Local Planning Conferences in North Central Association High Schools

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LOCAL PLANNING CONFERENCES IN NORTH CENTRAL ASSOCIATION — HIGH SCHOOLS

by Myron Swan Olson

A dissertation submitted In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the decree of Doctor of Philosophy, in the Department of Education, in the Graduate College of the State University of Iowa August, 1950

ProQuest Number: 10902181

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ii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The writer wishes to express his deep appreciation to Professor John E + MeAdam who directed this study and to Professor L* A* Van Dyke who revealed the need for a study In this area*

The writer Is Indebted to the sehool administrators who so willingly co« operated in making this study possible*

Gratitude is offered Virginia G* Olson for her many hours of aid In tabulation and typing of these materials*

J i t tl!

lii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

Chapter I

II

NATURE OF THE STUDY « • • « * • * * * * » Introduction « * # # # * • • * » * • Need for This Study # « * * • • • • Tho Problem • • * « » * » * • • * « Procedures • • * • * • • « • • • • • Limits of This Investigation • • • ♦ Summary • * • • • * * • ♦ . * ♦ • *

10 11 13

PATTERNS OF IN-SERVICE TEACHER EDUCATION* .................. PAST AND PRESENT «

lh

Introduction • • • * • • * » * * • • The Teachers' Institute • • • • • • University Extension • • « • • • • • Supervision * » « • « • • The Summer School » • • • • • • * * Teachers* Reading Circles * * * * * Teachers* Associations • • • * « • • Workshops* • • • • * « • • * • • • • Related Research • * • * • • • • * * Summary • • • * • • « » • • • • « • III

1

SURVEY RESULTS

* • * • « • « # * • • • •

Introduction « * • • * • • « * • • • Number of Local Conferences Located in Each State « • • • # * » * « * • Populations of Towns in Which the Planning Conferences Were Located* • Organisation of Schools Having Conferences • « • • • * • • • • • • Length of Conferences Desired Length of Conferences * * * When Conferences Were Held « • • « • When Conferences Originated * * * • Conference Participants# • * « • * * Grade Levels Included « • • * * • •

1

lit 15 29 33 ul l|& 50 57 75 73 8l 81 81 33 33 86 88 39 89 89 90

iv

TABUS OF CONTENTS (eont'd)

Chapter

Pag® Attendance and Remuneration of Teachers « * • * * » • * • « • Evaluation of Conference Conference Planning # • * * » « « Type of Planning and Teachers' Evaluations • » * * • • • » • • • Length of Conferences and Teachers* Evaluations • • • • « • Purposes of Conferences * . * . * Outside Consultant Services • • • Educational Excursions * « • • • Social Activities of Conference

•

90

»

91 92 93

* * •

College Credit • « * • • • • • * Continuity of Local Conference Programs Finance * • * • * * • » • » » • • IV

CASE STUDIES OF LOCAL SCHOOL PLANNING CONFERENCES , * » » * » * * • * » • *

9k 9k 9$ 9$ 97 97 98 98 100 100

Condensed Summary of the Case Studies • • « ............. • * V

101

SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

220

Introduction « * • • • • * • • • Summary • • • • • • • • ........ Conclusions • Recommendations for Organising or Improving Local School Planning

220 221 232 237

Appendix

* • • • • • » • • • • •

Bibliography

2f>8 301

V

TABLE OP TABLES

Table 1

XX XII IV V

Page Humber of Local School Planning Conferences Located In the Twenty North Central Association States • « » • #

82

Relationship of Local Planning Conferences to Slse of Towns • • » « « * •

84

Types of School Organisation Having Local Planning Conferences # « • * • • * •

85

Humber of School Planning Conferences of Various Lengths * • » • « • « • « * • »

87

Purposes for Inaugurating Local Conferences • • # * • * * * » « • • • • •

96

VX

Workshop Location, Slse, Time and Length »

269

VII

Participants, Attendance and Remuneration*

277

VIXX

Evaluations and Planning • • * * • • • • •

285

Workshop Functions and Activities

293

IX

• • • •

vi

TABLE OF CASE STUDIES

Case Study I* 2. 3*

Page

School Planning Conference at Grand Island, Nebraska.......................... .......... . School Planning Conference at Faribault, Minnesota , • « * . • « • « » • • • • • • • •

•

School Planning Conference at Cedar Rapids, Iowa * # • * » « * • • • • , # • • • * * « * • •

106 12lj.

137

it*

School Planning Conference at Davenport* Iowa

»

150

5*

School Planning Conference at Fort Dodge, Iowa

*

156

6*

School Planning Conference at Bay City, Michigan • * * * • « • • • • « • • •

7« 8* 9« 10* 11* 12*

166

School Planning Conference at Austin, Minnesota » * « » , • • * * * • » « * • • • • •

175

School Planning Conference at Dowagiac, Michigan • • • « * « # • * • • • * » • *

185

• • • •

School Planning Conference at Mesa, Arizona

•

•

191

School Planning Conference at Osceola, Arkansas « « * • • • • • • » • • • • • • • • • *

199

School Planning Conference at Plymouth, Michigan • » * # * • * • • • • • « * * * * • « •

206

School Planning Conference at Little Rock, Arkansas

216

1 Chapter 1 NATURE OF THE STUDY

Functional education le the result of a combined and integrated effort of an entire staff working with the learner toward the attainment of common educational objectives*

It is not the sum total

of individual and unrelated efforts of teachers and 1 administrators* The typical high school program contains little horizontal integration*

Each teacher goes his

own way, endeavoring to the best of his ability to realise his individually conceived objectives, and the total teaching situation in the school becomes piece­ meal, with much duplication of effort and many omissions* There has been little or no common planning, discussion, and solution of problems, or agreement as to what the sum total of the year1s work should be*

The faculty has

1* A. Proposed Design for Secondary Education in Iowa* Iowa Secondary School IJooperatlve CurrIcuiunT frogram* Dee Koines, lowai The state of Iowa, 19l|*7» Vol* 2, pp* lit*»l$«

net Jointly concluded what the common effect of ell their teaching shall be or what changes shall take place in the students as human beings*

It Is merely

hoped that somehow from the various segmentary contributions of social studies* literature* science* and mathematics that the pupil will be changed for the better*

But little* if any* over-all planning has been

2

done*

Ozie important cause of the Inadequate horizontal

Integration has been the lack of sufficient time for @ H m p planning*

In the typical school the teachers

have arrived the day previous to the students* arrival with little time for group planning except a one or two hour general organisational meeting* In like manner* there has been too little vertical integration In the total educational program often due to heavy class loads and lack of time*

The

elementary* secondary* and the higher educational units have too often been independent of each other in planning* procedures* and objectives*

This independence 3 has been to the detriment of the student*

3

Membera of each local educational staff need to have a mutual understanding of problems and educational objectives*

The total program must be so

planned that the student may experience continuous growth through each successive level of his education* As one step toward securing desirable integration in our publie schools* the local school planning conferences or local school workshops have arisen during the past few years and are now growing In number rapidly throughout the nation*

In some schools

these have been called "institutes** "workshops** "preschool conferences** "planning conferences", "work conferences** "orientation conferences"* or "preliminary school conferences”*

These have varied In length from

twe days to several weeks and have been held during the summer months* Immediately preceding* during* or follow­ ing the school term* If teachers are expected to employ democratic procedures In their relationships with children and to exercise freedom In directing children* they must have experiences that result in an understanding of how goals are established* evaluated* and achieved*

Opportunity

for such experiences should be provided in the program

4 of education for teachers in service*

One unique feature

of the total school**faculty workshop technique la that it alma to provide this opportunity for all participants* This study is primarily Interested in these local school planning conferences or workshops of from two to ten days in length which immediately precede the opening of the new school term*

issSi

IJfflg lilaiS

By 19ij.Q a demand for school planning conferences (or workshops) serving a single school district had arisen as a means to attain a more functional educational 5 program* the majority of participants felt that herein lay the connecting link between educational theory or college preparation and practical application to a local

6

educational program* Because of the felt success of the pioneering

it* Kenneth Wine trout and John 0* Robertson, "Workshops in Education", The Bulletin of the Rational Association of Secondary School PrinclpalsTvoI» 31 * St Heaton* K*L*, Camp* W*G* and P*B* Diederich, Professional Education for Experienced Teachers, p* 11* 6* Wine trout and Robertson, op* clt*, p* 14).*

5 few, ether school administrators and teaehers expressed a desire to Initiate such programs*

In searching for

organisational suggestions and resource materials, these educators have been at a loss to find sufficient published materials*

Little resource material which could be used

as a guide in inaugurating local school planning conferences is available even nee* If organisational principles and evaluative criteria are not formulated and made accessible to these initiators* it is likely that existing and newly initiated local planning conferences may merely be mimicked programs with few functional benefits* or may deteriorate into formalised "institutes’*. In the fall of 19h9$ this investigator had an opportunity to conduct sixteen two-hour discussion sessions with small groups of teachers representing twenty-five counties in Iowa*

These teachers represented

small and large elementary and secondary schools in Iowa with the secondary teachers being in the majority due to the nature of the discussions*

During a few minutes of

these sessions a short questionnaire was distributed* and 103 secondary teachers volunteered to complete the information

requested*

Seventy eight per cent of these taught

6

In towns of loss than 5 *00 0 population while 22 per cent taught In towns of 5*000 to 25*000 population*

The

introductory statement of the questionnaire read as follows s This short questionnaire is a part of a study being made to improve our educational program planning in Iowa* For many years the staff In the typical school has been called back to work the day before or the day on which the pupils arrive# There Is little chance at that time and very little during the year for the faculty a® one to determine their educational goals* their common objectives* and procedures* Each teacher has had to establish his own goals and hope that they would contribute to the education of the whole child* At present nine schools in Iowa call their teachers back some three to five days before the opening of school in the fall to plan as one group toward common objectives# If your school does not have such a presession planning conference of three or more days in length* will you please complete the following without any signature* Only junior or senior high school teachers are requested to do so* From the information received anonymously* the following results were obtained! I4.0# of the teachers were new to their school systems# 69# stated that they had been given no opportunity to understand their schools* objectives before the school year began*

7 60 $ indicated that even though their schools had boon In session from two to four weeks* they had received no clear concept of the educational objectives through group discussion*

50$ had not participated in formulating over­ all educational objectives of any type for that school* 36 $ replied in the negative when asked if they felt as if they "belonged” in the community in which they taught#

73$ reported that their faculty as a group had not had the opportunity to see or hear about the community resources available for educational purposes* $*$ replied in the negative when asked if they felt that their staff had adequate time for sufficient educational planning during the regular school year* 92$ checked in the affirmative when the following question was submitted * "Do you feel the need for a three to five day staff planning conference before the school term which might includes the study of local educational problems* demonstrations of latest methods and procedures* social activities* excursions to community resources of educational importance* the aid of expert consultants* and group planning?” 88$ replied that such a planning conference would seem important enough to them to attend without pay* if need be* 95$ replied that they believed that they would become better teachers if suoh a local workshop were held for them* These replies were not unusual in the light of

8

actual practices in other areas of the United States* In two recent local school planning conferences (or workshops) projected and executed by the Atlanta* Georgia* Teachers* Association* several hundred teachers voluntarily came together without any administrative or supervisory promotion*

These conferences ran for several days and 7 the voluntary attendance increased with each session* These anonymous replies point to a definite need and desire for the opportunity of staff planning on a local school basis*

Though the majority of opinion

was in favor of extra remuneration for time spent* S3 per cent of these teachers were willing to spend the time without extra pay*

These teachers indicated that

sufficient time for joint educational planning was not available during the year and that in their opinions* they would become better teachers as a result of unified planning* The Problem A survey of the local school planning eonferences (or workshops) in the twenty states comprising

7» Ij*D* Haskew and Gerald Y, Smith* ’’Teachers Gan Plan Workshops»n Educational Leadership, February, 19^5* pp* 20^-206 . *

9

the North Central Association of College® and Secondary Schools was made through questionnaire results, visits, and personal interviews with the objective of attaining answers to the following questions) 1*

What 1® the extent and nature of the local

school planning conferences (or workshops) with respect tot location, dates of Initiation, type of schools, functions# methods of organisation, length, methods of financing, extent of participation, use of consultants, use of resource materials, evaluative procedures, and possible future plans? 2,

What are the procedures which appear to be

meeting the educational functions as proposed by the initiators successfully and democratically? 3#

What are some of the major inherent

dangers in existing patterns which may tend to cause the local conference® or workshops to become ineffective? it*

In the opinion of the participating

administrators and teachers is this new procedure a step toward the adoption of th® all-year program in secondary schools? 5*

What are the implications of this local

school^planning conference movement for teacher training Institutions and state departments of public instruction?

10 Mgdjgjs The following procedures were used to obtain the Information desired and described in the preceding section of this study* 1*

An examination of the published literature

pertaining to in-service training was made with particular attention devoted to local workshops and local school planning conferences* 2*

A survey of the twenty North Central

Association states through state departments of public instruction* teacher training institutions* North Central Association State Chairmen* and local school administrators was made to locate the number of secondary schools conducting local planning conferences of two to fifteen days duration* 3#

After these schools had been located* a

questionnaire was sent to them to determine the methods of organisation* functions and purposes* time lengths* methods of financing* breadth of participation, and evaluation procedures used in these local planning conferences* ij.* A personal visit was made to a variety of these schools In four states to observe the procedures

11 used in the89 local planning conferences*

At

these schools administrators and teachers were inter* viewed on the various phases of local school planning conferences* 5*

Several hundred participants ware requested

to evaluate their planning conference experiences*

The

results of these evaluations were studied In the light of the programs offered* 6*

Detailed case studies of several local

school planning conferences were made for presentation as illustrative procedures* 7*

From the data secured from the question*

nairas* visits* and interviews* conclusions and recommendations are herein submitted for consideration by those who have a local conference or wish to initiate this type of program to facilitate growth of staff personnel on the job*

Jmm&SS

1*

Sm mmmm SS SS m ^m S ^& m m

It is recognised that much of the information

collected for this study is subjective*

The veracity

of the people interviewed and of those completing the

12

questionnaire was relied upon* 2*

This study does not attempt to evaluate

practices in designated localities as ;;ood or bad, but attempts to present a variety of procedures for consideration* 3*

For obvious reasons some schools conducting

thl« type of in-service training have not been located* Every reasonable effort has been made to locate such schools through educational leaders in each state* 4*

Evaluation of each conference, as to

the

degree of suocess which It has enjoyed, is based entirely upon the judgment of those replying and those interviewed* £•

Personal likes and dislikes, Individual

backgrounds of training, and many other local factors have without question Influenced many replies* 6*

It was not possible for the investigator

to visit all of the schools in twenty states, but seventeen schools having local planning conferences in four states were visited* 7*

Predictions as to permanency of these

local school planning conferences, trends, and possible changes are made only upon available Information*

13

&SSSZ Educational innovations arise as varied attempts are made to solve educational problems or to fulfill educational needs*

When the same Innovation

arises in a large number of schools to fulfill similar educational needs* a new movement may be in the making, the local school planning conference (or workshop) appears to bo such a device* this study proposed to determine the extensive* ness* purposes* methods of organisation* procedures* and any other phase of the local planning conferences which may have a pronounced impact upon the educational program as it now exists* The twenty states included In the North Central Association of Colleges and High Schools have been selected as the area base for this study* From this study* It is hoped that the organisational principles and evaluative criteria which were discovered will aid in initiating and Improving local school planning conferences*

It is also hoped

that a sufficient number of illustrative procedures and materials may be brought to the attention of interested educators*

Chapter II FATTENS® OF IN-SERVICE TEACHER EDUCATION# FAST AND PRESENT Introduction Contributions to the ln*service growth of staff members in the schools of America have been varied Some movements flourished# underwent changes# and remained while others entirely vanished from the scene* Each arose from a felt need and each made a contribution A brief discussion of several of these interesting patterns# how they developed# and of what significance each was* will be given to provide the background of the advent of the local workshops and local school planning conferences*

Those included will bes (1) the

teachers* Institute $ (2) university extension; (3) supervision; (I;) the summer school; (5) teachers* reading circles; (6) teachers* associations; and (?) workshops*

The local planning conferences# which

are the main concern of this study* will be described in the discussion on workshops*

15

as,» The influence of the teaohers* institute which preceded the advent of the public normal school has often been underestimated.

Educational historians

give Henry Barnard the credit for establishing the first of these# which were of American origin# at Hartford# Connecticut# in 1839#

He assembled twenty-

six young men for a six weeks period of Instruction In pedagogies as well as a review of common school subjects# The Hartford schools were in session# and the group observed actual practices in the classroom#

The purpose

of the first Institute was to better prepare Inadequately trained teachers#

Because of Its success another

institute was held the following year and an additional one added for women teachers# Barnard was assisted by ' ' 1 a number of prominent educators in his new venture« Simultaneously In New York State# Samuel N* Sweet had started a convention which closely resembled that of Barnard’s#

Actually the term "institute" was

first used in connection with the New York convention# composed of twenty-eight teachers# held in Ithaca in

m.

*1 Cf

tf

P* 155*

1# Willard S# Elsbree# The American Teacher# r-TinTmw

- r - c.

r -

i. r-i ~

r.-r.ir— ■ “

—

16 tlm spring of 1 % 3 #

Sweet's idea was to establish

temporary normal sehools in New York state*

This

institute lasted two weeks In Tompkins County and was Judged suet* a success that within the next two years thirty~nine New York counties held similar "institutes” with more than one thousand teachers in attendance*

Other

states observed the program and soon instigated similar 2 programs* The institutes were widely publicised by IQlfa and eaught the attention of Horace Mann, who believed them so worthwhile that he secured a thousand dollar fund for their adoption in Massachusetts*

Four towns in

Massachusetts were designated as places of meeting* and in each fifty male and fifty female participants were accepted*

State governmental officials took careful

notice of this new project and were so keenly interested In It that the legislature of Massachusetts appropriated 3 twenty-five hundred dollars for their support In 181^6# Such institutes* held once or twice a year for periods of two to eight weeks* were quickly adopted by ether states as far west as Ohio* Michigan* and Illinois*

2. Ibid., pp. 155-157. 3. Loo. Pit.

17 These war® not established a® substitute® for academic training but as supplementary agencies for review and improvement#

In some states private contributions

enabled tbs program to enlarge* whereas in other states public funds were granted by the legislatures*

For

example* Khode Island in 181*5 made it law that the commissioner of public schools must establish such institutes nwhere teachers and such as propose to teach may become acquainted with the most approved and success* ful methods of arranging the studies and conducting the discipline of instruction of public schools0* The nature of the early institutes can best be illustrated by the following instructions by Sweet which were issued to the applicants* Bach applicant must be provided with a Bible or Testamentj with a slate and pencil; with pen* ink* and paper} with geography and atlas* and with the reading book for the first class Which is most generally used In the neighbor* hood whence he comes* Each one must also have an English dictionary* and a small blank book* or oommon place book* It is the design of a Teachers* Institute to bring together those who are actually engaged in teaching common schools* or who propose to become so* in order that they may be formed

k* Ibid** p. 157*

5* Samuel N# Sweet* Teachers* Institutes* pp# k5mk9*

13 Into classes, and that those classes, under able Instruetors, may be exercised, questioned and drilled, in the same manner that the classes of a good Common School are exercised* questioned and drilled* thus, during their attendance on the Institute, the future teachers become scholars. They are expected to prepare and reeite lessons, in the same way they would expect their scholars to do* At the close of some of the institutes the participants were publicly tested on the subject matter cowered*

Evening sessions wore held and were usually

devoted to more general topics which caught public d attention as well as that of teachers* 7 Phelps stated the Institute objectives in much the same manner t an Institute for the improvement of teachers should be organised and conducted, not only as a school, but so far as circum* stances will allow, as a model school* — ~ young teachers should themselves be subjected to a regime similar to that which they impose upon their own pupils* It should be systematically organised and conducted, and the system thus Illustrated In its operations should be clearly marked as to impress itself upon the mind of every teacher present* Otherwise, the most valuable lessons which It is capable of giving will be lost* A loosely adminls* tered system Is no better than downright

6* Willard S* Elsbree, op* clt ** pp* l£?*l£8* 7# William F. Phelps, The Teacher*s Hand-Book p. 11*

19 disorder# so fur 00 its influence upon the teachers la concerned. Hence* to be effectivet It must be precise* and to a certain extent * exacting* It must secure prompt obedience* which is but another name for self-denial* As a majority of the persona attending the institute are young teachers* the examples cf wise organisation and effective disci* pline which it may present* will be of inestimable value* and should not be omitted# In no respects are our schools more deficient than in these* and it is our duty to do everything In our power to reform them* The roll should be called precisely at the time appointed for each of the three dally sessions* As the movement spread* educational theory gradually replaced the emphasis on basic subject matter* Problems of the teaching profession and ways of improving and unifying the teaching profession soon were Included In the areas for discussion*

Opportunities were provided

for reports and resolutions by various teachers' committees were propounded*

The modern question of equal pay for

women and men teachers was brought forth in a resolution In the Chenango County Institute held in Hew York state 8 in lSij.6 as reported by Blabree* At the iSij.? Chautauqua County Institute held at Maysvlll© and the Mercer and Crawford Institute held

8* Willard S* Blsbree* Og* cit., p* l£8.

