the laws specify a few of the minimum requirements relating to length of term, certificate of the teacher, area of the school plot or district, and average daily attendance.

The laws of Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, Pennsylvania (for consolidated schools), South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, West Virginia, and Wisconsin authorize the payment of State aid to schools that meet the requirements; those of Indiana and Kansas the issuance of certificates. In Iowa a door plate or other mark of recognition is provided for in addition to State aid.

Standardization movement recent.-Table 1 gives the year that standardization was adopted for each of the 34 States. A comparison of these dates shows that practically two-thirds of the States began to improve their rural schools by standardization within the last decade. The first States to set up certain minimum standards which rural schools should meet in order to receive State

aid or to be recognized as standard or superior schools were Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois.

The Legislature of Minnesota enacted a law in 1897 which provided that common-school districts, outside of incorporated villages or cities, were entitled to State aid if they met certain requirements specified in the law. These requirements related to the length of term, qualifications of teachers, buildings, and equipment. Since 1897 this law has been amended a number of times. The requirements that schools must meet in order to receive and share in State aid are not specified in the present law. The State board of education is authorized to establish these requirements, though prohibited from including teachers' salaries as one of them.

In 1901 the Legislature of Wisconsin established its State graded schools. State aid is provided for these schools if they measure up to certain legal requirements relating to length of term, qualifications of teachers, school grounds, and equipment.

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Illinois was the first State to promote standardization of rural schools by a regulation of the State superintendent. This policy was inaugurated in 1907. It provides for two classes of schools-standard and superior. Schools meeting the prescribed standards receive a door plate as a recognition of merit.

Classes of standard schools. In the following States consolidated or graded schools, or both, are standardized as well as the small ungraded schools: Colorado, Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota, Mississippi, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Footnotes 2 and 8 in Table 1 explain the classes of standard schools in Colorado and Kansas.

In North Dakota a "State rural school" is a one-teacher school that fulfills certain legal provisions relating to the length of term,

STANDARD ONE-TEACHER SCHOOL IN OREGON

qualifications of the teacher, building, sanitation, equipment, and course of study; a "State graded school" is a school with two or more teachers which complies with legal provisions similar to those for a "State rural school;" and a "graded consolidated school" is a consolidated school not entitled to aid as a State high school but which meets the legal requirements of "State graded schools."

Small graded schools in rural communities in South Carolina are entitled to State aid if they comply with the legal requirements concerning the local tax levy, the certification of teachers, enrollment, average daily attendance, building, equipment, and course of study. A "State rural school" in South Dakota is a one-teacher school that complies with certain minimum standards authorized by law and by the regulations of the State superintendent regarding the length of term, the school building, size of playground, equipment,

experience and certification of the teacher, and course of study. A "State consolidated school" is a consolidated school complying with practically the same standards as those for " State rural schools," together with additional standards relating to the size of the district, transportation of pupils, and size of school plant. A "State consolidated high school" is a consolidated school that maintains a high-school department and fulfills certain requirements relating to the items named for State consolidated schools.

In Wisconsin a "rural" school is a one-teacher school, located outside a town or village, which complies with the standards authorized by law and by regulations of the State superintendent; the term "State graded school" is limited to a graded school located in a district that does not maintain a high school and that meets cer

tain legal provisions relating to length of term, enrollment, average daily attendance, qualifications of teachers, schoolhouse, equipment, and course of study.

The words "superior," "first class," "first grade," and "class A" are used to designate the highest class of standardized school.

Persons who score schools.-Information was received from 30 of the 34 States regarding the persons whose duty it is to score the schools. A summarization of these facts shows that in 13 States the schools are scored by a representative of the State department of education; in 11 by a representative of the State department and the county superintendent; in 3 by the county superintendent; in 1 by the county superintendent and local school board; in 1 by a representative of the State department of education, county superintendent, and local school board; and in 1 by a representative of the State de

partment of education, the town superintendent, the local school board, and the teacher.

The rewards for standardization.-Thirty-one States report that schools which meet the requirements for standardization are rewarded in one or more ways. Tablets or door plates are given standard schools in Colorado, Connecticut, Michigan, Nebraska, New Jersey, Ohio, and Wyoming; certificates are given in Idaho, Indiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Nevada, Oklahoma, and Oregon; and money appropriated by the State is given in Minnesota, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, and Virginia.

Standard schools in Florida, Georgia, and Missouri receive certificates and are mentioned in annual or biennial reports issued by

STANDARD ONE-TEACHER SCHOOL IN MONTANA

Contains classrooms, two cloak rooms, library, and fuel room

the State departments of education; those in Illinois and Kansas receive tablets and certificates; those in Iowa, tablets and money; and those in Montana, tablets and mention in the biennial report of the State superintendent. Consolidated schools in Pennsylvania receive money, and standard one-teacher schools receive certificates; State graded schools in Wisconsin receive money and mention in the annual directory issued by the State department of education.

Standard schools in North Dakota and West Virginia are given tablets, certificates, and money appropriated by the State; those in Vermont, tablets, honorable mention in the biennial report of the State superintendent, and money.

Tablets and door plates generally bear such inscriptions as "Superior school" or "Standard school of Illinois." They are usually

of metal and are placed either on the outer door of the schoolhouse or above it.

A total of 11 States offer a monetary reward to schools that meet the requirements for standardization. In nine of these States this is paid from a special legislative appropriation, and the maximum amounts that schools of each class are entitled to receive are specifically stated in the law. In two States-Vermont and Virginiait is paid from lump-sum appropriations that are at the disposal of the State board of education. Table 1 gives the maximum amount of State aid to which each class of school is entitled.