528 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXVII. No. 692 



method, care being taken to have all the 

 factors in the teaching alike except the 

 point of difference that we were trying to 

 reach. The results of the investigation 

 were submitted to careful statistical an- 

 alysis and showed that the method of teach- 

 ing homonyms together was more efficient 

 in the third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh 

 grades. 



It is hoped that experiments of a similar 

 nature will be conducted in other schools, 

 so that the validity of the conclusions of 

 this experiment may be more accurately 

 determined. 



Psychological Experts in Public School 

 Systems: The Experience of Chicago: 

 Dr. D. P. MacMillan, Director of the 

 Department of Child Study, City School 

 System, Chicago. 



Dr. MacMillan traced the idea of estab- 

 lishing psychological experts in public 

 school systems, showing that the demand 

 for this came from persons who were not 

 psychological experts, although their cause 

 was ably championed by Professor Royce 

 in 1898 before the National Educational 

 Association. 



In Chicago this matter was under dis- 

 cussion by the Board of Education during 

 the years 1896-8. Several plans were dis- 

 cussed, but it was finally decided to or- 

 ganize a special department of the board 

 whose officers should devote their entire 

 time to this work. This was done in 1899, 

 and 'the functions of the new department 

 were defined as follows: 



1. Research work, (a) Collecting an- 

 thropometric and psycho-physical data for 

 the purpose of establishing norms and for 

 determining such relationship as may be of 

 service in pedagogy. (6) Applying ac- 

 curate scientific methods to specific peda- 

 gogic problems, particularly methods of 

 teaching and determination of the peda- 

 gogic value of various studies. 



2. Examination of individual pupils 

 with the object of advising parents and 

 teachers as to their pedagogic manage- 

 ment. 



3. Instruction of teachers in child study 

 and psychology. 



The work of the department during the 

 ten years of its activity was then described 

 in some detail, and it was clearly shown 

 that it is altogether feasible for consulting 

 psychologists to carry on within school 

 systems the line of activity which educa- 

 tional zealots and far-sighted scientists en- 

 tertained and projected for them. The 

 general recognition of the value of estab- 

 lishing such departments is in line with the 

 most mo'dern and progressive tendencies in 

 education, and if the plan were adopted by 

 a number of the larger school systems, un- 

 told benefits to the public school system 

 would result. 



Objective Measurements of the Efficiency 

 of School Systems: Dr. J. D. Bukks, 

 Albany Training School for Teachers. 



Reasons for the Existence of Schools of 

 Education in American Vndversities : 

 Professor C. W. A. Luckby, University 

 of Nebraska. 



The average attendance at the meetings 

 was forty. Much interest was shown in 

 the papers, and many of them were dis- 

 cussed at length. It was the consensus of 

 opinion that this opening meeting of the 

 new section was a great success and that 

 it augured well for the future of the 

 organization. 



C. R. Mann, 

 Secretary 



THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACH- 

 ERS OF THE MATHEMATICAL AND 

 THE NATURAL SCIENCES 



A MEETING of delegates of associations 

 interested in the formation of an American 

 Federation of Teachers of the Mathemat- 

 ical and the Natural Sciences was held in 



