HOME-ECONOMICS EDUCATION. The legislature of 1919 enacted laws and made appropriations very favorable to the development of vocational home-economics education. Prior to this legislation no State money was available to match Federal funds, and each school qualifying for Federal aid had to furnish from its own treasury a sum sufficient to match the Federal funds. The home-economics work has been supervised by the director of vocational education. In 1918-19, four all-day departments in high schools were approved for home-economics education. The State agricultural college at Ames is the institution in the State approved for teacher training in home economics. Eighty-eight girls and women graduated from the teacher-training course in home economics at the close of the year. A practice cottage for supervised household management is maintained in this institution, and practice teaching is conducted in the Ames public schools. TRADE AND INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION. The possibilities for the development of industrial education in the State of Iowa are not as large as are found in many other States of this region. It is expected that part-time trade extension and continuation schools will be a large factor in the State system of industrial education. The last session of the legislature passed a parttime continuation law for minors between 14 and 16, requiring eight hours of school per week. The State employs a full-time supervisor of industrial education. Most of the cities have populations of less than 25,000 people and are not considered as important manufacturing centers. However, practically 50 per cent of the people live in conditions known as urban, and trade and industrial education is thus one of the outstanding needs along with the industrial development that is bound to come in the near future. The number of evening schools increased during the year from two to four. No part-time schools were approved for Federal aid, and but two all-day schools have thus far been organized. Instructor training is provided in cooperation with the State board by the State college and the University of Iowa for related-subjects instructors. Shop instructors are to be trained locally under the State board in cooperation with the engineering extension department of the State college. MISSOURI. Membership of State board: Sam A. Baker, State superintendent of public instruction; F. D. Gardner, governor; F. W. McAllister, attorney general; John L. Sullivan, secretary of state. Executive officer: Sam A. Baker, State superintendent of public instruction, Jefferson City. State director for vocational education: W. T. Carrington. PROVISIONS FOR COOPERATION. The Federal act was accepted by State statute approved March 15, 1917. The 1919 session of the legislature passed an act supplementing the act of acceptance and providing for the biennial period of December 31, 1921, funds for the promotion and support of administration of vocational education. The State board of education was designated as the State board for vocational education. The 1919 session of the legislature appropriated funds for the biennial period 1919-21, $205,820.75. Of this amount the sum of $103,808.81 is available for the year 1919-20. The 1919 session of the legislature enacted a compulsory part-time school law providing for the establishment of part-time schools or classes in any district where 25 employment certificates for minors under 16 years of age have been issued. The act provides that such schools shall be in session for not less than four hours a week for the number of weeks in which schools are regularly in session in the district where the schools are established. AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION. During the year the State director gave part of his time to supervision of agriculture. Lack of State funds to match Federal funds prevented the State from engaging a State supervisor of agriculture. The board, however, issued a bulletin, prepared by the director, on "Courses of study in vocational agriculture." Vocational agriculture is comparatively a new subject in the high schools of Missouri. Seven schools, with an enrollment of 109 pupils, were approved, as against three high schools, with an enrollment of 40 pupils for the previous year. The University of Missouri was designated to train teachers of vocational agriculture. Development of vocational agricultural work has been retarded during the year owing to the lack of State funds for the administration and promotion of the work. However, the last legislature provided ample funds for this purpose, and one man has been engaged to head up the teacher-training organization at the State university, and a full-time State supervisor of agriculture will be employed with the beginning of the fiscal year 1919-20. The prospect for the more rapid extension of the program of vocational agriculture is promising. HOME ECONOMICS EDUCATION. During the past year supervision of home economics was carried on by a member of the faculty of the University of Missouri, loaned on part time. This supervision consisted of inspecting schools, conferring with school officials and teachers, and outlining programs of work. In 1917 no Federal funds were used for home economics in the schools. This year 10 all-day departments of home economics have been organized in high schools and 7 evening centers. In these evening centers the subjects of sewing, cooking, and millinery were taught. The University of Missouri was approved for teacher training in home economics. This institution has had a well-developed four years' course in home economics, including a practice house for supervised household management, in which a carefully worked-out practical program has been followed. Eight girls at a time are in residence at this practice house. Plans have been effected for constructing a fine new home economics building the coming year, which will be well equipped for the work of teacher training. TRADE AND INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION. During the present year the State was entirely without supervision in trades and industries, all