20 «t Jamestown, Pennsylvania, in I8f>8, such questions as 9 these were given mueh considerations X*

What is the beat method of preventing whispering? 2* Whet is the beet method of teaching morale? 3* Should the teachers encourage pupile to chew tobacco? !}>• Should teachera open their schools In the mending by reading a portion of the scripture? 5* Should the rod he used in school? 6* Is it better f or teachera to board around? ?# Should the wage a of females be equal to those of male teachers? It can be concluded from an examination of these programs of early institutes that the quality of topics discussed depended to a large extent upon the wisdom and vision of the institute leaders*

Subject matter emphasis

in many plaees gave way to study and discussion of philosophical principles as well as to emphasis on methods and procedures* 18 Samuel ?• Bates,

In l86lj., prepared a handbook

as a guide to those who wished to organize institutes* Some of the topics which he proposed for discussion may

9* fill**

*59*

10* Samuel P* Bates* Methods of Teachers* Institutes and the fhecry of e Tuc SH'oq— PP.'" greg:

21 give ax* insight Into the nature and scope of institute programs In their later years t 1*

Is It necessary that the laboring class In a nation should be educated? 2« In what way can a teacher most success* fully impart moral instruction in tbs school? 3. should moral instruction be a stated exercise* or be only incidentally introduced? i|.« How can pupils best be taught good manners? 5* Are our courses of study and methods of teaching sufficiently practical? 6* What is the true philosophy of school* government? ?* Are public school examinations and exhibitions advisable? 6# What methods of Instruction will most successfully lead pupils to original investigation? 9* What is the best method of teaching by the use of object lessons? 10* Should a textbook be prepared in the form of question and answer? 11* Should prises and rewards be offered for superiority of scholarship? It* What are the prominent causes of failure in teaching? 13* What are the causes of declining health of pupils* and the remedies? Hj* How can cordial co-operation of parents be best secured? 15* What is the natural order of mental development? I6* Does the stability of a nation depend upon the universal diffusion of intelligence? 17* Do the good morals of a community depend upon its intelligence? The variety of topics chosen increased as the technique grew and spread to new localities*

Textbook

22 and supply company officials wore quick to recognize the Institutes as an opportunity to display and sell their products as in our modern time#

In fact# some of the

early writers deplored the fact that the program was U almost disrupted at times by eager salesmen# j Prominent educators of that time and historians are in general agreement that despite the limitations which teachers* Institutes had# they were highly beneficial* While they were not advocated as substitutes for normal schools# they were a means of improving the general level of teaching in a short period of time and directing the profession to serious thought on problems of the day* They initiated some needed reforms and were the fore12 runner of teachers* associations# As Elsbree statess It seems clear that the growth of the pop* ulation during this period much Surpassed the establishment and maintenance of normal schools and that thousands of prospective teachers had no other means of securing even the most elementary training for their posts outside of the Institute* Of equal significance was the stimulation provided by this agency toward the professional growth of those Individuals who had entered the teaching profession before the advent of any kind of teacher-preparatory insti­ tution# The fusion of new Ideas of

11* Willard S* Blabree* Op* clt** pp* 160*161* 12* Ibid.,

PP.

161-162.

23 teaching and of classroom management was mad® possible through institute sessions* and Incalculable value was derived if the comments of state superintendents and county school officers can be relied upon* 13 Bates summarised his enthusiasm in the following paragraph: "Teachers Institutes** have Inaugurated a new era In the science of teaching* The Impetus which they have given to Inquiry and earnest thought is very generally felt In the sphere of public Instruction* They occupy a place which cannot be supplied by any other agencyf and though they do not furnish the solid nutriment, yet they supply the teacher the vital air which is equally Indiapenslble to him* Wherever they have been most regularly and systematically supported, there have the abundant fruits demonstrated their necessity, \ Perhaps the most notable achievement was the arousal of public interest and sentiment in favor of providing better schools.

Many of the sessions were

attended and participated in by patrons, parents and public officials.

Through thl,s agency, teachers

were unified into groups of action wherein many re commend at ions were made to local and state legislatures. Many educational improvements can be attributed to these

13* Samuel P* Bates, Op, cit,, p. ?#

24

legislative recommendations.

Institutes went on record

as favoring state normal schools* supervision* higher salaries and state aid for future institutes* By i860 the teachers * institute was well established in many states and continued for several decades after the Civil War*

Because of our tremendously

Increasing population* it was Impossible and too slow for the normal school to properly train all entrants to the teaching profession*

The teachers* institute was

one medium used in attempting to raise the standards of the teaching profession* As an example of its tremendous growth* 14 Elsbree

cites the situation in the state of Michigan

as fairly typical*

In 1360 Michigan had eight institutes

with an enrollment of 125>1 individuals and In 1370 the number had increased to sixteen with an attendance of 20Qf5*

By 1380 sixty-five Institutes were held with a

total attendance of 4432*

similar increases were

evident in many other states*

For the school year of

1836*1887, the United States Commissioner reported 2003 institutes with a total enrollment of 13 8 *946 *

1 4 * Blsbree* 0 g* clt* * p. 361 *

25 With such a growth, It appeared to many that the teachers* Institutes were to become & permanent means of facilitating teacher growth ia«eerviee#

The

programs were planned by state superintendents of schools, county superintendents, and norraal-school principals# Prominent personalities, men of science, and eminent scholars and teachers were deluged with invitations to 15 Speak at these programs* The institute's quality was weakened by its lack of cooperative planning*

In many instances, the entire

institute was planned by one person*

The usual length

of the institute was from three to six days*

Many of

the evening lectures were of the inspirational and discussion nature hut the major emphasis of the sessions was on the methods of teaching reading, arithmetic, language, and geography*

16

In 1911 Buadiger

undertook a survey of

teachers* institutes for the United States Bureau of Education and found that they were in a very flourishing condition as judged by number and enrollment.

Usually,

15* Ibid., P. 362, 1 6 * William C, Buedtgsr, Agencies for the Improvement of tjeaehcrf in Service, 1 pp» '11

26 attendance was compulsory# and they ware supported by state funds which ranged from twenty-five dollars per county In Georgia to fifty thousand dollars for the entire program in Slew York State#

He deplored their

quality at that time as fossilised and antiquated# At the end of the first decade of the twentieth century it became apparent to some that the development of summer schools# improved supervision# and the normal schools in cities had replaced much of the original need for Institutes#

However# the legislative acts and

appropriations were still in existence and strong 17 sentiment remained for their continuance# Lomraen expressed much concern with the impracticability of the existing Institutes in 1921 but felt as if teachers of that day were so poorly prepared generally# that their continuance was a necessity#

By 1922 forty-four states

were still rising the Institutes in some form, and thirty of these states had legislation requiring them to be 18 held#

17* Georgians Lommen# "The Teachers* Institute as an Agency for Training Teachers in Service. % Journal Of Rural Hducatlon# Vol# I# October, 1921# p# 60*” "“ ™ Id# llsbree, Gjg# clt#. pp. 365 -366 #

87 Barr and Burton

state that In 1926 the

institute was held In almost every county of every state in the country*

They concluded that some good was

accomplished* but that much teacher dissatisfaction with the institute prevailed*

They recommended that the

institution be carefully scrutinised*

Helfenstein

found thirty-six states holding annual county institutes in 19$&• He found attendance was compulsory for most teachers and that county superintendents were doubtful about their value*

In 1930 De Long

made a study of

the problems of the Institutes which existed in con­ formance with state law in Pennsylvania*

Jensen

found

in 1933 that twenty-six states were still holding Institutes on school time* As the teachers* Institutes were originally created to train prospective teachers quickly when

19* A*S« Barr and W*H« Burton, The Supervision of Instruction* p* i$4# " ~ Reactions to County Institute Programs University of'Towa, I^li*

" achers* A* Thesis

2X«Leo Ray De Long, City School Institutes in Pennsylvania* —

28

provision for such training could not be met by existing teacher♦training institutions, it seems that they are doomed to extinction or replacement#

A large number of

greatly improved teacher-training facilities are now available, and as a provider of basic teacher-training, institutes probably can no longer be justified#

However,

their purposes, procedures and emphases may be changed to those connecting theories and methods, as taught by teacher-training institutions, with practical applications in local school situations#

They may continue to

flourish and merge with the very pre-seas Ion planning conferences which are the subject of this study. Much can he learned by present educators who are Initiating in-service training programs from the criticisms of the teachers* institutes of the past* These criticisms or weaknesses were t (1) emphasis on the lecture method! (2) treatment of participants as students! (3) use of formal recitations and examinations! (It) compulsory attendance of teachers! (5) programs which were too condensed and crowded into a short period of time| (6) planning and execution by one or by a very limited number of leaders; (7) emphasis on narrow problems of subject matter and methodology; (8) use of experts

29

an lecturers instead of consultants; (9) failure to include major problems of concern to all; and (10) failure to use the democratic procedures of co-operative planning* University Extension Professor Benjamin Stillman of Yale College* who in 1806 gave a series of popular lectures on chemistry* Is accorded the credit of originating the extension course idea In America*

This was originated

for the benefit of the cltisehs of Hew Haven and not for teachers« His lectures were very successful* and he was Influential in developing a favorable attitude toward adult education*

As successful as M s project

was* the extension courses sponsored by -universities did not come as a direct result of his work but from the educational program of the American Lyceum.

This medium

for disseminating learning flourished in the northern and Eastern states before the Civil War and from 1865 to 1890 in the South*

the Kedpath Lyceum Bureau of Chicago

probably promoted the lecture movement in the United States to a greater degree than any other*

The lyceums

were gradually supplanted by systematic programs of

30

instruction sponsored by various colleges and unlverai23 ties* Public libraries adopted extension programs after a meeting of the American Library Association, in 188?, and this spread rapidly*

The Chautauqua Summer

school which was thriving by 1888 also introduced and 2i± directed many university-extenslon programs* In 1888 the Brooklyn teachers began a program which prompted the state legislature of Hew York, in 1891, to appropriate ten thousand dollars for organising university extension work under the sponsorship of the University of Hew York*

During the year 1898-1899 the

program included thirty* From a review of the literature on university extension courses some conclusions which have Implications for this particular study came to light#

These conclusions

are* (1) the bringing of university staff members to the local school system encouraged many teachers to continue their professional study and lead to numerous modifications In teaching practice ; (2) It demonstrated that there are a number of techniques and courses which can be given and acquired more effectively in the field than at a university; (3) the local school plant offered a splendid laboratory for weighing theories and experimenting with progressive methods under the guidance of specialists; and (ii) teachers in the same school system had homogeneous

27* Ibid#, p. 388. 28# "Statistical Summary of Education,** Biennial Survey of Education in the United States, Office ofnTOucatloh, 1 * p*® #

33 problem* and a homogeneity of common experiences* 29 objectives and community resources* Benefits can be derived by noting the criticisms made of university extension courses*

These were* (1)

that much of the work offered had no relationship to the practical problems of teachers in the fieldf (2) there was a tendency for the extension staff members to be overworked* fatigued* and

ill prepared for the assigned

tasks} (3) proper extension standards of proficiency were not maintained} and (1|) library materials and other resource materials were inadequate* Supervision The meaning of supervision as it relate* to teaching has greatly changed from the Colonial Period in America to the present time*

It has existed in

one form dr another* however* from the very inception of American schools which were wholly or partially supported at public expense*

Early supervision or

inspection was performed by laymen*

Modern supervision

Is delegated to professionally trained personnel who de*emphaslse the inspeetlonal aspects*

29# Elsbree, op* cit**

pp*

389-390*

34 In the Colonial Period ministers and prominent eltlsens either were selected or took upon themselves the role of appraising the work of the school from time to time*

During their visits they usually took

note oft (1) the progress of the children In the mastery of religious principles and doctrines; (2) the ability of the children to read; (3) the progress in writing and arithmetic; (1+) the number of children in attendance; and {$) the penmanship of the school masters*

In some

areas the Binspectors” were asked to note discipline* to cheek the hours kept by the teacher and to make 30 certain that the school master was using proper methods* Such routine inspections of schools continued through the Revolutionary War*

The public continued

to delegate to laymen the management of school affairs and the surveillance of teachers and pupils*

The quality

of such supervision was so poor that it became Increasingly apparent that busy laymen could not and would not do it effectively*

It was generally conceded that teachers

were wborn” and not "made" , and little effort was made to improve the general level of instruction.

Therefore,

effective supervision remained dormant for a long period of time*

30* Ibid* * pp* 71-72*

35

Purlng the first half of the 19th century forces were at work which were to make a change in supervisory techniques mandatory*

Cities began to grow*

reads were improved* new and better methods of communicat­ ions came into existence* Inventions replaced hand labor* and the complexity of life increased everywhere*

Leisure

time increased rapidly as did demands for vocational training*

Schools grew rapidly and were called upon to

expand their programs to meet Increasing cultural and vocational demands*

In 1785 the Congress of the Con­

federation passed legislation which laid the foundation for state support of schools*

?hs setting aside of

public lands for education gave rise to the first state supervision of schools*

This state supervision was

primarily concerned/with the material aspects of education but established a pattern which later carried 31 over to the Instructional processes* In 1812 New York became the first state to recognise the Importance of selecting one person to be responsible for /the supervision of its schools and appointed a state officer* —

f

Shortly thereafter Illinois,

—

31. Ibid.. pp. 16M-65.

—

—

-

Vermont, Louisiana, Pennsylvania and Tennessee appointed the secretaries of state to act as state superintendents 32 of schools* By l86l Cubberly reports that nine states of the thirty-four existing states had ex-officio officers of education and nineteen states had regular officers*

It was believed by many to be the duty of

these state superintendents to visit all of the schools in the state*

This was obviously an impossibility with

horse and buggy*

One early comment was mad© by a state

superintendent that it would take him a full sixteen years to do so* It soon became apparent that little supervision could be done by a single state officer, and that there was a great need for solidarity and unification of the various units and districts within each state* Local school committees and lay inspectors proved unable to offer helpful solutions to the Increasingly complex educational problems*

The solution seemed to point

toward the need of direct local supervision of teachers and curricula by trained personnel*

Many plans were

tried in various states, but the most promising seemed to

32* Ellwood P* Cubberly, State School Administration, p. 27h»

37

be that of a county school officer who would act as a liaison officer between the state and local school 33 districts* Unfortunately, this became a political office In most areas and often a man with little or no educational training was elected* It Is hardly conceivable to us today how poorly the program of studies# the preparation of teachers# the physical equipment of the schools# and the supervision 314must have been In those early days* Ulsbree reports one Pennsylvania county superintendent as writing of his infrequent supervisory visitss In one school where I had drawn the map of Pennsylvania on the blackboard# the same diagram had remained for a year* the board never having been used in the Interim* In another# not a scholar In the school could tell me in what country he lived* and when 1 held up Holbrook*s five inch globe* the oceans on which were painted blue# and asked what it was# a large boy# at least seventeen years of age* replied# "A bird’s Although the majority of early schools were in poor condition physically and educationally* the office of county superintendent contributed many

33* Elsbree# Og. jsitti p* 167* 3 I4.. Ibid.. p. 169.

38

improvements* The greatest advancement a were made In the urban areas*

Their educational problems became so

numerous and complex that It became necessary to delegate administration and supervision to professionally trained educators*

More uniformity of programs of study among

schools within a oity became a necessity, teachers had to be examined and employed and school buildings had to be erected and maintained*

So many problems arose that

laymen on school committees could not and did not perform their duties*

The job became so large In many areas

that laymen would not accept the position of a school committee member or resigned shortly after election* Due to such pressure on the lay boards every* where, Buffalo, followed by many other cities, established the local office of superintendent of schools In 1837* Unfortunately, no uniform qualifications were set up for this office, and In some localities it became a political job*

Unemployed persons, doctors and lawyers whose

practices had fallen off, and clergymen sometimes 35 considered themselves qualified and were elected* the most part# however, experienced schoolmen were

35* Ibid*, p* 172*

For

39 appointed or elected to these positions* Supervision was left almost entirely to the discretion of the local superintendent•

The two techniques

most commonly employed were classroom visitations and teachers* meetings*

The classroom observations were

very subjective as no standardised tools existed for either measuring pupil achievement or for evaluating te&oher methods*

Attendance at the teachers* meetings

which were usually held on Saturdays was compulsory* The teaching principalship preceded the superintendency In origin but lacked effective super* vision techniques*

In most schools the teacher who taught

the highest classes in the school was named principal, and he or she knew little of the methods and materials appropriate for the lower grade areas* Such was the history of supervision from 1??6 up to the Civil War*

It could readily be concluded that

many of the poorly trained teachers did not look upon supervision with favor*

Some of them actively opposed

the creation of a superintendency with the reasoning that it would be a waste of money* Techniques of supervision were little improved during this period, but the administrative framework

40

was formed which eventually led to improvement of instructional procedures. Supervision as conceived by educators today differs widely from the old or traditional concept*

The

traditionally Imposed supervision obscured one of the most important principles of m o d e m education* namely* that each teacher has the possibility of self-direction and self-improvement*

Many Interested and energetic

teachers need only encouragement and assistance to under* take the solution of their own problems and improve their own procedures*

Supervision in the modern school is

leadership and not inspection*

The focus of supervision

today Is on the improvement of a situation* not on a teacher or group of teachers*

Xt directs attention

toward the fundamental processes of education*

Xt has as

a goal the improvement of the total teaching-learningprocess and is not limited to the narrower aim of improving only teachers*

Under It the teacher and supervisor work

co-operatively and not under the assumption that the supervisor Is superior to the teacher*

Modern super­

vision Includes study* analysis* planning and organisation which are derived through co-operative efforts*

It

includes many educational workers and has many diverse

36 functions# The modern concept of supervision is one from which the Ideal local profession planning conferences er workshops were born and on which they must continue to function*

The

Jtehggl

This type of training for teachers was not inaugurated until 1872 when touts Agassig, a Harvard scientist* established a seaside summer laboratory for university students and teachers of science*

From its

Inception this agency seemed to be one which would supplement the work of normal schools and replace 37 institutes* The response by the enrolled group was not encouraging but the idea fascinated John Anderson, a wealthy Hew York manufacturer* who offered a tract of lend and fifty thousand dollars for the establishment

36* A»S. Barr* W#H* Burton* and i»*J* Brueckner, Supervision* pp* 12*13* 37* W#W« Willoughby* wTh© History of Summer Schools In the United States”* in Report of the Commissioner of Education, (Washington* "Government FrlntingfIfice* ol* II*, p* 899*

42 and operation of a summer school of zoology to be directed by Agassis*

this project proved so expensive that it was

discontinued after two summer sessions*

A few other

similar projects sponsored by universities were tried on a small scale and were Important In establishing the 36 foundations on which future expansion was made* The modern summer school had Its inception at the Lake Chautauqua institute established in I8I4.7 . This originated as a conference for Sunday school workers and for the improvement of methods of teaching the Bible* To these methods of religious teaching were added methods of normal-school procedures*

Partially due to

the attractive surroundings of Lake Chautauqua the response of enrolled members from all parts of the United States exceeded all expectations*

The school

became so popular by 1890 that it was divided into six departments*

The department known as the wteachers*

retreat*1 with Francis W* Parker as its principal had 39 the following program in 1891 * The faculty of the teachers1 retreat will present and illustrate the system of teach* lng and training now in operation In the professional training class of the Cook

3 8 * Elsbree, 0j>. cit* p* 369 .

