\ \ \ UNIVERSAL HIGH-SCHOOL TRAINING IN ILLINOIS AS AN OBJECTIVE BY CHARLES SHERMAN DALE B. S., University of Illinois, 1920 THESIS Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS IN EDUCATION IN THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 1921 • • - • • - ■ .• - ■ r 476963 ' 1 ' ,OT •' •'" rr dm taut amwACxm yujmh . ( • ' TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page I* Introduction 1 II. Present size of high-school plants in Illinois .4 III. Estimated size of high-school plant in 1930 17 IV. Buildings and teachers needed.. 32 V. Summary 41 Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2016 https://archive.org/details/universalhighschOOdale 1 Chapter I I. Introduction The high sohool stands out prominently in the system of public schools not only beoause of its phenomenal growth but also beoause of its rapidly grow- ing field for usefulness. It was organized as a preparatory sohool for college and was largely under ohuroh oontrol prior to the Civil War. During this period, it was a seleot sohool and only served the wealthier olass. Since then the community has been increasingly influencing the high school, with the result that it no longer serves the few who attend oollege but those, as well, who do not attend college. This preoipitated the struggle between the college on the one hand and the community on the other. The one insisting that the high sohool* s function is to prepare for college; the other that it should prepare for life. These influences are still present but the struggle is subsiding and eaoh reoog- nizes the claims of the other. Either influence predominating to the exclusion of the other would be disastrous as long as there are some who go to oollege and some who do not • The high school oame with the eoonomic revolution brought about by the great labor saving inventions, and the marvelous growth of scientifio knowledge. The present oonditions require it. It is the product of no man's theories. The complexity of modern life demands a more oomplete training than the elementary school affords. Every business interest demands it. In every way the influence of the high sohool is as neoessary as it is benign. The problem of making the high-school an institution for the masses has been seriously oonsidered for several years. In faot, universal high- . ' ■ Jjjfl i g m ^ I r 2 school training has been prominent as an ideal among educators of this country for the past decade. The increases in the number of high schools and in high- sohool enrollment show that a little advance toward realizing this ideal has been made. The universal high school as we shall think of it, will be the upper four years of a twelve-year state school system, with the courses of study so organized that all pupils, except the feeble-minded, can successfully negotiate at least one of the oourses. The universal high-school plant is to be large enough to provide high-school opportunities for all pupils of high-school ages. This twelve-year plan of school organizat ion would make the normal high-school ages 14, 15, 16, and 17, providing entrance at six and allowing for no retardation The results of this study are based upon oompulsory attendance to the age of IS, with provision for earlier graduation by the superior group, and with retarda- tion reduced to a minimum. The purpose of this thesis is to show what the magnitude of the universal high-sohool plant in Illinois would be in 1930. The high-school plant for our purpose consists of the number of high-school buildings, in which high schools are operating, and the number of high-school teachers in service. In our plan of treatment we shall oonsider first the present sixe of the high-sohool plant in Illinois. Following this we shall estimate the size of the universal high-school plant in 1930. And last we shall interpret the increase in size of the universal high-sohool plant in 1930 over 1920, in terms of wealth, taxation and teacher-training facilities. . 3 lOOOr Figure 1. Number of High Schools in Illinois (l) h 900- ro o SOOf- S3 •H i — 1 (H M 7oor c K o 60C- Jz 0 CO JC SOCf- to •H K 4001 Jh 0 rQ 1 300. 200 100 © 02 Si 1 © OJ o 02 sj* © 00 O o 0 O O CJ rH H H rH rH 02 <7» CT> 0* cr> CT» a* 0i 0» rH rH rH H rH rH rH H rH rH rH (l) Reports of Superintendent of Public Instruction. ■ - ' . ' Chapter II Number of High Schools The State Superintendent of Public Instruction issues biennial reports, whioh oontain various faots relative to the high schools of Illinois. These reports for the years 1900 to 1920 contain the data shown in Figure 1. From this ourve we can read the number of high schools in Illinois from 1900 to 1920, and also note the rate of inorease of high schools during each biennial period. There are at present 970 high sohools in Illinois against 320 in 1900. No distinction is made here between the different types of high schools. The one, two, three, and four-year high sohools, as well as the non- recognized, and reoognized, are included. The number of high schools has more than trebled in 20 years. The inorease from 1900 to 1914 is gradual, but for the biennium 1914-16 the inorease is very rapid. The increase during the next bie unium, however , shows only a slight inorease. If we were called upon to as- sign a cause for this, we would say, that during this period there were few buildings constructed, partly as a matter of patriotism, and partly due to the almost prohibitive prioes of building material. The increase from 1915 to 1920 is very great. A very significant fact is shown by this ourve in regard to the rate of inorease in number of high schools during the last six years. There have been 400 high schools organized in Illinois since 1914. All of these do not represent new buildings, but some of them now occupying old elementary buildings have voted funds for new buildings, and quite a few- have the matter pending. 