THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI BULLETIN Volume 16 Number 22 EDUCATION SERIES 11 A STUDY OF THE RURAL SCHOOLS OF SALINE COUNTY, MISSOURI by Joseph Doliver Elliff Professor of High School Administration and High School Visitor, University of Missouri and Abner Jones Fellow in Education, University of Missouri UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI COLUMBIA, MISSOURI August, 1915 *fen»£raph a 317 33 E5 THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI BULLETIN Volume 16 Number 22 EDUCATION SERIES 11 A STUDY OF THE RURAL SCHOOLS OF SALINE COUNTY, MISSOURI by Joseph Doliver Elliff Professor of High School Administration and High School Visitor, University of Missouri and Abner Jones Fellow in Education, University of Missouri UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI COLUMBIA, MISSOURI August, 1915 *«0«f!»ph THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI BULLETIN Volume 16 Number 22 EDUCATION SERIES 11 A STUDY OF THE RURAL SCHOOLS OF SALINE COUNTY, MISSOURI by Joseph Doliver Elliff Professor of High School Administration and High School Visitor, University of Missouri and Abner Jones Fellow in Education, ^University of Missouri UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI COLUMBIA, MISSOURI August, 1915 TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGES Foreword 3-4 General Description of Saline County 5-8 The Rural Schools of Saline County 8-24 Summary — The Median School 25-26 Comparison with Other Schools 26-29 Bibliography of School Surveys 29-32 School District Map of Saline County 16-17 (2) FOREWORD The great development of Missouri schools in recent years has been confined, with few exceptions, to the schools of cities and towns. Altho there has been much favorable legisla- lation, altho the State Department of Education has been competent and sympathetic, altho county superintendents have given their best efforts to the improvement of rural edu- cation, the rural schools have made comparatively little progress. To find why the rural schools have not made greater progress is one of the most important problems confronting the people of Missouri. The first step in solving this problem is to secure, with accuracy and detail, the facts of the situa- tion. Accordingly, a movement has been started to study the rural schools of a number of counties of the State for the pur- pose of finding these facts. Because Saline County is repre- sentative of the better agricultural counties, its schools have been selected for the first study. As noted elsewhere, nothing given in this bulletin should be construed as either a criticism or a defense of the schools concerned. The purpose of the bulletin is to give only a state- ment of the facts, which will increase in significance as similar statements are secured with regard to the rural schools of other counties in Missouri. It is only thru the cooperation of a large number of per- sons that any systematic study of a system of schools is pos- sible. The authors wish to acknowledge their indebtedness to the following: 1. The teachers in the rural schools of Saline County, from whom a large part of the information was obtained. 2. Mr. J. L. Lynch, superintendent of the schools of Saline County, for free access to the records of his office and for valuable suggestions. 3. Professors I. N. Evrard, W. Y. Lockridge, and J. J. Dynes of Missouri Valley College; Professors J. H. Coursault (3) 4 UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI BULLETIN and L. L. Bernard of the University of Missouri; Mr. G. W. Reavis of the State Department of Education; and Messrs. J. B. Boyd, W. H. Hargrove, E. O. Wiley, and A. S. Hurt, students in the University of Missouri, for assistance in visit- ing schools. 4. Dean W. W. Charters of the School of Education of the University of Missouri for assistance in the preparation of the blank forms used and for valuable suggestions concerning all phases of the work. Joseph D. Elliff Abner Jones RURAL SCHOOLS OF SALINE COUNTY, MISSOURI A STUDY OF THE RURAL SCHOOLS OF SALINE COUNTY, MISSOURI GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF SALINE COUNTY Saline County, which is selected for this study, is situated in a large bend on the south side of the Missouri River, about two-thirds of the distance from the eastern to the western border of the state. Rich soil and a navigable waterway made it attractive. Accordingly, it is one of the earlier settled coun- ties of the state, the first settlement having been made in 1810. The growth was slow for a time, but by 1820 several hundred people had come, mostly from Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and Indiana, and lived in settlements for protection against the Indians. At a later date a number of Germans located in the county. Saline County is a typical Missouri agricultural county of the wealthier sort. On account of rich soil, favorable climate, and accessibility to market, the agricultural condi- tions of the county are better than the average agricultural conditions of the state. Social conditions are not materially different from those of the state as a whole. There are two general topographical regions in the county, the river bottoms and the uplands. The bottom land com- prises about 125,000 acres along the Missouri River, which forms the boundary for a distance of some seventy-five miles. These bottoms are level and low, subject to frequent inundation, and poorly drained. The uplands vary from a fairly level to a broken and hilly surface, most of it being gently rolling. The broken land is found along the river bluffs and on the smaller streams. The large area of rich soil is the distinguishing feature of the county. More than 73 per cent of the total area of 478,656 acres is of loessial origin, very rich and fertile. About 65 per cent of the area is a gently rolling, well-drained surface 6 UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI BULLETIN covered with "Marshall silt loam," a soil that produces from 30 to 100 bushels of corn per acre. Yields of more than 120 bushels per acre have been raised on this soil. The soil in the river bottom varies from sandy soil to heavy gumbo. Some large crops are produced; but, owing to its liability to overflow and the difficulty of handling the heavy soil, this land is not so valuable as the upland. The land ranges in value from $35 to $200 per acre, with an average value, ac- cording to the United States Census of 1910, of $76.57. The Chicago and Alton Railroad and two branches of the Missouri Pacific Railroad give easy and direct access to the Kansas City, St. Louis, and Chicago markets. Kansas City is only sixty miles distant. Besides the railways, there are about 4829 miles of dirt roads, many of which, including both the Sante Fe trail and the north and south state highway, are well cared for. The rich soil of the county is well adapted to the pro- duction of corn, which is the chief product. The enormous corn yields are mostly fed to large numbers of cattle and hogs. In 1912 and 1913, Saline County ranked first in the state in the amount of corn produced; and in 1914, it ranked fourth. In the number of bushels per acre produced, it ranked second in 1912, fifth in 1913, and eleventh in 1914. During the three years mentioned, the county produced from - 4 \ to -£$ of all corn produced in the state, with a total yield of from 3,722,- 732 to 6,143,364 bushels. Next to corn, wheat is the most important crop. In 1914 the county produced 1,438,356 bushels of wheat, more than A of the 36,933,501 bushels produced by the whole state. It ranked first among the counties of the state in the amount of wheat produced. The census of 1910 shows the productivity of the county to be proportionately greater than that of the state at large. The total value of all farm crops in the county is reported to be $4,527,698, while that of the whole state is $220,663,724. Saline County, therefore, produces approximately tV of the farm crops of the state. In the total value of animals sold and slaughtered and of poultry and dairy products, Saline RURAL SCHOOLS OF SALINE COUNTY, MISSOURI 7 County produced approximately sV of the total amount pro- duced in the state, the figures being respectively $3,445,230 and $185,713,058. These figures may not mean that the county is more productive than the average of the state for the same area, since the county is a large one. However, a comparison of the rural population of the county with that of the state shows that the county has only about A of the rural population of the state. The rural population to the square mile in the county is 28.3, and in the state it is 27.6. Another way of determining the relative material pros- perity of the county is to compare the value of the land and other farm property of the county with that of the state. The census of 1910 shows the average value of farm lands in the county to be $76.57 per acre, while that of the state is $41.80 per acre. The value of all farm property per farm in the county is $14,089, while for the state it is only $7,405. With this great difference in the average wealth per farm, there is little difference in the average size of the farms, which is 138.1 acres for the county and 124.8 for the state. A slightly greater amount of tenantry in the county and a slightly less freedom from mortgage debt of farm owners operating their own farms than in the state as a whole, may have little significance. In' the county 65.9 per cent of the farms are operated by their owners, while in the state 70 per cent of the farms are operated by their owners. In the county almost exactly 50 per cent of the farms operated by their owners are free from mortgage debt, while in the state the percentage is 53.7. The difference is not great. The population statistics of the last census show Saline County to have, as compared to the state as a whole, a larger percentage of rural population, of native born population, and of negro population respectively, a smaller percentage of illiteracy among whites, and a larger percentage of illiteracy among the negroes. It had proportionately a smaller increase in urban population and a larger decrease in rural population in the ten-year period from 1900 to 1910 than the state as a whole. Of the population of the county, 72.5 per cent is rural; and of the population of the state, 57.5 per cent is rural. The 8 UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI BULLETIN native-born whites of native parents in the county are 77.2 per cent of the total, while in the state they are 72.5 per cent of the total. The negro population of the county is 12.8 per cent, while of the state it is 4.8 per cent. The illiteracy of the native whites in the county is 2.6 per cent, and in the state it is 2.9 per cent; while among the negroes, the county shows an illiteracy of 20 per cent and the state 17.4 per cent. The census of 1910 shows a decrease in the rural population of many agricultural sections. In Missouri the decrease was 3.5 per cent, but in Saline County it was 18.5 per cent; while the urban population in both county and state increased for the same period, 6.8 per cent in the county and 22.3 per cent in the state. The urban movement is to some extent both cause and effect of the unsatisfactory condition of the rural schools. Compared with the average run of counties of the state, Saline County is well supplied with educational facilities. Marshall, the county seat, is the seat of Missouri Valley Col- lege, a standard four-year college under the control of the Presbyterian Church. A few church schools of elementary grade are maintained in the county. First-class public high schools are maintained at Marshall, Slater, and Sweet Springs; Miami and Blackburn have third-class high schools; while five other towns have unclassified high schools; making ten city, town, and village schools. There are 112 rural district schools in the county, 106 of which were inspected. THE RURAL SCHOOLS OF SALINE COUNTY No real national system of schools exists in the United States. The national government, having laid a broad founda- tion and made liberal provision for a system of free schools in all the states, has left each state free to work out its own plan for these schools in its own way. The national contri- bution was in money and land. Having vested the title in the state and placed such safeguards as seemed wise, the national government left the state practically free to use or squander its inheritance. Since the states were left free to work out RURAL SCHOOLS OF SALINE COUNTY, MISSOURI V their own school systems, naturally different types of state administrative systems developed. State school systems may be roughly divided into two groups, the centralized and the decentralized. Between these two there are all degrees of difference. In both types the state, by constitutional provision and legislative enactment, makes possible a complete system of free schools. In the cen- tralized type the state goes further and assumes the respon- sibility and exercises a maximum amount of control, leaving only a minimum amount of control to the local community or district. In the decentralized type the reverse is true, the maximum responsibility and control being left to the local district. The Missouri school system is an excellent illustra- tion of the decentralized or democratic type of school admin- istration. Whether there is a good school or none depends primarily not upon the state, but upon the people in the par- ticular school district. A full understanding of this fact is an aid in understanding recent educational development in Mis- souri and in answering, in some measure at least, the question: How shall the unequal educational opportunities in different communities be accounted for? In recent years there has been a wonderful growth and development in Missouri schools. In some respects, notably in the case of the public high schools, the development has been almost phenomenal. For the most part, however, the growth has been confined to the towns and cities, only here and there a rural community being found that has made any such ad- vancement as has been made in the towns. The difference can- not be explained on the basis of favorable or unfavorable legis- lation; for, beginning with the law providing for county super- vision, each General Assembly has passed laws specifically designed for the betterment of rural schools. In spite of favor- able legislation, in spite of the best efforts of a thoroly compe- tent sympathetic State Department of Education, in spite of the best efforts of county superintendents, the rural schools show comparatively little progress. Why? To find the true answer to this question is one of the most important problems confronting the people of Missouri. No 10 UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI BULLETIN incomplete or partial solution will answer the purpose; the real underlying causes must be found and removed. In order to do this, all the available facts must be found, if possible. The facts must then be studied in their relation to one another and to the complex whole of which they are parts. It was for the purpose of securing some of the facts that this study was under- taken. This study is in no sense a complete survey of the rural schools of Saline County. Nothing in it is to be construed as a criticism or a defense of the schools. The sole purpose of the study is to get an accurate first-hand statement of the facts. It will be observed that the facts recorded may be divided into two groups: 1. Measurement and observation; e. g., the ratio of light space to floor space, the condition of the privies. 2. Facts involving a judgment; e. g., the attitude of the people toward the school, the value of the best barn in the district. All measurements and observations were made on the ground at the time the school was visited, and were made by inspectors each of whom is a trained school man of successful experience. Before beginning work, each inspector was given a blank form on which to record the observations and was instructed in its use. Each was given a tape measure, and the necessary chemicals for testing the drinking water. It was found that some of the information which should have been available in the school records could not be obtained. In every case investigated, the district records were in poor form. Since it is believed that the facts will interpret them- selves, they are submitted with only such comment as will make clear their origin and nature. Not all the data gathered, but only the more important, have been used. The reports on each school have been kept and may be made the basis of a further study. Where not otherwise specified, the figures in the tables which follow indicate the number of rooms. RURAL SCHOOLS OF SALINE COUNTY, MISSOURI 11 Heating and Ventilation L Kind of heating plant 77 unjacketed stoves 23 jacketed stoves 10 furnace stoves 2. Location of heating plant 76 near the center of room 33 in the corner of room 1 in basement 3. Kind of fuel used 98 coal 12 wood 4. Place for keeping fuel 6 in house 14 in yard 90 in fuel shed 5. Ventilation 86 by windows and doors only, 3 having boards under windows to prevent drafts 14 by jacketed stoves, the jacketed stoves having no outside air intakes and providing merely for the circulation of the air in the room 10 by furnace Lighting 1. Ratio of floor space to window space 3 with ratio of 4 to 1 5 with ratio of 5 to 1 20 with ratio of 6 to 1 21 with ratio of 7 to 1 15 with ratio of 8 to 1 1 7 with ratio of 9 to 1 14 with ratio of 10 to 1 5 with ratio of 1 1 to 1 5 with ratio of 12 to 1 4 with ratio of 13 to 1 1 with ratio of 16 to 1 Only eight rooms had sufficient light space in proportion to floor space; that is, at least 1 to 5. 