39. W.w, Willoughby, 0£. cit., p. 926 ,

43

County normal school* by talks on psychology* pedagogics* and methods* and lessons upon the principles and methods of teaching the natural sciences* geography, history, elocution* literature and number* The distinctive feature of the professional training may be designated by the work concern** tration* dll the teaching and training Is concentrated upon the central subject of life and the laws of life, physical, mental and moral* All the talks and lessons of every teacher will he In the closest relation and under one common principle* The director will ex** plain the principles of psychology and pedagogies* and each teacher In his or her department will Illustrate and apply to practical schoolroom work the theory presented by the director* In addition to the nteachers* retreat” many teachers were attracted to the School of Physical Culture and the School of Music*

The Teachers1 Hetreat

reached and maintained almost unrivaled popularity from ko 1680 to 1900* One experiment which gained a wide reputation for In-service training of teachers was the Martha*s Vineyard Summer Institute which was begun in 18?8* The session was five weeks long, and a fee of fifteen dollars per pupil was charged by each department in

kO* Elsbree, 0&, Jit*, p* 371*

44

which they enrolled*

One of the weakest departments

at the start was the department of didactics* but by 1690 It had become the strongest*

In 1366 the depart*

went of education offered a three weeks session in methods of instruction in the ordinary branches of elementary school learning* and the following year some 350 students were enrolled*

In 1390 a department of

high*aehool methods was Initiated and this* too* became 4l very popular and well attended* Other summer schools which offered opportunities for teachers to increase their professional training appeared In Hew York* Wisconsin* Indiana* Illinois and other states*

One example of these was The Summer

School of the South at Knoxville* Tennessee* which by I4.J? 190S enrolled seme 2000 students* By 1900 many educators were promoting summer schools as the best existing means to improve the large number of poorly trained teachers.

Some ambitious

students acquired their entire college education through

k U Ibid.* pp. 372*373* ^2* Ibid»* p* 373*

45

attond&nce In summer sessions*

Aa a rule, however#

credits and certification were of minor importance as the great majority of enrolleea did not receive credit for attendance#

Some poorly trained teachers were required

to attend to hold their teaching positions# but moat of 43 them came voluntarily# By 1911 Ruediger found that aumraer-aehool attendance had increased aa some state departments and other licensing agencies began to recognise . such attendance in granting renewed or new licenses# Many Teachers’ Institutes were replaced by ..-i

■£«*.

States Bureau of Education

* - • » . « » . « «

survey, 38,114.0 men and

155#230 women were in summer school in 1911# rose to 66,581 men and 155,230 women by 1915#

This A decrease

In enrollment took place during World War 1 but a rapid increase occurred thereafter*

Enrollment reached

4 2 2 ,7 5 4 in 1931, when summer courses were offered by

some 555 colleges, universities, and teacher training

43* ibid*, pp. 373-375* 14# Ruediger, Qg* bit*, pp. 51*52# 45# “Summer Schools in 1916”, Biennial Survey of Education, tUS* Bureau of Education, bulletin T9T9,

46 46 Institutions*

Enrollments In education courses 4? accounted for over 64 per cent of these* By the summer of 1947 the United States Office of Education reported the enrollment had risen to 963,704*

This

declined to 933*080 In 194® and 936,06l In 1949* 49 Blehree listed four major influences which caused the summer school to reach such proportions in its teacher training aspects*

These Influences weres

(1) the inoreaaed requirements for new and renewed certification, usually within a limited amount of times (2) salary increases offered by local schools for increased training and adoption of wsingle~salaryw schedules) (3) suggestions and demands by administrators and supervisors that poorly prepared teachers reach adequate standards and that all teachers be Informed of the most m o d e m educational theory) and (4) completion of certain stipulated programs of study to qualify for

46* Journal of the National Education Association Vol* XXI• November * 1935* p# S§B* '''' 47* Elsbree» Op* cit*, p* 378*

48* Summer Session Enrollment in Higher Educational Insii'iuiimii»l ! T 948 T'and '1949."Circular No.

w r'^merT’Mrrp*!:!*

49* Elsbree, 2j>* cit* pp* 379^380*

47

batter and key positions, Like other agencies which have originated to facilitate the growth of teachers# the summer school has received criticisms*

According to the enrollment of 50 936*061 for 1949 as reported by the Office of Education indications are that it is not ready to pass from the scene# but criticisms of It should be carefully considered# From the very beginning# certain people opposed attendance at summer school by teachers who 51 were employed during the year* In 1386 Harlow concludeds During these times of recreation# the companionships of other of our own profession may be agreeable} but If this results in so narrowing our lives that no other topic but school can awaken our enthusiasm* let us for two months at least flee from one another as if we were In danger of catching the plague • # « Are the majority of true teachers# after ten months of faithful labor In crowded classrooms in a fit condition to spend their vacation in brain workt In spite of a few criticisms# the summerschool movement in the United states has made a tremendous contribution to the improved preparation of

ft* jbld#, p #i#l, 51* w#B# Harlow* "Summer Schools" # JPhe Academy! 4 Jtemra**! Secondary Education, p« 152#

48

teachers*

The lure of better salaries and the enforced

higher standards of professional training are contribut­ ing factors to the large summer school enrollments* Increased professional standards would have been impossible during recent years» which witnessed a teacher shortage« had summer school opportunities not been available* SftMh•*»' B*adlng Circles A movement which made a distinct contribution to the in-service professional growth of teachers was the Teachers* Beading Circle*

It flourished during the l'; latter part of the 19th century and has b^en gradually declining up to the present time*

Its origin seems

to have taken place In London about 1870 end came to Hew York in 1878 when the great Chautauqua Library and scientific Circle was founded*

These circles were

not limited to teachers nor were the books read generally related to the Improvement of ieaching* Educators did seise upon this innovation as a means of improving instruction and In some cases outlined a course of reading for their teachers*

By 1888 twenty

states had formed State Teachers* Beading Circles with

49 at least 25#000 teachers participating*

Books bearing

upon professional subject matter and general culture were systematically read by the participants* Teachers1 associations became so Interested In the reading circles that directors and committees were appointed to lay out proper courses and direct the work*

These courses were sometimes planned for

periods of study as long as four years,examinations were given and certificates or diplomas were granted 53 upon completion* 5^^/* By 1911 Ruediger reported that thirty-five states had State Teachers' Reading Circles and two other states had County Reading Circles*

The average

participation In twenty-three states surveyed indicated participation and study by 31 per cent of all the teachers* and in some states 100 per cent of the teachers were enrolled* Most of the states recognised the diplomas

53* Elsbree* 0£* cit*, p. 391* 53* Ibid** p. 391* $km Ruediger, g£. cit*, pp* 92-97*

50

and certificates given in renewing and granting teaching licensee*

Six states gave encouragement to the circles

through legal sanction and recognition In satisfaction of certificate requirements* With the advance of institutional teacher train-* lng* reading circles have steadily declined both in quantity and quality*

Legal certification via the

reading oircle courses has been discontinued In many states but persisted legally as recently as 193@ in Colorado* Florida* Idaho* Illinois* Kansas* Nebraska* 55 Ohio* Virginia* West Virginia add Wisconsin* gaaotwra- A^aoclatloaa 56

Elsbree

stakes this statement!

From the standpoint of educational reform and the elevation of the teaching professions* the contribution of teachers1 associations during the period of I836 to i860 was second only to the establishment of normal schools* Not only did state legislatures give ear to the memorials presented by these recently organised teaching groups* but the rank-andfile members of the profession themselves were lifted out of their apathetic mood by the spirited activities of their own leaders* While teachers' associations mainly con­ tributed indirectly to the in-service training of

55* Elabr.ee* G|>* elt»* p. 39li-* 56. Elsbree* 0£*

2& 1 » *

P* 2I4.I.

51

teaehers# they were able to develop toward schools a favorable public opinion*

This paved the way for many

needed reforms and improvements* Their advent cannot be heralded by any one date or place* but by many organisations* such as the lyceua movement in 1026, the western Literary Institute and College

of Professional Teachers in 1029 and the

Hew Jersey Society of Teachers and Friends of Education* These focused public attention on the need for better schools and encouraged the teachers to unite in pro* fessional groups*

These teachers* groups strongly

urged free schooling for all children through public taxation and fought for the welfare of the teacher as a secondary consideration* The climax in the efforts of these numerous state and sectional associations occurred in 181*9* when a national convention of the Friends of Common Schools and of Universal Education was held in Philadelphia*

The

American Association for the Advancement of Education with Horace ttann as Its first president evolved from 57 this convention* The unique feature of this convention

57# Elsbree* p* 2^3*

52

was

58 the composition of the membership* end# as Cubberley

suggests* This convention formed a transition from the earlier type of organisation* composed largely of college men and publicists Interested in education* to the more m o d e m type of educational organisation composed primarily of teachers and supervisory officers of the schools* This association passed frost existence with the advent of the National Teaehers* Association in 1857* During the period of flourishing educational societies (1826-181+5) teachers learned the effectiveness of organised effort in securing legislative action for the improvement of education*

It was not long until

teachers in many towns and cities realised the advantages derived from uniting Into organized associ­ ations*

The meetings of these associations were usually

devoted to debates* lectures* and essays*

Current

Issues* improvement of teaching* and teacher welfare were the topics often debated*! Topics of entertainment and } teacher welfare frequently relegated the area of instructional improvement to the background although

58* Biwood P. -Cubberley* Publlc Education in the United States* p. 706*

53 current educational Issues were often clarified# By 1850 teachers had formed associations In almost every large city# and county organisations were fairly common*

State teachers' associations became

more numerous after their inception in 1845# and by $9 1856 seventeen existed* Miscellaneous recommendations made by these early teachers' associations may throw light upon some of their procedures#

Some of these were* (1) longer

tenure for school committees} (2) compulsory school attendance} (3) uniformity of textbooks} (I4.) systems of graded certificates for teachers} (5) Biblical reading without note or comment as a means of moral Instruction} (6) the establishment of normal schools; and (7) opposition to federal support for parochial 60 and private schools# One direct contribution of the state associations to in-service training was the publication of educational Journals#

Although the article® con­

cerned with methods of improving Instruction were in

59* Ibid## p* 708# 60# Blsbree, 0g># cit## pp* 2£6~2£7.

54

the minority# they did make a contribution* Perhaps the greatest contributions of these associations from the national down to the local groups werei (1 ) controversial issues were publicly aired} (2 ) progressive ideas were expounded} and (3 ) public opinion was molded on educational matters* The professional organisation which was destined to make a great Imprint on the Improvement of instruction was the National Teachers Association* 6l Elsbree reports that it absorbed many smaller associations and soon consisted of the following depart* mentsi (1 ) higher instruction} (2 ) elementary instruction} (3) industrial education} (i|) the national Council of Education} (£) the kindergarten} (6 ) art education} (7 ) music Instruction} and (8 ) secondary instruction* These provided an opportunity for each teacher to serve his own immediate interest through a department and at the same time be affiliated with a larger associ­ ation*

The annual meetings of departmental groups gave

specific attention to problems in specific teaching areas*

During the last decade of the nineteenth

century the association turned its activities toward

61* Ibid** p p # 500*509.

surveys and research of tremendous importance#

Studies

were made of such Important areas as the followings (1 ) reorganisation of school systems} (2 ) coordination of primary and grammar school studies} (3 ) the study of problems of the rural schools} and (4 ) the better co-operation of high schools and colleges In the matter of eollege-entranee requirements#

Since 1922 the

National Educational Association has maintained a research division# and its Investigations and reports have been moat outstanding#

In 1935 the association

organised an Educational Policies Commission which promises to have a most salutary influence on American education*

The following publications of the policies

Commission reveal the nature of their efforts and the direct and Indirect Influence upon facilitating the growth of teachers In-service t "The Unique Function of of Education in American Democracy*, "Education for Democracy" ."The Structure and Administration of Public Education in the United States"# "The Effect of Population Changes on American Education", and others# More recent organisations of national scope are the American Federation of Teachers# which was organized in 1916 and affiliated with the American

Federation of Labor * and the Progressive Education

62

Association organised in 19X8#

The activities of the

former have been largely in the field of public opinion and legislation*

The latter* however* has made some

very significant contributions in the field of in-service training*

It has included in its activities summer

workshops of six weeks duration and numerous reports from committees and commissions# The history of educational progress can be traced* to a great extent* to the co-operative efforts resulting from the work of professional organisation of school employees* For over a century they have been concerned with the welfare of free schools* the rights of children* the betterment of teaching conditions* and the maintenance and Improvement of professional standards*

They have called to the attention of the

public unmet educational needs and promoted action at local* state* and national levels*

To the public at

large* they Interpret education with conviction and 63 unanimity*

62. Ibid** pp. 510-12. 6 3 # American Association of School Administrators* Twenty-Eighth Yearbook* Public Relations for Americans Schools* 1950*

57

WogMggl The workshop movement is a hybrid with many variations*

The summer workshops* the precession local

school workshops* and other varieties will herein be described#

While each variety has some distinctive

characteristics* all have originated upon some common baslo principles* 6k The Encyclopedia of Modern Education defines a workshop as followsI A Teacher*s Workshop is an experience-centered study undertaken by a group of mature persons* The group takes aa its starting point the interests and needs of its members* and sub* groups are formed to insure a profitable inter­ change of opinion* knowledge* and experience* Consultants* rather than Instructors* serve these groups * placing specialised resources at their disposal both In group discussions and in the exploration of individual problems and plans* The characteristics of this simple* informal* and functional organisation are its flexibility and its relevance to specific tasks which members wish to undertake more skillfully and with clearer vision after the workshop period*

6k* Harry H* Rivlin and Herbert sehueler* Education, Hew York; F* Hubner

58

65 Winetrout and Robertson describe a workshop as a group of teachers working together toward common goals and the solution of educational problems for the benefit of a specific

of> children*

Chris De Young defines a workshop In the following terms: A workshop is not a summer's vacation* It Is not an easy way to earn credits, nor just another course* nor a seminar* It is not the same old stuff handed out In the same old way under a new level} it Is not a conference or a convention or a twoday meeting* It is never a substitute for good teaching* nor a technique to use for all teaching and learning* It is not a procedure suitable for all persons, nor an end in itself* A workshop is one of several means in teaching* learning and living* which is essentially a problem for approach with a high degree of specificity* It is an opportunity for experienced teachers to make their own assignments* Workshops use the dual approach to individual and group needs* It is an organised* but informal place for exchanging views and developing new ideas* It Is a socialised and democratic undertaking in which the

^5:* Winetrout and Robertson, "Workshops in " Education”, The Bulletin of the Rational Association of Secondary School^PrlnclpaYs, Vol. 5i, February , 19h7, p*ii3* 6 6 . Chris A* Be Young, "Practices and Recommend­ ations in Teacher Education Workshops”, Teacher*a College Journal* Vol, 16, October, 19^6, pp. 13^16, 187'

59

participants* specialists* and consultants join talents In serving society# It is one of the best means of combining the resources of the pre-service and in-service agencies of teacher education* and for promoting the service growth of teachers* One of the originators of the summer workshop* 67 Ralph W# Tyler describes the workshop as follows: The workshop Is an arrangement whereby a teacher or school officer may work Intensely on a problem which he brings from his own school and may obtain the assistance of staff members of the beacher^tralning institution# Typically a summer workshop runs for about six weeks and includes staff members from various fields of the curriculum* student personnel* evaluation* and administration* Workshop participants Interested in similar problems form into small groups* and also work Individually with the guidance of various faculty members who give help on the particular difficulties that they face* 68 Barr* Burton* and Buechner describe the activities of a typical workshop as seen through the eyes of a person who visited one in Maine during the summer of 19WM The visitor entered during the morning session and found 172 Maine teachers*

6 ? • Ralph Vi Tyler* "Trends in the Preparation of Teachers’. School Review* Vol* £1# April* 19&3# pp. 207*212* " 68 * A.S**Barr* W.H.Burton* and b*J#Buechner, Supervision* pp. 713*71)4#

60

supervisors, superintendents, and normal staff members scattered at long tables, working as individuals or in groups large and small. Knots of people surrounded each of the ten staff members} other groups were engaged In animated discussions under their own leadership* Cases of books along the wall were being used, exhibits upon the one-hundred-foot bulletin board were under analysis, new exhibits were under production in the art workshop* Teachers were trying out finger paints, making puppets, modeling In clay, learning at first hand the difficulties of working with the same materials which the children use* A film on the development of reading skill was being shewn in the little theater directly across the corridor, Material from filing eases containing curriculum exhibits from all over the United States was being checked in and out by librarians* Groups broke up, reformed, changed membership} Individuals moved about} materials of all sorts were being examined, discussed, exchanged* Production of new materials was clearly under way in some places. The noise of conversation and movement was absorbed by the hlgh-doraed celling of the gymnasium which housed the workshop* The scene was one of movement, bustle, freedom} many varied activities were under way at the same time. The uninitiated visitor accustomed to adult students seated in rows listening quietly, answering questions under the direction of a.teacher, or working individually in the library on identical assignments might be pussled, aaased, even somewhat shocked— until he developed insight into what was really going on} Heaton, Camp and Glederloh present several

6 9. Kenneth I. Heaton, William C. Camp, and Paul B* Dloder1ch. Professional Education For Experienced Teachers, pp* 21-U3.

61

characteristica which they believe are essential to the good summer workshop programi 1*

The participant is given an opportunity to make an intensive study of an interest which has arisen out of his experience as a teacher* 2* The participant shares in planning a program of Individual and group activities designed to meet his needs and those of his fellow*workera * 3* The participant Is provided with easy aceesa to the services of various staff members representing a variety of kinds of assistance* it* Formal and informal association with other participants of varied backgrounds contributes to the participant's think­ ing on his specific problem* broadens his general professional orientation* and provides opportunity for experiences in co-operative activities* *>* An effort Is made to interest the par­ ticipant In the whole child* the whole school* and the whole community* 6 * The participant's total experience as he studies a specific interest or problem tends to prepare him for the solution of other professional prob­ lems In the future* 7* Since workshops have been concerned not only with the professional problems of the teacher but with his life as an individual* efforts have been made to afford opportunities for balanced living* An adequate workshop program must also contains individual advisory conferences, major work groups, request groups for special problems* general meetings for all* staff conferences for Individual schools*

62

Informal and aoelal group activities* program planning 70 conferences* and staff conferences# While many of the "workshops" as referred to by the originators are conferences of several weeks' duration held during the summer* the Innovation of primary concern In this study* the local school planning conference* has most of the same characteristics*

While these

multiplying local school planning conferences are not as long in duration (due to economic limitations)* do not offer academic credit to participants* and do not offer accommodations to eat and sleep In the Immediate environ* ment of the conference* they do include all other essential 71 characteristics« Charles Frail and Leslie Cushman in their American Council on Education report, Teacher Education In Service* states Many clinics or institutes exhibit some or all of the characteristics of a workshop* regardless of what they may be called* ^ ^ T h e essential features of what we shall call a workshop are intensive consideration of practical problems that have arisen from the dally functioning of the teaching Job* flexible and informal working'conditions,

70. Ibid, pp* J*5*60. 71* Charles E* Frail and Leslie C« Cushman* Teacher Education In Service, American Council on

n sssg onrm%7"pp7 m zm .

