in this and other States indicates that when the authority is too lccalized the law is not apt to be enforced.

A special questionnaire was sent to county superintendents requesting information regarding the enforcement of the compulsoryattendance law. Of 38 who replied to this inquiry, 20 (over 50 per cent) reported no enforcement or only partial enforcement of the law outside of first-class districts. Very many letters were received from teachers and others from all parts of the State, even from counties in which the enrollment was reported greater than the census, stating that the compulsory attendance law is not enforced. It is probable, therefore, that while there are 4,845 children between the ages of 8 and 14 years in 33 counties reported definitely by county superintendents on their official reports as not in school, the actual number for these counties and for the whole State is much larger.

The compulsory-attendance law should specify the amount of ab- · sence necessary before enforcement proceedings are begun. It should be so specific that enrollment can not be confused with regular attendance. The enforcement should be in the hands of county truant officers instead of local district officers, and teachers should be required to notify the county superintendent of all unexplained continued absences.

High-school attendance.-There are three classes of high-schools in Colorado: County high schools, supported by the county by a special tax; union high schools, supported by school districts which unite for the purpose, assessed by special tax on the union territory or by prorating the expenses of the high school among the districts uniting; and district high schools, legal in first and second-class districts only, supported by special tax on the district. (Union high schools receive their quota of the regular apportionment funds from the State and county.) Many districts, even third-class districts, which can not afford a full four-year high school, offer one or two years of work above the eighth grade.

The data concerning high schools given in county superintendents' reports contain the same kind of errors pointed out previously for elementary attendance. For this reason the figures quoted here are from a survey of high schools in the State made by the University of Colorado in October, 1914. The county superintendents for 1914-15 report the total number of high schools as 138, or 65 fewer than the university survey.

The university bulletin also includes interesting data regarding the accessibility of high school facilities. Circles were inscribed about 4-year high schools with radii of 10 miles, 25 miles, and 50 miles. The table shows (1) the number of counties which lie wholly within the circles (column 1); (2) the approximate number of square miles included by them (column 2); and (3) the number of post offices included within them (column 3). Columns X and Y show in percentages the same data as 2 and 3, respectively.

TABLE 35.-Per cent of area of State more than 10, 25, and 50 miles from high schools.

It is sufficiently serious that less than one-sixth of the area of the State is within 10 miles of an accredited high school and a trifle more than one-half within 25 miles. However, air-line distances give no conception of the real difficulties which children would have to overcome to reach high schools. Cross-country journeys are often impossible. So serious is the distance problem that a number of third-class districts maintain high schools offering one to four year courses in spite of the illegality of such action.

The most significant data obtained from county superintendents' reports in regard to high schools are those showing the variation of high-school attendance in the different counties.

For the purpose of comparison among the counties the percentage of high-school enrollment to total enrollment is given. The table shows that six counties in the State have no high schools within their boundaries, and three report no children attending high schools. Eight counties have a high-school enrollment from 2 per cent to 4

per cent of the total enrollment, 21 reporting approximately 7 per cent or less. The highest enrollment (17 per cent) is in San JuanCounty, where the county-unit plan practically exists. The wide variation is probably due in large measure to the fact that many children live too far from high schools, but some of it must be ascribed to the fact that courses in high schools do not always appeal to the practical interest of high-school pupils and their parents. About one-half of the high schools in the State, as reported by the county superintendents, offer some kind of industrial work. The scope of this investigation does not include a study of the quality of these courses or the extent of their practical adaptation to the needs of the counties in which they are located. The per capita expense of high-school education varies as greatly as the percentage of attendance in the different counties. Eighty-five per cent of the total enrollment is in the 70 accredited schools; the remaining 15 per cent is scattered among 177 schools. The expense per student in the various high schools, as given in the university survey, varies from less than $40 to $358. The medians for the State are as follows: Four-year accredited, $67; nonaccredited four-year, $71; schools with less than four-year courses, $85.

County high schools do not solve the difficulty of distance. In a few instances branches of these high schools have been established to bring their facilities more nearly within reach of the school children. The following table shows percentage of territory and post offices within 10 and 25 miles of county high schools.

TABLE 37.-Percentage of territory and post offices within 10 and 25 miles of county high schools.1

1 From University of Colorado survey of high schools of the State.

High School is not a part of the county unit.

Huerfano County is entitled to a slightly better rating than the figures given, since the La Veta Union

The full-fledged branch at Olathe was also made a center for a circle.

Summary.-The data on census, enrollment, and attendance as given in the Colorado reports are so inaccurate that it is not possible to determine the efficiency of the schools so far as their ability to hold the children at school regularly is concerned. It is apparent. that there are far too many short terms and that the compulsory attendance law is not enforced in third-class districts; that an administrative system which would gather and compile adequate data is very essential in order that the true conditions may be set forth and that necessary information may be obtained when needed; and that high-school facilities should be made accessible to all the children in the State. It is recommended that the county board of education, acting through the county superintendent of schools, have charge of the enforcement of compulsory laws and that regular truancy officers be appointed; that all records and reports concerning county schools be required to be kept by the county superintendent; and that the county board have charge of the distribution and management of high schools.

(3) RETARDATION.

The figures on retardation were collected from reports received from the teachers of over 30,000 children in rural schools. They were collected in September, at the time when the children are entering rather than completing the grades in which they are listed. For this reason the children are given the advantage of about one year in the age classification as compared with data collected at the close of the school term. It is assumed that children enter school at 6 years of age and make one grade a year during the elementary schools. These children are classified as making normal progress, those one year under this age are classified as making rapid progress, and those one year over this age as making slow progress. The totals for the State by grades, compiled in this manner, are given in table 39; data compiled in a similar way, but allowing two years for the normal age, are given in table 40; and data by counties are given in table 41. A summary of the data for the State as compared with similar data for Denver, given in the recent Denver survey, is given below.

TABLE 38.-Progress in Denver and in rural schools.