2. Location of windows 105 rooms with cross lights; i. e., windows on opposite sides 12 UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI BULLETIN 3. Window shades 6 rooms with no shades 34 rooms with shades in good condition 30 rooms with shades in fair condition 40 rooms with shades in poor condition In every case the shades were improperly placed, shading the upper part of the window. Seating 84 with double desks 26 with single desks 19 with broken desks, the number of broken desks being 106 461 pupils were improperly seated; i. e., feet dangling or seat too small Care of Room 1. Floors oiled 7 annually 2 more frequently 101 never 2. Floors scrubbed 61 annually 32 more frequently 17 never 3. Floors swept 103 daily 7 at irregular intervals with use of sweeping mixture 63 by the teacher 23 by the pupils 24 by janitor 41 by teachers without pay for sweeping 22 by teachers paid from one to five dollars per month for sweeping Water-Closets 12 with urinals 18 with screens 5 with boxes for excreta 28 clean 70 marked or cut 30 marked or cut obscenely RURAL SCHOOLS OF SALINE COUNTY, MISSOURI 13 24 scrubbed annually 4 scrubbed monthly 7 scrubbed at irregular times 70 never scrubbed 16 cleaned out underneath annually 5 cleaned out underneath semiannually 84 never cleaned All closets were earth privies. Three schools had no closets for boys, and one school had no usable privy for boys or girls. Cloakrooms 15 with separate cloakrooms for boys and girls 23 with common cloakrooms for boys and girls 72 with no cloakroom Drinking Water 24 with dug wells 50 with cisterns 29 with driven wells 3 with springs 76 with wells and cisterns covered 51 with wells and cisterns liable to contamination from surface drainage 22 with cisterns never cleaned In 68 of the 106 cases, the examiners' tests of the water supply were unfavorable. This was a simple chemical test to determine the presence or absence of soluble chlorides. An unfavorable test simply meant that the water supply was questionable and that it should be examined by a chemist or practicing physician before being used. Forty-five schools had individual drinking cups for some pupils. Physical Examination No school had physical examination of the children. Play and Playgrounds 1. Apparatus 12 schools with some playground apparatus 98 schools with no playground apparatus 55 schools reported that children play much 2. Games played. (Observed by inspector or reported by teacher and pupils) 14 UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI BULLETIN 58 black man 3 fox and dog 11 tag 22 town ball 7 "antieover" 6 basket ball 33 baseball 16 drop the handkerchief 3. Supervision 26 with play organized by the teacher 42 with play supervised by the teacher 4. Size of unobstructed playground 30 with \ acre 20 with J acre 14 with § acre 14 with 1 acre 2 with If acres 4 with 1^ acres 3 with 2 acres 4 with no playground Provision for Hot Lunch No school had provision for hot lunch. Building and Grounds 3. Material of building 5 brick buildings 101 frame buildings Years since building was painted (Reported by teacher, pupils, and patrons) 6 one year 4 two years 1 three years 1 four years 42 five years 8 six years 28 more than six years 7 never painted Condition of buildings 38 in good repair 31 in fair repair 37 in poor repair 16 artistic 31 buildings with broken windows, a total of 69 panes missing RURAL SCHOOLS OF SALINE COUNTY, MISSOURI 15 4. Fences 69 with grounds fenced 22 with fence in good repair 20 with fence in fair repair 27 with fence in poor repair 5. Lawns 67 with well grassed lawns 62 with lawns mowed annually 12 with lawns mowed occasionally 31 with lawns never mowed 6. Landscape gardening 67 with grounds apparently neglected 3 with some attempt at landscape gardening 73 with beautiful natural surroundings 7. Interior decoration 39 with pleasing interior effect 66 with good pictures on the walls 3 1 with decorations other than pictures 21 with artistic tinting Equipment 1. Libraries Volumes in libraries: total 11,443; lowest number 0; highest number 420; average number 102. Value of libraries: total $3852; lowest $0; highest $140; aver- age $35. Percentage of useless books: lowest 0; highest 85; median 7. 26 with books in good condition 44 with books in fair condition 40 with books in poor condition 12 with boards obeying the library law 19 with books paid for by the boards 75 with books paid for through entertainments 26 with good selection of books 51 with fairly good selection of books 33 with poor selection of books 2. Blackboards 41 with slate blackboards 18 with composition blackboards 29 with wood blackboards 22 with plaster blackboards 54 with enough blackboard space (3 sq. ft. per pupil) 96 with ordinary chalk 14 with dustless chalk 16 UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI BULLETIN RURAL SCHOOLS OF SALINE COUNTY, MISSOURI 17 18 UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI BULLETIN 3. Teacher's desk 54 with teachers' desks in good condition 25 with teachers' desks in fair condition 30 with teachers' desks in poor condition 1 with no teacher's desk. 4. Supply of books on teachers' desks 13 with good supply 23 with fair supply 58 with poor supply 16 with no supply All desk books were paid for by the teachers. 5. Miscellaneous 57 with good dust-proof book cases 13 with cabinets 15 with organs with a piano or phonograph 1 with a museum 1 with free textbooks 86 with one or more maps 41 with enough maps (Missouri, United States, continents) 72 with enough good erasers 1 with some equipment for teaching manual training 1 1 with some equipment for teaching agriculture 30 with measuring sticks for teaching arithmetic 1 with balance and weights for teaching arithmetic 2 with liquid or dry measure for teaching arithmetic 2 with some equipment for sewing 1 with some equipment for cooking 50 schools used slates 281 pupils used slates 6. Textbooks 80 with all pupils fully supplied Finance The financial statistics were obtained from the records in the office of the county superintendent of schools and are for the school year 1913-14. In most cases the district clerks failed to make a full detailed statement of receipts and expenditures by funds as the law requires. 1. Taxation Assessed valuation: total (76 districts) $7,137,065; lowest $12,930; highest $215,000; median* $70,000; middle 50 per cent $49,500 to $109,285. Levy for school purposes (cents on $100): highest 75; lowest 0; median 40; middle 50 per cent 40 to 65; 37 levied 40c and 27 levied 65c. * The median is the case which was found in the investigation to have as many cases below it as there are above it. RURAL SCHOOLS OF SALINE COUNTY, MISSOURI 19 Levy for interest and sinking fund reported by only two dis- tricts, one 15c and the other 25c on $100. Levy for building: seven cases reported lowest 10c and highest 25c on $100. Total tax levy (cents on $100) : highest 90; lowest 0; median 40; middle 50 per cent 40 to 65; 38 districts levied 40c; 21 dis- tricts levied 65c. Receipts last year (93 districts) Cash on hand: total $15,092; lowest $2; highest $1260; median $115; middle 50 per cent $44 to $221. 