The following pages deal with the progress of vocational education in the individual States. The personnel of the State board of education and its staff is given for the year 1918-19. Statements are made of the principal legislation enacted concerning vocational education and the three phases of vocational education-agriculture, home economics, and trade and industries. It is to be understood that the limits of this report do not permit an extended statement in the case of each State. The statements made are a mere summary of the activities, and this summary is not exhaustive. REGION NO. 1. MAINE. Membership of State board: Augustus O. Thomas, State superintendent of public instruction; C. S. Stetson, farmer; George E. Macomber, insurance. Executive officer: Augustus O. Thomas, State superintendent of public instruction, Augusta. State director for vocational education: Paul H. Smiley. State supervisor for home economics education: Bernardine Cooney. State supervisor for trade and industrial education: I. C. Perkins. PROVISIONS FOR COOPERATION. The 1917 session of the legislature accepted the Federal act. The act of acceptance creates a State board for vocational education, which consists of the State superintendent of public schools and two members appointed by the governor. A special appropriation of $15,000 is made for the year 1919-20, and $20,000 for the year 1920-21. This State appropriation may be used by the State board for instruction, equipment, supervision, and for the payment of the actual necessary expenses of the board. In addition to this special appropriation the State makes an appropriation of $80,000 for the year 1919-20 and $100,000 for the year 1920-21. AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION. The man in charge of teacher-training work for the State board at the State university devoted 50 per cent of his time to promoting and supervising vocational agriculture in the schools for the board. During the year nine schools, with an enrollment of 178 boys and 24 girls received aid, as against four schools, with an enrollment of 246 pupils for the previous year. The vocational pupils in 1917-18 made from directed or supervised practice in agriculture approximately $3,450. The State university was designated by the board to do teachertraining work. With the appointment by the board of a full-time State supervisor of agriculture, and the establishment of schools and classes in areas which have not as yet been reached, vocational work in the State will move forward with assured results. HOME ECONOMICS EDUCATION. The supervisor of home economics was loaned for part time from the Farmington Normal School. Three departments in day schools, with an enrollment of 299 students and 9 teachers were approved. Five centers were opened for evening school work in millinery, sewing, home nursing, and cooking, with an enrollment of 208 students and 13 teachers. Departments for the training of teachers for the day schools have been established at the Farmington State Normal and the State university. Both of these offer a four-year course. Some itinerant teacher-training has been conducted by the State supervisor, who has worked with women of trade experience in fitting them for teaching in the home economics evening schools. TRADE AND INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION. During the past year certain experimental courses were developed in Portland. These courses are now on a permanent basis. Difficulty was found in securing competent instructors, both for shop and related instruction. The State employed a supervisor for trade and industrial education. Among the principal industries are lumbering, cotton and woolen manufacturing, pulp and paper plants, and shipbuilding. Most of these industries are located in cities under 25,000. During the present year the number of evening centers approved for Federal aid increased from three to five, while the number of unit trade schools increased from one the previous year to two the present year. One evening school center has been established for every 185,000 population. The State has no part-time classes. No teacher training in trades and industries has been given. Plans are now under way for a course at the Gorham Normal. Studies and investigations in the field of industrial education have included preliminary surveys of Biddeford, Bangor, and Waterville. The studies in all three of these places developed fields for both part-time and evening classes. Biddeford also showed possibilities for a day vocational school for girls. NEW HAMPSHIRE. Membership of State board: John H. Bartlett, governor; E. W. Butterfield, State superintendent of public instruction; R. D. Hetzel, president State college; O. B. Brown, manufacturer; S. H. Abbot, farmer. Executive officer: E. W. Butterfield, State superintendent of public instruction, Concord. State director for vocational education: G. H. Whitcher. PROVISIONS FOR COOPERATION. The Federal act was accepted by State statute approved April 19, 1917. This act created a State board for vocational education consisting of five members. The 1919 session of the legislature provided for the establishment of a State board of education of six members, with the governor of the State an ex-officio member. A provision is made that neither technical educators nor persons professionally engaged in school work shall be members of the State board. This State board becomes, by the 1919 statute, the successor of the State board for vocational education created in the act of acceptance. The State, in its act of acceptance, pledges itself to make available for the promotion of vocational education funds at least equal to those allotted to the State from the Federal Treasury. AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION. The State board has had in its employ a full-time director, who has devoted a part of his time to promoting and supervising vocational agriculture in high schools. During the year 12 schools, with an enrollment