Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1920-05-26

New York, May 23.-The state of
Montana has the best all round pub
lie School system in the United
States, according to the results of a
comparative study of state school
signs systems made public today by
the Russell Sage foundation. The re-
port assigns second place to the
schools of California, third place to
those of Arizona, fourth to New Jer-
sey and fifth to the state of WashG
ington.
The findings are contained in a
report by the department of educa-
tion of the foundation. The volume
entitled can Index Number for State
School System" and the author is DR..
Leonard P. Ayres, director of the
foundations department of educa-
tion.
More Efficiency.
Other findings Of the report are
that the school system of the United
States as whole has doubled in eff
cheney during the last so years, hav-
ing an index number or rating of 26
in 1870 and one of SO at the present
time. Since these index numbers are
figured on the basis of 100, the
school system of the country has now
an effectiveness or efficiency of only
81 per cent, according to the report.
The figures for the individual
states as given by the foundation
show that during the past 80 years
the West has been coming. up educa-
tionally, while the East has been 60
ing down. During this time the great
est increase among all the states has
been made by Utah while the state
TO which is attributed the greatest
falling off in relative standing is
Maryland. In all the East the only
state that has gained instead of los
ing is New Jersey. In the West the
state that has the best and most con-
sisently high record is California.
Among the interesting results of
the study is the conclusion that the
school systems of the United States
territorial possessions, such as Ha-
waii, the Canal Zone and Puerto
Rico, have higher ratings than those
Of many of the 4S states. That of
Hawaii is reported better than those
of the majority of the American
states.
The foundations educational meas
urement is worked out by taking the
official data showing the number of
children attending school, amount
of training they secure, the progress
they make, the amounts expended
for buildings and supplies, the sala-
ries paid their teachers and other
similar items, and combining these
factors into a single index
number which shows the general
standing or efficiency of the school
system. This method resembles that
used by the federal government in
indexing the cost of living and prices
for commodities.
The foundation states that all the
results are computed from data fur
nished by the states themselves to
the federal government and that the
records have been compiled and COM
bined by exactly the same method
for all the different states and with
out admitting into the results any
elements of personal judgment. The
author of the report served during
the war as chief statistical officer of
the army.
Standing of States.
The standing of the 48 states, the
District of Columbia and the three
territorial possessions is shown in the
following table.
Montana, rs. 8; California, 71.2;
Arizona, 66.2; New Jersey, 65,3;
District of Columbia, 64.s; Washing
ton, 63.!7; Iowa, 61.9; Utah, 61.4;
Massachusetts, 61.O; Michigan, COL;
Connecticut, 59.8; Ohio, 59.7; New
York, 594; Colorado, 59.2; North
Dakota, 51.9; Nevada, 500; Indiana,
$50; Idaho, 5S.6; Minnesota, 5S.4;
Oregon, 57.S; Pennsylvania, 57.7;
Nebraska, 57,1; Hawaii, $40; Hi
nois, 56.S; Wyoming, 56.7; Rhode
Island, 56.3; Kansas, 55.2; Canal
Zone. 55.1: South Dakota, $50; New