L 116 .043 1922 COPY 1 DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION ' STATE OF ALABAMA^ A STATISTICAL STUDY OF EDUCATION IN ALABAMA FROM 1890 TO 1921 JUL 08.1999 y AUTHORIZED BY THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION 1922 NG €0. MONTCON .f\M3 STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION Governor Thos. E. Kilby Mrs. T. G. Bush Dr. D. T. McCall L. B. Musgrove A. H. Carmichael Dr. R. H. McCaslin A. L. Tyler John W. Abercrombie, Executive Secretary / o^; V' A';,,.-^ FOREWORD The statistical study of education in Alabama which is given in the pages of this bulletin consists of the first three parts of the annual report of the State Board of Education for the school year 1920-21. It gives a fairly complete picture of the progress which has been made during the last 30 years and of the tendencies which serve to predict the course of future growth. This mate- rial will serve the needs of those whose interest is in the general situation rather than in the details which make up this situation and which are included in the annual report. The record which has been shown in this bulletin is a record of progress in which the state may well take pride. It is at the same time a reminder that Alabama faces a rivalry in progress from the other Southern states which, if met honorably, will place new responsibilities on all believers in increased educational opportunity for Ala- bama's boys and girls. // Superintendent. TABLE OF CONTENTS PARTI Page Progress from 1890 to 1921 , 5 Summary 17 PART II Financial Support from 1913 to 1921 19 Summary 27 PART III The School Year 1920-21 28 Summary 54 PART ONE PROGRESS FROM 1890 TO 1921 my|iEASURED by the Ayres index number for state *^ I school systems,* Alabama's public schools gained ^^1 74/(' as many points during the three year period from 1918 to 1921, inclusive, as were gained in the twen- ty-eight year period from 1890 to 1918. This phenom- enal progress should undoubtedly be attributed to the tremendous growth in public interest in education brought about by the war; to the law which established the county unit of school administration with a county superintendent appointed by the county board of educa- tion ; to the constitutional amendment which permitted the levying of county and district three-mill taxes, and to the new school code enacted by the legislature of 1919 following the careful study of Alabama's school system made by representatives of the Federal Bureau of Educa- tion under the direction of the Alabama Education Com- mission. Col. Ayres says of the index number that it is "a well established statistical device commonly used for measur- ing changes in wholesale and retail prices and rates of wages over long periods of time." He says further that "such numbers are commonly reduced to percentages and the number for a given month is stated as being so many percentages of the figure for some previous period. Thus, wholesale prices are commonly given as percentages of the average price for the decade from 1890 to 1900, when *A method for rating state school systems devised by Col. Leon- ard P. Ayres and discussed at length in Ayres' "An Index Number for State School Systems" published at New York City by the De- partment of Education of the Russell-Sage Foundation in 1920. Ratings according to this system of measurements, which is the most satisfactory yet devised, are given for all the states for the period from 1890 to 1918, inclusive. they reached the lowest point recorded. In a similar way the index number for the cost of living, compiled by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, takes the price in 1913 as 100 and states its figure from month to month on that basis. By the beginning of 1920 this index num- ber had risen to 199." Using a similar method, Col. Ayres has taken 10 sets of educational data from which to form his index number for state school systems. "Increases in them,'* he says, "reflect improved educational conditions and decreases reflect worse conditions." The method by which this in- dex number is made up is given below, as outlined in his book: TABLE I COMPONENTS AND INDEX NUMBERS (AYRES) FOR ALABAMA— 1890 TO 1921 Item 1 1 1 1890 1 1 1900 1 1910 I 1918 1921 1 U.S. 1 1918 ! 1 1921 White 1 Colored No. 1 i ; 33.78 45.61 1 38.98 44.92 50.16 ! 56.20 1 59.14 36.19 2 1 12.41 17.85 22.90] 27.75 32.13 ' 45.20 ' 39.66! 20.43 3 j 36.75 39.15 58.65! * 62.00 64.00 ' 80.35 I 67.00 : 56.50 4 1 0.62 3.85 9.02' 16.27 25.62 1 31.78 34.08! 4.11 5 i 74.42 63.19 72.52! 70.11 78.81 ' 75.70 ! 80.431 49.83 6 1 4.88 3.46 11.04| 17.75 29.28 : 49.11 1 36.781 10.22 7 i 1.65 1.58 4.30 7.98 14.69 ! 27.58 1 21.75! 3.70 8 i 5.87 7.83 13.82 20.13 35.94 1 47.61 ! 41.C6! 16.79 9 2.52 0.71 11.86! 10.16 20.74 ' 44.07 1 26.34! 6.48 10 1 8.71 11.70 26.131 28.73 46.43 ' 52.50 1 52.711 22.92 Index 1 1 18.16 1 19.50 26 93' i 30.58 39.78 ! ' 51.01 1 1 i ' 45.90 1 1 22.72 "The 10 numbered paragraphs which follow tell how the 10 items have been entered in the final index number and show how each one has been brought into relation- ship with a common basis, or educational par value, of 100. All the figures relate to public day schools. "1. The per cent of school population attending school daily. This item has been included as a percentage fig- ure. It can never exceed 100. It is the per cent that the average daily attendance in day public schools is of the whole number of children of school age. The children of school age are those more than five and less than eighteen years old and these numbers are supplied by the United States Census. "2. Average days attended by each child of school age. This item has been included in the final total as one-half of the number found by dividing the aggregate days of attendance by the number of children of school age. If all the children of school age attended school every day, and if the schools were all open for 200 days during the year, the days per child would be 200. In order to make it comparable with the percentage figures, the number, as directly computed, is divided by two. "3. Average number of days schools were kept open. This figure is included in the index as one-half of the fig- ure given in the report of the Bureau of Education. At present a school year of 200 days is exceeded in few cit- ies and by no states. A record of 200 days, if found, would be included in the index as 100. If the school year were extended beyond 200 days, the number added would be proportionally greater than 100. "4. Per cent that high school attendance was of total attendance. This figure is included as three times the percentage that the high school pupils are of all the pu- pils attending. Since there are eight* elementary grades *The fact that Alabama has cnly seven elementary grades makes this component more favorable than to states having eight jrrade elementary systems. 8 and four high school grades, only one-third of the pupils could ever be in the high schools even if no children died and none dropped out. Since a perfect record would be made by having 33 1 /3 per cent of the pupils in the high school, the actual percentage found is multiplied by three before being included in the final results. Under present conditions the number so used must always be less than 100. TABLE II GAIN OR LOSS IN EACH COMPONENT (AYRES' INDEX) FOR ALABAMA— 1890 TO 1921 Item 1890 to 1900 1900 I 1910 I 1918 to I to I to 1910 1 1918 I 1921 Co 4J CS jL o M 1— I tH oi ? S 4) >»M All I White Schools! Schools No. 1 1 + 11.83J— 6.63+ 5.94!^ 5.24+16.38 2 1+ 5.44J+ 5.051+ 4.851+ 4.381 + 19.72 3 4 5. 6 7. 