2. Receipts from permanent funds State: total $8,589; highest $378; lowest $30; median $73 middle 50 per cent $68 to $90. County: total $3,273; highest $102; lowest $7; median $33 middle 50 per cent $24 to $41. Township: total $1328; highest $165; lowest $1; median $8 middle 50 per cent $5 to $17. Railroad: total $5908; highest $146; lowest $28; median $68 middle 50 per cent $50 to $95. Total from public funds (78 cases) highest $538; lowest $66 median $194; middle 50 per cent $140 to $227. 3. Receipts from local funds (87 cases) For school purposes: total $28,823; highest $885; lowest $101; median $310; middle 50 per cent $218 to $430. For interest, building, and miscellaneous there are no data. 4. Expenditures last year (97 cases) Teachers: total $42,023; highest $880 (two teachers); lowest $180; median $397; middle 50 per cent $305 to $490. Clerk: total $1024; highest $25; lowest $0; median $10; middle 50 per cent $10 to $12. Fuel: total $5769; highest $68; lowest $4; median $25; middle 50 per cent $18 to $34. Total expenditures: highest $1097; lowest $189; median $481; middle 50 per cent $380 to $641. 5. Salary of teacher per month (104 cases) Total $5292; highest $80; lowest $32.50; median $50; middle 50 per cent $45 to $60. 6. Values of school buildings compared with values of barns Value of best barn in district (80 cases): highest $3500; lowest $200; median $1200; middle 50 per cent $1000 to $1500. 20 UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI BULLETIN Value of average barn (80 cases): highest $1000; lowest $100; median $500; middle 50 per cent $300 to $500. Value of school building (91 cases): total $53,150; highest $2000; lowest $150; median $400; middle 50 per cent $300 to $700. Attendance 1. Enumeration (94 cases): total 3,732; highest 107; lowest 8; median 37; middle 50 per cent 28 to 47. 2. Enrollment (104 cases): total 2710; highest 66 (a two-room school); lowest 5; median 26; middle 50 per cent 16 to 33. The largest number enrolled in any one-teacher school was 55. The survey was made during the first month, so average attendance was not found. Attitude Toward School 1. Wealthy class without children (96 cases) 46 with this class friendly 21 with this class unfriendly 8 with this class indifferent 21 with no data 2. Tenants (83 cases) 70 with tenants interested 13 with no data with tenants uninterested Per cent of tenants: highest 100 per cent; lowest 2 per cent; median 25 per cent. 3. Community as a whole (98 cases) No community with very strong interest in school 20 communities with strong interest in school 40 communities with fairly strong interest in school 36 communities indifferent to school 2 communities opposed to school Use of School Buildings During Previous Year 1. Farmers' meetings 95 not used 8 used Two buildings were used for this purpose three times each; one was used two times, and the others were used once each. 2. Social meetings (chiefly school entertainments for the purpose of raising money) RURAL SCHOOLS OF SALINE COUNTY, MISSOURI 21 56 not used 45 used Four times was the most any building was used for this purpose. 3. Debating societies 99 not used 1 used 4. Political meetings 4 used, two times having been the maximum in any case 96 not used 5. School meetings 98 used 1 not used One building was used five times, and most of the buildings were used only once. 6. Religious meetings 5 used, one having been used weekly, one monthly 7. All other purposes 5 used 8. Attitude of communities toward a wider use of the school plant 12 opposed 20 favorable 34 indifferent 44 no data Instruction 1. Teachers living conditions Salary per month (see page 19) Board per week: highest $5; lowest $1.50; median $3. 38 teachers live at home, 26 of these pay no board. Distance teacher lives from school: farthest 9 miles; closest less than | mile; median £ mile; middle 50 per cent 1 to 2 miles 2. Age of teacher (106 cases) 41 from 18 to 21 inclusive 32 from 22 to 25 9 from 26 to 29 24 more than 29 Lowest 18; highest 66. 3. Sex of teachers 24 male 86 female 22 UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI BULLETIN 4. Grade of certificate 1 special 33 third grade 50 second grade 18 first grade 1 normal diploma 4 teacher training 3 no data 5. Number of months experience of teachers at beginning of term (108 eases) 39 with 8 or less 14 with 9 to 16 inclusive 9 with 17 to 24 inclusive 9 with 25 to 32 inclusive 25 with no previous experience Highest 280; lowest 0; middle 50 per cent 8 to 48. 6. Number of years in high school (105 cases): lowest 0; highest 5 (2 cases); median 4 (78 cases) 7. Number of years in college or university: lowest (69 cases); highest 4 (2 cases); less than one year 19 cases; one year 8 cases; more than one and less than four years 7 cases. 8. Number of terms in normal school 59 had not attended 29 had attended one term 14 had attended two or three terms 3 had attended more than three terms 9. Number of months in present school (108 cases) 77 less than 9 months 17 from 9 to 16 months 5 from 17 to 24 months 9 more than 24 months 10. Lines of study carried on by teachers 25 reading circle work 5 "general" work 1 correspondence work 1 musical work 11. Records 1 10 with record of absences in all cases 40 with record of causes of absences 87 with record of class standing in permanent form 41 with last term's report in the building 12. Permanence of teaching force Number of teachers since 1908 (104 cases) 2 with one teacher RURAL SCHOOLS OF SALINE COUNTY, MISSOURI 23 10 with two teachers 24 with three teachers 28 with four teachers 26 with five teachers 1 1 with six teachers 3 with seven teachers 13. General discipline (inspector's judgment) 21 teachers nagged 79 schools had children happy in their work (inspectors report- ing pupils happy if they did not seem to be unhappy) 68 schools had lively school spirit (see comment above) 42 schools had lifeless school spirit 60 teachers were likable 6 teachers were unlikable 44 teachers were neither likable nor unlikable 53 teachers had a good sense of humor No data for corporal punishment. 