New Orleans, La. J. M. Gwinn, superintendent of city schools.— As a part of the cooperative work carried on by Tulane University and the public schools, all senior students of the City Normal School are required to take a course of three hours a week in school hygiene, given by three specialists from the university who go to the normal school to give the course. In connection with this work a sanitary survey of all public-school buildings in the city is planned. This survey will be made by the pupils of the senior class of the normal school, under the direction of Dr. Creighton Wellman, professor of hygiene in Tulane University, and Dr. Edmund Moss, chief medical inspector for the public schools.

The physical welfare of the child has received special attention during the past two years. In addition to the usual provisions for medical examination, under the direction of the department of school hygiene, through the liberality of the members of the Louisiana State Dental Association, without expense to the school board, the teeth of the children have been given a thorough examination by qualified dentists, some 30 or 40 dentists having participated in the examination. Full charts and reports have been made of these examinations and free dental services rendered in Tulane University dental clinic to all who could not afford to pay for such service. Reputable oculists have volunteered to examine the eyes of children, and free glasses are supplied by a local business firm to all who are too poor to pay and who apply to the firm with the prescription of the oculist and with the approval of the chief medical inspector of the public schools.

Des Moines, Iowa. W. O. Riddell, superintendent of city schools.There is no medical inspection in the schools of Des Moines. Instead, five trained nurses spend their entire time in looking after the health of the children in the schools and in many homes.

Elyria, Ohio. W. R. Comings, superintendent of city schools.-The Elyria Board of Education began the medical inspection of school children four years ago, under competent physicians. Much good resulted, but there was a large failure in getting indifferent parents to heed the somewhat formal notices and requests. This year a trained nurse is getting far better results, because she follows cases up and convinces the parents of the needs, and shows them how to proceed. She has succeeded in getting the dentists to take their turns in treating the indigent, and she has also secured the opening of the local hospital for a free dispensary on Fridays, after school. From 5 to 25 appear there weekly for help.

Reading, Pa. C. S. Foos, superintendent of city schools. The school physician, as medical inspector, has no authority in his official capacity to do anything more than to examine the report. That

medical inspection can only reach its greatest efficiency when the doctor's work is followed up by that of the nurse was fully demonstrated in March, 1911, when medical inspection was supplemented with the services of a school nurse. The nurse visits the homes to report the result of the examination and advises parents when necessary, not recommending particular physicians, but explaining the kind of treatment needed and how it may be had; explains to indigent parents how the various dispensaries and hospitals of the city may be used; treats contagious eye and skin diseases and other simple maladies; also visits the homes for the purpose of giving instruction, especially regarding pediculosis, and to reduce the large number of pupils absent under the pretense of illness. The number of cases of illness among the pupils reported by the teachers has gradually lessened since the advent of the school nurse.

Everett, Wash. C. R. Frazier, superintendent of city schools.—One of the distinctive features of the Everett schools has been developed in the matter of physical education, daily exercises in all the grade schools, involving movements and exercises to develop all parts of the body. Folk games to develop grace and ease and lightness upon the feet, breathing and flexing exercises, and drills of various kinds are carried on indoors with windows open wide. In the spring and fall on pleasant days children in many instances pass outdoors for these exercises, and a free outdoor recess is permitted in the middle of the forenoon each day. Regular gymnasium classes for boys and girls separately are carried on in the high-school gymnasium for the benefit of high-school pupils.

Outdoor activities of a healthful and stimulating sort are encouraged under an organization fostered by the schools and by friends of the school, who have organized "The public school athletic league.” This league offers buttons and badges for all who reach a certain standard in such exercises as chinning the bar, running broad jump, running high jump, 100-yard dash, relay racing, etc. Girls' games of indoor baseball played out of doors and other suitable activities for girls are also encouraged by the athletic league. These are conducted in such a way as to secure the participation of practically all the students who have reached a suitable age.

Wilkinsburg, Pa. J. A. Allison, superintendent of city schools. We have formed an organization called the "Mouth hygiene workers," composed of dentists, teachers, and philanthropic workers. We have secured a tooth powder and paste that we furnish to the children at a nominal cost and have a few cents profit on each package, which profit is used to pay for dental work of children whose parents are not able to bear this expense.

The dentists are in cooperation, and for every dollar spent toward educating the people in caring for their teeth the dentists will do an

equal amount of work for worthy children who are poor. Besides having the children interested in their teeth, in many instances every child in a grade owns a toothbrush and uses it. As a reward for having a brush and using it, we give checks or credit; for every five of these credits children receive a package of powder or paste which also contains a check, and when five are received from purchased packages, those five checks procure another package. So with each package sold or given, an opportunity is given to secure other packages free.

The children are very much interested in the care of their teeth and more children have visited the dentists this year than in any five. previous years. The appearance of the children proves the us fulness. of this plan.

JANITOR SERVICE.