8 9 10 + 2.40l + 19.50|+ 3.35J+ 2.00| +27.25 + 3.23I+ 5.17'+ 7.25I+ 9.35I+25.OO — 11.23i+ 9.33 — 1.42 — 0.07 + 1.96 — 1.81 + 2.99 - 2.41 1 + 8.70|+ 4.39 + 7.58 + 6.7l| + 11.531 +24.40 + 2.72'+ 3.68J+ 6.7l| + 13.04 + 5.99|+ 6.3l|+15.81|+30.07 + 11.15|— 1.70| + 10.58| + 18.22 + 14.43'+ 2.60I+17.70J+37.72 6.04 13.07 16.35 6.16 19.83 12.89 11.67 23.33 6.07 5.54 13.35 12.33 5.83 6.55 17.73 Index 1+ 1.341+ 7.43I+ 3.651+ 9.20+21.6211 11.231 5.11 "5. Per cent that boys were of girls in high schools. This item is included in the final total at its face value. In general many more girls attend high school than do boys, but the proportion of boys is increasing. Its limit is taken as 100 per cent. In the very few instances in which more boys have been recorded than girls, the per cent of girls to boys has been used. "6. Average annual expenditure per child attending. This is entered in dollars at its face value. It is found by dividing the total expenditures by the average daily attendance in public day schools. "7. Average annual expenditure per child of school age. This item is entered in dollars at its face value. It is the total expenditures divided by the number of chil- dren of from five to eighteen years of age. "8. Average annual expenditure per teacher employed. This is entered as the result found by dividing the total expenditure by the whole number of teachers and divid- ing this quotient by 24. It is thus one-half of the month- ly expenditure per teacher if all twelve months of the year be taken into consideration. "9. Expenditure per pupil for purposes other than teachers' salaries. This item is entered in the final total as the result found by dividing the expenditures for pur- poses other than salaries by the number of children in average daily attendance and multiplying this figure by two. "10. Expenditure per teacher for salaries. This is entered as the total expenditure for salaries divided by the whole number of teachers employed during the year, and divided by 12. It gives the average monthly salary per teacher if all twelve months are taken into considera- tion, and every teacher is included." A score of 100 in each of these items would indicate the following conditions: 10 Value entered in index 1. One hundred per cent of the children of school age would attend school and all would have pei-fect attendance 100 2. Each child would attend school 200 days each year 100 3. The school term would be 200 days 100 4. Thirty-three and one-third per cent of the pupils would be in high school _ 100 5. The boys in high school would be equal to 100 per cent of the girls „ 100 6. The annual expenditure would average $100 for each child in average attendance 100 7. The annual expenditure would average $100 for each child of school age 100 8. The expenditures would amount to $200 per month for each teacher employed _ 100 9. The expenditures for purposes other than teaching would amount to $50 per year per child attending 100 10. Teachers' salaries would average $100 per month for 12 months in the year 100 Total divided by 10 — the index number i *100 It should be noted that the first five of these items are what Col. Ayres describes as "educational components" and relate exclusively to such matters as attendance, length of term, etc. The second five which he terms "financial components" relate to the question of financial support from several points of view. Since the gains in the five financial components which appear in 1918 and 1921 are deceptive due to the sudden rise in the cost of living which began in 1916, it would undoubtedly be more accurate for this comparison to place these items on the basis of the purchasing power "Ayres' Index Number for State School Systems, p. 20. 11 represented by them. When this has been done, as ex- plained in the following paragraphs, it appears that Ala- bama's educational progress from 1918 to 1921 was ISVt of her educational progress from 1890 to 1918 as meas- ured by the number of points gained in the Ayres' index — rather than the 74 S' which was used at the beginning of this report. (This correction is not necessary for com- parison with index numbers of the same year for the United States since the same increases in the cost of liv- ing prevailed throughout the country.) In Table III the five financial components are given as computed on the basis of the actual expenditures and also on the basis of the purchasing power of these ex- penditures determined from government reports on the cost of living. Several interesting facts appear in this table : 1. The gain from 1900 to 1910 in the average of the five financial components computed on the basis of the purchasing power of the dollar is a gain of almost 100 V^ . This is undoubtedly the result of the embodiment in the new constitution of 1901 of a state three-mill tax and a county one-mill tax for education. 2. By 1918 the cost of living had mounted so high that in spite of an increase in actual expenditures the pur- chasing power of the schools was 33% lower than in 1910. 3. Although until the middle of 1920 the cost of living continued to mount so that for 1920-21 the purchasing power of the dollar, now increasing, was still less than in 1918, the added school revenues brought in by the county three-mill and district three-mill taxes were sufficient to wipe out the less in purchasing power between 1910 and 1918 and give the schools for 1920-21 a 15% greater pur- chasing power than in 1910. 12 .S'S " A4 o o - ftTS M CJ -2 c-i; ra -^ 3« ci c — 01 «o •^ ^ 1."= i4 CS !S — » sajnijpuadxa asaqr^ jo aaAvod av; -SBqa.ind jo sisBq uo suoi^'KjndiuoQ sajtTiipuadxs [■ernoB JO sisBq uo suoiiujnduiog + + + + + + + + + sa.miipuadxo ^ asaij; jo jaAvod aui ' _J -SBqDjnd JO siSBq t-i uo suoijTTjnduiOQ j saanjipuadxd j t- [BniaB JO sisBq j t~ uo suo!;'B:}nduio3 ; i— ' C- t-H i-H (M «0 + + CO 1—1 ^i■ 1 OS 1-t u 1 (M OS W 1—1 hr u r; cC ttj >> 3 ■o c Sx tfi cc u 3 04 ? P,T3 1 1 sajruipuadxo asaq; jo .taMOd aut -SBqajnd jo sisBq UO suopB^induioQ sajn^ipuadxa [En^OB JO sisBq uo suop-BindmoQ -CM laa^i O -xj O fi c o p. 2 O 73 -3 p c •: o 'S ^ + o o o a P O) s > O O O 73 OJ 0) •n c >• fi> Ph a; F- iJ 05 be C > "^ nS •*-> 01 ^ n PQ -^ CO X cs -i-> (» W "" ,__f T3 CM OS s ^4 + + r';; 13 TABLE IV PER CENTS OF GAINS OR LOSSES IN EDUCATIONAL AND FINANCIAL COMPONENTS (1890 components considered as 100%) 1 1 1890 to 1900 1900 to 1910 1910 to 1 1918 1918 to 1921 Educational Components: Gain for the period Total gain over 1890 + 7.4%. + 7.4% 1 +20.5% + 27.9% + 12.0%. +39.9% + 18.8% + 58.7% Financial Components:* Gain for the period 1 Total gain over 1890 + 1.7%-' + 1.7 %| +21.1% +22.8% —12.9% 1 + 9.9%. + 19.1%, + 29.0%o ♦Computed on basis of purchasin g power. See Table III. In Table IV the gains which have been made in the five educational components and in the five financial compo- nents corrected on the basis of the purchasing power of the dollar are shown. It will be noted from this table that the total gains at every period have been greater for the educational components than for the financial com- ponents. That is, for each increase in the purchasing power of the schools of the state there has been an in- crease in attendance, length of term, etc., disproportion- ately greater. In only two ways can this be explained. 1. There has been a constant increase in eff"iciency in the investment of school funds. 2. At times when, as in the period from 1917 to 1921, reduced purchasing power of the dollar otherwise threat- ened an educational set-back, length of term, attendance, etc., have been maintained at the expense of teachers' salaries. By turning to Table III and noting the figures- for item 10 which is based on teachers' salaries, it will be 14 TABLE V WHAT ALABAMA MUST DO TO BRING ALL SCHOOLS TO UNITED STATES AVERAGE FOR 1918 (Ayres' index components) No. 1' Increase the per cent of the population between the ages of ! six and seventeen, inclusive, who are attending school, I from 50.16?; to 56.207r. 2 1 Increase the average number of days attended per child be- I tween the ages of six and seventeen, inclusive, from 64 ] days to 90 days. 3 1 Increase the length of the school term from 128 days to 161 I days. 4 Increase the per cent which high school attendance is of total ! attendance from 8.54?r to 10.599^. 5' (United States average for 1918 already reached. See foot- I note.) 6 Increase the average annual expenditure, per child attending, I from $29.28 to $49.11. 7 1 Increase the average annual expenditure, per child between I the ages of six and seventeen, inclusive, from $14.69 to I $27.58. 8 1 Increase the average annual expenditure, per teacher em- I ployed, from $862.56 to $1,142.64. 9 [Increase the average annual expenditure, per pupil attend- I ing, for purposes other than teachers' salaries, from $10.37 I to $22.04. 10 1 Increase the average annual expenditure, per teacher, for I salaries from $536 to $630. NOTE — The United States average for years later than 1918 is not at this time available. In the past, the index number which is the average of the ten components has shown an increase of about 2.00 every two years. 