5 The high school whioh meets the standard for the universal high school is one offering a four-year course and is fully recognized by the State Depart- ment of Public Instruction. In oxder to determine the number of high sohools in Illinois at present which measure up to this standard, we present on the following page Table I whioh shows the various types of high sohools upon the basis of recognition and length of course. « - 6 Table I High Schools of Illinois^ 1 ^ 1920 (Classified upon basis of recognition) ’One-year Two-year , Three-year Four-year t Total Non-reoognized : 14 : 64 : 4 : 14 : 96 Pending recognition*..: 0 : 3 $ : 37 : 39 : 114 Recognized : 0 : 7 : 11 : 473 : *+93 Probat ionary reoogni- : : : : : tion : 0 : 90 : 54 : 93 : 267 Total : 14 : 199 T" 136~ : 621 1 970~ Total per cent : 1*4 : 20.3 : 14.0 : 64.0 : (1) Illinois Sohool Directory 1921. Types of High Sohools Rot only the size of the high sohool plant as expressed by the number of high schools, but also the quality of the high schools as indicated by the classification based upon recognition, is pertinent in this oonneotion. The Illinois Sohool Directory for the year 1920-21, as published by the State Department of Education at Springfield, is the source of the data con- tained in Table I and illustrated in Figure 2. This table reveals much con- cerning the character of high sohools in Illinois. There are reported 14 one- year high sohools, all of whioh are non-recognized; 199 two-year, of which 64 are non-reoognized, 35 pending recognition, 7 recognized, and 90 on probation; of three-year, 4 non-reoognized, 37 pending recognition, 11 recognized and 54 on probation; of the 621 four-year high sohools, 14 are non-reoognized, 39 pending recognition, 473 recognized and 93 on probation. These faots show that 349 out of 970, or 33«9 per cent of all high sohools in the state are below the standard of a four-year high school, and 7 Figure 2, Recognition of High Schools Legend: - One-year High Schools Two-year High Schools ----- Three-year High Schools---- Four-year High Schools CUD . ■ s that only 475 out of the 970, or 4tf«9 per cent, are fully reoognized four-year high schools* It is obvious from this table that recognition and length of oourse go together. The standard of quality, reoognized by the State Department of Public Instruction - that is, a four-year, fully recognized high school- when applied to all the high schools of the state, gives a percentage rating of 4S.9, as 475 only out of 970 schools meet this standard of quality. • M w 1 ■ 9 Table II Number of High-School Teaohers in Illinois^ ^ Year Number of Teaohers Increase Peroent Inorease 1 ' 1900 1403 1902 1606 203 14.5 1904 1511 205 12.7 1906 2057 246 13.6 1905 2305 245 12.1 1910 2o94 359 12.5 1912..... 3040 346 12.5 1914 3651 bll 20.1 1916 4693 1042 25.5 191® 5476 753 16.6 1 • • • • • 6215 742 13.6 (1) Biennial Reports of Superintendent of Publio Instruction. Teaching Staff By comparing the date of Table II with that shown in Figure 1, we find rather close correlation, that is, for the percentage and numerical in- creases in the number of high-sohool teachers, there are corresponding increases in number of high schools. This is what should be expected, since an increase in the number of high schools creates a demand for more teachers. The inorease from 1900 to 1914 is very gradual, but for the years 1914 and 1916 the inorease of high-sohool teaohers almost doubled what it was in 1912 and in 1914 respectively. 10 Frequent changes in high-sohool legislation may account for some fluctuations in increases. For example, the percentage increases of high-sohool teachers in 191'+ and in 1916 of 20.1 and 2 £.5 per cent respectively may be due to an aot of the legislature of 1913 to provide high-school privileges for graduates of the eighth grade, which reads: "That graduates of the eighth grade residing in a school district in which no public high school is maintained, shall be admitted, upon payment of tuition, to any public high school, with the consent of the school board of the district in which such high school is situated. The tuition of suoh pupils shall be paid by the district in whioh they reside from any funds not otherwise appropriated, but in no case shall the tuition per pupil exceed the per capita cost of maintaining the high school selected." There are at present 62l£ high-school teachers in Illinois as against 1403 in 1900. The number of high-sohool teachers has more than quadrupled in twenty years. This very great inorease is due largely to the growing popularity of the high sohool. Of course the total population has increased and to that extent has increased the demand for teaohers. Preparation of Teaohers Not only the number of high sohool teaohers at present in Illinois but their preparation is important. Figure 4 shows the total number of high- sohool teaohers in Illinois from 1912 to 191&, and also suoh teachers who were oollege graduates only, normal sohool graduates only, and the number of graduates of both college and normal. In 1912 there were 3040 high-school teaohers in Illinois. Of these 1732 were oollege graduates only, 33 1 normal graduates only, and 343 graduates of both oollege and normal; and in 191S the total number of high-sohool teaohers was 5476, of whioh 3051 were oollege graduates, 627 normal and 560 oollege and normal. P‘,, I - 1 12 The signifioanoe of this figure is: first, that it shows the rapid, increase in number of high-sohool teaohers, especially during period of 191b- 191S inclusive; seoondly, that the standard of preparation or training of high-school teaohers will be realised when the sum of the "college graduates only" and "both 00 liege and normal graduates'* will produce a curve which super- imposes itself upon the curve showing the total number of high-school teaohers; and lastly, that the per cent of oollege graduates is greatly increasing in Illinois. This is shown by the faot that the curve for the oollege graduates rises muoh more rapidly from 1912 to 191&, than does the ourve for the normal graduates. Also the percent of oollege graduates only at present is bS , while in 1912 it was *>7. 13 Table III Number of High Sohools Offering the Indioated Courses Courses 1912 .* 1913 1914 1913 1916 1917 1915 Academio 525 : 579 397 393 527 854 EW~ Commercial 167 ; isi 193 192 332 352 397 Technical 129 : H6 133 140 217 240 229 Agriculture 34 : 57 76 86 165 197 203 Dorn. Science 107 ! 