AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION. Industries which have been bidding for adults and which have almost stripped the farms in all sections of hired men have taken from some of the farms even the owners themselves. This bidding for help has extended to boys without special training or experience. They have left school and farm to work for wages greater than those paid men five years ago. A compensating factor for the apparent general depression of agriculture throughout the State as a result of the World War has been the development of evening or unit courses in agricultural instruction for the benefit of the suburban and village residents over 16 years of age who have access to land or live stock, which they desire to make contribute, or contribute more effectively, to their support. The State supervisor of agriculture revised and amplified the former booklet regarding vocational agricultural departments in high schools. He made 318 visits to schools. One joint conference with the teacher-training section was held. A "conference on wheels," observing equipment and work and holding disenssions at schools and vocational departments, was carried out. canvass of school authorities in 51 towns and cities in the interest of extending opportunities for vocational agricultural education was made. A Sixteen schools were approved for Federal aid and enrolled 417 pupils in vocational work. The total income of day pupils from directed or supervised practice in agriculture in 1918-19 was $27,183,05, Six thousand and eleven other persons over 16 years of age received unit-course agricultural instruction and supervision and grew products valued at $211,668. The main new development of the year in the training of teachers of agriculture of Massachusetts was the installation of a professor of vocational agricultural teaching at the Massachusetts Agricultural College and apprentice teaching. Thirty-six students have been enrolled in the vocational courses., For new teachers and others who had entered the service during the previous year the following types of assistance were provided: Individual assistance by personal visits and correspondence, short unit courses at centers, annual professional improvement projects, summer conference in July, 1919, and small group conferences, staff letters, duplicated for general campaign, and lantern slides, reference lists, and bulletin distribution. HOME ECONOMICS EDUCATION. The supervision of day and evening schools for girls and women is under the direction of an agent and an assistant who are employed for full time by the State board. During this past year a number of valuable studies were made to determine the advisability of establish ing vocational home economics courses in the high schools of the State. Up to the present time the vocational courses have been given in separate vocational schools. Although the work in these schools is excellent, the State department does not feel that enough girls are being reached to justify this plan exclusively. There were eight separate or independent vocational schools, with an enrollment of 445 students and employing 60 teachers, all for 12 months. Nineteen evening-school centers, with 490 classes, enrolled 4,943 students and employed 220 teachers. The training of vocational teachers of home economics is under the direct supervision of the State Department, represented by a special agent and her assistant. A training course, with a resident supervisor and a picked group of eight freshmen, was opened at the Framingham Normal School in September. This is a three-year course, but offers special provision for one year's training in case of mature persons of exceptional vocational experience. It emphasizes the project method of instruction and accordingly provides a large measure of actual occupational practice, both in the vocational house and in the trades. Students majoring in foods must secure a semester's experience during their senior year in a commercial lunch room. Students majoring in clothing must have the same length of time in the millinery and dressmaking trades. Teacher-training courses for day-school teachers are offered at 3 other centers, with an approximate enrollment of 29 students. Teacher-training classes for evening teachers were held in 13 centers, with an approximate enrollment of 265, Professional-improvement classes were held at 2 centers, with an enrollment of 13. There was 1 class, with an enrollment of 11 students, for the training of teachers for continuation classes. The home economics staff of the State department has done some excellent work in special studies, having prepared eight booklets and surveys on subjects pertaining to vocational work in home economics in Massachusetts. TRADE AND INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION. The especial new work is in connection with compulsory continuation schools. Extension of part-time trade-extension work is continuously attempted. Southbridge undertook this work in September of last year by establishment of classes with the American Optical Co. and the Hamilton Woolen Co. The Hyde Park and Charlestown high schools (Boston) cooperative courses have been extended, improved, and accepted as State aided classes. Waltham has authorized establishment of classes with the Waltham Watch Co., but no direct work with the classes has been started because of the smallness of the group. Teacher-training work in connection with training of foremen will receive such attention as is practicable during the forthcoming year. MICHIGAN. Members of State board: Thomas E. Johnson, State superintendent of public instruction; Marion L. Burton, president, university; Frank S. Kedzie, college president; Fred S. Jeffers, president, State board of education. Executive officer: Thomas E. Johnson, State superintendent of public instruction. State supervisor of agricultural education: E. E. Gallup. AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION. The State board continued its work with one supervisor of agriculture, who made 110 visits to vocational departments, held 3 conferences with teachers, and laid special emphasis during the year on making the scope of the directed or supervised practice in agriculture larger and keeping the boys an economic factor on home farms. A news letter was sent out from time to time to teachers and a