15 seen that the purchasing power of the average salary- paid was less in 1921 than in 1910 in spite of increases in the actual number of dollars paid. Between 1910 and 1918 only a very slight increase in the actual average sal- ary occurred. The great falling off in the purchasing power of the dollar made this salary almost exactly- equivalent to the salary of 1900. For this reason more than any other, teachers abandoned the profession dur- ing the period beginning in 1917-18. By 1921, increases in salaries almost sufficient to restore their purchasing power to the level of 1910 had occurred, and the increas- ing school revenues resulting from the enactment of local taxes and from the increased tax valuation were rap- idly bringing back the day when it would be possible to continue educational progress without making such prog- ress conditional on the sacrifices of the teachers. If teachers' salaries are to be made more nearly ade- quate and the program of new school construction is to be continued in the rural communities with a view to the proper housing of rural children when in school, the next twenty-five years must see a higher rate of increase in the financial than in the educational components. Neither the payment of larger teachers' salaries, which are so badly needed if the right sort of teachers are to be se- cured and held, nor the investment of more money in new buildings will have a direct or immediate effect on the educational components of the index number. In other words, the slower rate of increase of the financial com- ponents points to what has been the chief weakness in Alabama's school system — the lack of adequate financial support. Teachers' salaries have been so low that it has not been possible to secure or retain properly trained teachers in any but a few specially favored communities. Investment in new buildings has not been sufficient to keep pace with the growing school population, to say 16 TABLE VI WHAT ALABAMA MUST DO TO BRING WHITE SCHOOLS TO UNITED STATES AVERAGE FOR 1918 (Ayres' index components) \ No. Ij (United States average for 1918 already reached. See foot- I note.) 2 1 Increase the average number of days attended per child be- I tween the ages of. six and seventeen, inclusive, from 79 I days to 90 days. 3 [Increase the length of the school term from 134 days to 161 I days. 4| (United States average for 1918 already reached. See foot- I note.) 5| (United States average for 1918 already reached. See foot- I note.) 6 1 Increase the average annual expenditure, per child attending, I from $36.78 to $49.11. 7 1 Increase the average annual expenditure, per child between I the ages of six and seventeen, inclusive, from $21.75 to I $27.58. 8 1 Increase the average annual expenditure, per teacher em- I ployed, from $985.44 to $1,142.64. 9! Increase the average annual expenditure, per pupil attending, I for purposes other than teachers' salaries, from $13.17 to I $22.04. 10| (United States average for 1918 already reached. It should I be noted, however, that the increases for this item I throughout the United States, since 1918 have been un- I precedented. See footnote.) NOTE — The United States average for years later than 1918 is not at this time available. In the past, the index number which is the average of the ten components has shown an increase of about 2.00 every two years. 17 nothing of replacing the out-of-date and entirely inade- quate buildings inherited from a period of limited finan- cial resources resulting from the poverty of reconstruc- tion days. It is undoubtedly true that, if Alabama's chil- dren are to have at some time in the next twenty-five years the opportunity to be taught by well trained teach- ers in school buildings adapted to conserving the health of the child and to meeting the demands of modern meth- ods of education, before that time can be reached there must be a period during which the rate of growth of the financial components will exceed the rate of growth of the educational components of Alabama's index number. In Tables V and VI are shown the things which Ala- bama must do in order to bring her schools to the United States average for 1918. Table V shows the improve- ment which must be made in the average for all schools. Table VI shows the improvement which must be made in white schools alone. SUMMARY The public school system of Alabama made 74% as much progress educationally in the three-year period from 1918 to 1921 as in the previous twenty-eight year period from 1890 to 1918, as measured by the number of points gained in the Ay res' index number for state school systems. It was possible to maintain progress in the period from 1918 to 1921, in spite of growing costs, in large measure because of the sacrifice of the teachers who were willing to accept inadequate salaries. The per cent of gain in such items as length of term, attendance, etc., since 1890 has been twice as great as the per cent of increase in the purchasing power of the schools, as measured by the number of points gained in 18 the several components of the Ayres' index number. The county board law under which the office of the county superintendent was removed from politics and the 1919 school code, which throughout the United States has re- ceived recognition as a model for school organization, have resulted in increased efficiency in the investment of the school funds which in considerable measure is respon- sible for this greater educational return. Before the average for the United States can be reached, and certainly this standard is too low for the people of Alabama, terms must be lengthened, better teachers secured through the payment of larger salaries and better buildings substituted for the inadequate structures in which the majority of the rural children are at present housed. PART n FINANCIAL SUPPORT— 1913 TO 1921 ^prjHE review of educational progress in Alabama ^* since 1890 which constitutes Part I of this report @^ shows that gains in such items as length of term, attendance, etc., were twice as great during this period as gains in the purchasing power of school funds. A study of the sources from which the purchasing power of the schools is derived shows changes, particularly during the period since 1913, which are most significant. For in- stance, 37.9 per cent of the total income of the state in 1913 was expended for elementary and high school in- struction. By 1921 these schools were receiving only 30.3 per cent of the state's income. The figures for the several years are as follows : PER CENT OF TOTAL STATE REVENUES FOR ALL PUR- POSES EXPENDED FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 1913 I 1914 I 1915 I 1916 1917 37.9% I 38.6%] 38.0%! 37.6%! 33.8%- III! 1918 j 1919 j 1920 j 1921 33.5% I 35.1 %J 31.0%! 30.3% As the figures show clearly, this decrease in the per cent of the total state revenue for all purposes which was expended for the public schools is not due to diversion of funds to the higher institutions. During the period from 1913 to 1921 the higher institutions including the normal schools showed increases in enrollment several times as great as the increases in the public schools. In 1913 these institutions received 6.4 per cent of the total state rev- enue. In 1921 they received 7.2 per cent, an increase for the period of 0.8 per cent. Obviously this trifling increase 20 cannot account for the fact that the percentage of total revenue devoted to pubHc schools decreased 7.6 per cent. Between 1913 and 1921 the expenditures of the state for elementary and high schools increased 70.6 per cent. Local support of these schools increased during the pe- riod 330.6 per cent. TABLE VII In 1916-17 more than half of each dollar of school revenue came from the state. By 1920-21 local revenues had increased so much more rapidly than state revenues as to represent two-thirds of each dollar of school support. Table VII shows the sources, state and local, from which each dollar of school revenue was derived in 1917 and in 1921. (The former year was the last year prior to the collection of three mill county and district taxes in the counties first levying under the constitutional am.end- ment ratified in 1916.) Fifty-three cents out of every dollar of school revenue were derived from state sources in 1917. By 1921 local support had been so increased 21 that the state's share of each dollar of school revenue had shrunk to 34 cents. The transition is shown in greater detail in Table VIII. In this table the left hand column of each pair of columns shows the purchasing power of the school funds for the year noted. The right hand column shows the funds from which this purchasing power was derived. The lower portion of each column indicates state sources and the upper portion local sources. TABLE VIII 414,000,000 -rr (?