Houston, Tex. P. W. Horn, superintendent of city schools, report, 1911-12.-Houston, in attempting to solve the problem of janitor service, requires a monthly report on janitors from each principal, who is required to give his opinion of his janitor's work in grades, thereby keeping the "business representative" constantly informed. These reports are filed for record, and are used in connection with the report made by the inspection committee of the school board at the close of each year's work. Twenty-one different points of cleanliness, as it relates to janitor's service, are carefully considered, such as floors, walls, ceilings, windows, stoves and piping, transoms, casings, desks and ink wells, blackboards and their surroundings, wainscoting, supply lockers, cloakrooms, stairways, toilet systems, yards, etc.

In making inspections, a grade is given on each point, and the reports are filled as the inspection progresses. It is possible for a janitor to make a score of 105 points.

LITERARY AND CLUB WORK.

Galion, Ohio, I. C. Guinther, superintendent of city schools.-The daily program of the high school is divided into 7 periods of 45 minutes each and one of 35 minutes. Four periods in the forenoon and three in the afternoon are devoted to regular recitations and study periods. The last period of 35 minutes in the day is devoted to miscellaneous pursuits, as follows: On Monday to a literary program, in which each pupil member comes before the whole high school at least once in the year. On Tuesday the time is given to chorus practice under the direction of the supervisor of music. On Wednesday the school continues chorus practice under one of the high-school instructors. At these practices the school works out the choruses of the standard oratorios. On

Thursday the time is given to literary clubs. These clubs consist of the boys and the girls in each class organized separately. Each club is in charge of a regular instructor of the high school. Pupils are thus engaged in parliamentary practice and are induced to discuss problems of the day, in morals, health, sanitation, and the ideals of life and service. Matters pertaining to sex are discussed in ways which are not possible when both sexes are present. Friday is given to class meetings, to making up recitations, and to other work that must be done in all high schools.

Grand Rapids, Mich. W. A. Greeson, superintendent of city schools. Social centers have been established and successfully conducted in six of the public grade schools under the direction of a supervisor employed by the board of education. He and the superintendent of schools select the workers in the social centers. The needs and desires of each neighborhood are discussed and the activities arranged so as to meet these needs and desires.

Among the activities may be mentioned chorus singing, gymnastic recreation, sewing classes for mothers, classes in domestic science for mothers, dramatics, minstrel shows, boxing matches, debating societies, illustrated lectures, and motion pictures.

The social centers are in operation during the five winter months. The workers in the social centers are usually paid for their services, but in some cases volunteers are secured. The supervisor of the social centers during the rest of the school year has charge of the boys' athletics in the public schools, and during the summer months he has charge of the public playgrounds.

PROMOTION OF TEACHERS ON QUALIFICATIONS AND EFFICIENCY.

Asheville, N. C. R. J. Tighe, superintendent of city schools, report, 1911-12.-Grade teachers are classified according to their qualification for the work. Eligibility to entrance into any class is based upon scholarship, professional training, experience, and success. Ranked in their order of importance, these qualifications are as follows:

1. Success, involving personality and schoolroom efficiency.

2. Educational preparation, as shown in professional, cultural, and academic training.

3. Experience, considering grade and length of teaching service. Class A consists of (1) graduates of an approved university or normal college, with three or more years' successful experience in a city graded system of known efficiency; (2) teachers whose native aptitude and uniform teaching success and personal worth give them

first rank in the estimation of the superintendent and the school committee. To be eligible to this class, said teachers must have taught five years in the Asheville schools, or its equivalent in a good city system, and present evidences of systematic work and study under some person or institution of accredited worth. Teachers of class A having strong administrative and supervising ability are eligible to principalships in elementary schools. Those in class A (1) who have specialized in some subject or department are eligible to high-school work or to special supervision.

Class B consists of (1) graduates of an approved normal school or college who have had two or more years' experience in city school work; (2) undergraduates of an approved normal school or college (not less than two years counted) who have had three or more years' successful experience in city graded work; (3) teachers whose native aptitude, personal worth, and success in teaching give them second rank in the estimation of the superintendent and the school committee. To be eligible to the last-named class (3) teachers must have taught four years in the Asheville schools and present evidences of self-directed or other work, leading to increased power and breadth of culture. Teachers of this class (B) may be advanced to class A when the conditions of said class are fully met.

Class C consists of (1) graduates of the Asheville or other approved high schools, who have had two or more years' undergraduate work in an approved normal school or college; (2) teachers who in the estimation of the superintendent and the school committee rank third in schoolroom efficiency. Teachers of this class (C) may be advanced to either class B or class A upon meeting the conditions of those classes.

Beaver Falls, Pa. C. C. Green, superintendent of city schools, report, 1911-12.-The elements to be considered in determining a teacher's fitness for increase in salary are as follows:

1. Evidence of growth in schoolroom efficiency.

2. Evidence of growth in scholarship.

3. Evidence of growth in the theory of teaching.

The superintendent keeps an efficiency record of all teachers. Successful experience and fitness for increase in salary are determined by the board of directors and based upon the report of the members of the board and the superintendent's efficiency record.

Owensboro, Ky. J. H. Risley, superintendent of city schools, report, 1911-12.-The essential things taken into consideration by the superintendent of Owensboro in the promotion of teachers are education, experience, training, and success. To carry out this idea the following classification has been adopted by the board of education: