P A Symposium on Fundamentals What are three of the most important UBLISHED statements, of late, pertaining to public education, which have attracted, seemingly, the most attention throughout the United States, have been uttered by persons who, although justly prominent in educational work, are not identified with public school education. The American Educational Digest in raising the question, "What are three of the most important aspects of American public school education," is not seeking propaganda to promote any particular aspect of educational endeavor. It is the desire of this magazine to get at basic facts in the matter of educational procedure in public school work and give expression to them in the best form possible. Answers to the question by prominent public school officials are varied, important, and breathe the spirit of enterprise which reflects highest ideals in public school administration. The replies are unusual, also, in authoritative professional assurance. What the School Men Say Supt. G. N. Child, The production and better understanding of standards of attainment and of scientific means of determining progress in relation to these standards. It is common knowledge that a movement is now well under way toward determining by accumulative experience suitable standards and means of measurements. Admitting the many defects in products from efforts up to date they have already come to mean much to the quality of educational service. Indeed it may be stated conservatively that no teacher can safely conduct her class work today without the advantages that come from socalled standards and tests. We are not advocating that they shall ever take the place of the teacher's judgment or even that they shall supplement it, but that they shall take their places as invaluable aids to the teachers in determining consistent standards and normal progress. Conditions must be made more Supt. John C. Diehl, D URING the war and immediately thereafter the salaries of teachers thereafter the salaries of teachers in general throughout the country were increased to something nearer an equitable compensation for their services. For the first time in many communities the teachers received a fair financial rec ognition for the important work they do. At the same time the standard of certification for teachers was raised. As a result teachers of superior ability and training are now being attracted to the profession and at the same time capable and successful teachers are being retrained in their positions without so disastrous a "turn over" every year. Recently, due to the falling off of the demand in commerce and industry, there has been a cry for economy. The easy thing to slash in the interest of economy is teachers' salaries. This is, however, false economy. The results are almost immediately apparent and they are as sure as death or taxes. The advance in teachers' salaries must be maintained and even further strengthened or the efficiency of our schools will suffer. JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL THE junior high school course of study and class procedure must receive the continued attention of public school officials. The junior high school is the most significant development in our public school organization for several decades. Like all new movements it has its flaws and short-comings. At first there was too early and too free a choice of electives. This is already changed. Instead of such choice of electives varied experience is given through an enriched curriculum required of every child. It is only through this experience that intelligent choice of electives and of courses can later be made. In the Junior high school free expression of adolescent youth is to be fostered. It is the critical period of life. Courses and procedures are still in the experimental stage, and on the appropriate development our educational progress, to a marked degree, depends. GUIDANCE AND EQUALITY OF OPPORTU NITY. Some pupils do not fit the course of study in any grade of our schools. They are exceptional pupils and require exceptional training. They are ordinarily mis-fits and consequently sources of disorder and distress in the regular work of the schools and they must be grouped by themselves with specially trained teachers and a special educational program. Again, by our compulsory school laws pupils of varying abilities, capacities, likes and dislikes are kept in school until they are sixteen years of age or even older. They need vocational, educational, social, and personal guidance. Guidance activities are in their infancy and will always have the special attention of school officials. Formal and informal guidance to the pupils accom plishes the very purpose for which our schools exist. Then, too, there must be provided in junior and senior high schools a variety of academic, commercial, and industrial courses to suit the varied needs of the pupils. Supt. J. O. McLauglin, Teducation at this time is the schisms HE most crucial aspect of American that exist between school executives and their boards of education. As this is nation wide it cannot be a personal issue. The school board members are the representatives of the people, and the legally authorized directors of educational work. They were trained in a period of schools whose basic purpose and method of instruction were fundamentally different from those of the present. The school of the present is founded upon a newer psychological, pedagogical, and scientific basis. Method of handling the business affairs of the school also should be changed in keeping with modern business practice. To make the present school effective, those administering the policies of the school must understand the inherent principles upon which it should be operated. It will doubtless take a few years of time before school board members, generally, are able to legislate, sympathetically, for the newer types of education, but in the meantime national progress is being cies from the United States' Department of Education, state departments of eduucation, educational magazines, etc., to bring this issue forcibly to the attention of the public, and particularly to that of school boards. SUPT. J. O. MCLAUGHLIN, THE second important problem The third great problem of the public schools at this time is that of the untrained classroom teacher. The teacher holds the key in the act of instruction, at the point of rendering service for which the school is instituted. While a large percentage of teachers in the the system will be crippled to the extent I have purposely omitted the question Supt. J. C. West, T is very necessary that school officials and legislatures give attention to the financial aspect of school administration in order that values commensurate with costs may be received, and that municipal and state taxes do not become burdensome to the extent of confiscation. Too much money is not being expended. Schools will cost more in the future, but better results must be secured. There should be a more equitable divi SUPT. J. C. WEST, Bemidji, Minnesota. scientific attention is given to school finances. Indeed, this condition is now present in at least two of the northcentral states. The academic end of education is in competent hands, and research work goes hand in hand with general practice. But the financial aspect is not encouraging. The superintendent who can formulate and balance a budget without crippling the resources of his district and without retarding the progress of education as represented by the present school system is the type of school official that is coming more and more sion of the burdens of taxation. There Training Teachers on Co-operative Plan Pennsylvania College for Women Meets State Requirement Under Unique Plan-Successful Operation Described by J. S. Kinder, Head of the Department of Education-Pittsburgh Schools Co-operateMutual Advantages Pointed Out-Give and F OURTEEN states issue a professional certificate, without examination, to college graduates to teach in public schools, provided a certain amount of professional work has been taken and the requirement for practice teaching has been met. The states which require practice teaching are Alabama, Colorado, Delaware, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia and Georgia. This requirement will be in force in Kentucky on July 1, 1925. In some states, practice teaching is optional. Every state offers credit for this type of work. Thus a new movement is rapidly spreading. In 1919, only five states required practice teaching for certification upon graduation from college without an examination. The provisional college certificate is granted in Pennsylvania to a grad uate of an approved college or university, provided the applicant has completed, at least eighteen semester hours of work of college grade in education, which must be distributed as follows: Introduction to teaching, 3 semester hours. Take Proposition J. S. KINDER, Head of the Department of Education, Pennsylvania College for Women. History of Education Principles of Education Educational Psychology Technique of Teaching Practice teaching in the appropriate field, 6 semester hours. This provisional certificate may be re placed with the permanent college certifi cate at the end of three years of service, provided six additional semester hours of work of collegiate grade has been completed. One-half of this work must be professional, and the remainder must relate to the field in which the candidate is certified to teach. The teaching rating of the candidate must be satisfactory. Similar arrangements exist in other states in which temporary college certificates are issued. When this ruling went into effect in Pennsylvania in 1922, many small colleges claimed that it was unjust discrimination, as they had no model schools in which to give students practice teaching, and that the establishment of such schools would not justify the cost. Other colleges sought to meet the requirements and add to the general uplift of educational standards. Since 1922, there has been agitation for the repeal of the practice teaching requirement. Some modifications in interpretation have been made. The purpose of this discussion is to show how colleges may give prospective teachers actual practice in the art of classroom instruction without maintaining a model school. The plan should interest college executives, public school superintendents, and principals. METHODS USED BY THE PENNSYLVANIA COLLEGE FOR WOMEN 1. There must be some one who is responsible for this phase of the work. A supervisor is essential. It is foolish to expect prospective teachers to take care of themselves. There is enough of trial and error even under best conditions. 2. The college set about to establish working relations with the public schools of Pittsburgh and the suburban towns. Conferences were held with the superficials readily recognized that the state intendants and principals. These of requirements means that the college graduate, without teaching experience, will be a better teacher than in the past. They realized, also, that the presence of practice teachers in their classrooms entailed unusual responsibilities, but they were willing to make sacrifices for the future good. The college adopted the plan of having its seniors (only seniors are allowed to do practice teaching) report to an assigned high school or grammar school, according to their preparation or chosen field for observation and practice teaching for the regular five school days. The minimum time spent in the school each day is one high school hour, but practice teachers are urged to spend two or three periods. In the grammar school, they stay all afternoon, or in some cases from the afternoon recess until the close of school. A practice teacher is not allowed to schedule any work at the college in the afternoon. The afternoons must be |