/ ^ui//c 5c/>oo/s Y/A fro/n \/\Loco/ Y/A 3oc/rces 3c/>oo/ ^i/i7e/3 h^/r/c/t \"\rro/rt I I loco/ [_ \30i/rces The left hand column of each pair of columns shows the pur- chasing power of the public schools (1913 basis). The right hand column shows the funds which gave this purchasing power. The lower section of each column indicates state funds, the upper sec- tion indicates local funds. By noting the right hand columns for the several years it will be seen that state funds increased fairly steadily from 1913 to 1921 with a slight setback in 1917. The left hand column shows, however, that the increased cost of living caused the purchasing power of these state funds to fall off steadily from 1916 to 1919, recovering only suf- 22 ficiently by 1921 to bring their purchasing power back approximately to the level of 1913. This table shows also how the local communities, tak- ing advantage of the local tax amendment, came to the rescue in 1918 and from that time on steadily increased the purchasing power of the schools by drawing on local resources until by 1920 the level of 1913 had again been passed. From a study ol these figures it is evident that during the period of greatly increased cost of living when educational progress was most seriously threatened it was the people themselves who kept the school system in- tact. Closely in touch with the emergency and keenly aware of the need they increased their support of public education four times as rapidly as did the state. It is evident from the facts that these local communi- ties with their greater sensitiveness to the needs of the schools should be permitted more discrimination in deter- mining the extent to which they will support public edu- cation than is now allowed them under the state constitu- tion. The limitations placed on local taxation by the con- stitution grew out of the necessity of protecting the treasury from plundering during reconstruction days. These limitations are no longer necessary. They deprive the people of the right to do for their schools the things which they have clearly shown that it is their desire to do. In 1918, according to the Ayres index number for state school systems which has been referred to in Part I of this report, Alabama's educational system ranked fourth from last among the states. Alabama's chief weakness as revealed by that study is the inadequacy of her finan- cial support of education. The three states which were ranked below her educationally in 1918 were South Caro- lina, Mississippi and Arkansas. It does not forbid a just pride in the rapid progress of recent years to ac- knowledge that there is reason to believe that these states also have made great progress, particularly in the matter of financial support. There is even room for fear that the next compilation of the Ayres index number may show that one or more of these three states may have climbed above Alabama. The following paragraphs give in brief form a state- ment of the provisions made by 10 of the Southern states for the financial support of their schools. The rank of these states in 1918 as compared with Alabama is shown in each case. South Carolina (ranked last among the states, three places below Alabama) .—This state has no state school tax. The legislature makes annual appropriations for schools and for institutions. These appropriations during the last year required a state tax of three mills. The minimum county school tax is three mills. This minimum is supplemented in many coun- ties. This year the maximum county school tax is seven and one-half mills, but the law fixes no limit. District taxes vary. The minimum is one mill. The maximum now being levied is thirty- seven mills. The assessed valuation is 42 per cent of the actual valuation. Mississippi (ranked next to last among the states, two places below Alabama). — This state has no state millage for schools but appropria- tions are made by the legislature. There is no limit on county and district school taxes. The highest school tax now being levied is 31 mills. The assessed valuation is 60 per cent of the ac- tual valuation. Arkansas (ranked third from last among the states, next below Alabama.) — The state school 24 tax limit is three mills ; the district tax limit, 12 mills. This state has no county tax. The as- sessed valuation is 40 per cent of the actual valuation. North Carolina (ranked fifth from last among the states, next above Alabama). — The state de- rives all of its revenue from the income tax and appropriates $1,400,000 as an equalizing fund. Counties are required to levy a tax sufficient to run the schools six months. This is usually about four mills. Districts may levy five mills additional. The legislature by special act may authorize districts to levy any rate the people will vote. Georgia (ranked sixth from last among the states, two places above Alabama). The schools get one-half of the state revenue derived from five mills taxation. Counties are required to levy from one to five mills. Districts may also levy taxes up to five mills. Louisiana (ranked seventh from last among the states, three places above Alabama). Two and one-half mills state tax, three mills county tax and five mills additional, permitted by vote of the county or district, go into the school fund of Louisiana. Assessed valuation is 100 per cent of actual valuation. The severance tax re- cently enacted adds largely to these school rev- enues. Kentucky (ranked eighth from last among the states, four places above Alabama). The maxi- mum school tax in cities is fifteen mills, in inde- pendent graded school districts twelve and one- half mills, in counties five mills. Assessed valu- ation of real estate is 75 per cent of actual valu- ■ 25 ation. Assessed valuation of other property is 100 per cent of actual valuation. Tennessee (ranked ninth from last among the states, five places above Alabama) . County levy for schools is limited to an amount equal to the total state levy of four and a half mills. The validity of this limitation is questioned, how- ever, and many counties actually exceed this limit. There is no limit on school taxation in the cities. The assessed valuation equals the actual valuation. The state tax for schools is eight- tenths of one mill. One-third of the gross re- ceipts of the state also goes to the schools. Florida (ranked twelfth from last among the states, eight places above Alabama) . The school tax limit for the state is one mill, for the county 10 mills and for the district three mills. A pro- ' posed extension of the district tax limit to 10 mills is soon to be voted on by the people. Texas (ranked thirteenth from last am.ong the states, nine places above Alabama). The state school tax limit is three and one-half mills ; the district tax limit, 10 mills. There is no limit on county school taxes. The assessed valuation is 100 per cent of the actual valuation. A comparison of the foregoing figures with the situa- tion in Alabama where the tax limit consists of three mills state, four mills county and three mills district, in- dicates that in all of these states the total number of mills which may be levied in state, county and district for the support of the public schools is greater than the number of mills which may be levied in Alabama. The following summary statement emphasizes this fact: Mississippi and South Carolina ranked below Alabama in 1918. In Mississippi, South Carolina, North Carolina 26 and Texas there is now no limit on county taxation for school support. In Tennessee the limit which is imposed exists in an old statute which the Tennessee State De- partment of Education reports has probably been super- seded by later laws and would probably be declared in- valid if tested. The limitations imposed by this statute are being ignored by a number of counties. In other words, five of the ten Southern states mentioned above are now without limit on county taxation. Mississippi ranked below Alabama in 1918. There is now no limit on district taxation in Mississippi. In North Carolina the legislature by special act may authorize dis- tricts to levy any rate the people will vote. There is no limit on city taxation for school purposes in Tennessee. The city school tax limit in Kentucky is 15 mills. Mississippi and South Carolina ranked below Alabama in 1918. The maximum district school tax now being lev- ied in South Carolina is 37 mills. The maximum total school tax now being levied in Mississippi is 31 mills. It is not reasonable to suppose that a slower rate of progress will result in the states which have these more liberal provisions for financial support. A proper sense of pride in the educational progress of Alabama demands that the financial support of the schools of this state be increased to the point which will insure that the new school organization set up by the school code of 1919 may function to the fullest degree in placing the public school system of Alabama at the head of the public school sys- tems of the South. Surely progress to such a position is not too high a goal for achievement within the next 10 years. 27 SUMMARY. The per cent of the total state revenue for all purposes expended for public elementary and high schools de- creased from 37.9 per cent in 1913 to 30.3 per cent in 1921. Between 1913 and 1921 while the state was increasing its funds for the support of elementary and high schools by 70.6 per cent, the local communities were increasing their support of these schools by 330.6 per cent. Fifty-three cents of each dollar of school revenue were derived from state sources in 1917. Thirty-four cents of each dollar of school revenue were derived from state sources in 1921. The constitutional limit on school taxation in Alabama is lower than the limit in other Southern states. More liberal provisions for the financing of the public schools in many of these states indicate the danger that Alabama may fall to a lower rank than that assigned her in 1918. At that time the rank assigned her was fourth from last among the 48 states. PART THREE THE SCHOOL YEAR 1920-21 I N PART ONE of this report the educational statis- tics for Alabama for the school year 1920-21 have been brought together in accordance with the method of procedure devised by Col. Leonard P. Ay res in such a way as to give in a most compact form an index of the general educational condition of the state. In this part of the report the statistics are set out in more detail. With>the school year 1920-21 such improvements had been effected in the method of recording and reporting the school statistics of the state that for the first time it was possible to say that these statistics were being as- sembled closely in accordance with the generally accepted nomenclature and definitions used by the Federal Bureau of Education. For the first time also these statistics were recorded for white and for colored schools separate- ly rather than, as hitherto had been the case particularly for financial items, for the average of white and colored schools. These changes result in two distinct advantages: 1. The possibility of comparing educational statistics for Alabama with those of other states using these standard definitions. 