The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1921-12-22
ROWING. NOT DRIFTING

by W. j. Bell, DlTecLoI " GuuCa
tional Department and Extension
Work, The Dickinson State Normal
School.
The following article is taken from
"The School of Education Record" for
December which is published at the
University of North Dakota:
When Professor George H. Belts
was a young village principal ne once
seated all his high school pupils &C
cording to scholastic rank. This. put
Claude, popular and aspiring chap.
next to the foot. Being chaffed by
schoolmates, he simulated nonehalance
and said, "Oh, don't care; Maude
ranks still lower" Maude was a
younger sister, and notably weak.
Col. Ayres's little study, IAN Index
Number for State School Systems y
leaves us: North Dakotans, with better
grounds for consolation than Claude
had. Not counting the District of
Columbia, we are fourteenth from the
top. Of course there may be, for the
more provincial of us, a slight sore
spot, due to Sister Montana's being
in first place, with dozen others be-
tween US.
The Ayres study employed ten cri-
terra: viz, per cent Of the population
in daily attendance, average number
of days attended by each pupil of
school age. average number of days
schools are operated, ratio of high
school to total attendance, ratio Of
boys to girls in high school, and five
different items Of average expendi-
ture.'
One important criterion-perhaps
weightier than any that Ayres used
was omitted from his study: he did
not take into consideration teachers
training. This is of particular concern
in a state with so high proportion of
rural population, since rural teachers
usually are not required to have such
extensive preparation as city teach
ers.
The n E. A. and the U. S. Bureau
Of Education have both, for several
years, agreed that the minimum of
preparation for any teaching position
should be at least two years beyond
graduation from a four-year high
school, and should include some pro-
fessional work. Commissioner P. P.
Claxton stressed this matter in his re-
gional meetings over the country last
November and December.
At the St. Paul conference Mr.
Claxton made some statements and
read some figures which unfortunately
were later badly unsupported by some
of our state papers; they quoted him
as having accorded to North Dakota
a topmost position in Educational ad-
vancement." Now this would be pleas
ant if true; but it would be dangerous
if false, for it might incline us to
rest on our oars.
+ Mr.. Claxton, on being consulted, re-
piled as follows:
81 am sure I have made no state
ment that North Dakota ranks high
est in educational advancement of all
northwestern states. = IS $
"The percentages read in St. Paul
were the percentages Of teachers in
the several states having minimum of
two years of education in college or
normal school, with some professional
training, above graduation from
high school. These are based on in
formation furnished October (1920)
Dy COuIty SupeIlHIeHueItte III IlcSe
states. I am enclosing a list of the
percentages for the several states"
The list, given herewith, shows that
we are not on top, except when the list
is inverted. Our grounds for conso-
lation are even less than Claude's. 1t
is still necessary to bend to the oars.
When southern states like Louisiana
and South Carolina, usually supposed
to be apathetic in educational mat
tiers, can rank fifth and sixth. while
at the same time struggling with their
dual system of schools for two races.
we of the vigorous North must take
notice.
The difficulty is too fundamental for
any number of Institutes, inspirational
meetings, etc., to remedy. The addi-
tional requirements for teachers, pro-
vided by the legislature last winter.
were very slight as compared with
q