 1927-28 were computed. 

The schools were then classified on the basis of their av- 
erage daily attendance into six groups ranging from the small- 
est schools of less than 50 pupils to those of more than 1000. 
Medians and quartiles for all the computed data were then 
determined for each of the various groups. 

The geographical distribution of per-pupil costs in these 
schools within the state of Illinois is also presented. 


Findings and Conclusions.— 
MEDIAN COST PER PUPIL FOR THE MAJOR BUDGET 
ITEMS AND THE PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL CUR- 
RENT EXPENSE USED FOR EACH ITEM 


1919-20 1923-24 1927-28 





Median 70% Median 7? = Median 76,0f 1929-80 
Total Current Expense. 139.00 160.00 178.00 183.00 
General Control] ~----- 2.18 1.6 217 1.38 2.62 1.5 2.85 
Instruction ____------- 100.00 74.4 124.00 76.7 133.22 74.3 128.00 
Operation of Plant _.___ 17.00 12.7 19.44 116 22.74 13.3 23.00 
Maintenance of Plant. 5.33 4.1 7.54 40 11.20 60 11.00 
Auxiliary Agencies _-__ 3.74 2.5 3.38 2.2 2.93 1.6 3.00 


MEDIAN PERCENTAGES OF INCREASE IN CERTAIN 
FACTORS FOR THE INTERVAL BETWEEN 1919-20 


AND 1927-28 
Cost for Costs Other Total Current Average Daily 
Instruction Than Instruction Expense Attendance 
27.5 104 64 


1. The variations in the cost per pupil for total current 
expense are so great among’ schools of approximately the same 
size and location as to indicate urgent need for an analysis of 
the causes in order that proper administrative measures may 
be taken to equalize educational opportunity and prevent waste. 

2. The decreased differences between quartiles and be- 
tween extremes since the school year 1919-20 seem to indicate a 
tendency for the per pupil costs for total current expense to 
become more standardized. 

3. Evidence based on the median per pupil costs for total 
current expense seems to indicate that schools having an aver- 
age daily attendance of 301 to 500 pupils are the class having 
the smallest expenditures. Next in order are the schools of 501- 
1000 pupils followed by the schools of 201-300 pupils. Schools 
with an average daily attendance of less than 50 do not seem to 
provide opportunity for economical administration. 


a naan 


























74 ABSTRACTS OF UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA THESES 


4. With the exception of the group of schools having an 
average daily attendance of less than 50, the cost per pupil for 
general control increases as the size of the school increases. 
This is true also of the percentage of total current expense de- 
voted to general control. 

5. Variations in the amount of money spent for each pu- 
pil for instruction are similar to variations noted in the cost 
per pupil for total current expense. 

6. There is a tendency for the percentage of total cur- 
rent expense used for instruction to increase as the size of the 
school decreases. 

7. Schools with an average daily attendance of from 301 
to 500 spend less per pupil than any other class for operation 
of the plant. 

8. The great variation in the percentage of the total cur- 
rent expense used for operation of plant in schools of about the 
same size indicates urgent need for an analysis of operation 
costs. 
9. Data indicate that maintenance per pupil costs are 
higher in the smaller schools. Wide variation in the percentage 
of total current expense devoted to maintenance shows a need 
for a consistent and well planned policy of maintenance of the 
school plant. 

10. There has been a decrease in the cost per pupil for 
auxiliary agencies since 1919-20 and variations within the va- 
rious classes have decreased. 

11. The increase in expenses other than for instruction 
has been relatively greater than the increase for instruction. 
The greatest increases have been in maintenance and opera- 
tion costs. 

12. Total current expenses increased much more in the 
interval 1919-20 to 1927-28 than did the average daily attend- 


ance. 
13. Practically all schools having the highest cost per pu- 
pil for any major budget item are in the northern division of 
the state. 
14. Schools having the lowest cost per pupil for any major 
budget item are practically all in the southern division of the 


state. 




















DEPARTMENT OF SECONDARY-SCHOOL PRINCIPALS 75 


Satterfield, K. C. Public Secondary-School Costs in Minne- 
sota, 1925-1929. 19382. 


Problem.—To discover the status and trends of per-pupil 
cost in different size four-year secondary-schools in Minnesota 
and associated information relative to teachers salaries, tuition, 
of non-resident pupils, the difference among districts in 
wealth, per pupil, and relative proportion of costs expended for 
salaries, operation and total current expense. 

Data and Technique of Investigation.—Data were obtained 
from two sources: 

(1) the financial reports made to the State Department of 
Public Instruction for the years 1926-27 through 1929-30 for 


three groups of schools: 
Group I—22 school districts in cities of 2500 to 5000 popu- 


lation, all in the state. 

Group II—75 school districts in villages of less than 2500 
population, selected at random. 

Group IIJ—64 districts maintaining partially accredited 
high-schools, called “departmental schools.” 

(2) Reports containing classified expenses made to the 
county superintendents of schools. Districts of population of 
over 5000 population were not included because most of them 
were undergoing a transition to the 6-3-3 plan, between 1925- 
1929, making it impractical to compare costs over this period. 
“Current expense” was employed to cover all expenses except 
capital outlay, payment on bonds or interest on bonds and was 
treated in two categories—salaries and “other than salaries.” 
Total current expense for secondary education was computed 
by salary for and the following proportion: high-school sal- 
aries: total salaries as x: total current expense (Henitz form- 
ula). 
For purposes of comparison, data from a similar but 
earlier thesis by R. A. Lease (1923-4) were employed. 

Findings and Conclusions.— 

1. Teachers’ salaries remained almost stationary from 

1925-26, decreasing slightly, particularly in small unaccredited 
schools. 
2. Teachers’ salaries vary widely for school to school 
even in its own population class, particularly among the smaller 
schools where the median salary in one school may be four 
times that of another school. 


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76 ABSTRACTS OF UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA THESES 


3. Up to 5000 population there is not much difference be- 
tween schools of different size in average salary. 

4. Conclusion 1, 2 and 3 apply also to the total current 
expense of secondary education. 

5. The ratio of salaries to total current expense is greater 
in the larger schools and less in the unaccredited schools. 

6. Great variations between schools exist in the ratio 
of salaries to total current expense particularly in the smaller 
and unaccredited schools. 

7. The per pupil costs were materially greater in the 
smaller and unaccredited schools, particularly in the latter. 

8. There is more assessed wealth behind the pupils of 
the small unaccredited schools and little difference between 
the other groups of schools. 

9. Within each group of school great variations exist be- 
tween schools as to average amount of assessable wealth per 
pupil. The range is greater in the smaller districts and is tre- 
mendous in the unaccredited group where the ratio of the high- 
est to the lowest is more than 44 to 1. 

10. While non-resident pupils constitute about a third of 
the enrollment in each group of schools, the tuition received 
for such pupils is only about a sixth of the total cost of sec- 
ondary education. 

11. The amount of state-aid per pupil materially decreased 
from between 1925-6 and 1929-30. 

12. The amount of state aid per pupil is materially less in 
the larger schools than in the two smaller groups. 

13. Salaries of high-school teachers increased from 191€- 
20, and decreased slowly from that time down to 1929-30. 

14. Assessable wealth decreased in the smaller districts 
between 1924-5 and 1928-9. 

15. Tax levies decreased in Groups II and III particularly 
in the former (1.8 mills) and remained practically stationary 
in Group I. 

16. The proportion of non-resident students decreased 
very slightly since 1923-4. 

















PART IX 
General and Miscellaneous 


Braithwaite, Katherine E. An Experimental Study of Ninth 
Grade Foods Classes on the Long and Short Periods. 1930. 


The Problem.—This investigation attempted to discover 
what effect the shortening of the class period for home eco- 
nomics had on the skills, knowledge, habits, and appreciations 
of students in food preparation classes. 

Data and Technique of Investigation—Data were ob- 
tained from the following sources: 

1. An intensive study of six ninth-grade foods classes in 
Minneapolis, Minnesota, during an eight-week period in 1930. 

2. A series of controlled observations of foods classes on 
the long and on the short period in several schools in Minne- 
apolis and St. Paul. 

3. School records in the principal’s office. 

4. Records of the Research Bureau of the Board of Edu- 
cation which had made a study, through the use of the Simm’s 
Score Card for Socio-Economic Status, of the homes in the dis- 
tricts from which each school drew its students. 

Three classes with the short period (57 minutes) were 
compared with three other classes having an 86 minute pe- 
riod. The two groups were paired originally upon their intelli- 
gence, the socio-economic status of the homes in the district in 
which the schools were located, and the ability of the teachers, 
who were rated as about equally efficient by the supervisor. 
The classes met daily and were taught, so far as possible, iden- 
tical subject matter. 

At the beginning of the experiment the two groups were 
found to be surprisingly similar in most of the comparisons 
made: on the initial test (a new-type test of 100 points with a 
reliability of .92 and .97 for forms A and B, respectively) the 
mean scores were 44.22+5.44 and 44.15+5.54; the mean I. Q.’s 
were 93.07+7.18 and 98.04+7.84; the mean ages were 
14.68+.67 and 15.01+.67 years; the mean numbers in the fam- 
ily were 4.90+1.58 and 4.86+1.16. A practical test was also 
used, but it was found to have no value because of the sub- 
jective manner of scoring. One half of each class took form A 


77 


































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78 ABSTRACTS OF UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA THESES 


of the test at the beginning of the experiment, and Form B at 
the close. The other half of each class took the two forms in 
reverse order. 

The following additional measures were used in compar- 
ing the two groups: a record of the nature, time, and order of 
the recitation; a detailed evaluation of the class work in terms 
of Brueckner’s points for lesson analysis and his levels of 
teaching, and the length of time devoted to different activities ; 
a list of home activities relating to food planning, preparation, 
and serving which students checked to indicate what they had 
done before and what they did after they had studied this unit; 
and a paragraph written by each student giving her opinion of 
what she had learned from the unit. 


Findings and Conclusions.— 

1. The amount of previous training in home economics 
showed an insignificant relationship to what students knew at 
the beginning of the experiment and a negative relation with 
what they knew at the end. 

2. When the total groups were compared, intelligence did 
not seem to show any significant relationship to what the stu- 
dents knew at the beginning nor at the end of the term, a com- 
parison of the gains of the highest fourths of the two groups 
showed a difference. 

3. The average gain on the final test over the initial test 
proved to be 19 points for the long period group and 23 points 
for the short period group. The smallest mean gain (17) was 
made by a long-period class and the largest (32.5) by a short- 
period class, which suggests that perhaps the teachers were 
not as equal in ability as had been assumed. 

4. The detailed observations of a large number of classes 
indicated that time was much more efficiently used in the short 
‘han in the long periods, by both teacher and students. In the 
former the students seemed to be more conscious of time and 
needed less urging to do their work with dispatch. 

5. At the end of the unit the students in the short-period 
class were doing at home much more work related to school 
instruction than were those in the long-period group, but there 
seemed to be no relation between the quality of school work as 
measured by marks and the amount of work done at home. 

6. The only significant relation discovered between the 
measures applied was the correlation between what they knew 
at the beginning and at the end of instruction. This proved to 

















DEPARTMENT OF SECONDARY-SCHOOL PRINCIPALS 79 


be .60+.06 for the long-period group and .63+.06 for the short- 
period group. 

Summary.—It would appear that ninth-grade foods work 
can be taught successfully on the hour period, providing the 
time distribution is planned carefully by teacher and students. 

The poorer students did about equally well whether the pe- 
riod was long or short although they did slightly better on the 
longer period. 

The brighter students, in the short period class, accom- 
plished more (in a third less time) than did the brighter stu- 
dents in the long period class. 


Jensen, Harry T. The Administration and Cost of Athletics 
and Physical Education in the Public High-Schools of 
South Dakota. 1930. 


Problem.—The purpose of this study was to collect data 
showing how athletics and physical education in the public 
high-schools of South Dakota are administered and financed. 

Data and Technique of Investigation.— 

1. Questionnaire, Form A, to be filled out by the superin- 
tendent or principal; asked for information concerning facili- 
ties, playgrounds, gymnasium and athletic equipment and 
concerning financial support and administration. 

(2) Questionnaire, Form B, to be filled out by each phys- 
ical education teacher and coach, asked for information con- 
cerning present teaching load and related work, training, ex- 
perience, athletic participation, and playground games. 

(3) Records of Secretary of S. D. High-School Athletic 
Association. The questionnaires were sent out to the four- 
year high-schools in South Dakota in October, 1928. Fol- 
low-up questionnaires were sent out in November, 1928, to 
those schools not responding. The questionnaires asked for 
data of the school year 1927-1928. Where exact figures were 
not known estimates were asked for. 

Findings and Conclusions.— 

Administrative factors influencing physical activities in the 
high-schools of South Dakota. 

1. The South Dakota High-School Athletic Association 
governs and restricts the schools in matters pertaining 
to interscholastic competition. 

2. The playgrounds of the state vary from 200 to 800,000 
square feet in area. 











Ta. RIOT 


Sgt ee 





80 ABSTRACTS OF UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA THESES 


3. The model gymnasium for the state is 32-40 by 60-69 
feet in dimension. Gymnasiums vary from 20-30 by 
30-39 feet to 70-80 by 70-up feet in size. 

4. Gymnasiums and general equipment is lacking in most 
of the schools. 

5. In the greater number of cases, the superintendent, 
either alone or by committee, is responsible for per- 
forming the functions in connection with athletic and 
physical education departments. 

6. All schools are required to have certified copies of 
physical examinations for all competing athletes; only 
ten schools require them for all pupils. 


The high-school coach of athletics— 

1. Over 98 per cent of the coaches reporting were college 
graduates with the baccalaureate degree predomi- 
nantly. 

2. Coaching standards are not equal to academic stand- 
ards for non-athletic courses. 

3. More than proportionate time is devoted to basket- 
ball. 

4. Physical education periods average about forty-five 
minutes in length with an average of two periods per 
week. 

5. The tenure of coaches is about two years. 

6. Over two-fifths of the coaches favored physical edu- 
cation over interscholastic athletics as of greater 
value, in the long run, to the participating individual. 


The cost of athletics and physical education not including 

coaching— 

1. Financial support for high-school athletics is depend- 
ent upon the size of the school. 

2. The management of athletic finances is deplorably un- 
systematic and unbusinesslike. 

3. Chief sources of revenue are gate receipts, student 
fees, and athletic tickets. 


Summary.—1. The school laws of South Dakota do not 
provide properly for the administration of a physical educa- 
tion program. 

2. The average high-school in South Dakota does not em- 
ploy a full-time physical education teacher and athletic coach. 















































DEPARTMENT OF SECONDARY-SCHOOL PRINCIPALS 81 


3. High-school coaches are poorly trained, no coach re- 
porting a major in physical education, and very few as a 
minor. 

4. A coach or physical education director devotes, on the 
average, less than one-fourth of his total teaching time to ath- 
letic coaching and physical education. 

5. Twenty-one schools reported “no records available” 
for athletic finances and receipts. Other schools gave esti- 
mated figures for receipts and finance of athletics. 


Lokken, Harry M. Growth and Accessibility of Public High- 
Schools in Minnesota. 1932. 


Problem.—This study had to do with the (1) development 
of the public high-school system of the state of Minnesota and 
(2) the availability of secondary education in the various 
parts of the state. 


Data and Technique of Investigation.— 

1. The laws of Minnesota and various records and re- 
ports of the state department of education of Minne- 
sota. 

2. Certain unpublished theses at the University of Min- 
nesota libraries. 

3. Two questionnaires concerning distances and means 
of transportation from home to school. 

a. One filled out by 102 superintendents in the state. 

b. One filled out by 317 non-resident pupils in attend- 
ance in the nine public high-schools of Blue Earth 
county, Minnesota. 