the work being carried on under the direction of a State director. Adequate legislation has been enacted which will provide for a full-time supervisory staff during the coming year. With the impetus given to trade and industrial education through an adequate supervisory staff, we may expect to see much progress made during the coming year. The legislation enacted provides an excellent compulsory attendance law. The chief industries of the State are meat packing, boot and shoe manufacturing, mining, building, metal and electrical trades. A number of women are employed in shoe factories and in dressmaking and millinery work. The industries are located mainly in cities over 25,000, except for the mining communities. Schools approved during the year include 25 evening classes in two centers, 15 part-time classes in two centers, and 4 all-day schools in two centers. An instructortraining class was organized by the university as trade-extension work in the city of St. Louis, and included both shop and related subject instructors. There are few States which offer a better field for an informal study and investigation of the possibilities than the State of Missouri. With a large percentage of its manufacturing industries located in three large cities the work is reasonably well concentrated. REGION No. 4. NORTH DAKOTA. Membership of State board: Minnie J. Nielson, State superintendent of public instruction; E. F. Ladd, president of State agricultural college; Thomas F. Kane, president of State university; E. R. Edwards, high-school inspector; Edward Erickson, rural school inspector; C. E. Cavett, director United States School Garden Association; L. M. Rockne, county superintendent of schools; S. T. May, president State normal school; Fred E. Smith, president science school. Executive officer: Minnie J. Nielson, State superintendent of public instruction. State director of vocational education: None. State supervisor for agricultural education: Charles G. Carlson. State supervisor for home-economics education: Kate S. North. PROVISIONS FOR COOPERATION. The Federal act was accepted by the governor on December 8, 1917. The 1919 session of the legislature formally accepted all the provisions of this act. The State board of administration is designated as the State board for vocational education. The 1919 session of the legis lature appropriated $12,000 annually for the promotion of vocational education. The State board is authorized to use as much of the State fund as is necessary for administration and supervision. Provision has been made for the employment of a State director for the year 1919-20. AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION. Late this year the State board provided for a State supervisor of agriculture, loaned from the agricultural and mechanical college. He divided his time between agricultural and industrial supervision. The State has had several years' experience with State-aided county agricultural schools. To the seven schools receiving aid in agriculture last year three new ones have been added. Two of the schools, however, which received aid last year did not qualify this year. These schools are still in the work, and enrolled 197 pupils. The State board designated the agricultural and mechanical college to train teachers of vocational agriculture. The opportunities for development of vocational work in agriculture are good. There are 30 or 40 high schools in the State where vocational instruction could be given to advantage. HOME ECONOMICS EDUCATION. In 1918-19 a State supervisor for home economics was loaned on part time by the State agricultural college at Fargo. In her work of supervision each school was visited once and some schools were visited twice. In addition to this, conferences were held with school superintendents and teachers. Nine vocational home-economics departments were organized in high schools. Considerable interest was shown in home-project work in connection with these departments and some excellent outlines for the development of home projects prepared for use in the schools. Two institutions were approved for training teachers of homeeconomics education. One of these is the State agricultural college at Fargo, and the other the State university at Grand Forks. A State conference was planned for the spring of 1919 and a splendid program outlined, but because of the influenza epidemic it was indefinitely postponed. Recent legislation enacted in North Dakota has made provisions for the administration and supervision of the work and affords State aid for schools that are to be reimbursed. TRADE AND INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION. But little has been accomplished in this State this year in trade and industrial education. It is expected that the State will show an increased interest resulting in progress and the establishment of evening schools in mining communities, and in the industrial centers of the State. During the present year evening classes were approved for Federal aid in the city of Fargo. The agricultural and mechanical college is designated as the institution for instructor training. Up to the present time no classes have been organized. SOUTH DAKOTA. Membership of State board: Fred L. Shaw, State superintendent of public instruction; Robert L. Slagle, president University of South Dakota; E. C. Perisho, president of State agricultural and mechanical college; J. W. Heston, president of State normal school; Adella S. Beach, county superintendent; Grace Reed-Porter, highschool principal. Executive officer: Fred L. Shaw, State superintendent of public instruction, Pierre. State director for vocational education: None. State supervisor for agricultural education: Charles H. Brady. State supervisor for home-economics education: Eva RobinsonDawes. PROVISIONS FOR COOPERATION. The Federal act was accepted by State statute approved March 10, 1917, to be effective July 1, 1917. This act of acceptance was amended by the 1919 session of the legislature in defining the powers and duties of a State board and for the apportionment of funds as reimbursement to the schools. It creates a State board of education |