14. General character of daily program 78 with well defined daily programs 32 with no well defined daily program 59 with alternations 15. Number of class periods per day per teacher 12 with less than 24 class periods daily 18 with 24 class periods daily 10 with more than 24 and less than 30 periods daily 15 with 30 class periods daily 13 with more than 30 class periods daily Lowest number 16; highest 34. 16. Character of teaching (inspector's j udgment) 75 with teachers following the book in class work 35 with teachers following the pupil in class work 90 with teachers having a good standard of personal speech 51 with good English required of pupils 69 with motivation through generic appeals 15 with motivation through intrinsic function of subject-matter 54 with text-books used intelligently 56 with text-books used unintelligently 88 with test questions chiefly 13 with developing questions 57 with pupils having opportunity to think 19 with subject-matter usually told to the pupils 80 with pupils usually getting subject-matter from the book 23 with summaries made wisely 35 with adequate drill 18 with applications of knowledge made 24 UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI BULLETIN 34 with teachers giving concrete instruction 69 with teachers giving abstract instruction 17. Results of teachers' work (inspector's judgment) 21 with pupils understanding intrinsic function of subject- matter 23 with pupils able to organize subject-matter 45 with pupils skillful in memory and drill operations 23 with pupils making applications intelligently 60 with pupils liking their work 2 with organizations effective in school life The Rural School Board In most cases the official records of the district could not be secured. In no case were the district records well kept. From conversations with teachers, district clerks, and members of the boards, it was learned that the usual method of doing business was as follows: The newly elected board held a short meeting for the purpose of organization at the time of the annual election. Quite commonly this was the only full meeting of the board during the year. The teacher was employed, supplies purchased, contracts entered into, and warrants drawn, all without a meeting of the board and contrary to law. In the employment of a teacher, the members of the board separately interviewed the applicants, the prospective teacher making the rounds of the board. The first member interviewed by the applicant would tell her whether he favored her election; the next member would then be visited and would be told what the first one said. If the second member was favorable, the matter was considered settled, and the clerk would draw up a contract and sign it. The fortunate applicant would take the con- tract to the president of the board, who would attach his signature to it. Warrants were issued in much the same way, the teacher's monthly report being filed with the district clerk, who would fill out and sign a warrant for the month's salary. The teacher would then take the warrant to the president of the board for his signature. Illustrations of Unequal Educational Advantages (Data for one-room schools) Assessed valuation of districts: highest $215,000; lowest $12,930. Enumeration of districts: highest 107; lowest 8. Total tax levy of districts: highest $0.90; lowest 0. Value of school buildings: highest $1500; lowest $150. Annual salary of teacher: highest $640; lowest $180. Comparative Value of Barn and Schoolhouse Median value of schoolhouse $ 400 Median value of average barn 500 Median value of best barn 1200 RURAL SCHOOLS OF SALINE COUNTY, MISSOURI 25 SUMMARY— THE MEDIAN SCHOOL Perhaps the median* is the most significant single measure of any group of related facts. There is, of course, no such thing as a median school. If, however, a hypothetical school is constructed on the basis of the medians for the entire group, the result will be a fairly accurate statement that will serve as an excellent typical case and will fairly represent the county as a whole. The median district has an enumeration of 37 and an average daily attendance of 20. The assessed valuation is $70,000 and the school tax forty cents on the hundred dollars. The receipts and expenditures for the year are as follows: received from direct taxation $280; from state $73; from county $33; from township $8; from railroad $68; total $462. The teacher's salary is $400. The amount spent for all other purposes is The building, which is worth $400 (about $100 less than the average barn in the district), is well located but in rather poor repair. It is the usual box-car type of construction, warmed by a coal stove placed near the center of the room. There is no means of ventilation, except the windows and doors. The lighting is very deficient, there being cross-lights and a ratio of light space to window space of one to eight. There are ordinary green shades, but they are improperly placed so as to shade the upper part of the windows. The floors are of hard pine, never oiled, scrubbed once last year, and swept daily by the teacher, who is not paid for the work. The water-closets are earth privies without urinals, screens, or boxes for excreta. They are near the house and in plain view of each other. They are never scrubbed, never cleaned out underneath, and are badly marked and cut. The drinking water is obtained from a cistern in the school yard and is liable to contamination from surface drain- * The median is the case which was found in the investigation to have as many cases below it as there are above it. 26 UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI BULLETIN age. The cistern has not been cleaned for a long time, the pupils have drinking cups in common, and the water is probably unfit for drinking purposes. The school grounds are rectangular in form, about three fourths of an acre in area, and fenced with a wire and board fence. The plot is well grassed and was mowed last summer. The children are not taught to play and the play is not super- vised. There is no playground apparatus and the children play "drop the handkerchief," "town ball," and baseball. The equipment consists of a library of 102 books, worth about $35. Of the