sized activities previously referred to. Perhaps the most significant activity was reported from Missouri where in 1940 they developed and published a comprehensive administrators handbook. Four committees with a membership of nearly 50 administrators and college faculty members contributed to this handbook. As stated in the foreword

This handbook for administrators has been prepared as a part of Missouri's program of curriculum development. The school curriculum necessarily includes all of the agencies of the school, administrative as well as classroom, since all of these agencies influence the school experiences of boys and girls. It is hoped that this bulletin may be of service in coordinating the administrative organization and procedures of schools with other curricular activities. It is also the purpose of the State Department of Education to present to the administrators of the State a handbook which contains some useful guiding principles and desirable practices in school administration, as well as certain necessary regulations and standards for administering a school program on a State-wide basis...

The present handbook includes sections on State, general, and elementaryschool administration as well as a section on secondary schools.

Among the other statements the following refer to activities which seem to be of value suggestively:

FLORIDA

The handbooks for county board members, county superintendents, trustees, and principals contain lists of suggested "Best Practices," as well as "Codes of Ethics." These should be very helpful in developing standards of administration.

It has been our policy to discuss all proposals with county board members, county superintendents, trustees, principals, and others at district conferences held in various parts of the State each fall and spring. These district conferences are distinctly procedures in developing better philosophy and standards for administration.

MICHIGAN

We feel that our emphasis on the community school has provided a core concept for the orientation of administration.

TEXAS

UTAH

There is an active association of school administrators in Texas which has been effective in improving standards for administrators. This group has cooperated with state administrative organizations in developing and encouraging legislation.

Three times a year the administrators of the State meet as a group. Once with the State Association each October; once by themselves, generally in March, and again, usually in June, in connection with the first week of summer school, at which time they discuss standards of administrative work, and other problems affecting their efficiency as administrators.

An administrators handbook for high school districts. Bulletin 2, 1940. Missouri at Work on the Public School Curriculum.

Chapter 2

In-Service Education of Administrative Personnel

IN THIS CANVASS of leadership activities carried on by State departments of education and which have a bearing upon the improvement of administrative personnel the concept of the essential unity of the growth process has been kept constantly in mind. The inclusion of this section on in-service activities per se gives recognition to the fact that there are certain kinds of activities which are directed more specifically and consciously to the problem. This apparent dualism in our thinking and approach to the problem is understandable as we face the fact of the lag between practice and theory in our schools. It serves an important purpose also, within limits, insofar as it provides an emphasis upon the growth factor. It is only as instructional processes are planned and made effective by professionals who are themselves growing in competence and insight, that they can contribute to the ultimate purpose of the school, namely, pupil growth. In this section of the inquiry, therefore, attention is directed to those activities which are more consciously planned to provide opportunities and situations which contribute to the growth of administrative personnel.

As a preface to the analysis of returns it may be helpful to review and give emphasis to a few fundamental concepts in relation to this whole matter of growth in service. These have been stated with clarity and insight by Superintendent A. J. Stoddard.' That the lag between our best and that which is practiced in so many places is "so great as to be almost appalling" is a self-evident truth. It is equally obvious that "only through a continuous program of growth in service" can progress be made "in bringing together theory and practice." "That is, one cannot receive his training in one decade and then after a period of one or two decades go back to school and study again, and keep abreast of the developments within the teaching profession. It is only through a constant understanding and adaptation to the changing and enlarging body of knowledge and techniques involved in the profession of education that significant growth takes place." (The italics are mine.)

What, then, are the fundamental concepts which must be recog

1 Stoddard, Alexander J. The growth of teachers in service. Educational record, 20: 500-507, October 1939.

nized and applied in any program for in-service growth? They may be stated as follows:

1. In any school or system of schools all professional workers, administrators and teachers must be growing together, if real gains are to be made. "It is tragic to find classroom teachers trying to grow in service when they are serving with a superintendent, principals, and supervisors who are not growing."

2. People do not grow in service because of something that is done to them by someone else. Real growth is the result of what people are able to do of, by, and for themselves. "In fact, there is something contrary to the dignity of teaching in a democracy in the idea that growth comes as a result of outside imposition." It is true of course that now and then such outwardly imposed programs result in some inward expression of a person's real self, and to that extent real growth may result. "It is a well-known psychological fact that the best growth takes place when the individual joins as a participant in initiating and planning the conditions that inspire the growth and continues to participate in all its processes." The devices used, lectures, conferences, institutes, workshops, etc., become, in cooperation, "an integral part of the process of dealing with the regular problems of the school and are so planned as to contribute to the solution of these problems."

3. Professional growth should be an on-going process that has no distinct parts, so that practically as well as theoretically the last days of service shall be the most efficient ones. Ways must be found to minimize distinctions between on-campus and off-campus activities through closer relationships between the schools and teacher education institutions.

4. Social and group motivations and drives must replace individualistic and egotistic drives. Just as better schools are finding more effective ways for challenging pupil learning, so far-sighted leadership is stimulating the development of the kind of environment in which administrators and teachers can participate in helping to provide situations in which they can grow and that are intimately connected with the job to be done.

1. Does your department undertake to provide any leadership consciously directed to stimulate and/or provide opportunities for in-service education for administrative personnel in the schools of the State?

