was not very effective. Superintendents and principals also did not take kindly to the new idea, and by 1902 the subject of theory and art of teaching had been dropped from the curriculum in nearly all of the high schools.

There were, however, a few high schools, like New Richmond, Plymouth and Stoughton, that established a real training course for country teachers besides the regular high school courses. In 1913 the legislature passed an act authorizing any school board having charge of a high school in counties where county training schools have not been established to organize and maintain in connection with the high school a teacher training course upon the approval of the state superintendent both as to subjects required to be taught and the qualifications of teachers giving such a course. The state superintendent was also required to inspect the work in such departments for the training of teachers and make such recommendations relating to their management as he might deem necessary. State aid not to exceed twenty-five thousand dollars annually was provided for distribution among high schools giving such courses. Since 1913 twenty-nine high schools have organized teacher training

courses.

THE UNIVERSITY AGAIN ESTABLISHES A DEPARTMENT OF THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING

In 1878 the state superintendent was authorized to countersign the diploma of any graduate of the University of Wisconsin, who, after graduation, had taught successfully in a public school for at least sixteen months. The diploma thus countersigned became an unlimited state certificate. In 1880 the state superintendent was authorized to countersign diplomas granted by any incorporated college or university located in the state whose courses of study were fully and fairly equivalent to the corresponding courses at the University of Wisconsin, and the holders of which had taught successfully not less than sixteen months.

But these university and college courses did not necessarily include any work in the theory of education. In 1885 the necessity for giving such training in the university was recognized by the organization of the department of theory and art of teaching, and in 1887 a law was passed authorizing the state

superintendent to countersign diplomas of the University of Wisconsin only if they presented evidence that the holders had completed the full course in pedagogy and had taught successfully for eight months. A year later a similar restriction was placed on the state superintendent in countersigning diplomas issued by incorporated universities and colleges.

THE STOUT INSTITUTE BECOMES A STATE INSTITUTION

The Stout Institute at Menomonie was built and maintained by Senator Stout, a public-spirited man intensely interested in education. A year after his death, which occurred in 1910, the Stout Institute became a state institution. It is virtually a training school for teachers of manual training and domestic science. Diplomas issued by this school authorizing its holders to teach these special subjects become unlimited state certifi cates after two years of successful experience in teaching.

2. THE PRESENT STATUS OF TEACHER TRAINING IN WISCONSIN

THE TRAINING OF TEACHERS FOR RURAL SCHOOLS

There are three groups of institutions in Wisconsin that train teachers for rural schools, namely: county rural normal schools, of which there are thirty-one, high school training departments, of which there are twenty-nine, and normal schools, of which there are nine.

Entrance Requirements. The students entering these courses differ widely in regard to age and academic qualifications. Nearly all of the county training schools and some four normal schools accept students who have completed only the eighth grade of the elementary school. All of the county training schools and all of the normal schools, except one, accept students who have had one, two or more years of high school work, but who are not graduates of high schools, and all of the county training schools and all of the normal schools accept graduates of high schools. Only one normal school admits only high school graduates to the course.

Courses of Study. All of the county and state normal schools, except one, offer a three-year course for non-graduates of high

schools and a one-year course for graduates of high schools. All of the state normal schools also offer a two-year course based on high school graduation. One state normal school offers only a one-year and a two-year course based on high school graduation. The high schools offer what virtually amounts to a fouryear course beyond the elementary school, combining a regular high school course with that of a teacher-training course. A few high schools offer a one-year course beyond graduation from a high school.

The courses of study offered in the county normal schools, state normal schools and high schools vary greatly as to content. Virtually every school within the three groups of schools is a law unto itself in regard to courses of study, with the result that there is a wide range of subjects and methods of teaching obtaining in these schools. To this condition must be added another, namely, the great diversity in the ages and academic training of the students. But, according to the state department of public instruction, some of the state normal schools apparently make no attempt to put even their "nondescript catalogue courses" into effect, "grouping students together irrespective of the year or of the course."

Certificates and Legal Qualifications to Teach. The county superintendent of a county in which there is an institution for the training of rural teachers is required to issue to graduates of the three- or one-year courses a county certificate the grade of which is determined by the subjects and standings appearing on the certificate of graduation.

In accordance with a ruling made by the state department of education six years ago, high school standings may be inserted on the certificate of graduation, thus assuring to the holder a second or a first-grade certificate. Thus a student pursuing a three-year course beyond graduation from an elementary school may be entitled to a first-grade county certificate, a legal qualification to teach for five years. This first-grade certificate is renewable for successive periods upon the completion of a certain amount of reading done under the direction of the State Reading Circle Board, thus virtually transforming the certificate into a life certificate, something never contemplated by the certification laws.

THE TRAINING OF ELEMENTARY TEACHERS FOR CITY

AND VILLAGE SCHOOLS

The teachers in the kindergarten, primary, intermediate and grammar grades of the elementary school are very largely trained in the normal schools, though there are many graduates of county training schools, high school training departments, and the rural courses of normal schools teaching in village schools and in elementary schools known as state graded schools.

The courses offered in the normal schools to qualify students for teaching in elementary schools are all two-year courses. Since the reorganization of courses in 1914 they have been properly differentiated, and for the most part carefully planned so that they furnish excellent training as a preparation to teach. They are made to focus on the general aims of the normal school and the special aims of the special field of teaching. The fundamental principles underlying these courses may be stated as follows:

(1) Thorough instruction in the subjects which the student upon graduation is required to teach, together with special methods of instruction.

(2) Thorough instruction in psychology and pedagogy with special emphasis on general methods of instruction and of school management.

(3) A discussion of the general and special problems underlying the special field of work for which students desire to qualify.

(4) Practice teaching under helpful supervision in the model school, and, where possible, in the kind of school or department of a system of schools for which the students are qualifying themselves to teach.

ers.

THE TRAINING OF HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS

In Normal Schools. The nine normal schools offer three-year courses for the training of junior and senior high school teachIn a few of the normal schools four-year courses are offered, but, due to the fact that normal schools are not authorized to confer degrees, comparatively few students take these courses. All of the courses are carefully planned with the view

of preparing students both from an academic and professional viewpoint for teaching a limited number of high school subjects.

In the University and Incorporated Colleges and Universities. The University of Wisconsin and some nine or ten incorporated colleges and universities also prepare teachers for high school teaching, but it cannot be said that these higher institutions of learning give courses which sufficiently focus the serious thought, attention and effort of the students, from the time they enter the college or university to the time of graduation, on the academic and professional work necessary to properly qualify them for high school teaching. It often happens that students, after completing two or three years of college work by browsing among a large variety of subjects, decide to spend the required time on the minimum pedagogical work quite unrelated to the academic work, but necessary for a diploma authorizing them to teach, which is often considered simply as an "anchor to windward."

Courses in Special Subjects. Courses for the training of teachers of special subjects are given, as follows: Agriculture, River Falls and Platteville; Art, Milwaukee; Commercial, Whitewater; Deaf, Milwaukee; Home Economics, Stevens Point; Manual Arts, Oshkosh; Music, Milwaukee; and Physical Education, La Crosse. Courses for the training of kindergarten teachers are offered at the Milwaukee and Superior Normal Schools. The University of Wisconsin and several colleges also offer courses in special subjects.

MODEL SCHOOLS AND PRACTICE TEACHING IN CONNECTION WITH NORMAL SCHOOLS

Purposes of Model Schools. Ever since the establishment of the normal schools in this state, model or training schools were organized in connection with such schools. However, while model schools have the same general purpose that all elementary schools have, namely, to assist the home in educating the children from the time they enter the kindergarten to the time they enter the high school, these schools, by virtue of the fact that they are an integral part of normal schools, must serve additional purposes which are intimately connected with the general purpose of the normal schools.