Findings and Conclusions.— 

The development of the small district high-scicc! in Minne- 
sota— 

1. The constitution of Minnesota makes it mandatory for 
the legislature “to establish a general and uniform sys- 
tem of public schools” and to provide for their sup- 
port. 

2. The local school district has become the unit of ad- 
ministrative organization of the schools. Special and 
independent types of districts have most frequently 
supported secondary-schools. 

3. In 1930 the typical secondary-school in Minnesota was 

a small four-year type high-school with a median en- 





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82 





ABSTRACTS OF UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA THESES 


rollment of 83.5 students. Of 422 four-year type high- 
schools, 61.6 per cent enrolled less than 100 pupils. 


Means of transportation, distances travelled, and areas served 


in Minnesota high-schools— 
1. The erollment of 102 representative Minnesota high- 


schools showed that 39.2 per cent of the total enroll- 
ment was non-resident, of which 33.5 per cent were 
found to be rooming and boarding in town. Thus the 
daily transportation problem affected 66.5 per cent of 
the non-resident enrollment. 

. Of the 66.5 per cent of non-resident enrollment af- 
fected by transportation, 58.9 per cent used walking, 
18.8 per cent used automobile, and 20.3 per cent used 
bus. These three methods were used by 98 per cent of 
those non-resident pupils affected by transportation. 
Bicycle, horse, railroad, and street-car were found to 
be unimportant in this respect. 

. In getting to high-school, 65.4 per cent of these pupils 
traveled less than 114 miles, about 30 per cent trav- 
elled more than 214 miles, about 14 per cent travelled 
more than 5 miles, and 3 per cent travelled more than 


10 miles. 


. The median area of the districts studied was 11.5 


square miles. The area served by the high-school was 
79.51 square miles. The typical high-school thus pro- 
vided facilities for an area about seven times the area 


of its school district. 


Means of transportation used, and distances travelled by sec- 


ondary-school non-resident pupils in Blue Earth county, 


Minnesota— 
1. Of the 317 non-resident pupils studied in Blue Earth 


county, 18.6 per cent roomed and boarded in town reg- 
ularly and 32.5 per cent roomed and boarded in town 
occasionally. 

. The median distance travelled by non-resident pupil 
in getting to and from high-school was 5.46 miles. 
Fifty-two per cent travelled more than 5 miles and 9.1 
per cent travelled more than 10 miles. 

. In getting to and from school, the automobile was used 
45.51 per cent of the time, walking 27.92 per cent of 
the time, and bus was used 22.9 per cent of the time. 





























DEPARTMENT OF SECONDARY-SCHOOL PRINCIPALS 83 


These three methods accounted for 96.3 per cent of 
the means used. 


Distribution and accessibility of the secondary-schools of Min- 
nesota— 


1. 


In 1930, the median county enrolled 605 pupils in pub- 
lic secondary-schools. It enrolled 3.6 per cent of the 


3 total population and 44 per cent of the population 


14-17 years inclusive. It contained 5 high-schools 
serving 3395 total population per high-school and 288 
of the population 14-17 years of age inclusive per high- 
school. The median area per high-school per county 
was 136.2 square miles. 


. In a five mile radius circle around each high-school, 


82.6 per cent of the areas overlapped in the state as a 
whole. 


. The median of the straight lines drawn from each 


school to its nearest neighbor was 7.48 miles. 


. Eighty-one per cent of the public high-schools of the 


state were located on the state trunk highway system. 
Twenty-one and four-tenths per cent were served by 
two or more trunk highways. The median distance 
between high-schools via trunk highways was 9.34 
miles for the state as a whole. 


. Schools were accessible by trunk highway practically 


100 per cent of the time. 

Ninety-eight per cent of the public high-schools were 
located on the railroads. The median distance between 
high-schools located on railroad was 11.54 miles for 
the state as a whole. 


Lack of economy in small schools— 


1. 


Classes in the high-school departments enrolled less 
than 20 pupils in 88 per cent of the sections. In class 
A four-year high-schools, 75 per cent of the sections 
enrolled less than 20 pupils; in class B four-year high- 
schools, 50 per cent, and in class C four-year high- 
schools, 31 per cent of the sections enrolled less than 


20 pupils. 


The author emphasizes the following general conclusions: 


1. 


The size of the school district remained constant 
through the evolution of the secondary-school. More 
complete utilization of modern transportation facili- 
ties now available suggest larger school districts. 


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84 ABSTRACTS OF UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA THESES 


2. Because small high-schools are relatively more expen- 
sive, centralization and grouping in larger units seems 
to be the next logical development in the secondary- 


schools of Minnesota. 


Steffens, M. R. The Relationship of State Departments of 
Education to the Administration and Supervision of 


Local Secondary-Schools. 1932. 


Problem.—This investigation collected and tabulated ob- 
jective evidence of the relationship of state departments of 
education to local secondary-schools in administration and su- 


pervision. It includes both practices and policies in both of 


those fields. 

Data and Technique of Investigation.— 

1. Questionnaire—Form number 12 of the national Sec- 
ondary-School Survey, 1930 to which were received 205 re- 
plies from officers of departments of education in 46 states 
and District of Columbia. The replies from the 205 state de- 
partment officers were divided into eight groups according to 
the special fields in secondary education of which they had 
charge, or according to the major type of work in which they 
were engaged. 

Group I. 


departments. 
Group II. Home economics supervisors, (29) from 24 


state departments. 
Group III. Agriculture supervisors, (32) from 25 state 


departments. 
Group IV. Commissioners of education, (20) from 19 


state departments. 
Group V. General supervisors of education, (56) from 


36 state departments. 
Group VI. Physical education supervisors, (17) from 


13 state departments. 
Group VII. Special subject supervisors, (9) from 5 state 


departments. 
Group VIII. School library supervisors, (5) from 4 


state departments. 
The Educational Directory of 1930 listed over 415 officers 


of state departments who had duties that pertained to sec- 
ondary-school work. 


Vocational Supervisors (3.7), from 27 state 














DEPARTMENT OF SECONDARY-SCHOOL PRINCIPALS 85 

Findings and Conclusions.— 

1. Of the 205 state department officers over 60 per cent 
have had experience as teachers in secondary-schools; over 
43 per cent have had experience as principals in secondary- 
schools; over 28 per cent have had experience as superintend- 
ents of public schools; the median number of years these of- 
ficers have been engaged in state department work is six 
years; over 12 per cent have not had four years of training 
beyond high-school; there are 6 per cent. who hold advanced 
degrees in addition to either the B.S. or the B.A. degree; 
over one-fifth have attended summer school each year until 
1930. 

2. The duties listed most frequently are organizing and 
promoting various types of schools and classes; preparing or 
approving courses of study; making all kinds of surveys and 
investigations; visiting, inspecting, supervising, and advising 
schools and departments in all activities; preparing and pub- 
lishing bulletin, syllabi, tests, etc.; stimulating professional 
growth of teachers. 

3. In the execution of these duties, most of the time is 
spent in field work. Over 62 per cent of the officers visit on 
the average approximately 120 school systems during the 
year; over 70 per cent of the general supervisors of secondary 
education visit on the average of 160 and a few as many as 
350 to 400 school systems annually. 

4. From 45 to 85 per cent of the visitation time is spent 
in the classroom. 

5. Over 61 per cent of the officers state that 90 to 100 per 
cent of the school visits are initiated by the state department 
of education. ° 

6. There is considerable disagreement among state de- 
partment officers in adopted practices and policies which, in 
their opinion, have resulted in the most progressive develop- 
ments in secondary education. 


Yaukey, J. V. A Comparative and Critical Study of the Sec- 
ondary-School Standards of Regional Accrediting Asso- 
ciations. 1932. 


Problem.—The problem in this thesis appears as four 
questions: (1) What are the similarities and differences of 
standards of regional accrediting associations; (2) What is 
the relationship between the regional and the state standards? 

















































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86 ABSTRACTS OF UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA THESES 


(3) What has been determined concerning the validity of the 
present standards? (4) What has been the nature of the 


changes in standards? 

