10101 AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION. G91 



I. State supervision of vocational agricultural education, by L. S. Hawkins 

 (pp. 7 17). — Tiiis Is a dlscussioD of the essential factors In 1 1 *»* succes 

 State program of vocational education with emphasis on supervision and 

 teacher training as the two most Important factors; the qualifications and duties 

 of supervisors; supervision ;i function of tin- State board; the maximum 

 amount of Federal funds to be used; and the duties and relationships of 1 1 1»* 

 State supervisor of agricultural education. 



The Federal Board has authorized State hoards to use teacher training funds 

 for the supervision and training of teachers In service, under conditions ap- 

 proved by the Federal Hoard, and provided thai not more than 25 per cut of 

 the maximum for teacher training in the trades and industries, in. mi- economical 

 oi agriculture— may be used tor the maintenance of supervision in that line, 

 Including salaries of supervisors, clerical service, travel, communication, print- 

 ing, and supplies. The duties of the State supervisor of agricultural education 

 are described as twofold, viz. rendering assistance to teachers who are already 

 in service and at the same time checking up their work. 



II. Relationship between teacher-training departments under the provisions 

 of tin Vocational Education Act ami state supervisors of agriculture for the 

 State hoards for vocational education, hy (1. A. Works (pp. 18-23). — Two plans 

 of organization are compared. In one the supervision and teacher training 

 are both tinder the direction of one person, while in the other the responsibility 

 is divided. The advantages of the latter plan are pointed out, and suggestions 

 are made as to the proper organization of the work. This is at present 

 the more common of the two methods of organization and it is thought will 

 ultimately show greater strengtb as measured by results accomplished in the 

 teaching of vocational agriculture. The cooperative work of the department 

 of rural education and the State supervisor in the State of New York is noted 

 as an illustration of helpful cooperation. 



III. Sectional conferences and periods of professional improvement work for 

 teachers of agriculture in high schools, by it. W. Stimson (pp. 24 31).— The 

 qualifications ami aims of the successful vocational agricultural teacher are 

 outlined. In considering the professional Improvement of teachers which, it 

 Is suggested, may he obtained througb work with farmers and the farm man- 

 agement specialist of the agricultural college, througb the supervision of boys' 

 and girls' club work, and througb experimental work and extension, attention 

 Is called to a sort of project method adopted in Massachusetts of teaching teach- 

 ers how to teach agriculture after they have been appointed. In this plan, the 

 teacher trainer t:oes from school to school aud from man to man and helps each 

 instructor on the spot. The plan also provides for seminar courses during part 

 of the winter and part of the summer at the agricultural college to be conducted 

 by the agricultural teacher trainer. The minimum requirement of professional 

 improvement, which has from the beginning been a fundamental feature of the 

 Massachusetts plan for vocational agricultural education is two weeks a year. 

 every instructor in the agricultural educational service being required to attend 

 a winter and a summer conference id' about one week each. Such attendance 

 is credited to each man as professional improvement work. .Massachusetts 

 lias also Inaugurated a scheme of sectional or itinerant conferences. The 

 second conference, which was held in the summer of 11)17, opened in the 

 northeastern county of Kssex and terminated on Cape (.'ml. The conference 

 last summer was held with headquarters at the Massachusetts Agricultural 

 College and covered visits to schools and departments of the west-central part 

 of the State. The author considers of fundamental importance also the joint 

 conferences of vocational agricultural directors and instructors, agricultural 

 college, research, and extension men and agricultural county agents, which 