63

aetive sharing by workshoppers in develop­ ing plana for individual or group study, and easy access to a wide range of resources in terms of staff, fellow participants, books, and other aids to learning* The usual schedule consists of meetings in the morning of small discussion groups organized around the workshoppers* stated Interests; free time in the afternoon for individual work, conferences and recreation; and general meetings and individual work in the evenings* The workshop movement originated from the Eight-Year Study of the Commission on the Relation of School and College of the Progressive Education Association (1933**4l)*

During the early years of the study the

staff found It impossible to give sufficient consultation time to the participants because of their heavy load of course work*

In a conference between the director of

evaluation for the Study, Balph W. Tyler, and a member of the General Education Board, Robert J# Havighurst, it was suggested that a period in the summer might be set aside in which the staff consultants could have time to sit down with individual teachers of the thirty participating high schools for intensive work on 72 ape cific problems * From this suggestion originated a six weeks*

72. Beaton, Camp, and Deiderlch, og, cit.» p. 2.

64 workshop at Ohio State University in 193& with thirty* five selected science and mathematics teachers*

Each

of these participants defined a specific problem which he would like to attack for the six weeks* period with the aid of staff members*

Representatives of other important

studies* such as those of the Adolescent Study* the Commission ©n Human Relations of the Progressive Education Association and the Commlsalon on Secondary School 73 Curriculum also took an active part* So successful was this first workshop that the same sponsor* in the summer of 1936 * held a workshop at the Sarah Lawrence College In Bronxvllle, Hew York, with 126 teachers from various subject fields.

During

this second workshop there was a tendency by the staff members In at least one subject area to formalize procedures, but the participants soon made it clear that they had com© with specific problems for solution and were not going to relegate these to a secondary con* aid©ration. Key teachers from city school systems such as Des Moines, Denver, and Tulsa were sent by their respective

73* Xbld.* p* 3 .

65 boards, at considerable expense, to study such problems as wcore courses11*

Superintendents acclaimed the workshop

as the best method known to aid their key teachers In solution of educational problems under the competent guidance of consultants from institutions of higher 74 learning* From the isolated environment at the Sarah Lawrence College, participants soon noted that much benefit came from the social and Informal contacts with other participants at meal time and In recreational activities* Enthusiasm grew for the workshop Idea and by 1938 four existed which included five hundred handpicked

participants*

Other teachers wanted admittance, and a

committee was appointed to study the matter*

This

committee recommended that such workshops might well become a normal part of the graduate programs of all our leading universities*

By 1940 many universities

and colleges had accepted this challenge and incorporated 75 workshops* According to Frail and Cushman there were 114 such workshops in exi stance by 19i|-£*

All of

74. Ibid*, pp* 6-7* 7£* Frail and Cushman, o£* cit*, p* 201*

66

these were planned for a minimum of four weeks while the typical one was six weeks in length* Prom the viewpoint of this study a very significant thing happened in the summer of 19ij.O* A demand arose for local workshops which would serve a single large school district*

This demand was the

culmination of the feeling that not only the key teachers needed this experience but that all teachers should be 76 given this opportunity* It was further argued th it such meetings would permit entire faculties or sub­ divisions to work in the actual teaching environment on their specific problems*

By using the local school as

a center* there was no inconvenience of traveling to a distant point* and the entire group were intimately in touch with their immediate problems and usable facilities* It also made possible a year-round co-operation between local schools and nearby university staffs* Six such local workshops were immediately set up in: (1) Des Moines* Iowa* public schools with the sponsorship of Drake University! (2) Denver, Colorado* and the University of Denver! (3) Houston, Texas, and its

76 . Heaton* Camp and Diederlch* op* cit*, pp.

11- 12 *

G7

University of Houston; (I*) Los Angeles and tho University of California at Los Angeles and the University of Southern California; ($) Greenville County Schools , South Carolina* and Furman University % and (6) Hew frier Township, Illinois, and Northwestern 77 University* Innovations in education have usually arisen to eare for felt needs*

This was especially true

when those new movements became widely accepted and remained aa part of the permanent educational organisation year after year*

Such has been the recent history of

the local school planning conferences or local workshops* The need for a considerable amount of time devoted to group planning by the entire local educational staff* before the school year begins* has long been felt in almost every community*

Ho one would oppose more

and better in-service training of teachers and curriculum improvement*

Likewise, no one would oppose a thorough

college training and preparation for every teacher* Many educators feel that college preparation alone is

77* Ibid** p* 12*

68 78

not sufficient, however#

As Ecteelberry

states,

"College training does not ©quip the teacher for a specific and complex job,”

Teachers possess varied back­

grounds of training and it is necessary to provide common goals and objectives through In-aervic© training pro­ cedures at the local level# The felt needs which brought about the local planning conferences and which still exist must be considered#

Originators and participants of the early

local planning conferences felt that formal classroom procedures as conducted by many universities and colleges were not adequate#

Most of them were experienced and

had adequate preparation for their positions*

They

were not seeking credits or degrees but aid in solving classroom problems#

They desired to have access to

experts who would counsel with them on their problems and not lecture on what the consultants believed to be Important*

Each participant wanted that feeling of

"belonging" which comes from participation in program planning and application#

78, B* B» Eckelberry, "Longer Pre-Service Education", Education Research Bulletin* November 10, 19W* ------------------ ----- --- -

69

Freemen* a study of llj.78 teachers as reported 79 by Morris and Lindstrom found that the average teacher In 19i*7 **• forty years of age, had been out of service for a number of years , had acquired more than two and less than four years of college training, and had accumulated between five and twenty years of experience* Perhaps this picture has now slightly changed, but there is still a real need for in-service training*

Too often

twenty years of experience by a teacher has not meant twenty years of continuous growth and Improvement, but one year of teaching repeated twenty times*

80 Winetrout and Robertson

indicate that

schools have been severely criticised for their social lag»

Much of this lag has been due to the fact that

during the school year the staff has been too busy to agree on a philosophy or have not taken time tc put their philosophy into action as a unified force* Often a staff, aue to the lack of time, may have

79* M* Morris and E*J* Lindstrom, "In-Service Training of Teachers". Sierra Education Hews, Hovember, 19k7, P. 12. 8 Q , Winetrout and Robertson, "Workshops in Education", pp* l4.l-4j.7i

?0 adopted a philosophy which has been created by specialists and is tee generalised and meaningless for that particular school and community* The older experienced teachers on the typical staff have become accustomed to the status quo# relish it# and inhibit change*

Hew teachers coming into a

system# no matter how enthusiastic and full of new ideas# must

soon adapt to the old system*

The new and the old

should co-operatively plan at the beginning

ofeach year

and re-evaluate their present position and future direction* Summer school work for teachers is excellent hut may be unrelated to a specific school need*

Unless

the newly acquired Ideas can be put to use in a specific school situation# they will soon be lost* 81 and Hobertson states

Winetrout

Too much emphasis (In summer school) is placed on 9how can I develop?1 instead of 9how can X Improve the group situation and develop in the process?9* Summer school experiences cannot be evaluated as to what the teacher does with his information and understanding* Here in the local workshop the group studies# discusses# and commits itself to a program of action* Bach succeeding year9a conference may be built upon the experiences of previous ones* The shot gun approach of inspirational

81, Ibid.. pp. U6-1+7.

21 summer school lectures just has not brought the results which it should in such fields as reorganisation# We can* not reconstruct an educational program by working on separate parts of it at far distant points# The group must be close to give, to take and to fit ideas to specific situations# 32 Morris and Lindstrom report the following needs of teachers through an in-service programs 1*

Meed for a better understanding of the steps in the learning process* 2# Meed for reports of new research in teaching techniques* 3* Teachers need to be brought up to date in the knowledge of new discoveries in science, health and nutrition* I#* Meed for increased use of teaching aids* 5* Meed to be brought up to date on the latest vocational trends* 6* Meed to have a broadening of concept of the purposes of the school and the concept of the currlculugu Borg©son

illustrates the need of in-r^rvlce

education by raising the questions of how we can aid more teachers to secure a professional attitude, to

$2 * M* Morris and E*J* Lindstrom, op* clt*, P* 15a 83* F*C* Borgeson# "Meetings and In-Service Education11, School Executive, Vol* 6f, October, 19i*7» PP* 51-52*

72 crave perfection In their art* and to enjoy the process of unraveling the knotty problems of the teaching art and In so doing realise that therein lies their own growth and strength. 81+ Barr listed several needs of present day education: 1, 2* 3# 4# 5# 6* 7#

A clearer understanding of the objectives of education. A need for better selection, gradation and organisation of subject matter# Need for more information about the nature of and direction of the learning process# Better provisions for Individual differences are needed, More attention to the general welfare of school children* Need for a greater emphasis upon social, emotional and character aspects of education* Better means of measurement are needed, 8$ Erwin and Fordyce have favored the workshop

to care for local educational needs*

They emphasize,

”It is unfortunate that teachers are almost unanimously of the opinion that most of thetr (summer school) courses contain little that can apply to their own immediate

8lj,* A .A, Barr, nPlanning the Year1a Program,” Journal of Educational Research, Vol. 22, 1930# 85* R#H* Erwin and W.C. Fordyce, "The Work­ shop and In-Service Teacher Training,” Educational Research Bulletin. Vol. 22, March, 191+3, pp.

73

local problems*"

They further declare that the work­

shop Is concerned with urgent local educational problems and that It makes a practical approach to their solutions. They also state thatit furnishes a steady stimulus to professional growth*

From their experiences they have

found that teachers are more challenged when they can discuss problems derived from a specific situation In their own schools*

The teachers* In their experiences*

forgot their petty building rivalries and worked for the common good of the whole system*

They also gained

a broader perspective of the entire educational problem of the community*

These authors were discussing a

longer summer workshop but claimed as results a feeling by the teachers of belonging to the entire school and community* more teacher attention to the problems of the individual child, and less teacher emphasis on subject matter content;

Prall and

^

ushman

state:

School system workshops usually have two types of need to provide for. In the first place* there are problems which are the particular concern of certain individuals or small groups* * * « But

86 # Prall and Cushman* "Teacher Education in Service", p* 8;

74 the pressures and routine of the regular school year have prevented progress so that a chance to get together under favorable conditions makes a decided appeal* Purposes of this kind must be taken into account in planning the workshop program and seleoting the staff of consultants* The second type of need we have in mind has to do with what might be called the growing edges or experimental aspects of the system's work* • • • They are likely to represent thinking that is permeating the whole system rather than developed by specific groups$ and they often grow from the insights of the administrative ofrleers and members of planning committee* Whereas* the first type may be accurately called felt needs* the second is concerned more with stimu­ lation with widening horizons* It would be difficult to merge these two sets of Issues in the workshop plans if attend­ ance would be required or selected* The need for such an in-service program for the education of the total staff has come about through the Inadequacy of pre-service education* the recognition of learning as a continuous process* the influence of new developments in the field of psychology of learning* the recognition of the ever changing and increasingly challenging conditions within a dynamic society* a growing concern for education for democratic living* the changing concepts of human development* an increasing recognition of Inadequacy of minimal standards of

75

literacy in maintaining democracy# the acceptance of broader objectives and responsibilities by the public .schools# and the recognition that teacher education must be a co-operative and a creative endeavor# islatcdResearch SSBBKSKiSiSH! While many periodicals contain descriptions of workshop experiences# little recorded research has 87 been located* Frail and Cushman# in describing the longer summer workshops# report that attempts have been made to evaluate many workshop programs#

These attempts

were accompli shed through personal interviews with participants or by written comparisons of participants1 objectives and attitudes before and at the conclusion of the workshops*

They report the evaluations of the

workshops in this manner# "The verdict# so far as it has been recorded in any way# is almost unanimously favorable#" Attempts to evaluate the summer workshop experience were undertaken in the Eight-Year Study of the Commission on the Relation of school and College of

87* Charles E* Prall and Leslie C# Cushman, 0£# eit*# P* 228.

76

88 the Progressive Education Association.

These were

accomplished through individual Interviews, analysis of participants! problems and methods of attack, and appraisal of weekly reports and information gathered In questionnaires.

Personal visitation by workshop staff

members to the workshop participants In their classroom situations, provided opportunities for observing changes In procedures which had taken place.

Marked Improvements

were observed, but it was not presumed that the workshop alone was responsible.

However, the participants did

report that the Improvements in their classroom procedures had come about more rapidly as a result of workshop attendance. 89 Stone attempted to evaluate the total faculty workshop technique of the Florida program as it related to the in-service education of teachers*

Observed

behavior changes in individuals and groups which had participated In the workshops were reported.

88. Kenneth L, Heaton, William G, Gamp, and Paul B. Diederlch, Professional Education for Experienced Teachers, pp. 93-1 Oi^* 89. Mode Lee Stone, "An Analysis of the Total Faculty Workshop Technique," unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, George Peabody College, Nashville, Term,, 1941*

77 90

Henderson

attempted to evaluate the effect­

iveness of workshop programs which were conducted for several years by the Ohio State Department of Education* Two equated forms of an inventory referred to as an MInventory of Attitudes Toward Teaching" were administered to the participants prior to and after their workshops experiences*

An analysis of the results of the two

administrations revealed a number of changes in attitude which were significantly distributed at the 1 per cent level of confidence in the direction of being more *democrati c % 91 Eraana reports the program of the Western Dane County C&rrteulua Committee in attempting to determine* as objectively as possible* the changes in teachers' attitudes and classroom practices as a result Of co-operative study group work*

They found that

attitudes of llB elementary teachers were significantly changed in the direction of the accepted philosophy when

90* Clara A* Henderson, "An Evaluation of the Workshop Program for In-Service Teacher Education Directed by the Ohio State Department of Education, \9bh*L9hln• unpublished disaerta tion, Ohio State Uni varie ty , 194$, 91* Lester Iff# Emans, "In-Service Education of Teachers Through Co-operative Curriculum Study," Journal of Educational Research* Vol# kl$ May, 19k&* PP# 595*702#

measured by the "teachers1 Educational Attitudes Scale"#

the changes in classroom practices were not

found to be as significant#

Summary A number of Innovations have come upon the American educational scene to develop programs for facilitating teacher growth as revealed by a review of the literature#

Included In this review weres

(1) the teachers* Institute} (2) university extension; (3) supervision; (Ij.) the summer school; (5) teachers* reading circles; (6) teachers* associations; and (7) workshops#

The section on workshops included a

discussion on local school planning conferences#

Bach

In its respective period of development reflected a concern for the improvement of educational standards in general and of the teachers in particular#

Each had a

small beginning# a flourishing period# and finally was challenged or replaced by some new educational venture#_ Some have become almost non-existent while others have lingered on perhaps beyond their periods of usefulness# _ Bach program had weaknesses which were loudly criticised

79

by its opponents*

Each had certain strengths which

Its proponents loudly proclaimed*

Each made a

significant contribution to the American educational program* A major weakness of each seemed to be its inability to change with society*s changing educational needs9 once a pattern had been set.

The aim of most of

the early programs was to bring the level of teacher training up to a prescribed standard in the shortest possible time*

Many of these programs did not envision

solutions to important immediate problems in their I efforts to offer additional professional training, The most common contributions of these various approaches to in-service stimulation of teachers weres (1) the enlistment of the active concern of the lay public* members of the education profession* Institutions of higher learning* state legislatures and state depart* ments of public Instruction in the improvement of the instructional program through methods of in-service training of teachers} (2) the unification of members of the teaching profession Into a stronger and more effective group which fought for free universal education* higher educational standards and teacher

BO

wolfaret and (3) the emerging trend toward improving and extending the pre-service preparation of all teachers through continuous professional training while in*servlee«

81 Chapter XII SURVEY RESULTS

A wide variety of local school planning confer* ences or looal workshops were located in this survey, but no attempt was made to include the longer summer workshops which were held for several weeks under the sponsorship of a teacher*training institution*

Three examples of

pre*sesslon or post*session looal workshops which were sponsored by teaoher*trainlng institutions but which did not exceed fifteen days in length are included* In an effort to locate all existing local plan* nlng conferences* letters of inquiry were sent to the North Central Association chairman in each state* to officials of State Departments of Public Instruction* to personnel of teacher*training Institutions* and to selected local school administrators* Number of |gjgg| Conferences Located in Each State Ninety*two schools which had conducted local planning conferences from two to fifteen days in length were located*

82

Table I Humber of Local School Planning Conference® Located In the Twenty North Central Association States*'

State

Number of School Systems

Arizona Arkansas Colorado Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Michigan Minnesota Missouri Montana Nebraska New Mexico North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma South Dakota West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

7 9 2 13 2 9 2 18 10 1 0 1 k 0 2 8 0 2 2 0

Total

92

e All information In the tables and discussions of this chapter is based on the original data described in detail in Tables VI, VII, VIII, and IX of the Appendix*

83

2£ 18888 ±£ Which fchg. Planning

Cwfegnccs r»r® £g£g£g£ The schools using the local planning conference as an in-service training technique were found to exist in almost every size of town and city*

Table II

indicates that about one fourth of these schools were in towns of less than 5*000 population* one fourth in cities of over 25*001 population* and the remainder distributed In towns ranging from 5*001 to 25*000 popu­ lation*

MMMM M M sss, Ms BM sM kx

I§«m§ «§§^S8»

An analysis of the data collected reveals that schools of a variety of organisational patterns have applied the local school planning conference technique to achieve improved educational planning*

One

half of the conferences located were in school systems organised on a 6-3*3 basis, one tenth were in 6-6 systems* one sixth were in 8*14. systems* and the remainder were in systems organized on various other patterns* Table III shows the types of schools reporting the use of local planning conferences*

84

Table II Relationship of Local Planning Conferences to Size of Towns

Population of Towns

Number of Local Conferences

100- $,000

25

5,001-10,000

13

10,001-15,000

19

15,001-20,000

7

20,001-25,000

5

25,001-50,000

9

Over

Total

50,000

Ik

92

85

Table 111 Typos of School Organisations Having Local Planning Conferences

Type of Organisation

Humber of Conferences

6 -3 -3

lf6

6-6

10

8-if

15

6-2-If

10 1

6—ij.—If

3

if year Independent high school

k

Mixed within system

3

Total

92

86

length of Conferences The lengths of the conferences which wore included in this survey ranged from two to fifteen days#

Shorter conferences of one-half to one and

one-half days were reported by school administrators , but not included in this study*

A number of two-day

conferences which appeared to be only organisational meetings were also omitted* fable IV Indicates that slightly over one third of the local conferences were five days in length, nearly one sixth were four days, and one fourth were three days*

Only eight schools conducted two-

day sessions while six held ten-day conferences,

The

remainder of the ninety-two conferences ranged from six to fifteen days in length*

87

table IV Humber of School Planning Conferences of Various Lengths

Length

Number of Conferences

2 days

8

3 days

22

4 days

Ik

5 days

32

6 days

3

7 days

2

8 days

2

9 days

1

10 days

6

11 days

1

15 days

1

Total

88

Deaired length of Conferences Whan administrators and participants were asked to express opinions concerning the optimum length for looal school conferences, it was found that 5 B per cent of the respondents preferred conferences the length of their present ones, I4.0 per cent wished more time for planning through longer conferences, and 2 per oent desired shorter conferences. Of those administrators who were satisfied with the present lengths of their conferences, twentyfive conducted conferences of two to four days In length, twenty-two held conferences of five to eight days, and six had conferences of nine to sixteen days, Of the superintendents and principals desiring more time* eighteen had conferences of two to four days in length, seventeen held five to eight day conferences, and two held nine to sixteen days conferences* Of the two respondents wishing shorter conferences, one superintendent had held a four day pre-session conference and preferred to have these days devoted to short sessions spread throughout the school year in the future*

The other superintendent had

sponsored a longer conference of ten days offering

89

college credit and there was dissatisfaction with past arrangements* When Conferences Were Held The time of the year during which the confer­ ences were held varied according to localities*

Eighty*

five per cent of the schools held their conferences immediately proceeding the school yearf k per cent held pre-session conferences and added several conference days during the school year* 9 per cent held post^session conferences in addition to the pre-session conferences* and 2 per cent of the schools held post* session conferences exclusively* When Conferences Originated .....ii

i.)niii. il Ii.m ri..i ii

The first two local school planning conferences described In this survey originated in 1935 with two more coming into existence by 1939 » fourteen were added during the period of 19M> to 19^4-* and seventy-three were Inaugurated between 191(5 and 19k9* a n S a a u S P^tlclg^t| Teachers* administrators* and supervisors were

90

Ineluded as participants in all ninety-two looal school conferences*

Parents and lay citizens were

includedas participants in 3I4. per cent while 21 cent ofthe conferences board of education*

per

also included members of the

Only two conferences Included

non-certified employees as participants# (felfe M v e l s Inolutod The entire staffs from elementary and secondary schools worked as one planning group in 66 per cent of the conferences while in 3l(. per cent of the school systems only the secondary school staffs participated*

Of this latter group# four were township

high schools which had no legal connections with elementary schools* Attendance and Hemuneratlon of Teachers Attendance at the planning conferences was compulsory as partial fulfillment of the teachers* contracts in slightly more than 91 per cent of the schools*

Four schools invited their teachers to return

for the conferences without additional remuneration and without including these days In their contracts*

Three

91

schools offarad the local workshops to teachers who wished to receive additional college credit*

In the

latteri the participants received no remuneration and paid regular college tuition fees*

One school

made attendance voluntary and offered each participant ten dollars per day for the five days of attendance* A summary of the methods of attendance and remuneration and the number of schools in which each existed was as follows! Compulsory attendance included in contracts Voluntary attendance without extra pay Voluntary attendance with college credit Voluntary attendance with extra pay

8I4. k 3 1

Evaluation of Conference Exgerie^^s Seventy-two of the ninety-two administrators reporting local school conferences stated that the participants were requested to evaluate their conference experiences*

The participants in twenty local school

conferences were not given opportunities for evaluation* All administrators were requested by the Investigator to express their opinions as to the success of their conferences*

Seventy-eight believed them to

be successful* two rated them as highly successful* and eleven described them as partially successful* In the

m

latter group* several respondents attached notes stating that they were quite well pleased with the results achieved In most areas of their conferences hut that results In one or two areas were disappointing, and for this reason* they ranked the workshops as only partially successful.