2. The possibility of comparing the returns for the white schools of Alabama with the returns for the essentially white school systems of northern states. In Table IX the enrollm.ent in the public elementary schools has been given for the years 1919-20 and 1920-21. The latter year marked the depth of the financial depres- sion which succeeded the false prosperity of the war period. That this depression had its effect on school en- rollment is shown by the slight decreases in total white and total colored elementary enrollment for the state. 29 TABLE .IX ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ENROLLMENT ; WHITE SCHOOLS I COLORED SCHOOLS 11919-20 i 1920-21 1 In- 1 1919-20 [1920-21 1 In- I I I crease I I I crease Rural [ 309,508 288,524 * | 136,988 129,233 * City _...._ 1 57,897! 69,3311 * 29,765 1 I 35,107 * County High 1 | Schools ' 5041 677 34.39r i ■ 1 State Secondary | 1 | Agric. Schools...! 2401 211 tl3.7% 1 [ 1 ! Total for State I 368,149'; 358,7431 f2.67c'\ 166,753 f ' 1 1 164,340 j tl.3% 1 1 fDecrease. *Twenty-six communities having a population of 1,000 or over which vi'ere under the control of their county boards of education in 1919-20 and therefore classed as rural at that time were in 1920-21 classed as cities under independent boai'ds of education. A glance at Table X which shows the percentage of elementary enrollment which was in average daily at- tendance reveals the interesting fact that, concurrent with the slight- decrease in this enrollment, was a coun- terbalancing increase in the per cent of those enrolled who were in attendance. This increase was sufficiently great to make the average daily attendance for 1920-21 3% greater than for the previous year in the white ele- mentary schools of the state and 4% greater than for the previous year in the colored elementary schools of the state, as is shown in Table XL 30 TABLE X PER CENT WHICH ELEMENTARY ATTENDANCE WAS OF ELEMENTARY ENROLLMENT WHITE SCHOOLS l COLORED SCHOOLS 1919-2011920-21 In- crease. ,1919-20 1920-21 1 In- crease. Rural , 62.5%! 66.7% 4.2% 61.4% 65.3%; 3.9% 1 City I 69.6% I 76.77c! 7.1%! 62.7%! 67.1% 4.4% County High I | | I Schools i i 74.2% 1 1. State Secondary j j j Agric. Schools 57.1% 77.6%! 20.5% Total for State 1 64.9% 68.6% | 3.7% | 61.6%, | 65.5% [ 3.9% Alabama's children are as eager to attend school as children in other parts of the country. The following figures for the United States (1918) giving the percentage which attendance was of en- rollment in elementary and high schools combined illustrate this fact: Alabama, Rural, 67.1%; U. S., Rural, 71.6'v^; Alabama, City, 79.6%; U. S., City, 78.4%. (Bulletin, 1920, No. 31, U. S. Bureau of Education, p. 24.) Poor roads would easily account for the fact that the Alabama rural figures are slightly below the United States rural. It should be noted that 907 white children and 33 col- ored children who are enrolled in public kindergartens are included for convenience in the city elementary school enrollment. For the same reason the public kindergarten enrollment has been included in the enrollment for grade one in the statistics given in Part Five at the back of this report. Table XII shows the cities having public kin- dergartens and the number of pupils enrolled in each city. The slight decrease in elementary school enrollment which was shown in Table IX and attributed to the finan- cial stringency which marked this year finds its contra- 31 TABLE XI ELEMENTARY ATTENDANCE WHITE SCHOOLS i COLORED SCHOOLS 11919-20 11920-21 I In- 11919-20 '1920-21 | In- \ I ! crease. | ! | crease. Rural ] 198,3141 192,426' =• i 84,094! 84,3991 * City I 40,269[ 53,177j * | 18,663 23,265| * County High I I I I I i Schools I t373'j 5021 34.6%! ! i State Secondary ' ' I I | | Agric. Schools- ! 137! 156! 13.97^1 1 Total for State 1 239,093 246,261! 3.0%! 102,757 107.664 i 4.8% fEstimated. *Twenty-six communities having a population of 1,000 or over w^hich were under the control of their county boards of education in 1919-20 and therefore classed as rural at that time w^ere in 1920-21 classed as cities under independent boards of education. diction in Table XIII which shows an amazing increase in the high school enrollment for the same year. This ap- parent contradiction is easily explained when the atten- tion is directed to the type of communities in which high schools are usually to be found. It was the tenant farmer and the small land owner who suffered most in this period of rapidly falling prices of farm products. Among this group there was for a time much actual want. The greater number of these small farmers live in the more strictly rural communities and in many cases out of reach of high schools. The falling off in attendance among the children from these homes, due to lack of proper clothing or necessary school books, would therefore effect elemen- tary enrollment almost exclusively. 32 TABLE XII ENROLLMENT IN PUBLIC KINDERGARTENS, 1920-21 WHITE COLORED Male Female I Male I Female Jacksonville Lanett Mobile Opelika Tuskegee Huntsville ... Mignon 27 60 •295 10 22 1 341 36 60 311 12 131 271 18 15 Total. 4481 4591 18 15 On the other hand the larger type of farmer and those engaged in other occupations were better able to weather the period of depression and to keep their children in school. This group of the population is also the group which in most cases is located within reach of high school. Employment at attractive wages which had for- merly been available to the older boys and girls from these homes was now no longer to be had. The result was that these children returned to school and, being older, in most cases to high school. This extraordinary increase in high school enrollment was accompanied by an equally marked increase in the per cent of those enrolled who were in average daily at- tendance. Table XIV shows that this increase amounted to 8.9% for the white high schools of the state. 33 TABLE XIII HIGH SCHOOL ENROLLMENT WHITE SCHOOLS j COLORED SCHOOLS 11919-20! 1920-21 I In- '1919-20 11920-21 j In- I I I crease. | I crease. Rural I 15,652| 17,857| * ! 543| 568| * City I 9,954| 12,051j * j 1,052 1 1,212! * County High ! I I j | ! Schools I 6,453| 6,9011 6.9%\ ! i State Secondary | | I I 1 | Agric. Schools...] 1,2791 1,497'j 17.0"'%1 j... j Total for State j 33,338] 38,306| 14.9% | 1,595| 1,780| 11.6% *Twenty-six communities having a population of 1,000 or over which were under the conti-ol of their county boards of education in 1919-20 and therefore classed as rural at that time were in 1920- 21 classed as cities under independent boards of education. Table XV shows the average daily attendance in the high schools for the years 1919-20 and 1920-21. The in- crease in the attendance on the white high schools was 28.7% ; on the colored high schools 23.8'y . It should be noted here that this rapid increase in attendance on high schools, in which the cost of instruction as shown by figures from the entire country, is about three times as great as in elementary schools, involves a problem of financial support which will be taken up at more length later in these pages. Table XVT shows the per cents of elementary and of high school enrollment which are located respectively in the rural districts, in the cities, in the county high schools and in the state secondary agricultural schools. It is sig- nificant of the need of the rural communities of the state 34 TABLE XIV PER CENT WHICH HIGH SCHOOL ATTENDANCE WAS OF HIGH SCHOOL ENROLLMENT WHITE SCHOOLS | COLORED SCHOOLS 11919-20 11920-21 I In- 11919-20 |1920-21 1 In- I I I crease. I | I crease. Rural 71.3% j 73.8% 1 1 2.5% 1 57.5% j 78.7% i 21.2% City 82.8% 96.2% 13.4% 1 85.5% 86.8% 1 1.3% County High 1 Schools 1 64.2 %/| 81.5%/| 17.37ol. i I State Secondary ! Agric. Schools...! ! 75.4% 1 i 77.9% 2.5% 1- ! ' Total for State | 1 73.5%! 