The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1915-12-26
BUREAU OF EDUCATION WORKS
FOR BETTER RURAL SCHOOLS

! AZ SN10NNAS
sistance to state and local school au-
thorities on request The library OF
the bureau has continued the issue OF
o monthly guide to books and articles
on education published in the United
States and abroad. With its bureau
Of education library II the largest ped
agogical library IN the United States,
and probably the second largest IL
brary In the world devoted wholly To
educational subjects.
Other activities OF the bureau DUR
Ing the year included the completion
OF q digest OF the school laws Of all the
states, an important example Of the
kind OF work OF q federal bureau oil
education can do that is OF the ut
most service to tho individual states;
the issue Of bulletin on school ad-
ministration in the smaller cities
which makes available for the first
time material on professional
supervision In an accessible form
for siperintendents In the 2,1O0 cities
under 5000 population: and the dis
tribution Of an Illustrated bulletin on
rural school houses and ground that
has been much In demand for local
school boards in the planning Of
school buildings in the country.
Publications.
Four hundred thousand copies Of the
publications OF the bureau OF educa-
ton were distributed during the year
to school officials and others inter-
ested in education. In addition 10
these copies distributed free, $4,000
copies Of bureau documents were sold
by the public printer. These publica-
lions ranged in size from the two vol.
ume annual report of the commits.
sioner, which contained reviews Of
progress in different fields of educa-
tion for the year and the usual COM
prehensive statistics Of public and pri-
yate educational institutions, to brief
bulletins describing significant seduca-
tional experiences In certain Local
communities that seemed worthy oil
being made known in other commu.
mites. The 1s14-15 series Of bulletins
included four on Education for the
Home" which represent the first at
tempt at q comprehensive Statement,
Of the provision for training in home
making in the United States; a survey
OF drawing and art instruction.; de.
scriptive bulletin on school savings
banks; and several bulletins on the
health Of school children. The de.
mand for the bureaus documents was
such that in the case of many Of the
forty-eight bulletins issued during the
year the edition was almost immedi.
ately exhausted.
In order that the material in blu.
reau documents may be disseminated
as widely as possible, circular letter
service has been developed. More
than a million copies of circular let.
tors were distributed during the year
nearly double the number for the pre-.
ceding year. These circulars are sem
to state departments of education, leg
islative committees, heads OF depart.
ments Of education in colleges ant
universities, normal schools, city ant
county superintendent, and to tn,
press. This service received specia
commendation in resolutions adoptet
by educational associations during tn,
year.
Functions Of the Bureau.
In summarizing the work Of the bu
reau OF education for the year, Com
missioner Claxton. after pointing ou
that the bureau has no administrative
functions other than those connect.
ed with the expenditure of funds ap.
propriated by the federal government
for state colleges Of agriculture and
mechanic arts, or for Alaska, declares
that the bureau nevertheless per
forms higher and more important du.
ties than could be performed by any
administrative federal education of.
fice." Commissioner Claxton thus de.
fines the task Of his bureau:
ITO serve as clearing house for
accurate and comprehensive informa-
ton in respect to all educational
agencies and all forms Of education
in the United States and foreign coun-
tries, and to disseminate this informa-
ton among school officers, teachers,
students Of education and all others
directly interested in education.
ITO serve as clearing house for
the best opinions on school organize
ton and administration, courses Of
study, methods Of teaching, and any
other matters connected with popular
education.
"To give advice, on request, to leg
islatures, school officers. teachers and
others engaged in promoting and d.
rectinp education
ITO promote on its own initiative
and to assist education officers and
the people of the several states and
local communities in promoting wha,
1t believes to be necessary and desir-
able tendencies in education and in
the organization Of educational agen.
cies. to the end that there may be full
and equal opportunity Of education
for all.
ITO determine standards Of meas
urement in education and to conduct
and direct experiments in education
to the end that we may finally have &
larger body Of definite scientific knowl
edge about education and education
al processes and methods"