Only one administrator rated

his workshop as unsuccessful and said he saw no need for its continuance* Eighty-four ef the ninety*two administrators estimated the attitude of their staff to he either enthusiastic or cognisant of the value of continuing the local conference, five described It as one of passive acceptance, one termed it as indifferent, and two rated it as antagonistic*

JSnsSiSS Planning of the conferences was accomplished by a variety of methods*

The methods ranged from

total independent planning by the administrators to eo*Qperatlve planning by teachers, administrators, parents, and lay cltisens*

Administrators in a majority

of the conferences exerted a major Influence in the planning*

Over one fourth of the administrators either

93

planned the conferences by themselves or in consultation with the administrative staff, one half secured an advisory planning or strategy committee through appointment of teachers, and on© fifth requested the entire staff of teachers to elect a representative planning council#

Only six of the ninety-two adminis­

trators delegated all planning to the teachers or the local teachersf association, and two organized extensive co-operative planning methods which included teachers, parents, and lay citizens* Tggg of Plarmlng a g SSS^SSS kx Evaluatlona dreater enthusiasm was apparently engendered among participants who shared in planning the conference experiences*

Of the twenty-four workshops planned by

the administrators independently, only 16 per cent of the groups of participants were rated as enthusiastic about the conference experiences while 1^9 per cent of the staffs which aided in the planning were rated as enthusi­ astic*

Fifty-four per cent of the staffs of the

administrator-planned conferences were rated as recog­ nizing the values of the conferences but were not enthusiastic, while 5>0 per cent of the staffs in the

94 co-operatively planned workshops recognized their values*

Ratings of passive acceptance, indifference,

and antagonism totaled 30 per cent among the participating groups in the non-co-operatlvely planned conferences as compared with 1 per cent of the groups in the conferences where co-operative planning existed* Length of Conferences and Teacfaerq* Evaluations The length of the conferences seemed to have less Influence on the attitude of participants than method of planning» type of program* and degree of accomplishment*

Conferences which were originated

to fulfill local educational needs and which were democratically executed were highly evaluated by the participants regardless of length* oses of Conferences fhe purposes for inaugurating local school planning conferences as stated most often by adminis­ trators were? instructional improvement and curriculum

95

revision, fifty-seven times; orientation of all teachers as to organisation, policies, and over-all problems of the local school, fifty-four times; group planning, co-ordination, and integration, thirty-three times; and to facilitate the beginning of the school year, twenty-one times*

Others which were listed by more

than ten administrators were; to reach agreement on educational objectives and inspiration of the staff# The frequency of mention of the purposes is shown in Table V, OgyyLde ^nsultant Services Sixty-four local workshop programs included experts from nearby colleges, universities, state departments, and governmental agencies as speakers and consultants*

The number of consultants secured

by the various workshops ranged from one to twenty# Twenty-eight local workshops were conducted without the aid of outside personnel* Educational Excursions Only Id per cent of the ninety-two local conferences Included educational excursions for the

96

table V Purposes for Inaugurating Local Conferences

Purposes of Conferences

Humber Times Stated

Instructional Improvement and curriculum revision

57

Orientation of all teachers as to organisation policies# and over-all school problems

A

Group planning, co-ordination, and integration

33

Planning to facilitate better beginning of school year

21

agreement on educational alms and objectives

19

Inspiration of staff to professional growth

17

Morale builder

6

Group study of community educational needs

6

Publio relations and lay participation In educational planning

3

Information on new educational trends

3

Produce classroom materials

2

Social fellowship for the staff

2

Secure outside professional aid

1

97

participants In their programs#

Most of these

were excursions to local industries# governmental agencies, or municipally owned service systems which practiced techniques of interest to educators or whose programs had Implications for the educational program#

tea

at P.oyer?°°e

asjttgMH

Sixty-one per cent of the conference programs included planned social activities for all conference participants} 39 per cent did not#

The conferences of

greater length devoted more time to social activities* Participants In the programs which included social activities believed that the mutual understanding and group solidarity which resulted were well worth the time spent#

coi|ege jygyyyi Only three of the ninety-two conferences located In this survey offered college credit to the participants#

Arrangements were made with nearby

teacher*training institutions which assigned one or more regular staff members to the conference.

98

Continuity of Local C ^ ^ ^ m c © Programs Administrators of twenty«*nine local conferences reported that their workshop groups had chosen such large areas of study that It was not possible to conclude these studies at the end of one conference*

They wereff

therefore* continuing the study of certain problems throughout the school year and Into the next year1a conference. Twenty-nine other administrators stated that each year*s conference was In part a continuation of study of previous areas discussed with new areas added* Thirty*foar administrators reported that their programs were built around new discussion areas each year* Finance The total expenses of these local conferences in addition to any salaries paid the participants ranged from no additional expense to $1800*00 per year*

Only

one school paid its participants extra for attendance* Usual expenses Included the services of visiting consultants* professional books* classroom resource

99 materials* films# and ether instructional materials* The median cost of the annual local workshops was # 180 .00 *

100 Chapter IV CASE STUDIES OF LOCAL SCHOOL PLANNING CONFERENCES JCntrodyueWog The program® of a variety of local school planning conference® which have been rated as highly successful by their respective participants are described in detail in this chapter#

It is hoped

that this procedure may aid school staffs who wish to initiate or to improve local planning conferences# Due to the great variations in programs# procedures# methods of evaluation# and amounts of information available on each conference# the case studies lack rigid uniformity In presentation*

For

example# evaluations obtained by the investigator in personal interviews are used In some case studies* locally Initiated evaluations were available and are presented in some cases* and In other Instances the administrators* estimates of the total participants* evaluations were used in the absence of detailed summaries# The investigator did not visit each of the schools on which case studies are presented#

Bach

101 school was chosen for Its unusual features.

Case

studies are Included for large and small schools, for schools which included their entire staffs in the conferences, for schools which planned on the secondary level separately, and for schools which held programs In co-operation with teacher-training institutions on a credit basis, Ccgdensed Sjgmarj of the Case gtudies Successful Planning Conferences In Cities over 10.000 Population for Entire Staff of Elementary and Secondary Schools 1.

* Grand Island, Nebraska; population, 19,130 $ 6 -3 -3 organisation} $ day pre-session Conference.

Outstanding features} voluntary attendance with $1 0 .0 0 per day to each participant, democratic planning, visiting director and a large staff of outside consultants, wide community participation, 100 film preview, and enthusiastic evaluation by

participants.

# All population figures in this chapter are based on the 19^0 census figures.

102

II.

Faribault* Minnesota; population* lt*.*527; 6 -3 -3 organization) 10 day praisesalon

conference« Outstanding features! longer than average conference, small group procedures* extensive participation* child study* community tours* and enthusiastic evaluation by participants. III.

Cedar Baplds* Iowa8 population* 62*120; 6 -3 -3 organisation; $ day precession conference for administration staff* ij. days for new teachers, and 3 days for entire staff. Outstanding featuress educational excursions* advisory committee planning* small group meetings* visiting consultants* thorough evaluation* and extensive follow-up group meetings throughout the school year.

XV.

Davenport* lowas population* 66*039; 6-3-3 organisation; 5 day pre-session conference. Outstanding features; education excursions and co-operation with local industries.

V*

Fort Dodge* Iowa8 population, 22,901).; 6 -3-3-2 organisation; $ day pre-session conference.

103

Outstanding features: two types of group formations* vortical and horizontal integration* visiting consultants* and varied ©octal activities* Successful Workshops In Cities Over ^D^OOP Population Whlah gold I.

S»condary 3taff M*«tlng,

Bay City, Michigan? population, 47,956s 8*4-2 organization} 3 day profession conference with mu^h additional workshop time throughout the year* Outstanding features: originated in 1939* small group discussions, many outside consultants* and participation by school board members and parents*

II*

Austin* Minnesota: population, 18*307} 6-3-3 organization} 5 day pre-session conference* Outstanding features: vertical integration on the secondary level* no outside consultants* and excellent evaluation by participants*

3uco»B*ful Workghojpfl In gaoler S s m » 1,

Doaaglac, Michigan? population, 5,007? 6-2-4 organization} $ day pre-session workshop and In addition* a % day post-session conference#

104

Outstanding faatunas* entire staff planning, 5 day post-session workshop; participation by

parents, school board members,and students; vortical integration; and evaluation, XI*

Mesa, Arisons* population, 7,224; 8*4 organisation; 5 days pre-session conference*

Outstanding features: participation by the total staff Including custodians, clerks, and other non-professional staff members; participation by city officials; and participation by parents and students, III*

Osceola, Arkansas* population, 2,573; 6-3-3 organization; $ day session before the school term and more time desired* Outstanding features* entire staff planning, participation of representatives of the P*T,A,S use of outside consultants* and written evaluations*

Local Workshops Offering Credit In Co-operation With (Teacher (Training Institutions. I*

Plymouth, Michigan* population, 5,360; 6 -3 -3 organisation; no conference time before or after school but a two to three hour group session

105

each week, on released time, in co-operation with Wayne University* Outstanding featurest collegiate credit offered, released time, and wide participation by laymen* 11*

Little Roele, Arkansas t population, 68,0395 6 -3 -3 organisation; 13> day pre-session conference;

in co-operation with Peabody College* Outstanding featuresi collegiate credit offered, voluntary attendance, and group work on local problems*

106

Case Study of SCHOOL PLASHING CONFERENCE AT GRAND ISLAND, NEBRASKA Desorlptlvo Faote

33555555555

Population of Grand Island* 19*130 (1940 Census) Locations East Central Hebraska School Organisations 6*3~3 Secondary Enrollments 1300 students) 78 teachers Elementary Enrollment: 2179 students) 30 teachers Length of Conferences $ days before the school tern Tears Conference Helds 1947, 194®* end 1949 Participants The entire sohool staff including medical staff and attendance officers* school board members* parents* representatives of parent teacher groups* student leaders,and other citlsens participated* 1947 was the first year of the pre-session workshop or planning conference in Grand Island*

The

superintendent of schools recommended that the board of education appropriate money to pay seventy volunteers, from a staff of about one hundred and fifty eight, fifty dollars each for the five days attendance*

The

107

board appropriated this money and all teachers were given an opportunity to volunteer*

The first seventy

who volunteered were the paid participants*

About

twenty more volunteered to attend without pay, which they did*

This peculiar beginning was the result of a

board of education diecusslon on additional pay for merit and professional advancement*

The superintendent

of schools and the board felt that this was an opportunity to reward the teacher who was eager to advance profession-* ally and that non-profeas ionally minded teachers would not grasp at the opportunity* Through demand from the teachers, the 194® conference was opened to one hundred paid applicants and all places were filled* In 1949 as a result of increased demand, all teachers were invited to attend*

One hundred forty-

six out of one hundred-fifty six did so*

Among the ten

who did not attend, several were away at summer schools and some teachers new to the system were not hired in time to allow them to make the necessary arrangements* Purgosej of Conference The superintendent of schools listed three

108

original purpose# for inaugurating the local planning conference: (1 ) to build for teacher growths (2 ) to inspire the educational staff* and (3 ) to orientate new teachers* Planning k strategy committee of eighteen elected teachers made plans In accordance with the wishes of the teachers whom they represented*

This committee

met before# during# and after each conference as often as needed*

During the 19k9 session# they decided to

meet every day to evaluate procedures and make recommen­ dations for improvement*

They met several times during

the school year to lay plans for the next fall's conference* Members of this committee stated that they were considering the addition of two elected student leaders to this strategy committee* Following Is a statement by the 1$|9 strategy committee* In this 19^9 Workshop, as in the two previous workshops, the theme of the conference, the topics for discussion, and the participants, were selected by the teachers of Grand Island, who made known their wishes to a Workshop Strategy Committee* This committee, with the help of civic leaders and cltlsens of Grand Island, planned the activities of the week,

109

being ever mindful that the goal of education In Grand Island is to give each child the opportunity to grow and develop to full stature through enriched teaching, sympathetic understanding, and full co­ operation of home, school, and community* All Grand Island teachers have been Invited by the Board of Eduoatlon through workshop participation, to contribute ideas on how these ends can be achieved* During this week then, we will discuss the problems Involved and suggest means of meeting them and in the weeks ahead will hope that, in school and out, our Grand Island children will reflect the education which our community makes possible* ||abure wad Sggg© of |Jg | g g g g The I9I4.9 program is presented in its original form with the exception of persons’ names*

It contains

a wealth of illustrative materials for any school staff which may be initiating a local workshop* I9I4.9 Program General Themes The Grand Island Schools Look Ahead TOPIC FOE THE DAYS "HOW GAN GRAND ISLAND TEACHERS SETTER SERVE OUR CHILDREN?11 MONDAY, AUGUST 29$ 19k9 homine

8«*«iomt

8:30

Registration, Chairman Strategy Committee

8*1*5

Group Singing

110

9:00

"The 191*9 Workshop”# Superintendent of Schools "The Board of Education Looks to the Workshop"# President# Board of Education

9820

"The Week Ahead"# Workshop Director# Assistant Professor of Education# University of California

9:30

"Results of the X9lt9 Speech Clinic With R ecomm©nd a11ons.M, consultant# Department of speech# University of Nebraska

10*10

"A Proposed Speech correction Program"# Speech Correotionist, Grand Island Schools

10*50

Panel Discussion* "Implications of the Proposed Speech Correction Program"# Principal# Senior High Teacher# Junior Teacher# and two Elementary Teachers

11*1*5-1830

Boon

Afternoon Sessions* 1*15

"Results of the 19t*9 Psychological Survey With Recommendations"# Consultant# Department of Educational Psychology# Teachers College# University of Nebraska

1x1*5

"The Possibilities of Special Education# A Personal Viewpoint”# Consultant# Director of Special Education# State Department of Public Instruction# Lincoln# Nebraska

2*15

"Implementing a Special Education Program" • A Panel Discussion, Elementary Principal, Elementary Teacher# Girls Physical Education Teacher# Senior High Boys' Counselor

3*00

Coffee Hour

3*15

Showing of Technicolor Film# "Playtime U*S.A*W

ill

3erlances from one grade level te another In all areas and throughout all grades* 3* Recommended! That there be a greater utililationof community resources Including excursions Into the community and visits to the school by community resource people# 9* Recommended? That a parent and child v1s1iation program to help orient pre­ schoolers to kindergarten be worked out for the spring preceding enrollment.

212

IQ. Recommended: That kindergarten materials 'and Taollltie s be extended te provide other experlenoes In actual living areas similar to that at present developed In the play housekeeping unit* Others suggested would Include play stores* play postoffies, etc* Respect for other people and others property should be amphaslfied in all activities# Evj^Lugtlgj The evaluation summary of fifty-two individual evaluations as secured by representatives of Wayne university will be llstedf In part* for the Illustrative value It may have to those who may wish to organise such a program.

(Numbers in parenthesis indicate frequencies.)

Procedures and conditions which have been most helpful in achieving our purposes 1*

Group discussions were on a high level - with good exchange of opinions and open mindedness. (25)

2*

The staff members have been democratic and helpful# (21)

3*

Resource persons from our community played an important role# (19)

k*

Composition of groups has aided In achieving mutual understanding# (15)

213

$•

The informality# the friendly atmosphere# and the lack of pressures or fears have enabled us to look freely at our own real problems# (13)

6*

The morale was hight there was general interest# good partieipation, and excellent co-operation, (11)

?#

Materials and other resources have been good# (7)

8#

The groups were small enough to permit Interchange# (k)

9*

Guest speakers were valuable# (4)

10# The weekly summaries have been valuable# (U) Procedures and conditions which have been detrimental In achieving our purposes 1#

Members of our group have bickered# wandered from the subject# related personal experiences# (22)

2.

As a result of the coffee hour and for other causes# we did not start on time# (lj>)

3#

Discussions have been hampered by the narrowness of the Interests of certain group members# (6)

!(.• The chairman and other group members have dominated the group# (6) 5#

The time seemed too short# (6)

6#

Our group*a aims were vague# (5)

7#

We fear the results of our work will not be used# (Ij.)

214

8*

There was not enough summarising of previous progress in our group* (1*)

9*

Our own group needed more resource persons# (3)

10# The chairman has been unable to guide discussion# (3)

Flnano» Fees which were paid by the participants were given to the sponsoring institution* Wayne University# The local school had little expense except the supplying of necessary working materials# gonsul^mts Consultants and advisory service was furnished by Wayne University#

This included a chief consultant

and one assistant who usually remained a full day* Other Wayne University Staff members were available on request*

The names of the personnel were not available# Resgwgee Ma^rials These were co-operatively furnished by the

Plymouth Public School and Wayne University*

215

gge of

Rosowcos

In place of educational excursions many persons from the community participated in the workshop# The entire community became Interested in planning and Improving the local educational program* syyyyyi ^ o t iv it ie s i

The sessions were held in the late afternoons and very few social activities were planned*

216

Case Study of SCHOOL PLANNIN0 CONFERENCE AT LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS Descriptive Facta sm aaaA nm B B w a

bs b ib b m s

Population of Little Rooks 36,039 (191+0 Census) Locations Central Arkansas School Organisations 6 -3 -3 Secondary Enrollments 6,893 students* 21+I+ teachers Length of Workshops 15 days before the school year and more are desired Credit Sirens 3 semester hours of college credit Co-Operative Institutions Peabody College This workshop is presented as a different variety in that it is of greater length and college credit is given*

It was held In 191+3 hut for reasons not

explained was not repeated In 191+9 * Participants All teachers In the system were eligible upon payment of tuition fees which were comparable to the regular summer session fees at Peabody College* fifty teachers enrolled in this workshop*

About

217

Purposes of Conference The superintendent of schools listed the f©Hewing two functions of the local conference j (1) to istprove the qualifications of the teaching personnel# and (2) to build a better understanding among teachers*

IsSSSsSS The administration of the Little Rock school and representatives from Peabody College did most of the planning*

Teachers were Invited to express their wishes

and these were given consideration by the planning committee*

Three consultants were sent out from Peabody College to work with the participants in solving a wide variety of local educational problems*

No copies

of the program were available but large and small groups were formed around Interest areas*

Participants were

able to study their most vexing problems with the aid of the consultants and other participants*

This

continued for fifteen days and three semester credits

218

were given by Peabody College* Evaluatig All participants were given an opportunity to evaluate their experiences but no record of this was available#

The superintendent of schools evaluated the

workshop as successful and described the participants as having been satisfied with the values received from the local conference*

However, the demand was not

sufficient to warrant a continuation of the local program in 19^9# Finance There was no cost to the local school system except that of providing workshop facilities*

The fees

paid by the participants covered the expenses of the visiting consultants# Consultants ■l.Ollin.Jfc.'fr"

,ui|ffi8B!iiM8&

Three consultants were sent from Peabody College and their remunerations and expenses were oovered by the tuition charged participants#

219

isfissm m a i m Materials accumulated locally by the school were used in addition to materials brought by the visiting consultants* Use vMof glgSjR Community Resources No excursions to community resources were included in the program* Social Activities These were planned by the participants according to their wishes*

220

Chapter V SUMMARY* CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Introduction This study was made to determine the extent and nature of the recently originated local school planning conference movement in the high schools of the twenty North Central Association states* The nature of the problem* the need for the study* and the procedures used were described in the opening chapter*

This was followed by a chapter

which recounted the historical foundation of in-service training of teachers from which the local planning conferences or local workshops have emerged* Chapter III described the findings which were secured from ninety-two administrators whose schools are using the local conference as a technique to facilitate the in-service growth of their staffs*

Chapter IV

contained a number of ease studies of successful local planning conferences which were held in various slses of schools*

It is hoped that these case studies may

serve as illustrative procedures for those who may wish to initiate such local conferences*

221

Following Is a summary of the findings which wore scoured through questionnaires* personal visits of several schools* and interviews with many .conference participants*

The remainder of this chapter will be

devoted to conclusions and recommendations*

Included

in the recommendations are suggested procedures for organising a successful local school planning conference* Summary 1*

Nineiy^two local school planning conferences

from two to fifteen days in length were located in this survey of twenty states*

Sixteen of the twenty states in

the North Central Association territory had from one to eighteen schools which Included these conferences as part of their in-service training programs* 2*

Local school planning conferences located in

this study began as early as 1935 with four in existence by 1939*

By 19Wi-* eighteen were In operation,

since

191*1*. there has been over a 500 per cent increase and there seem to be many indications that the number will continue to grow. 3,

There was no common stimulating organisation

or agency which promoted this new movement.