The great majority, 30 of the 36 respondents, answered affirmatively. These responses were documented with descriptive statements, many of which provided accounts in considerable detail. A great variety of activities was reported. These can be summarized in a rough order of frequency as follows:

Administrative conferences and discussion groups for superintendents and principals held annually or more frequently on a State-wide, county-wide, district or regional basis; curricular and instructional study programs, State-wide and local; study groups made up of superintendents and principals; self-evaluation plans involving superintendents, principals and teachers; through relations with graduate schools for special courses in administration; summer schools conducted by State department; State-wide cooperative

teacher education programs; schools for bus drivers, janitors, county superintendents; school visitation and conferences with administrators and school board members.

Altogether the picture is one of considerable activity. Among the most suggestive statements are the following:

IOWA

This department, during the school year, carries on rather extensive improvement of instruction programs which operate through the administrative personnel in reaching the classroom teachers. Most of the work that is done in graded and high school situations in connection with this program is handled directly by the local administrative officer although they make use of such materials as the department prepares in connection with this work. Most notable among these activities has been the concerted drive carried on by the State department in the field of reading both at the elementary and secondary levels.

LOUISIANA

The educational staff of the State Department of Education visits schools, calls on superintendents, supervisors, principals, and teachers. They stimulate these groups in the study of numerous educational problems concerning teaching, classroom supervision, and administration. Group meetings are called in various areas of the State which are attended by administrative and supervisory officers from surrounding parishes. The leadership and stimulation resulting from such conferences and group meetings have had a desirable effect in advancing the in-service education of the administrative officers as well as teachers.

MARYLAND

The State High School Supervisors are conferring constantly with the high school principals of the State in order to stimulate and provide opportunities for in-service education. Individual conferences, county, and regional meetings are held several times throughout the year for all the principals. This has been going on for 20 or more years. In addition, meetings of the attendance officers are held by the State Department representative in charge of attendance; conferences are held with the superintendents in the matter of transportation by one of the Assistant Superintendents who devotes part of his time to this problem; the High School Supervisors discuss occasionally in other meetings matters of administrative importance. The State Superintendent and staff discuss professional matters with the county superintendents.

MICHIGAN

Our administrative conferences for superintendents have been carried on experimentally for three years and are now on a routine basis. The following are the characteristics of this activity:

Initiative local committees arrange and plan the meetings.

Team of consultants-in general, three consultants are present from the offices of the Department of Public Instruction, representing the Office of Administrative Services, Office of Instruction and Educational planning, and Office of Vocational Education. A consultant from an institution of higher education is also invited.

Attendance superintendents and commissioners of the area.

Size of the conference-determined by local conveniences but not to exceed forty participants.

Nature of programs-the conferences deal equally with developments in the State program of education and administrative problems submitted by the participants.

Time-meetings begin at 10 a. m. and run through the afternoon. If other groups wish to participate an evening meeting can be arranged.

Other administrators and teachers usually participate in these conferences also. We also carry on regional conferences for county school commissioners. These are on an annual basis.

MISSISSIPPI

Twice each year a conference is arranged with all the school administrators of the State. This conference lasts one day and is held in eight different parts of the State on different days in order that all school administrators may attend without having to travel too far. At this conference the State Department of Education arranges to have a member of the department conduct a round table discussion of the problems in the field in which that member is a specialist. These conferences cover finance, transportation, vocational education, school buildings, agricultural high schools and junior colleges, adult education, rehabilitation and crippled children service, curriculum building, and teacher training. These subjects are discussed from the standpoint of the administrator. Naturally, problems of general administration come into the discussion also. The administrators themselves bring to these conferences questions and problems that have arisen in the performance of their tasks out in the field. By having these conferences twice a year, we are able to keep in close touch with the administrators and to help in directing their work.

Recently, we have established a summer school of one week for bus drivers. All drivers, with the county superintendents, were asked to attend for a week at State College. The programs here were given by experts in the care and maintenance of buses, safety, and the many other phases of pupil transportation which confront the driver of a bus and the administrator. This plan has been in operation only two years but has been highly satisfactory thus far.

Once each year we have a "school" of several days duration for janitors. Just one is held in the State. All janitors and their superintendents are asked to attend. Specialists in the various phases of janitorial service offer instruction for the janitors and for the administrators at this school.

We are beginning this year a "school" of one week for all county superintendents of education. These superintendents have arranged to meet with us at State College and study together the various phases of county school administration. Naturally, this school will cover about the same subjects discussed in the conferences mentioned in the first part of this letter. However, these problems will be discussed in this school from the standpoint of the county school administrator. This school should supplement and strengthen the work done in the conference.

Just recently, we have made a start in the setting up of an in-service teacher education program. This was done by having a one-week program at State College which was attended by representatives from senior colleges, junior colleges, county superintendents, local school superintendents, county elementary supervisors, classroom teachers, and separate district superintendents. This marks the beginning of a program in the State for training teachers already in service in a more effective and cooperative manner than has been done before. The purpose of this conference was the making of plans to help the colleges, with the aid and cooperation of county superintendents and the others represented, to institute a program for these teachers,