Data and Technique of Investigation.—Proceedings of the 
associations, published statements of the accrediting stand- 
ards of the states, and reports of scientific studies reflecting 
as to the validity of the standards used. 

Findings and Conclusions.—The results were presented in 
five parts. Specifically they concerned a study of the require- 
ments concerning the size of school, the plant, the teacher, the 
administration, and the course of study. 

1. There has been no definite tendency for standards con- 
cerning the size of the school accredited. The North Central 
Association has shifted its emphasis several times but now, in 
agreement with the others, accredits schools employing at 
least four full-time teachers (of academic subjects). Of the 
states twenty-six accredited only those schools of three or 
more teachers; seventeen required only two; and five set no 
standard as to size. Eleven states have a “size standard” 
based on the number of pupils enrolled; more generally a min- 
imum of thirty-five pupils. 

Several scientific investigations were reported indicating 
a low correlation between size of school and success in college. 

2. The word “adequate” summarizes the regional and 
most of the state requirements relative to plant and equip- 
ment. A heterogeneous collection of state additional require- 
ments was found. Some specified particular types of ventila- 
tion; some specified the number of library books and period- 
icals; some set minimum values of equipment; and, a few 
name specifically the articles of equipment schools must have. 

Questioning the justice of maintaining indefinite stand- 
ards of regional associations is not well founded. Modern 
ventilation has been shown to occasion no gain in school per- 
formance or attendance; students have been found to do as 
good work with limited scientific equipment as with sufficient 
for each student; and, the number of volumes in the library 
is a poor measure of the extent to which the library fulfills 
its purpose. It is clearly demonstrated that changes in the 


standards toward more definiteness would be accompanied by 


increasing question as to their validity. 
3. The most consistent requirement is that each teacher 


(of academic subjects) be a graduate of a four year college. 




















87 





DEPARTMENT OF SECONDARY-SCHOOL PRINCIPALS 


In 1912 the North Central Association required that every 
teacher in member schools should have some training in “ped- 
agogy.” Two years later they required eleven zemester hours 
of professional courses. This was soon raised to fifteen. The 
Southern Association requires twelve hours, and the North- 
west Association, modeled after the North Central, requires 
fifteen. The North Central Association requires a minimum 
of ten semester hours of training in the subject taught. The 
Northwest Association requires a minor, and the Southern has 
a requirement for some “training.” 

Of forty-three states studied, thirty-two required that 
teachers be college graduates, and fourteen required from 
twelve to eighteen semester hours of professional training. 

As good teaching is supposed to follow preparation this 
thesis reported a number of studies on the factors that condi- 
' tion good teaching. “Knowledge of teaching technique” was 
reported to correlate significantly high to lend proof that re- 
quirements for professional courses were justified. 

4. In 1901 the North Central Association required six- 
teen units for graduation. This was reduced to fifteen in 
1906, to which the Northwest and Middle States Associations 
agreed. The Southern Association now requires sixteen units. 
Of forty-seven state agencies, twenty-nine required sixteen 
units, fifteen require fifteen, and one requires fourteen and 
one-half. 

The North Central and Middle States Associations and 
thirty-one state agencies specify a minimum class period of 
forty minutes. All regional associations require a minimum 
school year of thrty-six weeks. Two states specified thirty- 
eight weeks, thirty-six require thirty-six weeks, and five re- 
quire thirty-five. 

As early as 1902 the North Central Association ruled that 
no teacher should teach more than five classes daily. This 
standard has been unanimously adopted. The maximum teach- 
ing load has been one hundred fifty pupil periods daily, with 
a teacher-pupil ratio of one to thirty. The requirements con- 
cerning teaching load were subject to criticism. This criti- 
cism was mainly on five bases. (1) If the teaching load of 
“150 pupil periods per day is not to exceed five classes” is vir- 
tually limiting class size, the recent investigations concerning 
class size are invalidating. There is a controversy as to 
whether the regional requirements are class limiting. How- 





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88 ABSTRACTS OF UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA THESES 


ever, it was found that eighteen states had class limiting re- 
quirements, most frequently at thirty pupils. (2) The equiva- 
lency of a laboratory period to a period of prepared class room 
work has not been demonstrated. The studies indicate that 
the average double laboratory period is a greater load, by fifty 
per cent, than the average single class period. (3) The ques- 
tion of duplicating classes has been completely ignored. (4) 
The possibility of differences of load entailed in teaching dif- 
ferent classes has been neglected. (5) Other factors, such as 
extra-curriculum activities, have not been considered in the 
computation of load. 

Pupil load has been set at the carrying of four units. The 
associations have suggested that the better students be permit- 
ted to carry loads in excess of this. The North Central per- 
mits the upper twenty-five per cent to carry loads heavier than 
four units, and the Northwest suggests fifteen per cent. 
Twenty-six of forty-three states studied definitely limited the 
pupil load with seventeen, making provisions for the superior 
students to exceed this amount. The studies that have in- 
volved this factor indicated that the pupils of the lower mental 
ability groups carried excessive loads about as well as those of 
the upper groups. 

5. Regional requirements concerning the course of study 
required have been few and short-lived. In state accrediting 
practice it has been the universities rather than the state de- 
partments that have specified definite courses. The tendency 
is to require three units of English, two of mathematics, one 
of science, and one of social science. At least eight scientific 
studies indicate there is no relationship between the student’s 
pattern of courses in high-school and his success in college. 


Summary—(1) There is a lack of definiteness in regional 
standards. (2) Regional standards are, in general, higher 
than state standards yet there are many instances of more 
rigid state requirements. (3) Definite standards as to size of 
school, pupil load, and teaching load are seriously questioned 
in the light of scientific investigations. (4) The “indefinite” 
standards are justified when the findings of scientific studies 
are applied to any proposed change. (5) Standards concern- 
ing the length of the school year, week, and day, and several 
other traditionally accepted standards have not been studied 


scientifically. 














DEPARTMENT OF SECONDARY-SCHOOL PRINCIPALS 89 


DEPARTMENT MATTERS 


NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY 

Over ten years ago the Department of Secondary-School Principals (then the Na- 
tional Association of Secondary-School Principals) organized the National Honor Society 
with the end in view of stimulating scholarship in the secondary-schools of the United 
States. To-day there are over fourteen hundred chapters and these are in the best high 
schools in the country. The four objectives of the society are: to create an enthusiasm 
for scholarship, to stimulate a desire to render service, to promote worthy leadership, 
and to encourage the development of character. Every high-school principal who has 
a chapter is enthusiastic over the productive results of this organization in his school. 
Direct all requests for literature to H. V. Church, 5835 Kimbark Avenue, Chicago. 


NEW PRICES 


EMBLEM, NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY 
The emblem is made in two sizes: a watch charm size, and a pin (smaller size). All 
pins have 10k safety catch. The prices are as follows:* 


14k Charm.-...... $3. 2 14k Pin_------- $2.53 
10k Charm____---. $2. 10k Pin_...---- $2.13 
Gold Filled Ly er $1.15 


All orders must have the approval of the principal and will be sent persue only 
on receipt of remittance to H. V. CHURCH, 5835 Kimbark Avenue, Chicago. 


WARNING 


The National Honor Society has met with such great success that imitations are 
springing up in different parts of the country. These pseudo honor societies seem to 
have largely a commercial objective, and plan to exploit scholarship for financial ends. 
Members of our department are warned to beware of any plan to sell pins or emblems 
to pupils under the guise of scholarship, and are urged not to lend their aid or influence 
to such organizations. 

The Department of Secondary-School Principals recommends only the National 
Honor Society and the National Junior Honor Society. 