bulletin was issued giving directions for the organization of departments of agriculture, courses of study, equipment, and helpful aids in teaching. Fifty-seven schools, an increase of approximately 16 per cent over last year, were approved for Federal aid and enrolled 2,650 pupils in vocational work. Teacher-training work was continued at the Michigan Agricultural College, where an additional center was added for observation. and supervised practice teaching purposes. Forty-seven students were enrolled in teacher-training courses. A six-weeks' summer course for teachers in service was held, with an enrollment of 15. HOME ECONOMICS EDUCATION. Since 1917-18 State supervision of home economics in Michigan has been in charge of a member of the faculty of the State Normal College at Ypsilanti, who, in 1919-20, gave one-third of her time to this work. In 1918-19 six all-day home economics schools were approved, and four evening school centers. In 1919-20, 13 all-day departments for home economics were approved and 10 evening centers. In at least one of the all-day schools there is a practice cottage where the girls in the vocational department apply their instruction in household management. Teacher training for home economics is conducted in two State institutions. One of these is the State agricultural college at East Lansing, where a practice house is maintained for supervised household management, and where practice teaching is conducted in the public schools of East Lansing. The other institution is the State normal college at Ypsilanti. A practice house is also maintained here for supervised household management, and practice teaching is conducted in the training school of the college. TRADE AND INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION. At the time this report was prepared but little information had been received concerning the actual number of schools organized during the year. In some cities night classes are operated for 12 months with sessions from 6 to 10.30 each night of the week except Sunday. The enrollment throughout the year is unusually large. During the summer months the enrollment is less than in the winter, but the percentage of attendance is higher. Instructor training has been conducted in evening extension courses at several points in the State outside of the city of Detroit. This work has required the services of three instructor trainers, two men and one woman. MINNESOTA. Members of State board: W. D. Willard, banker; Thomas E. Cashman, farmer; Mrs. R. D. Musser, home maker; Julius Boraas, college professor; J. W. Hunt, lawyer. Executive officer: James M. McConnell, State superintendent of education, St. Paul. State director of vocational education: E. M. Phillips. state supervisor of vocational agriculture: B. M. Gile. State supervisor of vocational home economics: Wylle B. McNeal. State supervisor of trade and industrial education: G. A. McGarvey. PROVISIONS FOR COOPERATION. Minnesota had this year an amount equal to Federal funds for reimbursing school districts conducting vocational classes in agriculture, home economics, and trade and industries. As far as funds were available the districts were reimbursed for two-thirds the cost of instruction. The number of schools and classes has increased tothe extent that the reimbursement to all-day classes has had to be prorated. Minnesota will propose at the 1920-21 session of the legislature a compulsory part-time bill, and will ask for an appropriation to carry into effect the provisions of the bill. As a companion measure to the part-time bill, a biennial school census law is proposed to obtain the enumeration of all children of the State between the ages of 5 and 18 years, from which report records will be furnished to local schools and to the State department of education. A bill to cover all forms of evening schools is also proposed. AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION. The State board continued the year with one supervisor of agriculture, who made 175 visits to vocational departments of agriculture, held 10 conferences with teachers, and laid special emphasis upon reaching as many boys as possible who were out of school on the farms of Minnesota. This work was carried on largely by what the supervisor calls his six-six plan-that is, by having the boys in 27 schools take the agricultural course on the six months' basis. Twenty of the 27 schools have nothing but six months' courses, while 7 of them last year were offering both nine and six months' courses. It seems clearly evident to the supervisor that the farm boy who is interested in securing a practical education in order to help him in his business of farming is, in most cases, unable to attend schools for more than six months. The supervisor prepared during the year project study books on dairying, animal husbandry, poultry, and horticulture; an outline on swine for evening schools, and also an outline of work for the seventh and eighth grades. Forty schools, an increase of approximately 74 per cent over last year, were approved for Federal aid and enrolled 1,098 pupils in vocational work. The total income of pupils from directed or supervised practice in agriculture in 1918-1919 was $80,778. Six evening schools were held with an enrollment of 464. The organization of teacher-training work at the university continued practically as it was for the previous year. Observation and supervised practice teaching was done in the University High School. Only 10 students were enrolled in the senior year for teacher-training work. A six weeks' course with an enrollment of 15 was held for teachers in service at the university. HOME ECONOMICS EDUCATION. A State supervisor of home economics was employed on full time for 1919-1920. Eight all-day departments in home economics were approved, with an enrollment of 273 students, and one part-time school, with an enrollment of 11 students. The University of Minnesota is approved for the training of teachers for home economics schools and classes. It has good facilities for supervised teaching in the school of agriculture and the university high school. Supervised home management is conducted in two practice houses, where each pupil has a residence of 12 weeks. The experiment of making practical the instruction in child welfare by having children in the practice houses was started in 1918-19 and |