According

9 9 f»

to interviews and questionnaire results* each local planning conference arose to provide for local educational needs and not as a mimicked innovation*

Most school

administrators reported that they* board of education members* and teachers felt the need for more thorough educational planning and* therefore* inaugurated the local planning conferences* U*

Local planning conferences or local

workshops were originated and continued with success in all sixes of school systems*

Twenty-*five were located

in towns having less than 5#00Q population* fourteen were in cities of over 50*000* and representation in cities of all sixes between 5*000 and 50*000 population* 5*

Local planning conferences were located

in schools with varying types of organisation*

Half of

the conferences were held in schools organised on a 6-3-3 basis* but they also were conducted in 6*6* 8*4* 6-2*4, and a variety of other types* 6*

Conference lengths ranged from two to

fifteen days with almost three~fourths of them holding sessions from three to five days* was five days*

the median length

Forty per cent of the administrators

wished to increase the length of their conferences while

223

only 2 per cent wished to decrease it*

The remainder

of school administrators expressed satisfaction with the present length of their conferences* 7*

Ninety-eight per cent of the schools

conducted their planning conferences Immediately prior to the beginning of the school year*

About 10 per cent

of the schools having pre-session conferences set aside additional time during the year and immediately following the school term for further planning and evaluation# Only 2 per cent of the schools held post-sesalon conferences exclusively#

During interviews with adminis­

trators who included the post-session conferences in their programs* the majority did not recommend long post­ school sessions*

They emphasized that some teachers

needed Immediate rest after a school year while some teachers were not returning to the local school system* The administrators recommended that the post-sessions be used only to evaluate the year’s work* to suggest improvements for the next year* to complete planning for the next fall’s conference* and to complete the necessary school records* 8*

All ninety-two conferences located in

this survey Included teachers* administrators* and

224

supervisors aa participants*

About on® third assigned

active participation to parents and lay citlaens In planning* program* and evaluation*

Twenty-seven per

cent of the schools opened the conferences to the members of the board of education either on a visiting or participating basis*

Only two schools Included

non*certifleated employees in the educational program planning and interpretation* 9*

Sixty-six per cent of the schools Included,

their entire professional staffs from nursery schools through high schools or junior colleges as participants in the planning conference activities*

For a variety

of reasons* 3k per cent held separate conferences for the secondary staffs*

Four of the latter were secondary

schools which were not connected in any way with elementary units* 10* Ninety-one per cent of the schools included the time for the planning conferences in the regular contracts of the professional personnel*

In these

cases* there was no remuneration aside from the regular contracted salaries*

Attendance for these staff members

was compulsory and subject to the same absentee regu­ lations as were in effect during the school year*

Four

225

schools Invited their teachers to return for the conferences without additional remuneration and without including these days in their contracts*

Three schools

arranged for voluntary participants to receive college credit* hut no extra pay*

One school paid ten dollars

for each day of voluntary attendance by each participant* The question of remuneration was a cause for concern in many places*

In some schools it was learned

that teachers resented being compelled to return to work early when it forced them to leave summer school before completion or to discontinue summer employment early without additional compensation* 11*

Seventy-two of the ninety*two

administrators stated that participants in their confer* ences were given opportunities to evaluate their experiences and to suggest future improvements*

On detailed examination

of some of these* some evaluation procedures were found to be anonymous and thorough; others were not*

Twenty

administrators did not seek participants* evaluations* 12*

Eighty-four of the ninety-two adminis­

trators estimated the attitude of their staff toward the conferences to be either enthusiastic or cognisant of the value of continuing the local planning conference

226

* mean# to improve the local educational program* Five administrators believed their staffs were accepting this method of in-service training In a mood ©f passivity, one rated his staff*s attitude as indifferent, and two believed their staffs to be antagonistic* 13*

The administrators * reactions to the

loeal planning conference technique were very favorable * Seventy-eight believed their conferences to be successful and thirteen claimed partial success in terms of their objectives*

Only one administrator expressed the

belief that this innovation was not successful and should be discontinued* lit*

In the area of conference planning,

methods ranged from total Independent planning by the administrators to co-operative planning by teachers, administrators, parents and lay citizens.

Over one fourth

of the administrators either planned the conferences by themselves or In consultation with members of the administrative staff*

One half of the administrators

took the initiative In planning, but appointed teachers to aid them while one fifth requested the entire staff of teachers to elect an advisory council to plan with

227

the administration*

Six administrators delegated all

planning to a group of elected teachers or to the local teachers1 organisation*

Two administrators asked

teachers» parents# and laymen to co-operatively plan with them the local school's educational conference* 15.

In comparing the teachers' estimates

of the suseeas of the planning conferences with the methods used in planning# more enthusiastic approval was found among the participants who had been included In planning activities*

Of the twenty-four workshops

planned by the administrators independently# only 16 per cent of the groups of participants were rated as enthusiastic about the conference experiences while ll9 per cent of the staffs which aided in the planning were rated as enthusiastic* 16*

The length of the conferences seemed to

bear little relationship to the teachers* evaluations of success*

The method of planning, type of program* and

the degree of accomplishment of the conference were the most influential factors resulting in favorable evaluations*

Conferences which were originated to

fulfill local educational needs and which were democrati­ cally executed were highly evaluated by the participants

238

regardless of length* 17*

Adminlatrators moat often Hated as

the major purposes for inaugurating and continuing the conferenceat instructional improvement and curriculum revisions orientation of staff to organisation, policies# and local educational problems? group planning, co­ ordination, and integrations planning to facilitate a better beginning of the school year? agreement on educational alms and objectives| and inspiration of the professional staff* 18*

Sixty-four local workshop programs

Included experts from nearby colleges, universities, state departments of education, and governmental agencies as speakers and consultants*

Several conferences

Included local lay citlaens, local governmental officials, and state educational and health officials as consultants or speakers in their respective fields of interest* Twenty-eight local workshops were conducted without the aid of outside personnel* Those school staffs using visiting consultants wanted them to remain for longer periods and to hold themselves available for small group and individual conferences *

Some requested the consultants to remain

for the entire conference or at least for one or two

229

entire days*

Sense requested the return of these

consultants during the school year to aid in evaluating the progress made* 19*

Excursions to local educational resources

were included in only 13 per cent of the conferences located*

In many conferences the absence of excursions

was reported as due to lack of time* to lack of convenient transportation means/ or to the urgency of more Immediate problems for consideration*

Xn schools where excursions

were used* the participants felt them to be very worth­ while for all* but most essential to the teachers new in the community# 20#

Sixty-one per cent of the conference

programs included planned social activities for the participants#

Participants declared important dividends

were attained from these social contacts which lead to mutual understandings and group solidarity during the conference proceedings#

Xn the social area* as in

others* the most successful activities were the ones which were planned by the participants or their elected representatives * 21#

Only three schools were included In tide

study which conducted the conferences in local school

230

settings with college credit offered for successful participation*

Arrangements were made with nearby

teacher*training Institutions which assigned one or more regular staff members to the conference#

One of

these discontinued its program in 19it.9# 22«

About one*third of the conference

programs had little or no continuity from year to year* Another one-third attacked new problems each year along with further consideration of previously discussed problems#

The remaining one-third had such continuous

planning from year to year and during each school year that each successive conference was a continuation of past conferences* 23*

It was reported that the additional annual

cost of these planning conferences ranged from nothing to $1800*00 with the median cost at $180*00*

Most of

the expenses were a result of consultants fees* the purchase of resource materials* professional books* program printing# films* social activities* and various minor items# 2k*

In only four schools was there any intent

at the time of inauguration of the local planning conferences or at present to use them as a step toward lengthening the school year to eleven or twelve months*

231

25*

Hew teachers In some system® were

requested to report one day earlier than the other teachers#

This additional day was spent in orienting

the newly hired teachers to routine procedures which were well known to the remainder of the staff*

In some

conferences part of this extra day was spent In taking an educational excursion of the community* 26*

Resource materials which Included text­

books * professional books* professional periodicals* research studies* resource units, pamphlets, governmental publications, and audio visual aids were secured on recommendations of administrators, steering committees, consultants, group chairmen, and individual teachers# These were usually arranged by the school librarians or placed in a position of easy access to all conference participants*

Xh the more formalised conferences, few

resource materials were used during the sessions#

In

conferences where small group planning existed, the resource materials were in heavy demand*

Most adminis­

trators agreed that their resource materials were Inadequate, but said they were acquiring additional professional materials as rapidly as the requests were made known#

232 27*

Participants reported the acquisition of

a feeling of belongingness to the school staff and local community from the planning conferences which they had received through no other in-service training project* Conclusions 1* school

As indicated by this study, the local

planning conferenceIs a youthful movement, but

one rapidly gaining favor in high schools of large and small cities.

It has also been judged successful by

administrators and teachers of high schools with widely varying types of organisation. 2. moving

Local school planning conferences are

in the direction of a pre-session of three to

ten days in length with additional days throughout the school year as the study groups are prepared to report. Most administrators conducting post-sessions recommended that these be short in duration. 3.

Many participants reported the local

school planning conference as a supplementary in-service training technique which had the necessary characteristics to fulfill many of the needs of modern educational workers.

333

Participants in a large majority of the ninety^two conferences Included In this survey, were receptive to this means of in-service training.

As a result of

the proper use of this technique piecemeal local educational programs developed into more integrated ones. Participants who were interviewed were convinced of the values of studying educational problems in the environment where the solutions were to be applied.

After careful study and planning, a plan of

action was formulated and executed by the very personnel doing the planning.

Reality and application injected

vitality and enthusiasm into the planning. The conferences included in this study had no common origin or stimulating agency.

From

questionnaires, visits, and interviews, it was concluded that this recent movement is in need of positive leadership which may well come from institutions engaged in teachertraining and from state departments of education. 6.

Teacher-training institutions and state

departments of education have much to gain from promoting or offering resource personnel and resource materials to the local school planning conferences.

Participants

stated that the college instructor, the state department

234

representative, and the institutions which they represented gained greater confidence of the public school personnel through participation in the solution of day-to-day educational problems.

They also received

a clearer perspective of existing educational needs. It is not the responsibility of a college or state department of education to superimpose a tailored program for a local school staff, but to stimulate local leaders to recognise and to solve their own problems.

Such

programs of in-service training were best received when they were planned by the local personnel and built around local educational needs*

State departments of education

and teacher-training colleges should also offer their research facilities to local school personnel to aid in the evaluation and Improvement of this workshop technique. 7*

Colleges and universities should train

their personnel to render desirable consultant services. Several school administrators commented on the consultants1 unfamiliarity as to the proper use of this technique* 8.

Participation in educational planning by

lay citizens, parents, and non-certlfIcated school personnel was enthusiastically received by all participants

235

Interviewed in the conferences which included them.

9*

From the visits to the conferences It was

concluded that these local workshops of two to fifteen days in length were not to be considered as procedures for quickly rectifying the weaknesses of Inadequately prepared teachers.

They are to be considered as a

method of in-service training and co-operative study for those who may already be well qualified and properly certificated* 10*

The public relations values derived

from these local conferences were great.

Interpretations

of the proceedings to the public and lay participation In the programs provided excellent means of securing public understanding and support of the local educational programs• 11#

According to the Preliminary Reports

1 of the Study Groups” of the New Hampshire Conference , some schools currently appropriate 1*. per cent or more

1. Preliminary Reports of study Groups” , The New Hampshire Conference, National Conference on the Professional Growth of Teachers in Service, Group 3, July, I9J4.9 #

038

of their annual school budgets for in-service training programs*

Such an appropriation would

enable a local school system to provide a planning conference with adequate resource materials and resource personnel* 12*

The planning conference was an

excellent technique for revealing potential leadership in the local staffs*

Small discussion groups and

various other activities offered excellent opportunities to many participants to act as organ!zers, group leaders, and group recorders*

237

Hecommendations toy OrKanlaln^ or Improving Locql. School Planning Conferences The looal school planning conference as herein described may be defined as a working session of teachers* administrators, and supervisors with a considerable block of time available immediately prior to the opening of achool«

It la recommended that parents*

lay citizens* students, school board members* custodians* and office personnel be included In the planning whereever feasible*

The conference should be conducted as

a co-operative attack upon common educational problems and not as a device for educating teachers through a telling-listening process* 2 From literature* questionnaire data* and Interviews* suggestive procedures of local school planning conferences have been secured and will be described In detail*

It Is hoped that these may serve as a guide to

those persons who wish to initiate or Improve local conferences*

2* Consult the following sourcesj M«W* Chambre, "In-Service Education of Helping Teachers"» Educational Leadership, December* 1943, pp, 172-174; croup "W o cesses In Wupervlslon, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Dovelopment, Natlonal Education Association* 194® S and "The Teaching Profession Grows In Service"* Official Group Reports of the Hew Hampshire Conference * National Commission on Teacher Education and Professional Standards* 1949.

238

Step JE8 Developing a Group Philosophy Educational planning should bo a comparative process*

There is nothing unique In these local

planning conference attempts to plan educational programs and solve educational problems through the comperetlve endeavors of school administrators, teachers, parents, students, and lay clttsens*

The need for such planning

exists In every community but efforts to do so have frequently been hindered by an erroneous philosophy of oomperatlon* Administrators, teachers, and students have often shown a willingness to co-operate on their own terms*

They were willing to discuss educational Issues

but were also datemined tc direct the solutions* They have not clearly seen that they were In a position to make recommendations, but that final decisions on educational policy must be made by the duly constituted, representative legal body, the Board of Education*

All

school personnel must first conceive the true nature of their comparative endeavors under an hierarchal organisation*

Once this Is understood and accepted,

some difficulties with respect to co-operative planning will be alleviated*

Each participant must clearly

239

understand and accept the statue and responsibility of decisions made by the Board of Education, the administrator, the teacher, and the parent# Upon this premise, the entire group must build and commit Itself to an educational philosophy# It will soon become apparent to the workshop group that it is impossible to discuss a single educational problem without reference to the social background and to the educational philosophy which has been adopted* Techniques of solution must be consistent with the adopted philosophy* Step! I t Planning the Local School Conference A# Sufficient time needed for planning. In many educational systems, new teachers receive an edition of board regulations and procedures, an employee directory, some Information from the Superintendent

of schools by correspondence and

interview, an introduction to a few co-workers, directives from the building principal, and as a result are expected to be properly orientated to their phase of the educational program*

Little time is provided for discussion and

understanding of educational objectives, for a thorough understanding of the school’s organisation and total

240

program, and for propar social and professional Induction of the new employees#

During the school year, little

opportunity may be provided to share democratically in educational planning#

Teachers may not gain the feeling

of belonging to a large professional group which is making a united and co-operative contribution to society* Therefore an important phase of planning local workshops must be to arrange sufficient time for planning* The necessary amount of time may be provided before the actual school year, during it, or immediately following It#

Perhaps some planning time should be allocated for

each of these periods, but It is especially necessary to have some planning time before starting a new school year*

Time should be set aside in gradually increasing

amounts as needs dictate#

To start a new workshop with

more than sufficient time, may be more detrimental than to have too little time initially with the view of increasing to meet future demands* This is a matter which must be presented to the Board of Education for final decision# but if it is presented properly the reaction will generally be favorable#

When the proposition of a two-week Workshop

was presented to the Board of Education in a mid-western

241

eity* om

board member made the following statement to

the superintendent| 1 have often wondered how you get school underway as soon as you do with so little time for preparation for the opening* An Industrial plant that has been shut down for a period of three months will always call Its key people back for a short period of time before they expect to begin production* B. Selection of a steering committee and its functions# All groups having an interest In the conference should be represented on a planning or steering committee* This committee should draw up a skeleton outline of a proposed program to be followed which is based upon locally accepted educational objectives*

In some schools

this steering committee may be appointed and in others elected*

The elected committee is usually the more

acceptable to the entire school staff* Net only the program should be outlined* but a central theme should be chosen* the best experts in that area secured as consultants* proper room facilities acquired* and social activities tentatively outlined* All suggestions by the steering committee should be flexible and subject to change as the needs and wishes of the conference participants become apparent during

242

the progress of the planning conference« Bach atearing committee representative should return to the group he represents for interpolation and discussion of all proposals In the skeleton outline* Suggested changes should he proposed to the steering committee before the final aeceptanoe of the outline* C* Date mining the working groups of the conference* Based upon the accepted skeleton outline, the representative steering committee should decide the mechanics of the workshop*

Shall the telling«*liatening

method be used or the method of group study, discussion, and decision?

If the small group method is chosen,

shall these groups be selected upon subject or grade level interests or shall departmental lines be ignored? This will In part be determined by the nature of the proposed program*

If content materials in subject areas

are to be improved, departmental committees may be preferred*

If school-*wide problems which include the

femulation of educational objectives and the appraisal of results, are to be considered, it may be advantageous to form groups that would disregard subject area boundaries*

Both approaches may be used in a longer

workshop with success*

While each participant thinks

243

of himself as a teacher In a certain subject-matter field* be may soon find himself drawn into a group with teachers of other subject-matter area# because of mutual Interest In the larger area of aiding pupils to understand themselves#

The aize of the working groups,

leaders# methods of reporting# and methods of evaluation might all be determined by the steering committee in advance# in the Interest of efficiency#

The length of

the group sessions should be flexible # if possible# and determined by group needs as their study and discussion progress# The need for general sessions and their proper spacing to share smaller working group results are also necessary considerations# Step Ill-Building the Conference Program# A* Selection of problems for discusslSn#

3

Kelley states that laws of learning must be utilised if successful results are expected#

One of

the first laws which merits consideration is that of

3* Bari G# Kelley# "why All This Talk About Workshops". Educational Leadership, February# 19^5# pp* 200*2»li.#

244

readiness*

To insure learning the conference experiences

must be meaningful*

Dew teachers must be oriented to

the system into which they are entering and the returning teachers may need to review the status of the local educational program and its future*

Some of this

orientation and review can be presented by teachers* some by the administrators* some by the members of the board of education* and some by parents*

Each participant

must have a background on which he oan interpret his anticipated experiences* Second* the participants must be Instilled with the feeling that they are working on real problems based upon their own felt needs*

The areas or problems

chosen for study must be of vital interest to the group* Identification of problems may be initiated by an individual teacher* a group of teachers* by administrators* by supervisors* by lay citiaens* by non-professional staff members* by students, or by joint action of any of these* Third* the participants must feel that they are working In a permissive climate which Is hospitable

245

k to change• They must be free to set their own goals and methods of attainment*

They must feel that their

efforts will be rewarded through results and recommend­ ations which will receive the most careful consideration of the administration and board of education* Three types of problems are suggested for study and one* two* or all may be used In a conference* The first type may be the daily classroom problems of concern to Individuals or small groups*

5

The second

may deal with over-all school problems which may affect the entire staff or the entire student body*

The third

type of problem may deal with the future experimental

6

frontiers of the entire educational program* After the selection of the problems to be

ll* Fred P* Barnes# "Bow Can Group Dynamics Be Applied to the School staff?"* The Bulletin of the national Association of Secondary School Principals, Vol* t Apri l # " * pp1*' # 5* Charles K* Frail and C* Leslie Cushman* Teacher Education in Service* American Council on Education * p* d * *■—*— —

6* B. H* Erwins and W. G* Fordyee, "The Workshop and In-Service Teacher Training"* Educational Research Bulletin* Vol* 22# March* 191+3# pp* 59-62* "1~-

246

studied it might be well to apply the following criteria to each* 1.