THE NATIONAL JUNIOR HONOR SOCIETY 

The National Junior Honor Society is patterned very closely after the Senior Honor 
Society. The Junior Society is designed for ninth and tenth grades in four year high- 
schools, and for eighth, ninth, and tenth grades in junior high schools. This organiza- 
tion is now a going concern, and already there are a of pters, both in senior 
high schools and junior high schools. The national constitution, the model constitution, 
and booklet of information as well as the application blank will be sent on request. 
a all applications to H. V. CHURCH, Executive Secretary, 5835 Kimbark Avenue, 

cago. 





NEW PRICES 
EMBLEM, NATIONAL JUNIOR HONOR SOCIETY 
The emblem is made in two grades: ten karat gold and gold filled. All pins have 
safety catch. The prices are as follows :* 
;. el a a re mae $1.60 
ee  ceachenieemmmnashttenaal $1.10 
All orders must have‘the approval of the principal and will be sent only on receipt 
of remittance. Address orders to H. V. CHURCH, 5835 Kimbark Avenue, Chicago. 


SEALS AND MEMBERSHIP CARDS 


Membership Cards—Since the organization of the National Honor Society there has 
been a growing demand for membership cards in the organization. Cards of member- 
ship both for members of the National Honor Society and for the members of the Na- 
tional Junior Honor Society are now on sale. The cards (214”x2%”) are engrossed on 
a fine quality of cardboard, have the emblem of the Society embossed upon them, and 
require only the insertion of the name of the member. 

The price of the cards is five cents apiece. 

Seals—The Seal (14%"x114") is a gilt embossed sticker to be affixed - the diplomas 
of s of s. <A replica of the emblem is embossed on the seal. 

The price of the seals is five cents apiece. 





NATIONAL HONOR MEMBERSHIP CERTIFICATES 
In response to repeated demands, the Department of Secondary-School Principals 
has prepared membership certificates 84x11 for members of the National Honor Society. 
These certificates are lithographed on artificial parchment with the die of a facsimile 
of the emblem stamped in gold. They sell for fifteen cents apiece post-paid. Direct 
orders to H. V. CHURCH, 5835 Kimbark Avenue, Chicago. 
*If gold goes to $34 an ounce, prices will be advanced. 


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90 ABSTRACTS OF UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA THESES 


PUBLICATIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF SECONDARY-SCHOOL PRINCIPALS 
OF THE NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION 
The publications below are sent post-paid. In lots of ten or more of the same issue 
a reduction of ten per cent is granted, and the shipment is by express collect. 
FIFTY PER CENT OFF TO MEMBERS. 


PUBLICATIONS 
First Yearbook, 1917, Kansas City. 
Papers on Student Government, Cardinal Principles, Supervised Student Activities, 


Supervised Study, Measurement Tests, Credit for Quality, and Relations between aa 
Schools and Colleges. (87 pp.)----.-------------------- $2.00 
Second Yearbook, 1918, Atlantic City. 

Papers on The All-Year Schools, Administration, Physical Education, Military 
Training, Social Life, Junior High-School Curriculum, and the Place of the Junior 
CO, GRE Wacteitncccotenbatiandencuce $2.00 


Third Yearbook, 1919, Chicago. 
Papers on Student Government, Cardinal Principles, Democracy and High-School, 


ae Science, Curriculums, Homogeneous Groupings, and the Social mesancone. 
DD)}0  eaweanneccwccnoececescoccocesecost fsapabbiicisines tnasictnapenarnehtaaberararesst> 


Fourth Yearbook, 1920, Cleveland. 
Papers on Training for Leadership, Technique in Teaching, Program of Smal] High- 


School, Continuation Schools, Social Studies, High-School Principals, Homogeneous 
Grouping, and Co-operative Courses. (114 pp.)---------- $2.00 


Fifth Yearbook, 1921, Atlantic City. 
Papers on Pupils with Less Than Average Ability, Moral Education, Ca 


ucation, the Principal’s Duties and Intelligence Tests. (69 pp.)- 
Sixth Yearbook,—(out of print)— . 
Seventh Yearbook, 1923, Cleveland. 

Papers on Guidance, Rating of Pupils, Moral Training, Sex-Social Training, Fi- 
nances (2)*, Curricula (4), Social Life, Platoon Plan, Student Activities, Cardinal Ob- 
jectives, Physical Education, Deans of Girls (4), Compulsory Education, and Super- 
TH. CE DBD cicennduidiinckedbusncecnhisngdolniggthbannn $2.00 
Eighth Yearbook, 1924, Chicago. 

Papers on Retention, Student Activities, Adjustment of Curriculum to Pupils, Fac- 

Fi (8), Social Science 


ulty Meetings, the Small High-School, Teacher Devel 
(4), and Deans of Girls (5). Junior High School : Curriculum (4) and Guidance. 


Junior College: in California, Co-ordination of High-School, and Place of. (351 


























Ninth Yearbook, 1925, Cincinnati. 
Papers Guidance (4), International Relations (3), Rural High-Schools, Administra- 


tion, College Relations, Curriculum (2), Physical Education, High-School Principals, 
Scholarship, Junior High-School (3), Ability Grouping, and Teacher Training. Gn 7 
Bulletin No. 10, January, 1926. 

‘ —ee of Books and of Magazine Articles on Administration and aerate. 
BR. Di Jecsnsctenebscntescdandntnigneiaial 


Bulletin No. 11, Tenth Yearbook, 1926, Washington. 
Papers on Social studies (2), International Relations (2), Record Forms, Fraterni- 


ties, Scholarship, Administration (5), Curriculum (3), Personnel Charts, Guidance, 
Marks (2), Principals, Student Activities (2), National Honor Society (5) and br“ 


CO Di Picasa ciileecngadindatbdnntmdosintne 


Bulletin No. 12, May, 1926. 
Abstracts of Books and Magazine articles on Administration and Supervision. List 


of, and Rituals of Induction to Chapters of the National Honor Society. (46 pp.) ~.$0.25 
Bulletin No. 13, October 1926. 

Abstracts of Books and of Magazine articles on Administration and Supuvisbe. 
CBO DEAD. deccccseeticctencetmecarstndbosmmtensmennn 
Bulletin No. 14, January, 1927. 

Abstracts of Looks and of Magazine articles on Administration and Sepentiiee. 
(28 PR) ---- n-ne 


Bulletin No. 15, Proceedings of ‘the St. Louis (1927) Meeting. 
apers on Modern Youth, Curriculum (4), School Achievement, Physical Training, 


P. 
Size of Class, Junior High-School Curriculum 2), Six-Year High-School, Chaos in Sec- 
ondary Education, High-School Publications, Place of the Junior College, Improving 
Teachers in Service, Pupils of limited Ability, and Tests. (251 pp.)-----------. -~-$2.00 
Bulletin No. 16, April, 1927. 

Directory of Members. (106 pp.)------ 
Bulletin No. 17, May, 1927. 
as 5, a of Books and of Magazine Articles on Administration and wnat 

DD. ) -cnnconteo nn 
Bulletin No. 18, October, 1927. 

Abstracts of Books aud of Magazine Articles on Administration and Superetten. 


(26 pp.) a 





























Bulletin No. 19, Janaary, 1928. 
Report of the Committee on Guid in S d School: (94 pp.)-.-------$0.60 


*Figures show number of papers. 





hf 














91 





DEPARTMENT OF SECONDARY-SCHOOL PRINCIPALS 


Bulletin No. 20, Proceedings of the Boston (1928) Meeting. 

Papers on Education in Russia, in India, Internationalism (3), Small High-Schools, 
Character Training, Specialist in Secondary Education, the Visiting Teacher, Rating of 
Teachers, Curriculum (2), Business and High-Schools, Supervision (4), and Guidance (2). 
(206 pp.) aks $2.00 
Bulletin No. 21, April 1928. 

(a1 ee of Books and of Magazine Articles on Administration and oe. 

DP. iow 
Balletin No. 22, May, 1928. 

Abstracts of Books and of Magazine Articles on Administration and Supervision. 
SO. | eee -----$0.25 
Bulletin No. 23, October, 1928. 
as = of Books and of Magazine Articles on Administration and Seer 

DP. 
Bulletin No. 24, January, 1929. 