105 131 150 221 257 250 Normal training 45 I 43 (a) (a ) 94 112 113 (a) No data (1) Reports of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. Courses of Study Table III shows the latitude of the training offered by the present- day high school, and how different it is from the old classical or college- preparatory high school. The aoademic or classical oourse is still the pre- vailing course as is shown by the faot that practically every high sohool in the state reports suoh a oourse. There are only a few teohnioal high schools in the state where the aoademic course is not offered. It is surprising to note that the oommercial and technical oourses eire offered in more high schools than the agricultural oourse despite the faot that agriculture 1 b the leading industry in the state. This is perhaps due to several oauses. First, agriculture is a young science, so far as formal teaching material is concerned. The courses in the agricultural sohools have been worked up as new fa.ots have been discovered through experimental researoh during the last two deoades. Second, the notion has been prevalent that formal education 14 was not necessary for praotioing agriculture. This misconception is fast dis- appearing as is evidenced by the inorease in the number of schools offering agriculture. In 1912 only 54 high sohools offered an agricultural oourse, and in 191# there were 205, or 2#0 per cent gain in 7 years. At this rate of inorease and with the stimulus given the oourse by federal aid, agriculture will in a very few years be offered in practically all high sohools. Domestic science and normal oourses have more than doubled in 7 years. The magnitude of the high-sohool plant in 1920 may be briefly summarized, as follows: There are in Illinois 970 high sohools, of whioh 475> or 49 per oent , are fully recognized four-year high, schools. The 970 high schools employ 621& teachers, of which approximately 6# per oent are oollege graduates. Six distinot oourses are offered, the academic, commercial, domestio science, technical, agrioulture, and normal training. The order listed here indicated the frequency with which they are offered. In 191# the aoademic was offered in £40, or all, of the high sohools, the commercial was offered in 3 97 high schools, the domestic science 280, the technical 229, the agriculture 205 and the normal training in 113 high sohools. 15 Table IT High School Enrollment in Illinois^ * 1 ^ Year Enrollment Inorease in 2-year Per oent Enrollment period inorease per teaoher 1900 38,758 27 ,1902 41,951 3,193 8 . 2 26 1904 45,783 3, £34 9.1 25 1906 52,394 6,611 14.4 25 190# 56,536 4,142 7.9 24 1910 63,392 6, S 56 12.1 23 1912 74,56S 11,176 17.6 24 1914 £5,301 10,733 14.4 23 1916 104,£2£ 19,527 22.9 22 1917 114,441 9, 613(b) 9.1 21 1 91 8 H2,559( a ) 7,731 7.3 20 1920 127, £21 15,262 13.5 20 (a) Decrease from 1917. (b) Increase over 1916. (1) Biennial Reports of Superintendent of Publio Instruction. Enrollment The pupils enrolled in the high schools are not a part of the high- school plant, but are the material to be fashioned and trained. In order to establish the ratios of pupils to high schools or buildings and of pupils to teaohers in service, we will present at this time a study of the high-school enrollment in Illinois from 1900 to 1920. In 1900 there were 38,758 students enrolled in the high schools of Illinois. In 1910 there were 63,392 enrolled, an inoreuse of 63 per cent in 10 years. The enrollment in 1920 was 127, £21, 16 an increase of 102 per cent over 1910. The percentage inorease in 1916 over 1914- is 22. 9> and this is followed by the 1912 increase of 17.6. The only cause which I oan assign for this is that the favorable high-school legislation for the years 1911 and 1915 stimulated enrollment. The decided decrease for the year 191S over 1916 can be easily ex- plained by the conditions resulting from the world war. Evidence of this is shown by the increase in 1920, which shows a strong recovery from the effects of the war upon high-school enrollment. The last column gives the ratios of high-school enrollment to high- school teachers in service, biennially from 1900 to 1920. These ratios were obtained by dividing the number of pupils enrolled for the biennial years reported by the number of high-school teachers in service those years. A very consistent decrease in ratio is shown except for the year 1912 when there was a slight increase. In 1900 there were 27 pupils enrolled in the high schools of Illinois for each teacher in service, and the present enrollment per teacher in service is 20. The significance of this tendenoy and its consequent effect upon the size of the teaching staff in 1930 will be discussed later. The ratio of pupils enrolled to the number of high schools, may like- wise be found. That is, by dividing the enrollment of any particular year by the number of high sohools for that year. In 1900 this ratio was 121. In 1910 this ratio was 124 and at present it is 132. Use of the ratios will be made later when we are estimating the size of the universal high-school plant in 1930 ' 17 Problem Chapter III Size of Universal High-school Plant in 1930. The seoond division of this problem has to do with estimating the size of the high-school plant in Illinois in 1930, if it should be fully operative as a universal high school at that time. Treatment In the treatment of this second division we shall use two methods of arriving at our estimate for 1930. The first method will be upon the basis of total population of the state, and the seoond method will be based upon the first-year elementary school enrollments in 1919 and 1920. The estimate will show the number of persons of high-school age, in other words, the number of pupils to provide high-school opportunities for in 1930. We must admit that neither of these methods is entirely satisfactory, but by giving proper weight to the various facts and interpreting these facts properly we oan estimate rather accurately the elements that will oompose the high-school plant in 1930. Both methods are indireot. By the first method, we shall estimate the total population for 1930, and