The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1921-12-23
STANDARDIZATION
OF RURAL SCHOOLS
"a Letter BY Dorothy Can
field Fishery

the different elements necessary t
make a rural school what 1t should be
if it came up to the ordinary stand
ard of efficiency thence the wore
Standardization by which the cam
paign is known.
This statement, called the "Officia
Rating Card for Vermont Rura
Schools (which anybody can have
who will write the state department
of education for it, is based On thu
plainest, most obvious essentials fol
satisfactory school life. There are nc
fussy, expensive requirements, such as
| would be hard to meet in country
schools, no mention of running water
or furnace heat, or side-show trim.
mings in teaching, or anything nickel
plated or citified, or ultra modern ;
Just an enumeration Of the things that
any country school in America ought
to have, to be decent, clean, reason
ably attractive and efficient, to give
children good elementary training.
Such things as enough light for the
children to see their work; floor that
can be kept clean; stove that gives
the right heat and ventilation; decent
out buildings; sanitary drinking ar
engagements; enough up-to-date text
books to go around; plain, comfort
able seating arrangements for teacher
and pupils clock, some soap, a
basin for washing hands and faces; q
decently-paid teacher who is trained
for her work, cares about it, and stays
on her job; community which sees to
it that the teacher has fairly com
Portable place to live; pupils who 90
regularly to school when not sick; an
American flag outside and one inside
the building; interest taken in the
school by the parents of the children,
etc.
In order that the matter may be
clear and easily analysed, these re
quirements are set down on the official
rating card. Thus school that would
meet all Of them would be counted 100
per cent. according to the standard.
This rating is divided into five parts;
u) Building and grounds count for 20
out of the hundred; t2l equipment
counts for,2T; t3l the quality Of the
teacher counts for Is; az the attend
ance and conduct of the pupil, H..
and t5) the attitude of the community
and a miscellaneous item fH IL
That is, school which has a salts
factory building and neat grounds
would get 26 on that count, but if il
lacked text books. good blackboards
and other essential equipment, it
would lose q credits; ii the teacher
was faithful and competent, 1t would
win Is points; but If the community
showed no helpful interest in the
school. it would lose IL points.
As far as that goes, if the commu
nifty did show an interest in the school.
the school would soon be up to stand
ard.
Is the requirement set up by the
state board 100 points--that is, do
they expect to find Vermont rural
schools with a complete equipment
and perfect comfort, cleanliness and
decencyG No, indeed, not so much az
that. Ii a school can show that il
comes up three fourths Of the way
and merits IS per cent OF the points
given on cleanliness, comfort, decency
and efficiency, such school is a prize.
is to be. marked STANDARD" by spe-
rial nameplate, has right to be proud
Of itself. and may be eligible for state /
aid, provided for in $4,000 fund.
Now do you see the situation "a |
plain standard of ordinary American
ideals set up, and Vermont !
rural schools rated in accordance With
i. What is the result? How many |
-ural schools in Vermont are really /
what they ought to be 2 How many out
VI the 100 rural schools in Vermont |
ire three quarters of what a plain,
iseful country school ought to be
How many are even halff IL is the
irst time Vermont has conducted sucli
definite, minute investigation into
he actual present conditions Of rural
chools, the first time we Vermonters
ave had any picture Of our schools we
an visualize. And now we have il
here TO look at, the picture Is not I'll
ge desire. But it Is good for us TO ex
mine it intently.
The reports are not all in vet. the
etails Of the picture are not COM
iete, but enough statistics have been
objected TO show plainly this; The
reat majority of the ll60 one-room
chools in Vermont score from 30 to
0 points. A small proportion, probably
OF over ten per cent, have neat, Mt
ractive, well kept buildings, with ade
uate light, ventilation, grounds. tot
It's and equipment, where the teach
rs are competent, pupils studious and
'oll disposed. the community help
ally interested, and the whole condi
on satisfactory TO the extent that
i'll entitle them TO be ranked a.
.andard schools This Is the type Of
.hool we ought TO have everywhere in
ne state and many Of our school d.
ictors and superintendent are work
x to increase the number which Is az
resent much too small.
Many schools are lacking in the
lings a school should. have. where the
acher struggles yaliantly against cir
INSTANCES, and some fine Vermont
iildren are doing their level best nm
r the disadvantages we have lowed
accumulate to hinder their ednca
on sss
Anybody who viii write the state
apartment Of education. at Montpei.
r, asking for an official rating card
T rural schools. win get II. and with
De in hand, any one Of M can get
'od idea Of what needs to be done Tor
e particular school for which. owing
the location of our home, we are
spon~ible Then II We will write the
ate official il charge Of this work
iss Rose Lucia. At Montpelier, we car
Z an exact statement of how and
w much the state will helm And