Abstracts of Unpublished Masters’ Theses in the Field of Seeondary-School — 
istration, University of Chicago. Also a Directory of Members. (202 pp.)---.-..-$1.00 
Bulletin No. 25, Proceedings of the Cleveland (1929) Meeting. 

Papers on Supervision (7), Curriculum, Articulation, Training Pupils to Study (2), 
Selection, Guidance, Use of the plant, Commercial Education, and Surplusage of Teach- 
ers. Junior High-School: Schools of Ohio, Schedule Planning, Character Training, 
Teacher Training, Individual Differences, Electives, Short Unit Courses, Vocational 
Training, and Obligations of Junior to Senior High-School. Junior College: Function 
of, Criteria for, Relation to University, Present Status, Service to Community, Urienta- 
tion Program, Duplication of Courses, and Future of Junior Colleges. (pp. 389)~..-$2.00 
Bulletin No. 26, April, 1929. 

Abstracts of Books and of Magazine Articles on Administration and canes 
Constitution of National Junior Honor Society. (pp. 35) 
Bulletin No. 27, May, 1929. 

Rituals of Induction for the National Honor Society. (pp. 82) $0.25 
Bulletin No. 28, October, 1929. 

( Abstracts of Books and of Magazine Articles on Administration and ones 
pp. 28) 


Bulletin No. 29, January, 1930. 
Reports on Studies in Class Size and on Failures, Bibliography on Relative py 


ciency of Classes of Different Sizes. (pp. 44) 
Bulletin No. 30, Proceedings of the Atlantic City (1930) Meeting. 

- Papers on Curriculum, Guidance, Technical Courses, Graduation, Finances (4), 
Standards and Future of High-Schools. Junior High-Scheol: Finances, Reading and 
Articulation (4). Junior Coilege: A State Institution (2), Standards, Articulation, 
Terminal Courses, Four-Year Junior College, in California, Curriculum, and Teacher 
Reports of Department Committee on Investigation of Secondary Education. 
(pp. 301) -$2.00 
Bulletin No. 31, April, 1930. 





























History and Organization of the National Honor Society. (pp. 26)----------- $0.25 
Bulletin No. 32, May, 1930. 
Diploma Practices in Secondary-Schools. (pp. 31) $0.25 





Bulletin No. 33, October, 1930. 
Abstracts of Books and of Magazine Articles on Administration and Supervision. 


Also a Directory of Members. (pp. 
Bulletin No. 34, January, 1931. 

Abstracts of Unpublished Masters’ Theses in the Field of Secondary-School Atal 
istration, University of Southern California. (116 pp.) 
Bulletin No. 35, Proceedings of the Detroit (1931) Meeting. 

Papers on Philosophy of Education (1), of Secondary Education (2) ; Guidance (2); 
Extra-Curriculum Activities (2); Teaching Methods (1); Curriculum (1); Dramaties 
(1); Teaching load (1); Department Heads (1); and Libraries (1). Junior High School: 
The Principal (1), Function of (1), Guidance in (1), Home room Program of (1), and 
Parent-Teacher Activities of (1). Junior College: Finances of (1), Defense of (8), Cur- 
riculum of (1) -$2.00 
Bulletin No. 36, April, 1931. 

Abstracts of Unpublished Masters’ Theses in the Field of Zenner Aénie- 
istration, University of Southern California, concluded. (pp. 68) 

Bulletin No. 37, May, 1931. 

A Study of the Influence of Departmental Specialization on the Professional Atti- 
tudes of High-School Teachers Toward Certain Administrative Problems, (pp. 70)--$0.60 
Bulletin No. 38, October, 1931. 

Secondary-School Administration Abstracts, and Directory. (pp. 112)-..--.-.. $0.50 
Bulletin No. 39, January, 1932. 

Abstracts of Unpublished Masters’ Theses in the Field of Secondary-School Aénin 
istration, Ohio State University_ 
Bulletin No. 40, Proceedings of the Washington (1932) Meeting. 

Papers on National Survey of Secondary Education (7): (a). Organization of Survey 
(1); (b) Guidance (2); (c) Extra-Curriculum Activities (1); (d) Organization of Jun- 
ior High-Schools (2); (e) Curriculum of High-Schools (1); Philosophy of Secondary Edu- 
cation (1); Study Habits of Pupils (1); Class Size (1); Teachers’ Salaries (1); Pupil 






































































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92 ABSTRACTS OF UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA THESES 


Adjustment (2); Articulation of High-School and College (1); Mental Hygiene (1); 
Technical Education in High-Schools (2). Junior College: 6-4-4 Organization ened 


6-3-2 Organization (1). (pp. 330) _.-...----------.--.---- 


Bulletin No. 41, April, 1932. 
SecondarySchool Administration Abstracts___..._- iines qabiattsithintipitictinssitiacinitipinleimaba $0.50 


Bulletin No. 42, May, 1932. 
Fourth Handbook of National Honor Society and National Junior Honor Society $1.00 


Bulletin No. 43, December, 1932. 

Abstracts of Unpublished Masters’ Theses in the Field of Secondary-School —_ 
istration, Peabody Teachers College___..._--- A TE ED $0. 
Bulletin No. 44, January, 1933. 

Secondary-School Abstracts, and Directory_.....~--~- $0.50 
Bulletin No. 45, March Proceedings of the Minneapolis (1933) Meeting. 

Papers on Defense of American Secondary Schools, the State and Its High-Schools 
(3), Curriculum (4), Economy (4), Directed Learning, Library (2), New Standards, Re- 
gional Agencies, Music, Art, Industrial Arts, Guidance, Cooperative Studies, Six-Four- 
Four Plan, Tests, Carnegie Commission ; Junior High-School: Curriculum, Learning Sit- 
uation; Junior College: Taxes, Public Relations, Administration, Instruction__--~-~ $2.00 











Bulletin No. 46, April, 1933. 
Meeting the Emergency in Education___........_-------- $0.25 
Bulletin No. 47, May, 1933. 
SOIT... ct ieniestisenatinnstimeibientiamaittiainisitiaminenciandl $0.50 


Unpublished Masters’ Theses, Minnesota 
CERTIFICATES OF RECOMMENDATION 
The Department of Secondary-School Principals has been distributing uniform cer- 
tificates of recommendation for over ten years. At first they were sent out free to the 
members of the Department, but the demand for the certificates became so great that 
the printing and mailing charges became a burden to the treasury. Therefore, a change 


was made. 
The blanks are used in transferring pupils from one secondary-school to another 
and particularly from high-school to college. The certificates are sent post-paid at the 


following prices: 
NEW PRICE LIST 

Mailing from 

Chicago 100 200 500 1000 
CTE, SN, amet Ty A $1.60 $2.70 $6.10 $10.10 
 & — eee SARS ee 1.60 2.70 6.15 10.15 
Be ME Scccnacctantnbadabnnbiathin 1.65 2.75 6.25 10.25 
0 a a 1.65 2.75 6.45 10.50 
oe gee ae RE CR ae 1.70 2.85 6.55 10.65 
. AES Or eat 1.70 2.90 6.65 10.90 
 » iP eraecaet Sa ees Pee 1.75 2.90 6.80 11.16 
Gi. WE: - gakccuaccturtnekesudeanea 1.75 2.95 7.10 11.40 


Twenty per cent discount to dues-paying members. 
Direct orders to H. V. CHURCH, 5835 Kimbark Avenue, Chicago. 
STANDARD HIGH-SCHOOL PERSONAL RECORD BLANKS 
The standard record forms which were approved by the Department of Secondary- 
School Principals at the meeting at Boston are now printed on cardboard suitable for 
vertical filing systems. This card, 5x8, is especially designed for small and medium 


size high-schools. 

Space is provided on these blanks for scholarship records for five years. The extra 
year is included for pupils of four-year high-schools who may desire to do graduate work. 
It is recommended that six-year junior-senior high-schools use separate cards for the rec- 
ords of the junior and of the senior schools. 