apply to this number the per oent of high-school ages. This will give us the number in the high-sohool group. The number of high-sohool pupils in 1930 can then be interpreted in terms of high-schools and teachers. By the seoond method we shall start with the first-year elementary school enrollment for 1919-1920 and apply various corrections to this number, in order to arrive at the probable number that will reaoh the high school before ltf years of age, or will survive to 1930 and constitute the high-school group / ' * is The size of the universal high-school plant depends upon several faotors. The first and perhaps the most determining is the present population of the state, its oharaoter and composition, and the probable rate of increase in the future. There are, however, certain general aspeots of the subject of population, which may have an intimate bearing upon the development of the high school in Illinois as a universal institution. The first of these is the causes of inorease. The natural increase The natural increase in population is due to the excess of births over deaths. This inorease oould be easily and accurately calculated if the offioial reports of births and deaths were available. One of the oldest and apparently most satisfactory method of cal- culating the excess of births over deaths is to take the number of those, who, at eaoh decennial oensus, are found to be less than ten years of age, and sub- tract the number of deaths during the ten-year period. It is evident, that all those who, in 1920, are found to be under ten years of age, have been added to the population since the oensus in 1910. The age distribution for Illinois in 1920 is not available from which to determine the number under ten years old, but suppose the increase of ten-year olds to be the same as for the decade 1900-1910, which is 4.7 per oentj we would have 1,197,600 ohildren under ten years of age in 1920* in other words, that number of births during the decade. By applying the mortality rate for Illinois to the population in 1910 it gives about 919*000 deaths during the deoade. The excess of births over deaths then would be about 273,000, or approximately 5 per oent inorease due to the natural inorease of population in Illinois for the decade 1910-1920. Immigration Another oause of increase in population is immigration. The number TKLsnc^nacnan . ■ :• . 19 of foreign-born in Illinois will give us an idea of the extent the faotor of nationality enters into the problem. Illinois, in 1920, had 1,20.4,403 foreign-born residents, an inorease of .2 of one per oent over 1910. This is the smallest percentage inorease of any state. This low inorease is largely due to the fact that Lmnigration was largely prohibited during the period of war. The faot that 19 per cent of the population of Illinois is foreign born makes prominent the alien and nationality faotors. Illinois is so thoroughly settled, as is shown by the fact that there is on an average 116 inhabitants^ 1 ^ per square mile. Furthermore, all the features of a frontier population have disappeared; such as, ratio of adults to children, where the ratio is greater than in old thickly-settled territory. Urban vs . rural Also the population of Illinois is largely urban. Sixty-seven per cent of the population live in 172 cities and towns of 2,300 or more, while 33 per cent live in towns less than 2,300 or purely rural territory; - that is, not in small towns and villages. In any oomplete study of the possibility of realizing universal high-school training all of these factors, and many others, would have to be considered in more detail, but our problem is only to estimate the size of the universal high-school plant in 1930 and hence I w ill only mention these factors briefly. Populat ion of high-school ages . While the total population of the state has a limiting influence upon the high-school enrollment, yet the population of high-school ages has a stronger (1) The advance oensus sheets for 1920 gives a variety of faots concerning the population of the various states. The faots reported here were taken from this source. ‘ . , 20 immediate influence. If we aooept the &->+ plan of organization the normal ages would be 14,15,16, and 17. The United State Census Bureau gives the age distribution of population, and from its reports we oan obtain the number of persons in Illinois of these ages for 1900, 1910 and 1920. These numbers and their ratios to the total population will furnish us a means of estimating the number of persons of high-school ages in 1930. It will, however, appear later that some corrections will have to be made due to other faotors increasing or decreasing the number to be provided for. Physioal defects, intelligence and other retarding influences have been operating upon this group since they first entered school. Feeble-mindedness The number of pupils to be enrolled in the universal high sohool in 1930 does not include the feeble-minded group. Just how large is this group is a quest ioh. Terman is perhaps the best authority on the intelligence of children in this oountry, and he estimates that one per cent is feeble-minded. In our final estimate correction will be made for feeble-mindedness. Organ! zat ion The number of teachers needed for the universal high school is deter- mined somewhat by the method of organization adopted for the high school. For example, the size of the olasses into which the school is organized for the purpose of instruction determines largely the number of teachers needed. As was shown on page 16, the ratio of teaoher to pupils has increased gradually from 1900 to 1920. There is a notion among sohool administrators that 25 to 30 pupils per teacher is the maximum number. Their present ratio in Illinois is 20. The results of an experiment Just completed in the Illinois city schools by Mr. P.R. Stevenson, indicates that a class of 35 pupils profits as much by instruction, as a olass of 20 pupils. If we should accept these results, the number of teaohers oould be reduced praotioally one-half and yet not lower the . ‘ * 22 Table V Population of Illinois (1) Year Populat ion Increase in population for 10-year period Per cent of inorease 1560 1,711,931 560,451 101.0 1570 2,339,591 527,940 45.3 1550 3,077,571 337,950 21.2 1590 3,526,331 745,450 24.3 1900 4,521,330 993,199 26.0 1910 3,63^,391 517,041 16. 