Is the chosen problem concerned with the

improvement of the local educational program? 2*

Is the problem one which can be solved

within limiting local conditions? 3*

Is the problem of vital Interest to

the entire group studying it or at least to most of 7 them? B* Group characteristics and procedures determined* Regardless of how the working groups are formed, it must be made certain that each participant is accepted as a professional equal*

Bach participant

must be recognised as an Important individual with possibilities of substantial contributions*

Personality

conflicts must be put aside and problems discussed entirely on a professional basis* Working committees of from five to fifteen persons are suggested by experienced participants as

7* wThe Teaching Profession Grows in Service,” Offlclal Group Reports of the New Hampshire Conference* p. ii*

247

securing the best results* Records of proceedings of all groups should be kept and channels of communication established among all participating groups* C* Understanding the importance of group leadership* Small and large group leaders may be elected by their groups or appointed by the steering committee* The latter Is suggested for the initial conference to facilitate preliminary preparations*

The elected

chairmen may be most satisfactory for succeeding con­ ferences* The Official Group Reports of the Hew Hampshire

a

9

Conference and Barnes list many characteristics necessary for successful group leadership*

Queries which the

group leader may use to evaluate his contribution to group success are as follows ft 1*

Do you assume your leadership role to be

one of function instead of status? 2«

Have you given each member of your group

an opportunity to become acquainted with every other

8. Ibid., pp. 99-101*. 9. Fred P. Barnes, og. clt.. pp. 1*0-145.

248

member of the group? 3*

Baa your group co-operatively determined

Its goals before beginning study and discussion? lj., when necessary, do you periodically remind the group of its original goals? 5*

Do you encourage the group to evaluate

its progress in terms of its objectives? 6#

Do you encourage statements and decisions

based upon educational authority and not personal opinions? 7*

Do you make it possible for each member

to contribute ideas? 8#

Do you sincerely seek to identify all

significant points of view? 9*

Do you relieve personal conflicts and

tensions by pointing up issues? 10#

Do you carefully consider minority opinions

and convictions? 11#

Do you summarise the group thinking

periodically as a means of minimising differences of opinion? 12#

Was the participation extensive enough

to reveal a cross section of opinion?

249

13*

If consultants are available# do you

call for their advice but not lean upon them for decisions? 14*

Are your decisions workable within the

limitations of your environment? 8top | V j g.y%luat.l.on of the Conference Experiences* A variety of attempts have been made by planning conference participants to evaluate their experiences*

Some have distributed questionnaires

after the conference while others have based the evaluations on personal interviews# anecdotal records# or attitude Inventories*

Some have preferred to use no

evaluative procedures until the middle of the school year on the assumption that changes in classroom procedures are the only valid evaluation criteria* fhere are three important phases of the planning conference which need to be evaluated) (1) the program# (2) the growth in personnel as a result of the conference# and (3) the growth of pupils as 10 an Indirect result of this in~servlce program.

10* "The Tea hlng Profession Grows in Servicew# Official Heport of the New Hampshire Conference# og. cit*# P*

I#*

250 Evaluation of the conference has as Its objective the improvement of the In-service program and should be accomplished by the participants without being imposed on them*

Evaluation must be a democratic

and a continuous process and should only be made in light of the educational objectives of the total school program*

These objectives must be defined in terms of

desirable pupil behavior*

To properly evaluate* objective

evidence must be sought that desirable behavior changes have been made* Evaluation can be made with these following characteristics of an Ideal program in minds (1) the participants are motivated to Improve the educational program through various means* (2) the program is adapted to the needs of the participants and the local community* (3) co-operative and democratic planning permeates the conference* and (I*) changes take place in the participants' philosophy and classroom methods which improve the instructional program* St9£ Vs Pq^owtlB,. No conference should end without some conclusions and recommendations for the Improvement of

251

the local educational program*

The steering committee

or a group of elected participants should urge the eonslderatlon of these re commendations by the board of education through proper administrative channels. Group study and committee work may rightfully begin In the fall planning conference but should continue throughout the school year. aohool year requires time.

Such activity during the 11 Pittman reports that

Springfield. Missouri* which has

ISO

elementary teachers

distributed in twenty-one schools of varying sixes, has employed a staff of seven substitute teachers on a permanent basis so that regular teachers may be released for such work* Step VIi Considering Further Important Phases, A# Besource Materials* As soon as the planning conference theme and general topics are selected, the school librarian should begin the collection of a variety of textbooks, professional books, professional periodicals, research

11* Alice Pittman. MTlme for Teachers to Study Their Problems*11 Educational Leadership* April. 191*8, pp. 1*38*14*1*

studies, resource units, pamphlets, governmental publications and audio-visual aids*

The steering

committee should set up a suggested bibliography as Its discussions progress and these materials should be secured as far ahead of the conference as possible* B. Use of community resources* The study and utilization of community resources can provide complementary and supplementary practical information and data to speed up the process of translating into practice the best in educational theory*

Information about the community Is necessary

for all staff members, but particularly for the teachers new to the system* Community resources to be studied must be selected with the same care as is exercised In selecting reading materials*

These resources must be utilized to

contribute to the objectives or educational goals which the participants have chosen*

These educational goals

must be in harmony with the school community and a close relationship between school and community must be built* Community resources may consist of individuals, groups of individuals, natural resources, institutions, local Industries, municipal governments and services,

hemes, agricultural projects, organized recreational facilities, and so forth* 0* Consultants* While a local staff may work on local problems for the first and possibly the second year without the services of outside consultants from a university, college or state department of education, it is recommended that such services be included early in the planning conferences*

Local conferences which exclude all outsiders

may suffer from an in-breeding of the ideas prevalent in the system*

Mew ideas, new methods, and new philosophies

add a zest to the local program* Another problem arises when the conference staff Is made up of local participants exclusively* There is a tendeney for supervisors and administrators to dominate decisions* Outside specialists should never be secured as staff participants merely because they are available* They must be secured only to aid the conference participants with their particular problems*

Consultants

must know how to stimulate group discussion without monopolizing It, how to Introduce issues and problems, how to sense group needs, and make short contributions, how to clarify for the group the fundamental Issues and

254

de-emphasize She details* and how to summarize the group thinking and point to future courses of action* they must demonstrate a personal Interest in the local problems and be effective in dealing with individuals* They must not have closed minds on issues but must recognize various possible solutions to any educational problem* Lectures should be very few or entirely absent in a planning conference and should be included only when a felt need by the participants exists. If an outside expert is asked to give a lecture or act as a consultant* he should arrive early enough to assimilate the thinking and objectives of the conference participants and should remain afterward for as many group and Individual Interviews as are desired by the participants* Teachers from other schools* parents and laymen may well serve as consultants if they are the most able persons available to make contributions to the objectives of the conference* S* Social activities* A good balance of work and play is of major importance to the success of a local planning conference*

255

Participanta with widely varying convictions often gain mutual understanding while participating in social activities*

The process of give and take in

the working groups can usually proceed with less personal injury as a result of these informal contacts* B* Finance• Expenditures for resource materials* consultants and other phases will vary according to the program in each local planning conference*

The expenses may be

' small or large depending upon local wishes and resources* Local hoards of education should recognise participation In local planning conferences as an additional factor In computing salaries*

The planning

and implementing of an educational program are two of the most important areas of the teacher's responsibilities* If planning conferences extend to periods before or after the school year* remuneration should be given for this additional time* F* Public relations*

12 Public relations Is a two*way process* First* the teachers should assume the obligation of

12* "Public Relations for America's Schools*" i&hth Yearbook* American Association of School llmlnistirators"," tashlngton, D*C*, 1950* Twenty**!

256

understanding the community in which they work. Secondly, the educational staff should interpret to the community the objectives of the educational program. Both of these goals can partially be achieved by eo** operative teacher«*parent planning during many phases of the planning conference. The planning conference aids the community to become more coneclous of the efforts made by the teachers to Improve the educational program.

It offers

the school staff a splendid opportunity to direct the attention of the community toward education that Is based on something more than tradition* All teachers, administrative employees and other school employees are public relations representatives of the school.

They cannot be effective agents unless

they are properly informed.

Much of this information

can result from the planning conferences.

Each school

employee receives many inquiries from laymen about some phase of or about the total educational program and he should have a reply available which is based on reliable information.

Too often a teacher replies that

he is a senior high school teacher and does not know what is taking place in the elementary educational

257

program and vie© versa*

It is too much to expect

as a result of a planning conference that each employee will be Informed on all the details of the entire educational program* but some orientation to overfall objectives ean be achieved* After approval by the proper authorities* activities and recommendations of the planning conference should be widely publicised in the local community*

258

A P P E N D I X

250

CONTENTS

1*

Copy of the Initial Letter to Locate Conferences

2,

Copy of Letter to School Superintendents

3«

Questionnaire Sent to Schools

It..

Individual Participant Interview Questionnaire

£*

Non-Participant Questionnaire

6#

Compilation of Raw Data in Tables VI-IX

2£0

(LETTER TO NORTH CENTRAL CHAIRMEN, STATE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION OFFICIALS, AND COLLEGE OFFICIALS)

Iowa City, Iowa

Miss Lillian B. Johnson Director of Instruction State Dep't. of Public Instruction Phoenix, Arizona Dear Miss Johnson: Your cooperation is being requested in a study which will be made at the University of Iowa on the pre­ session and post-session local school planning conferences or workshops held in the North Central Association high schools. We are referring to the staff conferences held by each local school system for several days immediately prior to or following the school year, not to -the summer camps or workshops of several weeks' duration. Would you please provide the names of North Central Association high schools in your state which are conducting an in-service educational workshop or conference of suffi­ cient length to be regarded as more than a prolonged organi­ zation meeting? We are looking for schools which are doing something in the way of intensive work on professional problems• Any suggestions that you can make will be greatly appreciated. A self-addressed stamped envelope is enclosed. Sincerely yours,

Myron S. Olson MSO:vo Encl.

(LETTER TO SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS) Iowa City, Iowa

Mr. John Doe Superintendent of Schools American High School American City, Iowa Dear Mr. Doe: Mr. Paul Smith of your State Department of Public Instruction has recommended your school as one of the few in your state which annually hold, before or after the school year, a local staff planning conference. These meetings are given a number of titles, such as local workshops, pre-session conferences, and similar ones. We are interested, however, in any in-service conference of several days* duration to which the local school staff is invited for purposes such as planning the improvement of the educational program and intensively studying professional problems. We are interested in locating all North Central Association high schools which conduct such planning confer­ ences of two or more days in length. Our purpose is to study their programs and procedures in order to make available to educators the techniques which have proved successful. To further this aim, we are requesting you to describe and evaluate your program through the enclosed questionnaire. No school or administrator will be identified in any adverse way, so you may be frank in evaluating this in-service train­ ing technique. A self-addressed stamped envelope has been enclosed. We thank you for your time and contribution to this study. It is our hope that each qualifying (or applicable) school in the twenty North Central Association states may be included in this survey. Sincerely yours,

Myron S. Olson MS0:vo Encl.

261

(QUESTIONNAIRE SENT TO SCHOOIS) Name of School

Submitted by

STUDY OF LOCAL WORKSHOPS IN NORTH CENTRAL ASSOCIATION HIGH SCHOOLS

The following questions are a part of a study being made at the University of Iowa to determine the extent and nature of the local school planning conferences or local workshops which are held before or after the regular school year in many North Central Association High Schools. This study will not include the shorter conferences or meetings which are held only for organizational purposes, or the summer workshops of several weeks duration. It is interested only in the staff conferences which include intensive work on professional problems. Your assistance in completing this questionnaire will be greatly appreciated. Myron S* Olson, Principal, Iowa University High School John E. McAdam, Professor of Education, University of Iowa.

I.

Data on your school: A.

Is your conference or woa*kshop held:

before the school year?______ after the school year?

_ _ _

B.

How many days are included in your conference?

C.

Are these days included in your teachers1 contracts? ______________ If not, how much additional pay does each teacher receive? _________

D. Would you favor a longer conference? E.

If not, would you favor a shorter conference?_________ __ ________ Remarks:

___________________________________________________

F.

How many years has your school conducted these conferences? ___

G.

Enrollment of your secondary school?

H.

Type of organization?

8-]+

; 6-3-3

; number teachers? _ J 6-6

j other

263 II.

Personnel of the Conferences A*

Check those participating in your planning conference: (l) staff of entire school system

3 (2 ) secondary staff only (

B. Check those participating besides teachers and administrators: (1 ) attendance officers ____ 3 (2 ) school medical staff (3) parents ____ 3 (Ij.) members of the board of education

; 3

(5 ) lay citizens ____ 3 (6 ) students____ . III.

Functions of the local conference: A.

What were the purposes for inaugurating and continuing the conferences:

1. 2

.

3. B. IV.

Do you believe that these have been successfully achieved?

Organization of the local conferences: A. What person or persons planned the conferences? _________

B.

Were these persons elected or appointed and by whom?

C. When did they begin planning for the next conference?

V.

D.

Name other schools which conducted local conferences

E.

What types of resource materials were available?

Nature of the program: A.

(Please enclose a program of your workshop)

Check the following which were included in your program: 1 . Discussion of school11s philosophy

2.

Discussion of objectives of secondary education

_3.

264

Courses of study construction Resource material construction t

J.

Other instructional materials prepared

J • Discussion of subject-area problems J . Discussion of over-all local educational problems

J.

Demonstrations of teaching techniques

J>.

Discussions with parents and lay citizens

10. Social activities for participants 11. Educational excursions taken 12. Outside speakers and consultants included 13.

Films previewed

lU. Small group planning and discussion

?$•

VI.

List other important phases of your program:

Evaluation of the program: A. Were the individual teachers given an opportunity to evaluate the conference? _______ B.

Rate the attitude of the large majority of your staff toward the conference: 1. Enthusiasticj b. Indifferent$

2. Recognized valuej

3. Passive acceptance?

5. Antagonistic

C. Will next year*s workshop be a continuation of the problems and projects of your last workshop or will entirely new problems and areas be considered? Continuation____j New___ • VII. Finance of the workshops What would you estimate the average annual cost of your conference to be?

(INDIVIDUAL PARTICIPANT INTERVIEW QUESTIONNAIRE) Teachers: A study is being made at the State University of Iowa of the local staff conferences or local workshops held in the fall prior to the opening of school or immediately following the school term. You were a participant in one of these and we would like your frank evaluation of its various phases. Your answers will remain anonymous as we are attempting to evaluate the conference and not the participant. Underline yes or no to each question. If the question is not applicable to your particular conference, underline x.

I.

Planning :

yes

no x

A*

yes yes

no x no x

B. 0. D.

II,

Program:

yes

no

X

A,

yes yes yes

no ho no

X X X

B C D, E

III. yes yes yes yes yes

Do you feel that classroom teachers were given ample opportunities to participate in the selection of discussion topics ? Iq the selection of consultants and experts? In the determination of social activities for the participants? If you answered no to any of the above, would you add a suggestion as to how you feel the procedure might be improved.

In your opinion were democratic procedures used in the conference groups? Did all participants feel free to contribute? Were the topics discussed pertinent to the local school? Were your sectional or group chairmen competent? If you answered no to any of the above, would you please elaborate.

Resource Materials and Consultant^: A. Were sufficient resource materials easily accessible? nono Xx A, no X . B. Was your attention directed to new sources of materials for classroom use? C. YiTere new educational resources in your community ■no X revealed? D. Did you have any individual conferences with the nono Xx D. consultants ? E, Were individual or group contacts with consultants E. no X helpful to you? F. Additional comment:

266 IV.

Your Evalu

yes

no

X

yes yes yes yes yes

no no no no no

X X X X X

V,

A.

Did you secure a better understanding of the objectives of your total educational program? B, YiTere total school problems clarified? c. Were new trends in education brought to your attention? D. Were common objectives and faculty solidarity acquired? E. Did you feel better prepared to begin the school year? F. Do you favor the continuation of such a conference in the future? G. Underline the word which best summarizes your opinion of the conference, excellent good average fair poor H, What specific area of the conference was most helpful to you?

I.

What specific area was the least helpful to you?

J,

In the light of the objectives of your workshop, underline to what extent you feel that these were achieved, completely satisfactorily partially poorly

not at all

Results:

yes

no

x . A.

yes

no x

Do you feel that your instructional methods improved as a result of the conference? If so, give illustration:

B,

Have individual conferences, group studies, committee meetings, or staff meetings been held during this school year as a direct result or continuation of the conference? If so, explain:

C*

List any other results:

267 VI.

Details of Conference:

yes

no

x

A,

Would you favor lengthening the conference time? If so, how would you wish to spend the additional time?

yes

no

x

B,

Would you favor shortening the conference time? If so, what part of the program would you eliminate?

yes

no

x

C*

Do you prefer small discussion groups to large ones?

VIII.

Additional comments on any phase will be appreciated.

(NQN-PAKTICIPANT QUESTIONNAIRE)

,ggg

This short questionnaire is a part of a study being made to improve our educational program in Iowa, For many years the staff in the typical school has been called back to work the day before or the day on which the pupils arrive. There was little chance at that time and very little during the year for the faculty as one to determine their educational goals, "their common objectives, and procedures. Each teacher has had to establish his own goals and hope that they would contribute to the education of the whole child. At present nine schools in Iowa call their teachers back some three to five days before the opening of school in the fall to plan as one group toward common objectives. If your school does not have such a preliminary school conference of three or more days in length, will you please complete the following without any signature. Only junior or senior high school teachers are requested to do so. 1.

Population of your town: Over 25,000

2.

Under 5,000

% 5,000-25,000 ___ ;

,

Number of teachers in your school

? Number of pupils

Yes

No

3. Were you new in this school this year?

Yes

No

k.

Are new teachers in your school given an opportunity to under­ stand the school's objectives before the school year begins?

Yes

No

5.

Have you secured a clear understanding of the objectives of your school through faculty group discussion.

Yes

No

6.

Have you participated in formulating educational objectives and goals for your school?

Yes

No

7.

Do you feel that you "belong" in the community in which you teach?

Yes

No

8.

Has your faculty as a group had an opportunity to see or hear about the community resources?

Yes

No

9.

Does your faculty have sufficient time for planning during the school year?

Yes

No

10.

Do you feel the need for a three to five day staff planning conference before the school term which might include: the study of local educational problems, demonstrations of latest methods and procedures, social activities, excursions to community resources of educational importance, Hie aid of expert consultants, and group planning?

Yes

No

11.

Would such a conference seem important enough to you to attend without extra pay, if need be?

Yes

No

12.

Do you feel that such a conference would aid you in becoming a better teacher?