82.4% 8.9% I 75.9% 84.2% 8.3% for better high school facilities that, as shown in column three of Table XVI, only one out of eleven white boys and girls who are attending rural schools is in high school, whereas in the cities one out of six is in high school. It should be noted too that in obtaining this ratio for the rural schools every county high school and state second- ary agricultural school pupil has been considered a rural child although many of these children come from commu- nities which are now classed as cities. The shorter terms, poorer attendance, inferior build- ings and inferior teaching service which the following pages show are the lot of the average boy or girl attend- ing the rural schools leave their mark on the distribution of the school enrollment of the state by grades. Table XVII shows the per cent of the total white enroll- ment, rural and city, which is in each grade. Table XVIII shows the per cent of the total colored enrollment which 35 TABLE XV HIGH SCHOOL ATTENDANCE WHITE SCHOOLS | COLORED SCHOOLS 1919-20 11920-211 In- [1919-20 11920-21 | In- I I I crease. | I ! crease. Rural I 11,167| 13,179i * | 312| 447 * City i 8,241| 11,588| * j 899j 1,052] * ' County High j \ j \ j \ Schools I 4,1461 5,626| 35.7%! ! ' State Secondary I | I I j | Agric. Schools..! 9651 1,166'j 20.8% | | ' Total for State | 24,519| 31,559| 28.7 7H 1,211} 1,499| 23.8% *Twenty-six communities having a population of 1,000 or over which vi^ere under the control of their county boards of education in 1919-20 and therefore classed as rural at that time were in 1920-21 classed as cities under independent boards of education. is in each grade. The marked degree in which the rural enrollment has been "piled up" in the first grade becomes evident when compared with the per cent for the cities whose record may in no sense be looked upon as a high standard. Length of the school term is shown in Table XIX as computed in accordance with the definition generally ac- cepted throughout the United States. This definition, which excludes from the term as previously reported all days on which children were not actually in the class room receiving instruction, is on the average five days shorter than the term would be as previously computed. In Table XIX the upper figure in each case gives the estimated term if the definition formerly in use were to be continued. The lower figure, which is in heavy type, 36 TABLE XVI PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION OF PUBLIC SCHOOL ENROLLMENT 1920-21 WPIITE SCHOOLS COLORED SCHOOLS [Elemen-! High | jElemen-I High j tary | School ' Ratio | tary | School ' Ratio 1 1 1 1 1 Rural 1 80.4% 46.6% *1-11| 1 78.6% 31.9% 1 1-228 City 19.3% 31.5% 1-6 1 21.4% 68.1%! 1-29 County High Schools 1 0.2 %,| 18.0% 1 i ...._ 1.. 1 State Secondary Agric. Schools 1 0.1%] 3.9% 1 ! Total for State 100.0% 100.0% 1-9 1 100.0% 100.0% 1-92 *In obtaining this ratio the county high schools and state second- ary agricultural schools have been grouped with the rural schools. gives the net term after the deductions outlined in the definition now in use have been made. If the inadequacy of the terms shown in Table XIX is appalling to those who have the best interests of the children of Alabama at heart, how much more appalling are the conditions shown in Table XX which gives the average number of days attended by each pupil. For the average rural white boy or girl attending the elementary grades, 79 days of instruction must give all the education received during any single year. It needs no demonstra- tion to convince anyone at all familiar with what consti- tutes proper educational standards that such a meagre period of attendance bars the boy or girl whose education is thus limited from many of the opportunities which a longer period of attendance guarantee the boy and girl GRADE / /^c/ra/ 3c/?oo/3. VA C//^ 3c/?oo/3. Fbr C£:nt or TarAL IV/y/rr: Enrollment /n Each O/^ao^ in the city. This fact is not one newly discovered but rather one which must be stated and re-stated with in- creasing emphasis until correction is brought about, not by limiting the opportunities of the city boy or girl, but by increasing the opportunities of the rural boy and girl. Something further of the handicap under which the rural boy or girl sets out to obtain his public school edu- cation is shown in Table XXL This table makes clear that five out of ten white rural schools are one-teacher schools; that three more are two-teacher schools; that one is a three-teacher school and that the tenth is a four- teacher or larger school. It shows also that approximate- 38 TABLE XVIII GmOi 1 ■ /r'i/ra/ 3c/7oo/3. VA C//y ^c/?oo/3 r£R Cf/vr or 3rAL CoLO/^ro ly three out of every ten white boys or girls attending the rural schools attend one-teacher schools ; that three more attend two-teacher schools ; that two attend three and four-teacher schools and that two attend larger schools. Consolidation is the only practical solution of the weak- ness of these small schools in which poorly trained teach- ers must attempt to teach more grades than even a high- ly trained teacher could manage effectively. The figures 39 TABLE XIX LENGTH OF TERM IN DAYS, 1920-21 WHITE SCHOOLS I COLORED SCHOOLS Elemen-; High | JElemen-i High | tary | School | Total | tary | School | Total ! Rural 124 119 143 138 1251 120 102 97 147 1 142 102 97 City j 178 173 177 172 178| 173' 172 167 177 1 172] 172 167 County High \ Schools 1 180 176 180 176 180 1 176 j State Secondary Agric. Schools... 180 178 180 177 1 180 1 178| 1 i j Total for State 136 131 164 159 139' 134| 117 112 169 1641 1 118 113 The upper figure under each heading gives the length of term according to the definition used in previous reports. The low^er figure, printed in heavy type, gives the length of term according to the definition (see text) which vi^ill be used in future reports. The terms for Alabama's vi^hite schools compare as follows with the terms for the United States (1918): Alabama, Rural, 120; U. S., Rural, 144; Alabama, City, 173; U. S., City, 182. (Bulletin, 1920, No. 31, U. S. Bureau of Education, p. 11.) It should be noted that the figures for the United States are for white and colored schools combined. showing the number of schools of each type which are located in districts having the district tax emphasize the fact that money is the essential to consolidation and the guarantees which consolidation gives of better instruc- tion. Four-fifths of all communities having six-teacher, or larger, rural schools have the district tax, whereas only one community in seven which is served by a one- 40 TABLE XX AVERAGE NUMBER OF DAYS ATTENDED BY EACH PUPIL, 1920-21 WHITE SCHOOLS Elemen-! High | I tary | School i Total COLORED SCHOOLS Elemen-I High | tary | School I Total Rural I 79| lOll 81' 63| 1121 64 City ! iW 165^ 1381 112" 14? 112 County High T ' \ j ^ \ Schools I 131 ; 143| 1421 1 i State Secondary | t I | i ' Agric. Schools...| 138[ 138j 138| | | \ ^ I \ ^ r " Total for State | 90' 131! 94' 741 138 74 The average number of days attended by each pupil for Ala- bama's white schools compares as follows with the average for the United States (1918): Alabama, Rural. 81; U. S., Rural, 103; Alabama, City, 138; U. S., City, 143. (Bulletin, 1920, No. 31, U. S. Bureau of Education, pp. 11-15.) It should be borne in mind that the figures for the United States are for white and colored schools combined. teacher school has this tax. In other words, where the revenue is the better, schools are. Some method must be found of providing the revenue and the encouragement necessary for the elimination wherever possible of the smaller type of rural school as rapidly as road improve- ment makes travel to these schools feasible. Only in this way will the educational opportunities of rural boys and girls be steadily increased toward the point where they will approximate the opportunities of city boys and girls. Table XXII gives the number of white teachers employ- ed in the public schools for the school year 1920-21. The total number of white teachers, 10,371 , represents an in- 41 m c Cn CO N^ o* I—" i;^ 05 «o K» -o (D «0 W_l CO 00 cn ^ ^ ^ •D ^ •z 'D s: (D C re c fti c (T> M o ft) 3 o fC 3 3 3 ct- ft O O H4j o o Ms lied . total r1- 3- tt> 3" fD C/3 £- CO O 3- m (t CO o n a, o^ 3 C 5 en o 3" W O 3" o o yj cr o o CO o m" t« n ^ 5' 3 3 1^ D- o M c co' n 3- 1 n' O. ri- al co' r+- tr -t^ 93 n' <^ r+ M 3 B: vi rt' c-h -^ 83 X WH ^^ 00 t-i en One eacher T chools S -3 CO Cn p ^^ b or CO CO bo ,^.^ ^ CO h-' ^.