9 1920 6,453,09S 546,307 15.0 1930 7,133,S05(?) * (b) 645,710 10.0 (?) (1) Reports of U.S. Census. (b) Estimated by promoting peroentage increases as shown in figure 6. Total populat ion The total population seems to furnish a ready basis for estimating the number of pupils of high-sohool ages. Table V shows the population of Illinois, the inorease for eaoh ten-year period and the per oent of increase. In 1560 the population was 1,711,931, or 560,451 more than for 1530, representing a peroentage inorease for the decade of 101 per cent; while during the succeeding deoades the increases were 45.2, 21.2, 24*3, 26.0, 16.9, and 15»0 per oent. A graphical representation is somewhat irregular, but by smoothing the curve representing the percentage increases by decades from 1590-1920 as shown in Figure 6, the ourve shows a gradually descending increase, and by projecting this curve to 1930, the peroentage inorease for the decade will probably be 10 per cent 24 If this 10 per cent inorease is approximately correct, we see that the state is becoming rapidly populated or tending toward a statio condition, where the death rate equals the birth rate. However, I do not think suoh a condition will exist in Illinois soon, but as this condition is more nearly approached, social and economic factors which influence the growth of population will be modified, industries will operate on an intensive basis, and the percentage increases resulting will probably be low and rather constant for several deoades. Uy applying the moving average, the curve shown in Figure 6 for the percentage increases for the deoades, was smoothed and the resulting per cents obtained 23 . 6 for 1&90, 22.4 for 1900, 19 .3 for 19 10, and 15.6 for 1920. These smoothing averages were obtained, beginning with 1&90, by adding the 21.2, 24*3 and 26 and dividing the sum by 3 , which gave the quotient of 2 5*S per cent. For the second average per cent inorease, we divided the sum of 24.3, 26.0, and 16.9 by 3, which gave 22.4 per oent . Continuing this until the last term, which was obtained by adding two times the last per oent to the term before the last, and dividing the sum by 3, gave 15*6 per cent. The ten per oent shown in Table VII and in Figure 6 as the percentage inorease for the deoade 1920-30 was obtained by projecting the curve which passes through these smoothed average points, in the same general direction. This 10 per cent increase would give Illinois a total population of 7,133,#0& in 1930. This total is used in this paper to calculate the inorease in population for the ages 14,13,16 and 17. Knowing the population of Illinois for these ages for the year 1900, 1910 and 1920, we oan, by applying the per- centage inorease for the total population, approximate the number of persons there will be of high-school age in 1930, and consequently the number which determines the si/se of the universal high-school plant. . ' 25 Table VI Dumber of Persons in Illinois Ages (1) 14,15,16,17. Age Year 1900 1910 1920 1930 14 96, *72 107,369 122,401 134,641 (S 15 94,029 : 100,207 114,236 125,659 16 95,451 111,596 127,220 139,942 17 91,525 1 0£, 03 5 123,160 135,476 Total 427,207 4*7,017 535,71* (1) United States Census Reports* (a) 10 per cent increase over 1920 Persons of high-school ages The United States Census Reports contain age-distribution tables from which these date were taken. Table VI shows the number of persons of ages 14, 15,16, and 17 tthe normal high-school ages) for the years 1900, 1910, and 1920. The number for 1930 was calculated by taking the per cent the high-school age population is of the total population of the state. This per cent w'as obtained for eaoh of the years 1900, 1910, and 1920. The average of these was found to be 7.5 . Wow if the total population of the state for 1930 has been accurately estimated, we may apply this 7.5 per oent to the total population of the state for 1930 and obtain the number of persons of high-school ages in 1930, which is 535,000. This number represents the number of pupils of high-school ages but not necessarily the number that determines the size of the universal high-school plant, as correction will have to be made for feeble-mindedness, and perhaps 26 retardation and acceleration. Table VII ( 1 ) Elimination by Death Age Deaths 14-year 15 -year 16-year 17-year Interval Annually olds olds olds olds Per Thous and 16-17 3.16 99.7 15-16 2 . £4 — 99.7 99.4 14-15 2.56 99.7 99.4 99.1 13-14 2.36 99.7 99.4 99a 9 8.8 12-13 2.22 99.4 99.1 9 8.8 98.5 11-12 2.19 99.1 98.8 9 8.3 98.2 10-11 2.27 9 8.8 9S.5 98.2 91.8 9-10 2.47 98.5 98.2 91.8 97.4 8-9 2.82 98.2 91.8 97.4 97.0 1-8 3.30 91.8 97.4 97.0 96.6 6-7 3.91 97.4 97.0 96.6 96.2 (1) United States Life Tables: 1910, p.16 • The second method of estimating the number of pupils of the normal high-school ages in 1930 is upon the basis of the first -year elementary-school enrollment . This enrollment in 1919 represents the seniors In the high school in 1930. This enrollment in 1920 represents the juniors. and these enrollments in 1921 and 1922 represent the sophomores and freshmen respectively. To these we will apply the mortality rate and calculate the number of pupils of the normal high-school ages . 