library books 7 per cent are useless. The books are in a fair state of repair and are kept in a good bookcase. They were selected by the teacher and paid for with the receipts from box suppers. There is enough good blackboard, but it is too high to be of the best service to the smaller children. The teacher's desk is in fair condition and is fairly well supplied with books, which she herself has paid for. There is no equipment for teaching arithmetic, manual training, agriculture, cooking, or sewing. The pupils are well supplied with textbooks. Of the people in the district, 25 per cent are tenants. There is a fairly strong interest in the school on the part of the patrons. The building was used twice last year for public meetings, once for a school meeting and once for a box supper. The teacher is twenty-two years of age and this is her second year in teaching but her first year in this school. She is a graduate of a first-class four-year high school and holds a second grade county certificate. She has never attended college or normal school, has had no professional training, and in fact, is doing no professional work this year. COMPARISON WITH OTHER SCHOOLS The report of the state superintendent for 1913-14 gives some facts that are used as a basis for a comparison of the rural schools of Saline County with those of the state and with those of the towns of the county, especially Marshall. Marshall is RURAL SCHOOLS OF SALINE COUNTY, MISSOURI 27 the largest city in the county and has the most efficient schools. Statistics are not given separately in the report for the rural schools of the county, but they are given for the city and vil- lage schools. The figures for the rural schools were obtained by subtracting the combined figures for the ten towns from the figures for the county. The instruction in the rural school is practically all of elementary grade. The figures for elementary instruction in the towns were determined by subtracting the figures for the high schools from the total in all cases where the figures were not given separately for the elementary grades. The following table shows the rural districts of Saline County to have a larger enumeration and also a larger total enrollment than the ten towns of the county, but that the total number of days attended in the towns is greater than the total number of days attended in the country, and that in the ten towns of the county more than three times as many pupils fin- ished the eighth grade as in the rural districts. Ten Towns Rural Districts Enumeration 3506 3446 Enrollment 3089 3232 Total days attended by all pupils 441,067 352,890 Graduates of the 8th grade 173 52 The following table shows that the ten towns in the county have a total assessed valuation less than half of the total assessed valuation of the rural districts, and that they spend more than twenty per cent more on their schools than the rural districts spend for this purpose. Ten Towns Rural Districts Valuation 85,248,350 $10,849,484 Total expenditure 79,738 55,642 The following table shows that most of the better-trained teachers as indicated by the certificate held, are in the towns 28 UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI BULLETIN of the county. There are three classes of certificates reported, normal school, state, and county, the county being the lowest. This table also shows the greater permanency of service in the towns. Ten Towns Rural No. of teachers State teacher's certificates Normal school certificates 100 26 35 32 Districts 122 3 2 Teacher only one year in present posi- tion 74 The following table shows that the rural schools of Saline County have a larger average assessed valuation per teacher employed and per pupil enumerated than that of the rural districts of the state as a whole, and also larger than that of the city of Marshall. It also shows that the rural schools of Saline County spend more per pupil than the average for the rural schools of the state but less than the city of Marshall. Assessed valuation per teacher employed Assessed valuation per pupil enumerated Amount expended per pupil enumerated Amount expended per pupil in average attendance. . . . Amount expended daily per pupil attending The following table shows that the rural schools of Saline County spend more for elementary education per pupil enumer- ated than the average amount thus expended by the rural Rural — Rural — Marshall Saline State County $88,930 $66,401 $71,046 3148 1569 2099 16.15 10.24 27.87 20.09 18.11 36.16 .151 .130 .201 RURAL SCHOOLS OF SALINE COUNTY, MISSOURI 29 schools of the state or by the city of Marshall. It also shows that, in number of days of school for each pupil and in the pro- portion finishing the eighth grade, this expenditure produces results greater than the average results produced in the rual districts of the state, but less than the average results produced in the city of Marshall. Rural — Rural — Marshall Saline State County Expenditure for elementary education per pupil enu- merated 16.15 10.24 14.39 Average No. days attended per pupil 109.2 95.1 146.9 Percent of enumeration com- pleting the 8th grade 1.51 1.23 5.59 BIBLIOGRAPHY OF SCHOOL SURVEYS GENERAL Community Study for Country Districts, by Anna B. Taft, New York Missionary and Educational Movement, 1912. Investigation of School Systems, Educational Review, 47:57-64, Jan. 1914. The School Survey, Elementary School Journal, 15:41, Sept. 1914. Plans for Organizing School Surveys, Thirteenth Yearbook of the National Society for the Study of Education, Part II, 1914. The Application of the Local Survey to Small Communities, by J. S. Gillin, American Journal of Sociology, 17:647-58, Mar. 1912. Suggested Outline for Rural School Surveys, by F. G. Odell and J. E. Delgill, Nebraska Teacher, 14:521, May 1912. 