of 132 vocational pupils, received aid. Pupils in vocational work during the year 1917-18 made from directed or supervised practice in agriculture approximately $10,647.45. The State agricultural college continued as the institution designated by the Board to train teachers. With the appointment of an additional man to devote his entire time to special methods in vocational agriculture and to the direction of supervised teaching, there will be a rapid advance in the work. HOME ECONOMICS EDUCATION. There was no State supervisor for home economics in New Hampshire last year, and no Federal funds were spent for work in the schools. Teachers of home economics are being trained at the New Hampshire College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts under the direction of the educational department. TRADE AND INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION. The State employed a supervisor for trade and industrial education, and had six all-day and three part-time schools approved for Federal aid. There has been no instructor training except the improvement of teachers in service through itinerant training courses, and a few students in special courses in education at the State college, where they were preparing to enter the industrial field. Plans are proposed for training related subjects instructors in connection with engineering courses at the State college during the coming year. Outside of agriculture the industries of the State include paper making, boot and shoe manufacturing, and cotton and woolen goods manufacturing plants. Most of these industries are located in cities under 25,000 population. A survey of the railroad shops at Laconia looking toward a cooperative agreement for the establishment of part-time classes is under way, but not completed. VERMONT. Membership of State board: James Hartness, manufacturer; Frank H. Brooks, manufacturer; A. W. Hewitt, clergyman; L. B. Johnson, editor; M. C. Webber, lawyer. Executive officer: Milo B. Hillegas, State commissioner of education, Montpelier. State director for vocational education: None. State supervisor for agricultural education: H. H. Gibson. PROVISIONS FOR COOPERATION. The Federal act was accepted by State statute in 1917. The State board of education is designated as the State board for vocational education. The 1919 State legislature appropriated the sum of $5,000 for vocational instruction in agriculture and $5,000 for vocational instruction in home economics and trades and industries. There is also a State fund for the training of teachers which can be used to match Federal funds available for the same purpose. AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION. The State board employed a full-time State superivisor of agriculture. Federal aid was given to two special schools of agriculture enrolling 90 pupils. Instruction on a vocational basis was also carried on in 12 of the 26 departments of agriculture in public high schools. The prospects for the future are encouraging, since there are 86 high schools in the State where vocational work would be beneficial to the needs of the rural people. Pupils in vocational work for the year 1917-18 made from directed or supervised practice in agriculture approximately $2,200. Teacher training is carried on at the State college of agriculture. HOME ECONOMICS EDUCATION. The supervision of the home economics work has been done by a member of the faculty of the teacher-training institution loaned to the State board for half time. Two departments in day schools, with an enrollment of 64 pupils and 3 teachers, with part-time assistants of 3 other teachers, has been established. Some very good evenings classes in millinery, home nursing, and cooking were opened in one center, but this was not reimbursed from Federal funds. The training of teachers in Vermont is under the direction of the home-economics department of the State university. TRADE AND INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION. The State employed a full-time supervisor during the year 1918-19. Two new part-time industrial schools were established, one in Rutland, the other in St. Johnsbury. Both have been successful, and present indications point to an increased attendance for the coming year, with the above classes approved for Federal aid increased to three evening and three part-time centers. The principal industries of Vermont include machine shops, scale works, granite and marble quarries, railroad shops and cotton mills. These are located in cities under 25,000 population. Instructor-training work is under the direction of the State board, and during the year consisted of training given to instructors in service through the itinerant training plan. Studies of conditions in three important cities as a basis to determine the need for evening industrial classes is being made by the State supervisor. MASSACHUSETTS. Membership of State board: Frederick P. Fish, lawyer; Mrs. Ella L. Cabot, author; Frederick W. Hamilton, minister; Sarah L. Arnold, college dean; Michael J. Downey, director of evening schools; Paul H. Hanus, college professor; A. Lincoln Filene, merchant; Walter V. MacDuffee, teacher; George H. Wrenn, arbitrator. Executive officer: Payson Smith, State commissioner of education, Boston. State director for vocational education: Robert O. Small. State supervisors for trade and industrial education: Arthur S. Allen and Louise I. Pryor. State supervisor for home-economics education: Louise I. Pryor. State supervisors for teacher training: William D. Parkinson, M. Norcross Stratton, Franklin E. Heald, Anna A. Kloss, and Anna P. Hanrahan. PROVISIONS FOR COOPERATION. The Federal act was accepted by State statute approved May 2, 1917. The State board of education is designated as the State board for vocational education. Massachusetts provides by statute for the reimbursement from State funds of all approved vocational schools. The amounts so expended are greatly in excess of the amount of Federal funds available. |