27 It is obvious that mortality is a faotor or influence that reduces the number of pupils irom year to year of any given generation as they advance from grade to grade through the elementary and high school* The problem we have is to calculate the number of survivors from those who enter the first grade of the elementary school when they reach the high sohool. Table VII was constructed from the census data for the year 1910, contained in United States Life Tables, 1910, p.16. It shows the annual rate of mortality per thousand, and the per oent of survivors of each earlier generation for 14- year-olds, 15 year-olds, 16 year-olds and 17 year-olds. These annual mortality rates for the ages 6 to 17 inclusive, were de- rived from mortality conditions prevailing in the area referred to as the original registration states, composing Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massa- chusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Indiana, Michigan, and the District of Columbia. These mortality rates vary somewhat in different states, but in the long run the differences are so small that for our purpose the average mortality rates for this large area may be used as a standard for oomparing the mortality rates of a single state. The method of calculating these rates, and the area covered are sufficient to warrant oonfidenoe in their use to mortality conditions in Illinois. Table VII reads that of every 100 thousand children living at the exaot age of six, 391 will die before reaohing the exaot age of seven, and 97.4 per cent of six-year-old ohildren will survive to be 14 years old, 97 per cent 15 years old, 16.6 per cent 16 years old, and 96.2 per cent will survive to be 17 years old. The first-year elementary school enrollment in 1919 was 1&0,069, in 192P it was 16'2,146. The question arises, how many of these entered school for the first time? How many are six years old? We know the first-year enroll- I 2 8 ment inoludes those entering the grade for the first time, those who have been left in it, and are repeating the grade, and those who have been demoted. Thorndike, Ayres, and Strayer in their studies of elimination and retardation used different methods of estimating the number of the first year enrollment, entered for the first time. Thorndike took the average of the first, second, and third grades. Ayres took the average of the number of ages 7 to 12 inclusive, while Strayer took the largest age-group. The results were approximate- ly the same and indicate that the first-year enrollment is at least 25 per oent too high. To oheok their results I took the average of the first, seoond, and third year enrollments in Illinois for 191## and found this average 22 per cent less than the first year enrollment. The enrollment were for the first year 176, 144, seoond year 122,515, third year 120,35 1 +» The faot that there is a difference between the first and seoond year enrollments of 52,000 proves that there is considerable piling up in the first grade. We shall therefore decrease the first year enrollment by 25 per cent in each oase. The true enrollment for 1919 was 135,052 and for 1920 it was 136,610. Referring to the table we notice that 96.2 per cent of six-year-olds will survive to the age of 17. By applying this per cent to 135#052 we have 129,920 as the number of survivors from the first-year enrollment in 1919# or in other words, these survivors will be seniors in high school in 1930. Likewise I for first-year enrollment in 1920, there will be 131,965 juniors in high sohool in 1930. We are no w confronted with the problem of estimating the first-year elementary school for the years 1921 and 1922 in order to get our starting point for oaloulating the number of survivors which will constitute the sophomore and freshman group respectively in 1930. The biennial reports of the Superintendent * ' c: . ■ 29 of Public Instruction for Illinois show a gradually decreasing enrollment for the first year of the elementary school from the years 1914 to 1919* and from this faot we will take the average enrollment for 1919 and 1920 as the first- year enrollment for 1921 and 1922. This average is 135 >£30 when decreased by the 25 per oent. By referring again to the table we notioe that 97 and 97.4 per oent of six-year olds survive to ages 15 and 14 respectively. By applying these peroents to 135>&30 we have 131,755 and 131,29£ survivors from the first- year enrollments in 1921 and 1922, in other words they will be the sophomores and freshmen in high school in 1930. The sum of these survivors is 525,000 or the total number of persons of the ages 14, 15, 16, and 17 in Illinois in 1930. The estimate by method one was 535,000, a difference of 97£0. We realize that we have not taken into aocount the pupils who move in or out of the state between entering school and 1£ years of age. Since this data is not available we shall assume that the pupils who move in the state are counter- balanced by those who move out. The results of these methods are close enough to make either acceptable. We shall, however, use the smaller number as a basis for interpreting the possible enrollment in term* of high-sohool buildings and teachers, and they in turn in terms of wealth and taxation* Intelligence Another factor which determines how many of the 525,000 are to be inoluded in the universal high-school group is intelligence. No one will question the statement that there are of high-sohool age many persons whose mental endowment is such as to exclude them from the high sohool. What per cent of the present high-sohool group is mentally defective to this extent is a question. The universal high-sohool plant is to provide for all except the feeble-minded. Various definitions have been given of feeble-mindedness. Ac- cording to Terman in The Meas urement of Intelligence , all those whose I.Q. is below 70 are feeble-minded. This is of oourse an arbitrary division, but . ' - : . 30 it has been rather generally accepted, and we shall apply it to our problem. Terman found that about one per oent of school children have I.Q.'s less than 70, and are for thi6 reason feeble-minded. He also states that with the present organization of ourrioulums only about SO per oent could successfully negotiate the high-school course. It is obvious then that a reorganizat ion of the curriou- lums would be necessary to inolude 99 per cent; 99 per cent of 525*000 is 519*000. The question may be raised do all the feeble-minded children enter the first grade? The answer is no. There are many institutional cases. These are not to be found in the first grade, but since parents are slow to recognize mental weaknesses in other ohildren, it is safe to assume that a very large per cent are to be found in the first grade. Low intelligence is largely responsible for retardation. Retardation would reduce the 525,000, who would be in the universal high school in 