TABLE 31.-Children of compulsory age not attending school-Continued. Length of school term.-It is apparent that the effectiveness with which a school serves the community depends on the length of term quite as much as on the regularity of attendance, and that the average daily attendance, which may be raised by a few regular attendants, is not so important a consideration as the number of days attended by all the children enrolled. Table 32 shows that the number of days school was in session in the various counties during the school year 1914–15 varied in graded schools from a minimum of 101 days to a maximum of 180, with an average for the State of 174 days, or nearly 9 months in graded schools. In rural schools the minimum length of term falls below 100 days in 22 counties; 1 county reported 1 school conducted 18 days or less than 1 month; 1 county reported a school conducted 35 days; 6 counties reported schools conducted 40 days or 2 months; 5 counties reported schools with terms of 3 months; and 9 additional counties reported schools with more than 3 but less than 5 months of school. Since county superintendents report averages on districts only, it is not possible to state accurately how many schools have these short terms. A study of the 52 county superintendents' reports for 1915-16 received by the State superintendent's office up to November 1, 1916, shows (see Table 45): Districts that maintained an average term of Less than 100 days---- From 100 to 110 days. Less than 140 days.. 37 13 12 212 284 The average for rural schools, as given in the county superintendents' reports, is 148 days, or about 7 months. Included as rural in the table are all schools listed as "rural" by the county superintendents in their reports to the State superintendent. It should be explained, however, that the State department, while requiring county superintendents to report on "rural" and "graded" schools separately, does not define the terms. Each county superintendent makes his own interpretation. In some cases the county superintendent lists as "graded" all one-teacher schools in which a distinction exists corresponding to that in regular city graded schools. In other cases the county superintendent lists all one-teacher schools "rural." as TABLE 32.-Whole number of days school was taught, 1914-15. TABLE 32.-Whole number of days school was taught, 1914-15-Continued. The actual number of days attended by all pupils enrolled is a fairer standard of the work of the school than the total enrollment or average daily attendance. An efficient school interests the children and retains all of those who should be there throughout the full term. Data on this point are not given in the reports of the county superintendents. The figure is, however, computed in Table 33 as correctly as possible from the available data on average daily attendance, enrollment, and length of term in the superintendents' reports. A comparison of the average length of term and the average number of days attended shows that many children fail to take advantage of even the meager number of school months offered. For instance, the average number of days schools was taught in Huerfano County is 131, but the children enrolled attended school only 79 of the 131 days. Archuleta offers an average of 137 days of school, but children enrolled attend on an average only 84 days; and so on throughout the list of counties. For the State as a whole the average number of days attended by the children in rural schools is 106, or practically five school months. In considering these figures it is well to keep in mind not only the unfortunate conditions which deprive children of more than five months of school, but the fact that education is usually far more expensive in schools in which the attendance is poor than in those in which the children enrolled come to school regularly, although economy is the usual argument given for short terms. The amount of money necessary to provide for the support of schools is usually estimated on probable enrollment. Children who come to school must be taken care of whether they attend regularly or not (see Table 34). Poor attendance means that the community loses because it fails to get value received in actual service for the money expended and the State loses because it fails to educate all of its children. TABLE 33.-Average number of days attended by each child enrolled, 1914-15. 1 Data on this item given in reports from these counties are so incomplete that absolute accuracy is not possible. Compulsory-attendance law.-The very great difference above referred to and shown in Table 33 between the number of days school is taught and the actual attendance can be adequately explained only by assuming laxity in the enforcement of the attendance law. Excluding children who are ill and families in which there is illness, all or nearly all of those enrolled should be in attendance the full number of days school is maintained in the district. The Colorado law requires all children of compulsory school age to attend the full time school is taught in the district, and the means of enforcing this law are apparently adequate in districts of the first class and those of the second class with sufficient funds to engage truant and attendance officers. However, outside of these districts it is evident that the law is not enforced. Third-class districts can scarcely afford to spend the money to retain a truant officer, except very irregularly. A large percentage of the school directors in third-class districts are reported by the teachers as lax in the purchase of books and the care of school buildings, and these directors can scarcely be expected to encounter the danger of having trouble with their neighbors in an effort to force their children to attend school regularly. Experience |