When the guidance information called for in the lower right hand corner seems to 
be of a changeable nature, as would often be true of such items as ‘‘Vocational Pref- 
erence”, it is suggested that it be written in pencil so that it can be erased and changed 
when necessary. 


The schedule of prices, post-paid, follows: 
NEW PRICE LIST 








Zones 

SS SS a eee $1.70 $3.00 $6.00 $11.00 
SF ae 8, 1.75 3.05 6.10 11.15 
os -- 1.80 3.10 6.20 11.385 
S nappdgtdimaemectoveseeteinenul 1.85 3.15 6.30 11.55 
6 1.90 3.20 6.46 11.70 
Se LER ERE 1.95 3.30 6.60 11.95 
S- anious ..- 2.00 3.40 6.75 12.10 





Twenty per cent discount to dues-paying members. 
Direct orders to H. V. CHURCH, 5835 Kimbark Avenue, Chicago. 
GROUP LIFE INSURANCE 
The Department offers to its members life insurance in its most inexpensive form. 
The salient features of the plan are: 

1. Low premium. The premium is ten dollars a year a thousand for those insured 
for $3000.00. See table below for rates for those over forty-five years of age. 

2. No medical examination (with exceptions). 

3. Total and permanent disability benefits. If an insured member becomes totally 
and permanently disabled, his insurance will be paid in monthly installments. 

















DEPARTMENT OF SECONDARY-SCHOOL PRINCIPALS 93 





4. Conversion privilege. When an insured member leaves the profession to enter 
another professional or economic group, he may convert his group policy into 
any of the policies (except term insurance) customarily issued by the insurance 
company for the same amount at the current rates of the attained age. 

5. Age limit is sixty-five years. 

6. Individual policies. These show rights of insured, amount, and beneficiary. 

7. Current protection. There are no savings, accumulation, or paid-up features. 
Insurance is for one year at a time, and is renewable each year, at the option of 
the insured member. 

9. Amounts offered: $3,000 for all ages from 21 to 45 (nearest birthday) inclusive. 
$1,500 for all ages from 46 to 65 (nearest birthday) inclusive. 


Annual Rates per $1,000 for those 45 or older: 


Age Premium Age Premium Age Premium 
PRES E So $11.10 aS $16.90 

EE Ue 11.65 Cinkndisgusocdbatenn 18.15 

— —— ae 12.30 | ew ae 19.50 

iiteitatcnbaantion 13.05 ELE FG 20.90 

Citionintecawtaimiinn 13.90 teinsiguencusndilpeied 

Si iaiaithctipneniedetiemeneiices 14.80 | area 24.25 

ae 15.80 Re A 26.10 


Send for application blanks to H. V. CHURCH, 5835 Kimbark Avenue, Chicago. 


AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE 

The members of the Department who own motor cars may now procure complete, 
sound automobile insurat.ce protection with efficient nation-wide service at annual sev- 
ings of 25% off the usual cost of such coverage through the Lumbermen’s Mutual Cas- 
ualty Company of Chicago. 

Send for application blank, to H. V. Church, 5835 Kimbark Avenue, Chicago. 

If you will fill the application blank and send it to the Executive Secretary, he will 
quote the special rate to members. When you receive this quotation, you can then de- 
cide if you can save money by accepting this special rate. 


FIRE INSURANCE 
A new service, fire insurance, is now open with reduced rates to our members. This 
coverage is with the Central Manufacturers’ Mutual Insurance Company. If you are in- 
terested, send for a blank to the Executive Secretary, H. V. CHURCH, 5835 Kimbark 
Avenue, Chicago. The secretary will be glad to give quotations. 


SPECIAL CLUB RATES FOR CONSUMERS’ RESEARCH 


The Department of Secondary-School Principals offers to its members a special club 
rate for subscription to Consumers’ Research (one year) and to membership in the De- 
partment (one year) for three dollars. 


APPLICATION BLANK 
DEPARTMENT OF SECONDARY-SCHOOL PRINCIPALS 
NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION 
I enclose $2.00, for one year’s subscription for membership, whereby I shall be fur- 
nished with all the publications and granted all the privileges of the Department of 

















Secondary-School Principals, to begin___~~- » 106... 
(Month) 
fl a OE A SEE Er eset oe 
(Family) (First) 
NED ppoctsncsnteenmanentes | ena S caeiepaaeiinescndiieonnendiomndas 
(Bachelor’s, year) (Master’s, year) (Doctor’ 's, year) 
Pe cenecccternicdinninns an | 
(First year here) (Title) (Name of institution) 
Address _-_- kane 








(To which mail should be sent) 





CLUB RATES FOR CONSUMERS’ RESEARCH 
I enclose $3.00 for full subscription to the Department of Secondary-School Princi- 
pals and to Consumers’ Research, Inc., to begin 198___-. 
Make checks to H. V. CHURCH, 5835 Kimbark Avenue, Chicago. 
USE TYPEWRITER, OR PRINT. DO NOT WRITE. 











NE i Din NOS ae a 


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SOIR PRP roms. sence 








94 ABSTRACTS OF UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA THESES 


BOOK NOTICES 
Young, Jeremiah S. and Wright, Elizabeth Young Unified 
American Government. New York; McGraw-Hill Book 
Co., 1933. Pp. xviii & 719. $1.75. 
A textbook that emphasizes government as applied eco- 
nomics and sociology. The units and functions of government, 
local, state, and national, are fully treated. It is planned for 


senior high-school. 
Wallis, Grace A., and Wallis, Wilson D. Our Social World. New 


York, McGraw-Hill Book Co., 1933. Pp. xiv & 378. $1.60. 

This high-school text treats sociology somewhat from the 
historical aspect, but largely from our present social point of 
view. The cultural side of our social life is given prominence. 


Dillavou, E. R. Business and Law. New York, McGraw-Hill 
Book Co., 1933. Pp. xv & 494. 


Gives commercial law as applied to business full place. 
Some case work is given. Shows the pupil adequate insight to 


business experiences. 

Cole, Elbert C. An Introduction to Biology. New York, John 
Wiley and Sons, 1933. Pp. xiii & 518. $1.75. 

Organisms, their similarity in form and function, their 
dependence on inorganic structures, their economic importance 
and relations of, and their interrelations are the unique fea- 
tures of this textbook. 

Magenis, Alice and Gilmour, Madeline F.. Directed High- 
School History Study. Book Two, (Modern Period). New 
York; World Book Co., 1932. Pp. 208. $.84. 

A work book that has many exercises, references, maps, 
illustrations, and unit problems. 

Ross, Edward Alsworth. Civic Sociology. New York; World 


Book Co., 1932. Pp. vi & 415. 
A manual for the senior year of high-school. The book 


emphasizes the outstanding social and civic problems. 
Lovely, Thomas J. Digest of Economics. New York; Globe 


Book Co., 1933. Pp. vii & 366. $.50. 
A brief and thorough discussion of mans wants and his 


struggle to meet those wants. It has a heavy paper cover. 


Gladstone, David, and Meltzer, Leo I. Elementary History. 
New York; Globe Book Co., 1933. Pp. x & iii. $.25. 

















DEPARTMENT OF SECONDARY-SCHOOL PRINCIPALS 95 
A simple, brief outline of the history of the United States 
from 1865 to the present. 


Tanz, Louis. Bookkeeping Workbook. (Second Year). New 
York; Globe Book Co., 1933. Pp. 60. 
Has seventy-two graded exercises of the proper difficulty 
for second year work in bookkeeping. 


Peabody, James Edward, and Hunt, Arthur Ellsworth. Biology 
and Human Welfare, (New Edition). New York, The 
MacMillan Co., 1933. Pp. xii & 658. 

The aim of this book is to interest, instruct, and change 
the life of the pupil to more healthful living and to a realiza- 
tion of his high place in the regimen of nature. 