1930. We are assuming that elimination of the overaged would be very great at age of 15 when oompulsory attendance would be no longer enforced. We are not assuming that all retardation is due to low intelligence, in faot we know it is not, but we will estimate the influence of retardation at this point, rather than attempt to oonsider it under the various oauses which are usually assigned for retardation We shall use data for our estimate from Strayer’s study of retardation and elimination published in United States Bureau of Education Bulletin 1911* No. 5* In this bulletin overageness is shown for 25 cities outside of Chicago. The facts which we shall use are briefly these, that 15 per oent are overage one year, 9*5 per oent two years, 4 per cent three years, and 1.5 per cent four or more years. Now we estimated on page 25 that there would be 132,000 14 year- olds, or of freshmen in 1930. If 15 per oent are overaged one year, then 24,000 of the 14 year olds would be in the eighth grade. If 9*5 per cent are overage two year*s, 13,000 of the 14 year-olds would be found in the seventh grade. If •• .. ■ ■ . 31 4 per oent are overage three years, 5*000 of 14 year-olds would be found in the sixth grade. If 1*5 per cent are overage four years or more, then 2,000 of the 14 year-olds would be found below the sixth grade. A total of 44,000 of the 14 year-olds would be found below the high school. By applying these per cents likewise to the 15* 16, and 17 year-olds, 20,000 1 5 year-olds, 7,000 16 year-olds, and 2,000 17 year-olds would be found below the high sohool. A grand total of 73*000 of high-school ages would be found below the high school. The same source from which these overage per cents were taken also shows that for the same 2 5 Illinois cities approximately 2 per oent of the pupils are underage, that is, they are accelerated. Since this per cent is so low, and therefore would not greatly ohange the results, we 6hall assume that this 2 per cent is one-year under age. Two per cent of 132,000, or the number of freshman age, is 2640. There would be 2640 in freshman year of the universal high school under 14 years old. The net result of oorreoting for retardation and acceleration, if provision is not made for pupils over IS - years old, is 70,000. Instead of providing a universal high-sohool plant for 325,000 in 1930, we will provide in our estimates for 455*000* ; . , - 32 Chapter IV Buildings needed We may now calculate the number of high-sohool buildings needed upon the basis of the 455,000 pupils to be provided. At present the ratio of high-sohool enrollment to the number of high sohools is 132 as was shown on page 16. Assuming that a high school is housed in one building, we may then divide the 455 #000 pupils to be provided for in 1930 by the ratio 132 and get a quotient of 3447. The universal high-school plant would need about 3450 high-school buildings of the average capacity of the present high-sohool buildings in Illinois. Of course, the number could be smaller or greater and yet have the same total oapacity. It is necessary to estimate the number upon the present size in order to use our information concerning costs of construction, maintenance, etc. Teachers needed The other element which constitutes the size of the universal high- school plant is the number of teachers needed. This number may easily be cal- culated by use of the ratio of the present high-school enrollment to the number of high-sohool teachers in service. This ratio, as was shown on page 16, is 20. This may be a very low ratio, but since we are not dealing with the needed re- organizations necessary to make feasible the universal high-sohool, we shall calculate the number of teaohers needed by using the ratio 20. By dividing the 455,000 by 20 we will obtain a quotient of 22,750. The universal high-school plant would need about 23,000 high sohool teaohers in service in 1930. L ' ' - „ ■ Inorease There are 970 high-school buildings in Illinois at present, and there will be needed 34-50 for the universal high sohool in 1930, with an average oapaoity of the present buildings, or an inorease of 2500 buildings. At present there are 621# high-school teachers in service and there will be needed 23,000 teachers to meet the needs of the universal high-school plant. This would necessitate an inorease in the teaching force of 17,000 during the next decennium. The big problem of the high sohool is to provide an adequate number of trained teaohers. However, teacher-training is another problem and we shall not consider it* ' Table VIII f 1) Growth, in Wealth of Illinois ' 1 -34-* Year Estimated true wealth Increase in 2 yr. period Per cent (Million dollars) (Million dollars) Increase 1902 1904 11,330 11,913 583 5.1 1906 12,396 483 4.0 1908 13,903 1 , 507 12.1 1910 1 4 , 520 617 4.4 1912 15,484 964 6.6 1914 16,210 726 4.7 1916 16,513 303 1.8 1918 17,331 818 4.9 1920 17,978 647 3.7 1930( ? 22,105 825 4.6 (1) Bureau of Education Bulletin 1920, No. 11. Wealth Reports of State Board of Equalization, of Illinois The financial resources of any industry limit its oper- at i on and development, and equally so in the educational industry. Especially is this true of the high school, and for this reason, we submit a brief study of the wealth of the state. To compute the total wealth of Illinois in 1920 and to estimate its wealth for 1930 I used the following method. From the annual reports of the State Board of Equalization I obtained the total assessed valuation of all property for the years 1900 to 1918 - 35 - . inclusive. Had the law been uniformly obeyed in the matter of evaluating property by the property owners of the state-- i.e. eval- uated their property for the assessor at 33 1/3$ of its real cash value -- the problem of computing the wealth of the state would have been relatively simple. However, this was not the case, and it became necessary to derive some conversion factor with which the assessed values could be converted into real values. The cue for this was found in Bureau of Education Bulletin 1920, Ho. 11, Table 60, page 153, which gives the estimated true value of all property for the different