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Higher education.-The State supports five institutions for higher education-the university, with a total enrollment for the year 1915–16 of 1,402 students; the college of agriculture and mechanic arts, 602; the school of mines, 174; the State teachers' college, 686; the State normal school, 127. All of these except the normal school at Gunnison are located in the north central portion of the State, within 60 miles of each other and of Denver. With the exception of the last two named, which are controlled by one board, each institution. has a distinct and separate board of control. There are in the State a number of private institutions of collegiate grade, among which the University of Denver and Colorado College have the largest enrollment.

Teacher training.-There are two State institutions whose primary function is the training of teachers-the State Teachers College at Greeley, in the northeastern part of the State, and the State Normal School at Gunnison, in the southwestern part of the State. Besides these, the university maintains a college of education and the agricultural college a department of rural and industrial education, in both of which teachers are trained for elementary and high schools, but chiefly for high schools. Several private institutions have teacher-training departments also.

Special schools.-The State supports an industrial school for boys, an industrial school for girls, a school for deaf and blind, a State home and training school for mental defectives, and a State home for dependent children, all governed by boards of from three to six persons appointed by the governor with the consent of the Senate. These institutions are all independent of the State department of education.

Chapter II.

SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS.

(1) RECOMMENDATIONS RELATING TO GENERAL ADMINISTRATION.

(1) The present ex officio State board of education should be replaced by a board consisting of seven members appointed by the governor with the approval of the senate, or elected by the people on a nonpartisan ballot. They should be men and women of scholarship and business ability, not necessarily engaged in education, and should be selected from various parts of the State. The term of office should be eight years, not more than two terms expiring each biennium.

(2) The State superintendent of public instruction should be selected and appointed by the State board of education. The county superintendents of schools should be appointed by county boards of education. Both State and county superintendents should be selected because peculiarly fitted by experience, training, and education for the duties of these offices, and should be assured of tenure during satisfactory service.

(3) The county should be the unit of administration for all schools outside of cities and towns which employ special superintendents devoting their entire time to administration and supervision. The management of county schools should be vested in a county board of education consisting of five or seven members, elected at large from different sections of the county. The term of office should be at least six years with not more than two terms expiring any biennium.

(4) The State board of education for the State, and the county boards of education for the counties, should confine their activities largely to inspection and legislation, their educational policies being carried out by their executive officers, the State and county superintendents respectively. The position of these boards in relation to the State and county schools, respectively, should be similar to that of the board of regents to the State university.

(5) The State board and the county boards should have their functions, powers, and duties specifically stated in the laws of the State. They should include those stated on pages 17 and 25.

(6) The State board of education should have control of the certification of teachers under regulations fixed by law. The entire system of certification should be revised. The State board of examiners should be abolished. A division of certification should be established in the State department of education. This division should be also a teachers' employment bureau rendering service to teachers and to school officials.

(7) The State board of education should assume the duties now conferred upon the boards of control of the five State educational institutions for special classes: State Home for Dependent and Neglected Children, Industrial School for Boys, Industrial School for Girls, Home and School for Mentally Defective, School for Deaf and Blind.

(8) The State superintendent of public instruction should have an adequate office force and several field assistants. The assistants, as well as the State superintendent, should have high professional qualifications and educational experience and should act as advisory agents to school officers throughout the State.

(9) The local districts should retain their organization, the trustees acting as custodians of the school property and as advisory agents to the county boards.

(10) All high schools except those in the independent city districts should be under the control and management of the county board of education. The county high-school boards should be abolished. Union high-school districts should be made elementary districts, the high schools bearing the same relation to the county system as the elementary schools.

(2) RECOMMENDATIONS CONCERNING SCHOOL SUPPORT.

(1) The State should provide by special appropriation an amount large enough to make its annual apportionment fund approximately one-third of the total expenditure for maintenance of schools. This arrangement should continue until the income from the permament fund and from school-land rentals is sufficient to supply one-third of the total expenditure.

(2) The State apportionment fund should be distributed to the different counties in a manner that provides a fixed amount for every teacher employed, the remainder apportioned on the basis of aggregate attendance. Distribution on the census basis has no relation to school needs or to the effort made by counties and districts to provide educational facilities.

(3) The State should give financial aid to encourage the establishment of vocational education. Funds for this purpose should be derived from direct appropriation and not be taken from the appor

tionment fund. Schools receiving such aid or other form of special State aid should be under the general supervision of the State board of education.

(4) The county as a unit should contribute an amount large enough, with the State apportionment, to maintain all schools in the county at least the minimum term and at the minimum salary required by law. The county board of education should fix school standards and qualifications for teachers engaged in schools receiving State and county funds, in order that all children may have approximately equal educational opportunities.

(5) The county school tax should be levied on all taxable property in the county and should be divided between the cities and the county district on the basis of the number of teachers employed and the aggregate attendance. The county board should expend the money assigned to the schools under its jurisdiction according to their needs and in order to serve best the educational interests of all children concerned.

(6) The local districts should have the power and should be encouraged to levy local taxes for special purposes in advance of the minimum requirements of the county board of education, and should raise money by taxes or bonds for all permanent improvements.

(3) RECOMMENDATIONS OF GENERAL APPLICATION. (1) The educational qualifications of teachers should be increased each succeeding year, until by 1922 the State should require as a prerequisite: For elementary teachers, general education equivalent to four years in a standard high school, and in addition the equivalent of two years' professional training in a standard normal school or college; for high-school teachers, four years of education in a standard high school, and in addition four years in an approved college or university including professional courses in education.

(2) The State should enlarge and extend its facilities for training teachers, especially for service in rural schools. Additional normal schools should be established and located in places accessible to prospective teachers from all parts of the State. There seems to be immediate need for two more such schools. No additional board of control is necessary.

(3) The normal institutes should be abolished and six-week summer schools substituted in at least five places in the State, selected with a view to general accessibility. This arrangement would serve as an immediate and temporary expedient for the extension of facilities for training teachers and would undoubtedly greatly increase the total number in the State receiving the benefit of summer school instruction.

(4) Living conditions of rural teachers should be improved and salaries raised, so that trained and capable teachers for rural schools may be secured and retained.

(5) Assistant supervisors should be furnished for county schools, to work under the general direction of the county superintendents, to insure better teaching and reasonable uniformity in regard to textbooks, courses of study, and methods of organization and management.

(6) Schools should be consolidated wherever practicable and transportation of children provided when necessary, in order to secure better educational facilities than the organization of oneteacher schools permits.

(7) A definite policy which would result in more convenient and sanitary buildings should be adopted. The employment of a State architect is suggested as a possible method of securing this end.

(8) More regular attendance should be secured. As a means toward this end the following are suggested: An adapted course of study, better teaching, and the enforcement of the compulsory attendance law in rural districts by the county boards of education.

(9) The law providing for free textbooks should be mandatory rather than optional, and lists of approved books should be issued by the State department of education to assist school officers to make better and more appropriate selection. These lists should include only such publishers as have complied with the State law and should give the net prices. (See p. 68.)

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