269

Table VI Workshop Location, Sis©, Tim© and Length

Place

Population*

School Organisation

5,080

6 *3*3 8*11 §*U 8 *44, 0*3*3

Arl*ona Flagstaff Glob© Mesa Miami Prescott Tucson Yuma

fi.iUl

i.693 6,0X8

36 ,8X8 5,325

6*3-3

10,652 15,858 ; 8 ,2X2 , 8, § j 6 68,039 2X.X37 2,573 1,908 3,505

6-2-ii. 84 * $4 6 *0 '■

X2.958 X3.223

6*3*3

8—n

Arkansas Blytheville El Dorado Fayetteville Helena Little Hock North Little Hock Osceola Star City Wynne

6*3*3 6*3-3 6*3*3 6* 3*3 ©4

Colorado BOulder Trinidad Illinois Alton Cona*l* Arlington Hts*

31.255

5,668

6*3*3

k. only

0

* Population figures based on I 9I4.O Census

270

Mo* Days

Do r,irad Length

When Held

Tear Started

3 k

longer none same same same longer same

pre-session pre-session pre-session pre-session 5 pret 3 post pre-session pre-session

1 9U7 1946

3 10 2 3 half-days 1% 3 5 5 3

longer same same same longer longer longer same same

pro-seesion 2 pre,8 during pre-session during only pre-session pre-session pre-session pre-session pre-session

1914.8 1957 1950 191+0 1958 1958 1957 1956 1957

$ 5

same longer

pre-session pre-session

1956 1957

5 5

longer same

pre-session pre-session

1955 1958

5

3 5 4

3

1$M

195-7 19^.0 19W

1947

271

fable VI (continued) Workshop Location, Sice, Tim© and Length # Place

Population

; &Xsaissfer*

School Organisation ±

Illinois {continued} Crystal Lake East Moline Township Iffinghwa' ' > ? Granite City Molihe vl-:■ ,, ■ .. Peoyla:'' } ■■ > "? Boe&ferd^East' uRoekfWd^Westv, 3%*. Anne Urhana ■ * ',V-, Winnetka (Hew frier)

l4 #06 § 12,430

k eniy

Conner^vlile ■■ Terr © H a u t e

12,896 6.2,693

Mixed

* 8U.637

6-3-3

6-3-3

only

. • v. '' ,> :

J i Ames i Cedar Falls (Oniv* Cedar Rapids ,«■. Clinton ? ; Davenport I : , . Dubuque f ■ Fort Dodge Keokuk ' '-h> Waterloo < Kansas

4 oaiy ’ 8-4 8-4 6-4-4 0-4jo-3-3

6 -3 *3

Iowa

Atchison Wlchlta

)

12,555 9,349

62,120 ,?'•

26,270

66 i039 43,89*

l*I’3 0 *0 6-3*3 Mixed ^3*3

6*3*3

15,07< 51,743

6-3*3 6-3-3 6 * 3 -3

12,648

6*6

114,966

6*3*3

272

No.Days

s=g,^sg=.':ra;rsa.',^as: : ,1r Doaired Length 1< Year Started .■When; Hold' ,L :■ ' t ‘. ^ , ,,

pre-aeaslon 1948 pre-session , 1948 1948 pre-seasion pro-session 1947 pressesslon v r 1948 * .pre-session 191+7 1948 pre-session pre-session 1948 pre*ie*»ion 191+8 presses»ion 1948 pr©-session 1947

t 3

longer,; longer IdngferS same ^ sa®e^: aarae longer ' longer same , '' undecided longer

5 3

same longer

pre-session pre-seaaion

3 5 S 5 8 $ 5 $ $

longer same longer same longer unde aided aame !■ same same

pre-aession pre-session ppe^aeaaion pressesaibnf $ pre, 3 post pre-session pre-session pre-session pre-session

1948 1948 1947 A 1941 ■'

longer' samp

pre-seaaion post-session

1947 1945

f> $ ' 5

10

S 3 2 3

*

4 10-20

1947 1947

1946 : 1948 1948

1948 1939 •"

273

Table VI (continued) Workshop Location* Size, Time and Length 553S Place

Population

School Organisation

Michigan Allegan Battle Creek Bay City Crystal Falls Dowagiae Escanaba Perndal© Gladstone Kalamazoo Lansing Menominee Midland Mount Clemons Niles River Rouge Rochester Rockford Wayne

47,?5< 2§ *'

6*a-k 6 - 3-3 8-k

lk.1 22.1 ... q k.2U 5k ‘ *097 78 78*753

10,230

10,329 lk»389 11,328 1 7 *0 0 8 3,719 1,460 3,1 -

6—3—3 0-3-3 6 - 2 -I4,

6*6 6*3*3 .

6 *3 *3

6- 2-1*

Minnesota Albert Lea Austin Faribault Litchfield Mankato Norfchfield Stillwater Wase ca Wayzata Winona

12,200 18,307 lk.||7

6*3*3 6*3*3 6*3-3 6* 6 ,

11,654 k»lk9 7,013 3,798

6*3*3

6-3*3,

22,490

6*3-3 6-3-3 8—L 6-3-3

2i4.*268

6-14.4*.

800

Missouri Jefferson City

274

Ho* Days

3 7 3 3 10 k

1 2 3

i, 2

2 u

5 10 3

5

5 3 5 5 8

Desired Length

longer same same longer same same longer same same same same longer same same longer same undecided shorter

longer earn# same longer longer same undecided same

Hhen Hold

pre ••session 1 pre, 2 post pre-session. pre-session 5 pre, 5 post pre-seasIon 2 pre, 1 during pre-session: pre-session pre-ses sion pre-session pre-session pre-session pre-session pre-session pre-session pre-session pre-sesaion

longer

3 pre, 2 post pre-session pre-session pre-seas ion pr©-session pre-session pre-session pre-session pre-session 5 pre, 3 during

longer

pre-session

■year started

19I4.O 19ip 1935? 196?

1953 1939 19^6 19I4.6 1953

1957 1957

19k2 195-6 19h7 1954

195-3 191$. 1947

1948 I9I46 1947 ’ 194® 194? 1947

1947 191^6

1947 1947

19k?

Table VI (continued) Workshop Location, Size* Time and Length 111ii|*

Place*

,'iwyn.i

Population

school Organization

Nebraska Grand Island

19,130

6»3*3

7,1X6 3,212 10 ,61? 5, i o 4

§*k 6-0 6* 3*3 6-3*3

New Mexico Carlsbad Dei&ing Hobbs Portales Ohio Bexley Columbus (Univ. H.S.) Oklahoma Altus Ardmore Bartlesville Frederick Guthrie Hugo Oklahoma City Tulsa

6,705 306,037 !

6*6

.

§,593 16,886 16,267 5,109 10,018 5,909 2O4 ,4.214. i 42,157

6-3*3 6-3-3 6-){J| 6-3*3 6*3*3 6-2*5 6*3*3 6 *3*3

8,133 23,105

8-1^. 6*3*3

46,235 1,903

6-3-3 84

West Virginia Elkins Fairmont Wisconsin Greene Bay Kiel

Ti nn

■» No conferences located in Montana » North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming*

Ho* Pays

Desired Length

When Held

Year Started

5

same

pre-session

191+6

3 7 2

longer same longer same

pre-session pre-session 5 pre, 2 poet pre-session

191+8 191+8 191+7 1935

6 6

longer same

pre-session 3 pre, 3 post

191+8 1935

1+ 6 3 2 10 5 1+ 11

same longer same longer same same same. longer

pre-session 3 pre, 3 post pre-session pre-session pre-session pre-session pre-session poat-sesslon

1914.8 19+8 1940 191+8 191+6 191+5 191+0 191+0

3 2

same longer

pre-session pre-session

191+9 19I+O

2 5

same same

pre-session pre-session

19 19]

277

Tabls VII Participants* Attendance and l w u M n t l o o atti-igiigr 1)1.

Participants Other

:Ia©©

HaguXar Staff rrir©rum Tf1irrianrni

A^iaooa

Pl&gst&ff (lloba Moss

Miami Prescott Tucson Bama

31ythovilla El t c m & o Favettovill© Helena Little Hook 3

5

1/1 )

397

Table IX (continued) Workshop Functions and activities asm Place

Stated Functions of' Workshop"

Allegan Battle Creek Bay City Crystal Falls Dowagia© Escanaba Ferndal© , Gladstone Kalamazoo Lansing Menominee Midland Mount Clemons Biles River Rouge Rochester Rockford Wayne

orient *# group plan** fellowship imp* of inst* plan#* in-service ourr# plan** morale build** orient group planning* orientation orient** imp* inst*, evaluation integration, Improve morale* orient* sehoQl**cpmmunity planning ©due# objectives ft philosophy* orient* eo~op plan** ourr* improvement orient#* Inspiration# better start orient*# group study* prepare year •due# trends* better start* orient# orientation for new and old none listed group study of problems* year*a obj# ©0 *0 p planning# new techniques' sch-communlty planning# ourr* develop# secure unity of planning# study prob*

Minnesota Albert Lea Austin Faribault Litchfield Mankato Horthfleld Stillwater Waseca Wayaata Winona

curr# Imp** orient#* ©due# problems orient#, prof* advancement, ©duo* obj# in-service* Imp* of inst## start year teacher planning* prepare for new year inst# improvement* orient*# start year public relations, In-service training inspiration# plan for new year orient** inspiration* plan for year group study* community resources in-service, prepare for new year

Missouri Jefferson City

©due, obj#, public relatione* orient# •‘ mm

298

'/,in,WJW?»l|^iii^'ll1 |iL,*f. 1ajairfflsaavii^'-it

iaB:.aBSBf

Outside Consultants

’■w;.'■■i!|^^iwii"|mvp'^'.Br'Mrffi.^^fra.^iMBggegiss

Social Activities

Excursions

Credit

yes no yes yes yes ye# no yea yea yes ye# yes no ye# yes yes yeg no

yea yes yes no yea yes no yes no no yes yes no yea no yes yes no

no no no no yea yes no no no no no no no no no yes no no

no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no

no no yes no yes yea no yes no yes

yes yes yes yea yes yea no no yes yes

no no no no no no no no yes

no no no no no no no no no no

y*«

yes

no

no

299

Table IX (oontinuad) Workshop^ Functions and Activities ■

' ■

'

:" '

\ 'r;

.'i

;?TryaavT;iBfi'a;Mmssg^T^

Place

f

' ■ './Stated,function’ s or.'Workih©p;V-':

Nebraska ‘ .Grand- Island

*profs? growth# inspiration., orient#

Hew Mexico Carlsbad l>eming ' < ■-Hobbs Postal© s,V

■co-ordination*' better start brieO'tyy in-service; ;.■»/> , -eonbl^ltfy orient**losty; :'improvement orient**. group work* social; ■value.■

Ohio V Bexley Columbus

ip-service ■braining, ourr* revikion '«duby%bjeet** Imp* lnsi*,group eork

Oklahoma Altus Ardmore Bartlesville Frederick Guthrie Hugo Oklahoma city Tulsa

inst* Imp*,# ourri (revlelbn,,, Ihsptr^ ■ curry imp** orient*, ''Inspir*,; . ■' ■ orient*,,'■morale * educ#'objectives ' pro -sesslon organ* * consultant>sId : pone "'listed.' , : \ eduty obj*, improv*':ipat*.r better start .nope 'listed. - J in-service* Inst* Improvement '

west Virginia Elkins Faiimionb

\ inspire * integration, curr# study uniIled objectives;, pr of*/' attitude Imp-*

Wisconsin Green Bay Kiel

educ* object** orient curr# study, guidance

300

&o»«h;L#ant8 Social''Apfcivitlae',, Excuraions : '

i

,■'■

i

■■ /'

'.

.'A

v

,'*

"

,

‘


■

no yee

■;'*■ no no : •/

•

;

r

yes .no,; y®3 no r tf.

ho no no no

1 ■

■

no no no no

t yea. no

yea yes y©» , no no no y©s yes

yes no

no yes

yes .v . ;A ■ *.yes

rno ,t ■ no ; .n©'- , - , v ' ’ . no ;i, no ■ ; no> ’ , no ,A , no . A

yes .. ""no ■

yes no

n

no no

no no

no no no no no no no no

v

no no no no , . no no 4 no r, yes

no no

no no

no no

no no

\: I;

;3oi

B I B t l O O B A P B T

BIBLIOGRAPHY Books 1* Barr, A, S., and Burton, W. H1*, The Supervision of Instruction, D. Appelton and Oo•7'Iaw York, H * Y »f lyasO, 2, Barr, A, S«, Burton, W* H«, and Bruechner L# J., * m, D, Appelton-Gentury Co., Bow York,

4* Cubberly, Elvood P*. State School Administration, Houghton-uif fn n co,................. .w r , — f>, Cubberly, Elwood P», state school Administration, Bought on-ltlff1in Co •,”lfew11Yori',"T * Y, , 1^5?. 6, De Long, Leo Ray, City School Institutes in Pennsylvania, Educationai Pu^>lIs'fier""So* Samp Hill, Penn., i£30. 7, Dlederleh, P. B., and Van Til, William, The Workshop Hinds, Hayden and Eldrege, Inc,, Hew York',"11N, '¥• 1947, 3, Elsbree, Willard S., The American Teacher, American Book Co,, Hew York, mT'TfW*-------9* Heaton, Kenneth L», Camp, William G., and Dlederleh, Paul B«, Professional Education for Experienced Teachers« University of Chicago iPress, Chicago, m im s i 1940

,

10, In*»Servlce Growth of School Personnel, Twenty-First W a r b o o k ~ Department of ffomentary School Principals WaHonaf Education Association, Washington, D* C,,

194^

303

i

11. Phelpsi William F.f The Teacher*s Hand-Book. A. S. Barnes and C o . T T Q W # --12. Frail, Charles E«, and Cushman tealie C*« Teacher Education in Service * American Council on iducatlon, ¥asHngion7lD7 877 l9l|t. I 13* Public Relations for Americans Schools, Twenty|ighth Yearbook, American Association of School Administrators, Washington, D. C*, 1950* ll*. Rivilin, Harry N. and Sohueler, Herbert, Encyclopedia of Modern Education, F. Hubner and Co.. Hew York, "' H7 y ., 1 ^ 5 7 15* Ryan, Carson W., and Tyler, Ralph W.f Summer Workshops In secondary Education. Progressive Education Xasociation, Ie5TforE7 H* Y*, 1939* 16. Sweet, Samuel H,, Teacher* s Institutes, H. H., Hawley and Co., Ctlea, H * Y* 181$,' "rmr""mi""f■',nm Serlala and Pamphlet6 17. Barnes, Fred P., "How Can Group Dynamics Be Applied to the School Staff?*, The Bulletin of the National Association of Secondary Befoolt'^rlnofpals, Vof*' jli, April, 1950, pp. l*G-i*5* 18. Barr, A* S., "Planning the Year*a Program", Journal of Educational Research# Vol. 22, 1930. 19* Borgeson, F.C., "Meetings and In-Service Education", School Executive. Vol. 07, October, 19l|7, PP* 51-52* 20, Chambre, Me Ida W., "In-Service Education for Helping Teachers*. Educational Leadership, December, 19I4.8 , pp. 172-17ll* " ^ 21, De Young, Chris A., "Practices and Recommendations in Teacher Education Workshops", Teacher*s College Journal, Vol. 18, October, 19^6, pp* 13 -1 8 •

'304

22. Downes* James R«, "An Evaluation of Workshops*” Ilgmontary School Journal* April, 19i*7, p p * Ip^Q— Q * 23* Eekelberry, R. H*f "Longer Pro-Service Education,” Educational Research Bulletin. November, 10, 191*0 * 22*. Effians, Lester M«, "In-Service Education of Teachers Through Co-operative Curriculum Study,” Journal ^ - f dlt

°na:i ********* Vo1*

May# ^ W H T p p *

25* Brwlne, R. H., and Fordyce, W. 0*, "The Workshop and In-Service Teacher Training,” Educational Research Bulletin* Vol. 22, March, 19W, PP* 59-62. 26. Ganders, Harry S., and Price, Roy A*, "Workshops That Work,” School Executive. May, 191*5, pp* 56-57* 27* Group Processes In Supervision. Association for Supervision a m lurrioui'S Development, National Education Association, 191+8* 28* Harlow, W* B*, "Summer Schools,” The Academy: A Journal of Bacondary Education, Ooorg* A. Bacon Go*, New York, N . Y .,1680* 29* Haskew, L* D,, and Smith, Gerald Y., "Teachers Can Plan Workshops." Educational Leadership, February, 191*5, PP* 205-206. 30* Herrick, Virgil 1*, "What Makes a Good Workshop?”, Childhood Education. May, 191+6, pp. I4.l6 ~l4.20 . 31* Johnson, Paul E., "Together We Study Our Schools,” Educational Leadership, January, 1950, pp. 21+9-251 • 32. Journal of the National Education Association. Vol. 21 ," tfoveraiJer, 1$3 2 , p . S’ S'STZ

305 33# Kelley, Earl G#, "Why All this Talk About Workshops?", Educational Leadership, February, 19i*5, PP. 20075®*;--34# Klein, Arthur JT*, "The Field Laboratory Workshop as a Service of the College of Education," Educational Research Bulletin* March 17# 19i*3, 35* Loramen, Georgians, "The Teachers* Institute As An Agency for Training Teachers In Service,*1 j g g ^ L S i y ^ ji.gduoatlop. Vol. I., October, #6. Morris, M. and Lindstrom, E. J., "In-Service Training of Teachers," Service Education Hews, Vol* 1*3, November, 191*77 PpT 15^17* TMrrni""’ 37* Pittman, Alice, "Time for Teachers to Study Their Problems♦" Educational Leadership, April, 191*8, pp# 1*36-1*1*1. 38* "Preliminary Reports of Study Groups? The New Hampshire Conference, National Conference on'The frofessionaT, ll¥r©wi,E'L,'of Teachers in Service, National Commission on Teacher Education and Professional Standards, National Education Association, Washington, D# C«,

39. ;reEqa»d 22£i£S„£2E S*°°."4a^Z MiasaMffi1ls,i22a»

Iowa SecondarySchool Co-operative Curriculum Program, Vol# II, Department df Public Instruction, The State of Iowa, Des Moines, Iowa, 19l*7*

1*0# Rogers, Virgil M«, "When Colleges Lend a Hand," Educational Leadership, October, 19l*5, PP* 19*20, 1*1# "The Teaching Profession Grow® In Service," Official Reports of the New Hampshire Conference, National Commission on Teacher Education and Professional Standards, 19l*9. 1*2# Tyler, Ralph W*, "Trends In the Preparation of Teachers," school Review, Vol* 51, April, 19i*3# pp* 207-2127

1+3* Wine trout, Kenneth and Robertson, John C## "Workshops In Education#" The Bulletin of the national Association of Secondary 'ScHoro!TpHncipals, m n a ; l e l ^ 7 T s ^ / T p 7 T O 7 , ------------ —

1+1+* Ruedlger# William €•# "Agencies for the Improvement of Teacher« in Service#" United States Bureau of Education, Bulletin 19U#TS7~3/lomnffianl TfESenSi^^OfffcerfSsHngton, D* C.# 1911* 1+5* "Statletlcal Summary of Education#" Biennial Survey of Education in the United statelV'tC1 S. bffled o? Mucatlcn #n^e^ral Se cwl iy' Agency# Washington# D. 0«# 191+5-1+6. 1+6* "Summer Schools in 1918#" Biennial Survey of Education la the United Stages#12# S'* Bureau of Mucalion#^uTTetliT"I^ 97"y o ♦*^91* Government Printing Office# Washington# D. o*# 1921# p* 513* 1+7* Summer Session Enrollment in Higher Educational T^iYtu'iTona Sircular No* £61, Federal $ecurlly" Agency; uff1ce of Education# Washington# 0* C*# October# 191+9# p« 1*1* 1+8# Willoughby, w* w*# "The History of Summer Schools in the United States#" Report of the Commissioner of Education# Vol# II, Government Printing of flee* Washington# D# 0*# l89l+# P* 899*

1+9# Dewey# John# "Experience and Education," The New York Times, March 6, 1938, p. 10#

307

Manuscripts 50# Helfenstein# Vernon A#, "High School Teachers1 Reactions to County Institute Programs#M unpublished M, A* dissertation# State University of Iowa# 1929* 51* Henderson# Clara A»# "An Evaluation of the Workshop Program for In-Service Teacher Education Directed by the Ohio State Department of Education# 19l4l**19l*?M » unpublished Ph.D# dissertation# Ohio State University# 191*9# 52* Stone# Mode Lee# "An Analysis of the Total Faculty Workshop Technique#" unpublished Ph*D. dissertation# George Peabody College# Nashville, Tenn., 19l*l*