states and for the United States. In this table the wealth of Illinois for 1912 is given as $15,484,450,232, while the assessed value of all property in Illinois for the same year was only $2,343,673,232 or 15.2$ of the estimated real value. Using this ’percentage ratio as a conversion factor, I changed the assessed value of each year from 1900 to 1918 inclusive into real values, and using these values, projected the data to 1930. For 1920 the real wealth of Illinois is estimated to be ap- proximately 18 billion dollars against 14|- billion in 1910, and in 1930, 22 billion dollars. It is apparent that such data are little more than a good guess, but in the absence of more reliable dataware used generally in all prognostic studies, and so we assume the right to use them for the purpose of this study. By use of these data, we hope to show the per cent of the total wealth necessary to provide the material plant for univer- salizing high-school education; the per capita investment based on total population, and other relations which may be pertinent to this study. - 36 -. John A. H. Keith in the April 1921 number of the Journal of the national Education Association, submits a table on Estimated Valuation of National Wealth for the several states, using the same source material. His estimated wealth of Illinois for 1920 is $20,658,924,827 which he obtained by adding the increase for the 8-year period 1904-1912 to the estimate of 1912 as made by the Bureau of Census, and reported in Bureau of Education Bulletin 1920, No. 11 referred to above. This would indicate that my estimate for 1920 is- very conservative, being more than 2 billion dollars less, and if the same method as used by Keith were applied as to 1930, the estimated wealth would be more than 27 billion against my estimate of 22 billion. This comparison lends conservative qualities to this table. My conviction, however, is that a median estimate would be more accurate. I - 37 - Table IX Investment and Current Cost of High Schools in Illinois in 1917 per Pupil Enrolled! 1 ) Investment Current Cost Kind Building, Site and Equipment Maintenance Ope rati on Instruct i on Total Current Cost City High School . . • T own ship High School 1278.08 409.29 $2.41 5.22 $ 2.21 4.53 $37.54 53.28 $42.26 63.03 Average $343.68 $3.81 $3.37 £45.46 $52.64 (1) Based on study of 156 to 423 high school reports by Lewis W. Smith, 1917. Kigh-School Costs . The purpose of this table is to show the permanent and current costs of high school education per pupil enrolled in the high schools of Illinois. Incidentally this table shows some interesting compari- sons of costs of high school education in the city high school and the township high school. The township high schools in every case have more money invested in buildings, sites and equipment than the city high schools. The maintenance, operation and instruction costs are also greater in the township high schools. The study referred to shows that the township high schools are more completely equipped in every particular than the city high schools, except one. namely, the library. This larger expenditure both in investment and current - 38 - . costs on the part of the township high schools, is the direct out- growth of two features in the township high school organization, which characterizes it as a unit of school administration. In the first place, the township high school is organized to cower a wider range of territory than the ordinary high school district, thus providing a wider basis of taxation and allowing a larger accu- mulation of funds. The greater resources thus provided enable the school authorities to invest larger sums of money in the plant and to give more adequate financial support to maintenance, operation and instruction. In the second place, one other factor which may have a definite bearing to produce this greater expenditure by the township high schools is the fact that generally the board of education and the principal give special attention to this one unit of our school system, whereas the conventional school district with a system extending from the elementary grades through the high school, has a board of education and superint endent whose attention is diffused over the entire system. This larger investment and current cost of the townshij over the city high school are possible on account of the dual system of taxation,, by which the township or community high school may levy for its purpose, as much as is levied on the same property for elementary school purposes. This discriminates against the city high school unless it is operated as a community or township Mgh school. Efficiency as well as justice demands that every high school whether township, community or city, have equal powers of taxation, in order that they may have the same per capita support. If we consider the $343.68 the per capita investment in high school ' . . ' 40 cost. By referring to Table IX we see that the total ourrent cost per capita is $52.64. Upon this basis the annual ourrent cost of the universal high school in 1930, with its estimated enrollment of 455,000 pupils, would be 25 million dollars. Chapter V 41 Summary . The salient faots which have appeared, in the preceding discussion are: that 970 high-school buildings valued at 45 million dollars, now house 12£,000 pupils, who require the services of 6200 teachers. But in 1930 it is estimated that the population of Illinois will be slightly over 7 millions, and of these, 525,000 will be of high-school age. Furthermore, 70,000 of the 525>0Q0 will not be in high school in 1930, with the normal age group, on account of retardation and acceleration. To provide a universal high-school plant for the 455>000, it would require 3450 high -sohool buildings, with an estimated value of 160 million dollars, or 7.3 mills in each dollar of the true wealth in 1930. The current cost for the schools designed to care for the entire 455 #000 pupils would be about 25 million dollars per year (on the basis of $52.64 per pupil), or 1.1 mills in each dollar of the true wealth in 1930. UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS-URBANA 3 0112 099085679