Fay, Charles Ralph. Elements of Economics. (Revised Edi- 
tion). New York, 1932. Pp. xxiii & 629. 
A tried manual brought down to date with tests, refer- 
ences, and other aids to teaching the subject added. 


Packard, Leonard O., Sinnott, Charles P., Overton, Bruce. The 
Nations at Work. New York, The MacMillan Co., 1933. 
Pp. viii & 696. $1.72. 
The economic data of the Fifteenth Census, the implica- 
tions of the depression, the Five-Year Plan, new industries, air 
transport are outstanding features of this text. 


Peirce, Adah, Vocations for Women. New York, the MacMillan 
Co., 1933. Pp. xvi & 329. 
A complete textbook on women’s occupations only. The 
major avenues for women are fully treated. $2.00. 


Benson, Charles E., Lough, James E., Skinner, Charles E., and 
West, Paul V. Psychology for Teachers. Revised Edition. 
Boston, Ginn and Co., 1933. Pp. vi & 490. 

The textbook of 1926 revised in the light of the advance 
of educational psychology during the last six years. Designed 
for student of college grade, it is valuable for high-school facul- 
ties. 











96 





ABSTRACTS OF UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA THESES 


ADDRESSES 
of 


PUBLISHERS WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO 
THIS BULLETIN 


Ginn and Company 
15 Ashburton Place 
Boston 


Globe Book Company 
175 Fifth Avenue 
New York City 


The Macmillan Company 
60 Fifth Avenue 
New York City 


McGraw Hill Book Company 


370 Seventh Avenue 
New York City 


John Wiley and Sons 
440 Fourth Avenue 
New York City 


The World Book Company 
Yonkers-on-the-Hudson 
New York 

















DEPARTMENT OF SECONDARY-SCHOOL PRINCIPALS 97 


Every High-School Principal and Head-master 
should possess AND READ 
the 


PUBLICATIONS OF THE NATIONAL SURVEY OF 
SECONDARY EDUCATION. 


The report of the National Survey of Secondary Educa- 
tion is now issuing in 28 monographs. Each monograph wil! 
be: bound separately. There is no provision for issuance of 
survey findings in one complete volume. 

Announcements giving time of issuance of monographs 
will appear from month to month in SCHOOL LIFE, official 
journal of the Office of Education. Orders may be placed with 
the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Of- 
fice, Washington, D. C. In ordering specify Office of Educa- 
tion, Bulletin, 1932, No. 17, together with monograph numbers. 


The list (with prices) is as follows: 
Those now ready for distribution are marked * thus. 


Monograph No. 


1 —Summary. 15c. 

2 —The Horizontal Organization of Secondary 
Education—A Comparison of Comprehensive 
and Specialized Schools. 20c. 


3 —Part-Time Secondary Schools. 10c. 
4 —The Secondary-School Population. 10c. 
*5 —The Reorganization of Secondary Educa- 
tion. 40c. 
6 —The Smaller Secondary Schools. 15c. 
7 —Secondary Education for Negroes. 10c. 
*8 —District Organization and Secondary Educa- 
tion. 15c. 
9 —Legal and Regulatory Provisions Affecting Sec- 
ondary Education. 10c. 
*10 —Articulation of High-School and College. 10c. 
11 —Administration and Supervision. 15c. 
*12 —Selection and Appointment of Teachers. 10c. 
*13 —Provisions for Individual Differences, Marking, 


and Promotion. 40c. 
*14 —Programs of Guidance. 10c. 








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98 





ABSTRACTS OF UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA THESES 


*15 —Research in Secondary Schools. 10c. 
16 —Interpreting the Secondary-School to the Pub- 
lic. 10c. 
*17 —The Secondary-School Library. 10c. 
*18 —Procedures in Curriculum Making. 10c. 
19 —The Program of Studies. 15c. 
*20 —Instruction in English. 10c. 
*21 —Instruction in the Social Subjects. 10c. 
*22 —Instruction in Science. 10c. 
*23 —TInstruction in Mathematics. 10c 
*24 —Instruction in Foreign Languages. 10c. 
*25 —Instruction in Music and Art. 10c. 
26 —Non-Athletic Extracurriculum Activities. 15c. 
*27 —Intramural and Interscholastic Athletics. 10c. 
*28 —Health and Physical Education. 10c. 










































99 





DEPARTMENT OF SECONDARY-SCHOOL PRINCIPALS 


HOW TO GET AND PAY FOR THE MONOGRAPHS 


I. With order blank below send check, postal money order, 
express order, New York draft, or (currency at send- 
er’s risk) making payable to the Superintendent of 
Documents, Government Printing Office, Washing- 
ton, D. C. Postage stamps, foreign money, smooth or 
defaced coins not accepted. 


II. Inclose coupons with order. Coupons may be purchased 
(20 for $1) from the Superintendent of Documents, 


graph or any other Government publication, includ- 
ing SCHOOL LIFE (Subscription for one year, 
50 cents). 


III. Use the deposit system. Deposit $5 or more with the Su- 
perintendent of Documents, Government Printing Of- 
fice, Washington, D. C. Cost of monographs, or any 
other Government publication, as ordered, will be 
charged against this deposit. This system does away 
with the every order remittance, and delay in first ob- 
taining prices. 


The cost of the complete set of 28 monographs is $3.80 


Orders for the complete set or those not yet in print at 
this time will be entered on the records of the Government 
Printing Office and monographs will be mailed as they come 
from the press. 

Use the blank below, checking the numbers of monographs 
desired: 

Superintendent of Documents, 

Government Printing Office, 

Washington, D. C. 

Dear Sir: Enclosed find $.......................- for which please send 
me Monographs of Office of Education, Bulletin, 1932, No. 17: 
Me, 2.5: B.3:;8.03 &.. 28s G2 Fa ee. 6 Bas 
12....3 18....; 34....3 16....; 16....3 17....: 1.3 BR. s BR. 3 Bh? 


23... : 33....¢ 24....3 3B.i..3 BR. s BF... ¢ BR... 
(Or the complete set of 28 Monographs $3.80). 





and are acceptable as cash payment for any mono- . 


wa See 5 





100 ABSTRACTS OF UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA THESES 


Operation and Maintenance Savings 


The school dropped a white-collared head engineer and 
janitor and reorganized the janitor and engineering force so 
that eight men now handle more efficiently and more harmoni- 
ously more work than the ten regular workers and the white- 
collared head engineer did before with a saving of $4,700. In 
addition to earlier services of the group of eleven men, the new 
group of eight did all summer painting and repair work and 
have so far taken care of virtually all repairs during the year 
at a saving of approximately $4,000 out of a $6,800 repair and 
replacement budget. Thus, the total saving appears to be about 
$8,700. The work is done in a manner far more satisfactory 
to teachers, pupils, and to the janitors themselves. 


Instructional Reorganization 


We have increased the size of our classes gradually for 
several years. This year we increased from 26.5 to 29.7. I can 
see no lowering of efficiency. This action cut a total of over 
10% from our payroll and saved about $30,000. All teachers 
dropping out of the system have been replaced by teachers at a 

- much lower starting salary. Total saving this year on three 
new teachers, $3,400. This year a graduated salary decrease 
was put into effect, the largest percentage of decrease being in 
the highest bracket and no decreases in salary to anyone re- 
ceiving $1,900 or less. The average decrease in salary was 
14%, or a total saving on salaries of teachers retained in the 
system of $30,400. Four heads of departments who in previous 
years have taught four classes are this year teaching five—a 
saving of 25% of their salary in the form of increased service, 
or a total saving of $2,900. An increase of one class each for 
supervisor of tests, coach of plays, teacher in charge of annual, 
and teacher in charge of school paper gives an increase of 25% 
in teaching service rendered by these people which has ef- 
fected a saving of $2,200. Total saving through instructional 
reorganization is $68,700. 

Will you please comply promptly with this request? Mail 
your contribution to the executive secretary. 


H. V. CHURCH, 
Executive Secretary, 
5835 Kimbark Avenue, 
Chicago, Illinois. 


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