^ 35 CO O to CO 3-^ ^ o rs ? to O 4^ H-l — ' *>. "to OS CO f-i W o 3'o 2l <^ >^ to en ■<^ to CO ^<^ 1 Three Teacher [Schools ►-^ 4^ >(^ h- ' «0 h-i to CO h-i P t^ _^^ 00 to ■S^ ■O 3 ^•^rH to en £-« ^ 00 05 Oi CO yp o ^ CO 00 bo _i CO « -v^ 00 ^ to >i5 < 35 ■o WH M -:i s-ss >U 1^ CO h-* OS CO CO bo O f^ <; 3-^ CO % S~- to ^ en en _^i -3 1\ Six Teach and Larg Schoo l-i CO 00 o IS3 ^ ^■^ 00 CO ^ c 15 i-i CO t-* M o o to o l> o _JO en h-i O i (i. o ^— b "co t— ' o o t O O '"' :3 < ^1 ^ 00 ^ ^ J1 "m CO w c: w > w r > w -f1 o ►— 1 a ^ o o o f M M O > r/5 W rji txi O c! I— ( r o > O 2 td W W m f O P O 1— I o H CO 42 crease of 4.9 '/< over the number employed during the pre- vious year. It is worth while to note that 85,6 'a of these teachers are elementary teachers under the definition used in gathering this material. This definition classifies as elementary teachers all who devote half or more than half of their teaching time to teaching grades 1 to 7, and as high school teachers all who devote half or more than half of their teaching time to teaching grades 8 to 12. TABLE XXII NUMBER OF WHITE TEACHERS EMPLOYED, 1920-21 MALE FEMALE Elemen-i High | jElemen-l High | tary | School I Total | tary | School j Total 1 1 1 1 ! Rural 1,584 387 1,9711 I 5,733 376 6,109 City _ 22 97j 1191 1,519! 324 1,829 County High Schools '■ 1 2! 99; 101 14 157 171 State Secondary t Agric. Schools...] oj • 251 25| 3[ 29 46 Total for State ' 1,608'j 608' 2,216[ 1 7,269! 886 8,155 Table XXIII gives the total payments which were made to these teachers and Table XXIV the average salaries paid. Similar information for the colored schools of the state is given in Tables XXV, XXVI and XXVII. The types of certificates held by these teachers are shown in Table XXXVIII. In general it may be assumed that the certificates in the order given in this table classify their holders in the order of the adequacy of their professional training. Those teachers who hold 43 TABLE XXIII TOTAL SALARIES PAID TO WHITE TEACHERS, 1920-21 MALE FEMALE Elemen- tary High School Total Elemen- tary High School Total Rural 1$ 747,209 '$ 379,393J$1,126,602[$2,837,827!$ 247,850j$3,085,677 City 25,563 \ 129,939| 155,5021 1,402,4991 389,256' County High i Schools ..| State Sec. ! I ! I I | Agr. Schools! 1 48,7561 48,7561 2,679] 28,816| 41,440 1,810 I 164,441 166,251 ll,153t 145,404 1,781,810 156,557 Total f or j I ! I I ' State 1$ 774,582 1$ 722,529|$l,497,llll$4,254,158i$ 811,3261 $5,065,484 professional certificates have usually received good pro- fessional training and, with few exceptions, those teach- ers who hold third grade certificates have little or no pro- fessional training. This table shows that seven out of ten white rural teachers hold the two poorest types of teaching certificates, but only three out of ten city teach- ers. Here is indicated most strikingly the fact that the training of those who teach rural boys and girls is much poorer than the training of those who teach city boys and girls. . The reason is not far to seek. The training of teachers for the elementary schools (and it is elementary school teachers almost exclusively who hold the lower grades of certificates) is the task of the normal schools of the state. These institutions have been so badly handicapped by lack of adequate financial support that they have been unable to do more than a small part of the task imposed 44 TABLE XXIV AVERAGE SALARIES PAID TO WHITE TEACHERS, 1920-21 MALE FEMALE 1 1 1 Elemen- tary 1 High 1 lElemen- School 1 Total j tary High School Total Rural $ 472 $ 980$ 572[$ 495 $ 659$ 505 City 1 1 1,162 1,340 1 1,307 923 1 1,201 974 County High 1 Schools 1 905 1,661 1,646| 797 926 916 1 State Secondary Agric. Schools...! o' l,950j 1,950 893 994! 901 Total for State $ 482 $ 1,1881$ ! 676'$ 585 1 $ 916!$ 621 on them by the needs of the schools. The demand for their students has so greatly exceeded the supply that in many cases these students have been induced to leave before completing their training for teaching. Further- more, the longer terms, larger salaries and better living conditions usually found in the cities have diverted the great majority of these students to the city schools. The certificate regulations of the State Board of Edu- cation have placed increasing emphasis on professional training, and a steadily increasing number of prospective teachers are looking to the normal schools for adequate preparation for teaching. If they are to receive this preparation the normal schools must be given the finan- cial support necessary to enable them to meet properly this growing demand. 45 TABLE XXV NUMBER OF COLORED TEACHERS EMPLOYED, 1920-21 MALE FEMALE Elemen- tary High School jElemen-l Total i tary | 1 High School Total Rural 541 49 16 19 557 1,6241 68 481 ! 9 26 1,633 City 507 Total for State... ..'l 590 35 625 2,1051 35 2,140 The same statement may be made of the institutions whose function is the preparation of teachers for the high schools of the state. These high schools, as was shown in Table XV, experienced an increase in attend- ance of 28.7% during the one year period from 1919-20 to 1920-21. The supply of properly trained teachers was utterly inadequate before this rapid increase in attend- ance began. It is still more inadequate now. Table IV in Part One of this report showed that, meas- ured by the number of points gained in the Ayres' index number for state school systems, Alabama's per cent of gain in the purchasing power of the schools during the 31 year period from 1890 to 1921 was half as great as the per cent of gain in such items as length of term, attend- ance, etc. How this purchasing power was invested for the school year 1920-21 is shown in Table XXIX, which shows also the limits between which the several items usually fall. 46 TABLE XXVI TOTAL SALARIES PAID TO COLORED TEACHERS, 1920-21 MALE FEMALE Elemen- ! High | ' Elemen- | High tary j School i Total i tary I School Total Rural i? 104,154 1$ 11,5321$ 115,686j$ 337,916!$ 3,310l$ 341,226 City I 24,872 1 13,264! 38,136! 247,090! 19,581! 266,671 Total for | i i ! ! I State $ 129,026 1$ 24,796 $ 153,822'$ 585,006!$ 22,891l$ 607,897 TABLE XXVII AVERAGE SALARIES PAID TO COLORED TEACHERS, 1920-21 MALE 1 FEMALE 1 1 1 1 ! 1 Elemen- 1 High Elemen-' High ! tary 1 School 1 Total ! tary 1 School 1 Total Rural $ 192j$ 721 $ 508| 698 1 1 2081$ 561! 208 $ 1 368'$ 209 City - 514 7531 526 Total for State $ 218j$ 708i$ ! 246'$ 1 2771$ 654 $ 284 It is interesting to note that, although Alabama's length of term is short, which would tend to make the per cent of all expenditures devoted to general control rela- tively large, this item falls well within the limits within 47 TABLE XXVIIl PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION OF CERTIFICATES HELD BY TEACHERS, 1920-21 White 1 1 Rural 1 I City County High Schools state Second- ary Ag- ricul- tural Schools 1 Total Professional 12% 7.7%^ 22.6 43.71 20.8 5.2 10.6% 24.8 63.1 1.5 0.0 20.3%, 17.0 62.7 0.0 0.0 2.8% 11.2 25.5 32.9 27.6 Life First 1 7.9 1 19 5 Second i 37 2 Third _ 34.2 ( Total ! [ 1 100.0% 1 100.0 %r 1 100.0% 100.0%, 1 1 100.0% I ! Color ed Professional j j i 0.31 2.1 i 6.2|. 4.81 46.6!. 40.3|. 1 1 1 1 0.6 3 4 Life 1 1 ! 2.6j 1 1.9 20.0 1 1 75.21 1 1 First Second „... 1. i. 1 2.5 25 5 Third 1 68.0 I 1 Total 1 1 1 100.0% 1 I 100.0% I. 1 I inn (\cf. 1 ! 1 I which it is iisiially found. Members of boards of educa- tion and county and city superintendents of education are employed of necessity for twelve months in the year. The per diem and salary of these officers is approximately the same whether the schools run five months or nine. It is clear, therefore, that increases in the length of the school term, while necessitating larger expenditures for 48 w w EH :z: o o H w Oh fa o o PQ ft? H ^ in v^ V? <> &- ^ 1 Fixe ! Chrg "5 CO 1 -! § tM' tH ' 1 ^ • ^ # •r; >» ?, M "O '>< u 13 3 to 4J to .Si ~^"" ^ ^ to '2 c 10 " t- . « 1 #. c^ Super visors includ ing prin- 1 cipals 7.0 and 1 10.0 CO "^ ctf '^' ^^ ^ ^ ^H "O C I— 1 OJ 4J -* ^ «c c c \6 oi U items ly falli .5 3 > CO 1 ^ T— 1 bit to 9 3 r^ +j — ' '3 Vi s 0) to X, 0. a» >< J- to . 0) 3 p +f oj a ctf s g^ X ^ JS fa' < 1 5tl C ^ be ro CO ^ C i-H X. -i-j a c c 'C c CO ctf 01 Cl) m ^ 3 to C OJ dJ ro (.^J (1) c o> P, 0) -t-> r« X T1 01 c -2 c S c Ctf -(J 0) c ctf cfl 'p. 01 CO 01 3 CO to -1-1 crt ^H C re >> to 0) ctf T3 T5 m to fl) <^ u >— ' ctf +-> crt .1-1 iS c 3 ft t: C r) to a a> 3 OJ 11 c^" 3 X. CO 0) _c o> T3 '0 to" 0) to 0) 'T3 _3 to '0 C 01 CO 05 c bo ctf bo c ctf (3 fl 0) c ctf X ni -»-> -IJ 0) CO T3 CS .t; o> y. fa 3 o< to 01 a ctf p 49 teachers' salaries and for the maintenance and operation of the school plant, will require only minor increases in the several items of general control, and that general control will become an even smaller per cent of the total budget. The schools of Jefferson county, which have reached standards which the schools of most of the counties can- not hope to attain until their school revenues have been very largely increased, apportion only 3.2% of current ; expenses to general control. If the term in this county ; were to be reduced to the average for the state, the ex- ; penditure for general control could be reduced only very 1 slightly and would, therefore, be a larger per cent of the \ total expenditure. ^ Table XXIX shows also that Alabama devotes a great- er per cent of her total expenditures to teachers' salaries and a smaller per cent to supervision than is the usual practice. Supervision is a most effective form of teacher- training in service. In view^ of the fact that so many of Alabama's teachers have so little training, it is probable that the educational interests of the pupils would be bet- ter served if these teachers could more generally have the advantages offered by the advice, assistance and en- couragement of good supervisors. Inefficiency results in private business when supervision is reduced below a certain point, and that point is higher where the workers are inadequately trained. A comparison of Alabama's expenditure for supervision with the expenditure usual throughout the United States indicates the possibility that Alabama's smaller expenditure is one of her weak- nesses. In Table XXX the distribution of Alabama's expendi- tures for 1920-21 has been shown in graphic form. The annual cost per pupil enrolled for the public schools of the state is shown in Table XXXI. It will be TABLE XXX DISTRIBUTION OF PAYMENTS FOR CURRENT EXPENSES, 19 ' -"1 3uper//7/cnc/c/?