30 UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI BULLETIN RURAL Periodicals Efficiency and the Rural School, Survey 30:525-28, July 19, 1913. Fair Hope — How a Southern Schoolhouse is Revealing Child- hood, Survey, 31:237-46, Dec. 6, 1913. The Social Survey in Rural Education, Educational Review, 48:266-87, Oct. 1914. Reports An Educational Survey of Three Counties in Alabama, Depart- ment of Education, Montgomery, Alabama, Bui. No. 43, 1914. The Rural and Village Schools of Colorado, 1906-1913, by C. G. Sargent, Colorado Agricultural College, Fort Collins, Colorado, Bui. No. 5, Series XIV, 1914. The Georgia Club, by E. C. Branson, Bui. U. S. Bureau of Educa- tion, No. 23, 1913. Educational Survey of Rabun County, Georgia, by M. L. Duggan, No. 1, Department of Education, Georgia, 1914. Sanitary Survey of Schools in Bartholomew County, Indiana, by J. A. Nedegger, U. S. Public Health Service, Reprint No. 177 from Public Health Report, Feb. 6, 1914. An Educational Survey of a Suburban and Rural County (Mont- gomery County, Md.), Bui. U. S. Bureau of Education, No. 32, 1913. A Study of Rural Schools in Texas, by White and Davis, Bui. Univ. of Texas, No. 364, Oct. 10, 1914. Sanitary Survey of Schools of Orange County, Va., Bui. U. S. Bureau of Education, No. 17, 1914. Preliminary Report on Conditions and Needs of Rural Schools in Wisconsin, by the Training School for Public Service, August, 1912. A Rural Survey in Arkansas, Presbyterian Board of Home Mis- sions.* A Rural Survey in Illinois, Presbyterian Board of Home Mis- sions.* * 156 Fifth Ave., New York City. RURAL SCHOOLS OF SALINE COUNTY, MISSOURI 31 A Rural Survey in Indiana, Presbyterian Board of Home Mis- sions.* A Rural Survey in Kentucky, Presbyterian Board of Home Mis- sions.* A Rural Survey in Maryland, Presbyterian Board of Home Mis- sions.* Religious Life Work in Redwood County, Minn., Presbyterian Board of Home Missions.* A Rural Survey in Missouri, Presbyterian Board of Home Mis- sions.* Ohio Rural Survey, 1914, Presbyterian Board of Home Mis- sions.* Ohio Rural Life Survey, Church Growth and Decline, Presby- terian Board of Home Missions.* CITY Periodicals New York School Inquiry, by A. W. Edson, Educational Re- view, 46:450-56, Dec. 1913. New York School Inquiry, by W. H. Maxwell, Educational Review, 47:65-79, Jan. 1914. Portland Survey, Wyoming School Journal, 10:122-27, Jan. 1914. Reports Report of Survey of Dept. of Health and Dept. of Education, City of Atlanta, Ga., by S. L. Lindholm, December, 1912. Report of the Commission to Study the Public Schools of Balti- more, U. S. Bureau of Education, No. 4, 1911. Report of a Survey of the School System of Butte, Montana, Board of Education, Butte, Montana, 1914. Report of the Educational Commission of Cleveland, Board of Education, Cleveland, Ohio, 1906. * 156 Fifth Ave., New York City. 32 UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI BULLETIN Report of Committee on School Inquiry, Board of Estimate and Apportionment, City of New York, Committee on School Inquiry, New York City, 1911-1913. School Efficiency Series, edited by P. H. Hanus, World Book Co. Report of Survey of Public School System of School District 1, Multnomah County, Oregon, by Committee Appointed at Taxpayers' Meeting, Portland, 1913. The Public Schools of Springfield, III., by Leonard P. Ayres, Russell Sage Foundation, 1913. Waterbury, Conn., Summary of Two Surveys, Bureau of Muni- cipal Research, 261, Broadway, N. Y. STATE Periodicals The Ohio Survey, Survey, 31:494-5, Jan. 24, 1914. Vermont Educational Survey, Educational Review, 47:325-342. Reports A General Survey of Public High School Education in Colorado, Univ. of Colorado Bui., Vol. XIV, No. 10, 1914. Survey of Accredited High Schools and Professional Directory, by H. W. Johnson, Bui. Univ. of Kansas, July 1, 1914. Report of Maryland Education Commission, Educ. Dept. Bul- letin, Maryland, No. 2, 1910. Report of the Ohio State School Survey Commission to the Gov- ernor, Columbus, 1914. A Study of Education in Vermont, Carnegie Foundation, Bui. No. VII, Parts I and II, 1914. For more complete bibliography, see bulletin entitled School Surveys, issued by United States Bureau of Education, Washington, D. C. THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI BULLETIN EDUCATION SERIES EDITED BY J. H. COURSAULT Professor of the History and Philosophy of Education 1. Circular of Information to Accredited Schools, Fifth Edition, Revised. Issued by the Committee on Accredited Schools, University of Missouri. (Out of print.) 2. Rural Consolidation in Missouri, by O. L. Kunkel, Graduate Student, and W. W. Charters, Dean of the Faculty of Education and Professor of Theory of Teaching. (Out of print.) 3. Journalism for Teachers, by F. L. Martin, Associate Professor of the Theory and Practice of Journalism. (Out of print.) 4. Geography of Missouri, by F. V. Emerson, Instructor in Geology. (Out of print.) 5. The Teaching of Poetry in the High School, by A. H. R. Fairchild, Professor of English. (Out of print.) 6. An Experimental Study of Methods of Teaching High School German, by Mamie M. Clarahan, Graduate Student. 7. Circular of Information to Accredited Schools, Sixth Edition, Revised. Issued by the Committee on Accredited Schools, University of Missouri. (Published as Vol. II, No. 1.) (Out of print.) 8. The Kind of Scholarship Records to be Kept in Schools, by Max F. Meyer, Professor of Experimental Psychology. 9. A Course in Grammar Based on the Mistakes Made by School Children in Kansas City, Missouri, by W. W. Charters, Dean of the Faculty of Education, and Professor of Theory of Teaching, University of Missouri, and Edith Miller, Teacher of English, Soldan High School, St. Louis, Missouri. 10. Circular of Information to Accredited Schools, Seventh Edition, Revised. Issued bv the Committee on Accredited Schools, University of Missouri. 11. A Study of the Rural Schools of Saline County, Missouri, by Joseph Doliver Elliff, Professor of High School Administration and High School Visitor, Univer- sity of Missouri, and Abner Jones, Fellow in Education, University of Missouri. Copies of the University of Missouri Bulletin, Education Series, may be obtained without charge by sending requests to Editor, Educa- tion Series of Bulletins, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri. Published by UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI COLUMBIA, MISSOURI The University of Missouri Bulletin — issued three times monthly ; entered as second-class matter at the post- office at Columbia, Missouri. 1200 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 019 885 239 9