/3, 3c/?oo/ 3oc/r(y3^ Cor??- mmm/Fe/?/, //73ur^r?ce, S//^.50/ - L3% k\\NX\i l/Srczr/es, Tra/7spor/a//o/7 , /-/eaM, m\\\\\\\\\\\ j^epcf/r^, /^<^jD/ace/r?e/7/3, 0^/ceep, I 1 //?3/rc/c//on 1797, 786-33.9% 51 TABLE XXXI COST PER PUPIL ENROLLED PER YEAR OF ALL CURRENT EXPENSES, 1920-21 WHITE SCHOOLS lElemen- ! tary High School Total COLORED SCHOOLS Elemen-I High | tary i School | Total Rural j$ 14.69;? 43.17j$ ]6.35|$ 4.29|$ 31.93;$ 4.41 City , 29.27 1 b9.05j 34.81 11.241 37.02! 12.10 County High \ ^ \ \ \ \ Schools I ; I 54.42J 54.42| | i State Secondary ' ! I ! I Agric. Schools.. i 67.171 67.17i | I Total for State | 17.521 53.72] 20.851 5.771 35.40 1 6.09 The cost per pupil per year for Alabama's white schools com- pares as follows with the cost for the United States (1918): Ala- bama, Rural, $16.35; U. S., Rural, $24.13; Alabama, City, $34.81; U. S., City, $40.60. (Bulletin, 1920, No. 31, U. S. Bureau of Educa- tion, p. 15.) It should be borne in mind that the figures for the United States are for white and colored schools combined. noted from the totals that the cost of high school in- struction is approximately three times as great as the cost of elementary instruction in the white schools of the state. For the Ihiitod States as a whole high school costs exceed elementary school costs in somewhat the same proportion. Table XXXII gives these costs on a per diem basis. The fact that the cost of high school instruction is so much greater than the cost of elementary school instruc- tion, together with the fact that the increase in high school attendance has been so rapid, creates a financial problem which should receive serious consideration. It 52 TABLE XXXII COST PER PUPIL ENROLLED PER DAY OF ALL CURRENT EXPENSES, 1920-21 I WHITE SCHOOLS I COLORED SCHOOLS lElemen-' High I |Elemen-' High 1 tary I School | Total | tary I School I Total 1 Rural 1 12c' 1 1 31c 1 14c 04c 1 22c 05c City _ 1 17c 1 34c 1 20c 1 07c 22ci 1 07c County High Schools L. 1 1 1 31c 31c i 1 State Secondary 1 Agric. Schools 1 ! 1 38c 38c| ! 1 1 Total for State 1 13c'| 1 j 34c 1 16c| 05c 1 22cj 05c The cost per pupil per day for Alabama's white schools com- pares as follows with the cost for the United States (1918): Ala- bama, Rural, 14c; U. S., Rural, 15c; Alabama, City, 20c; U. S., City, 22c. (Computed from data given in Bulletin, 1920, No. 31, U. S. Bureau of Education.) It should be borne in mind that the figures for the United Sttes are for white and colored schools combined. is obvious that the more expensive high school instruc- tion cannot be provided for steadily increasing numbers without large increases in revenue. It may be safely predicted that during the next decade the rate of in- crease in attendance on high school will continue fairly constantly, particularly in the rural districts of the state which have the least adequate revenues. The value of buildings, sites and equipment per pupil enrolled is shown in Table XXXIII. In reading this table it should be noted that the figures given for rural and for city schools are for elementary and high schools com- bined. These figures are not, therefore, comparable with the figures for county high schools and state secondary 53 TABLE XXXIII VALUE OF BUILDINGS AND SITES AND EQUIPMENT PER PUPIL ENROLLED, 1920-21 \ \ I WHITE SCHOOLS I COLORED SCHOOLS Build- 1 I 1 Build- I I ings I Equip- I I ings | Equip- | and I ment ! Total ' and 1 ment ! Total Sites I I I Sites I | Rural .[$ 29.15|$ ! 1 3.75!$ 32.90|$ ! 8.22 1$ 0.89J$ 9.11 City - 1 95.011 8.44 103.45| 28.181 2.85| 31.03 County High Schools 1 I .j 179.871 1 1 21.301 *201.17| i ! State Secondary Agric. Schools i 1 ! 160.401 15.70[ *176.10I 1 1 ...1 I Total for State .j$ 43.861$ 1 1 5.111$ 48.971$ 12.571$ ! 1.3l|$ 13.88 *The data for County High Schools and for State Secondary Agricultural Schools, it should be noted, are for high schools only and should not be compared with the data for Rural or for City Schools which are for high and elementary schools combined. The value of buildings, sites and equipment per pupil enrolled for Ala- bama's white schools compares as follows with the average for the United States (1918): Alabama, Rural, $32.90; U. S., Rural, $59.07; Alabama, City, $103.45: U. S, City, $146.62. (Bulletin, 1920, No. 31, U. S. Bureau of Education, p. 27.) Alabama, County High Schools, $201.17; State Secondary Agricultural Schools, $176.10; U. S., High Schools, $418.71. (Computed from data given in Bulle- tin, 1920, No. 19, U. S. Bureau of Education.) It should be borne in mind that the figures for the United States are for white and colored schools combined. agricultural schools, which in the nature of the case are for high schools only. The inequalities which exist between rural and city schools as shown in the preceding pages are further com- plicated by even greater inequalities between the rural schools of the several sections of the state. In some counties a very small tax makes possible a term of seven 54 or eight months. Other counties, by taxing themselves to the constitutional limit, are barely able to maintain a term of five months even by paying salaries so small as practically to forbid that well trained teachers will be secured. As a single illustration of this inequality the cases of Lowndes and Marion counties may be taken. The taxpayer of Lowndes county pays only the three- mill state tax for the support of his schools. The tax- payer of Marion county pays slightly more than eight mills for the support of his schools, made up of the three- mill state tax, the one-mill county tax, the three mill county tax and a district tax which has been levied in a sufficient number of districts to produce a revenue slight- ly greater than that which would result from one mill on all property in the county. The educational situation in the two counties is shown below: Lowndes Marion County. County. Expenditure per white pupil for current ex- penses _ $41.64 $10.25 Expenditure per colored pupil for current ex- penses $3.96 $6.30 Length of white elementary term in days 142 95 Length of colored elementary term in days 66 85 Average white teacher's salary $607.00 $381.00 Average colored teacher's salary $146.00 $206.00 SUMMARY Though elementary school enrollments were slightly smaller in 1920-21 than in 1919-20, more regular attend- ance resulted in an increase in average daily attendance for the same period. High school enrollment and attendance for 1920-21 showed amazing increases over 1919-20. One white boy or girl out of eleven attending rural schools was in the high school. One out of six attending city schools was in the high school. 55 The average white boy or girl attending rural elemen- .ary schools was present only 79 days out of the school 'ear. The average white boy or girl attending city ele- nentary schools was present 183 days out of the school rear. I Approximately 60 f>' of all white boys or girls attend- ng rural schools attended one or two-teacher schools. Four-fifths of all rural communities served by six- (^acher or larger schools had the district tax. One com- jliumty in seven served by one-teacher schools had the fistrict tax. Seven out of ten white rural teachers held the two low- it grades of certificates. Three out of ten white city liachers held these certificates. ' Alabama's expenditure for "general control" is the per 2nt of her total expenditures which, throughout the "^nited States, is usually apportioned to this item. Alabama's expenditure for teachers' salaries is a larger 'br cent of her total expenditures than is usual through- bt the United States. I Alabama's expenditure for supervision is a smaller per jtsnt of her total expenditures than is usual throughout [46 United States. 'Inequalities of educational opportunity which exist fttween counties are as great as the inequalities which ^ist between cities and rural districts. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 007 122 384 P