teachers are assigned experienced teachers, in their own building, as helpers for the first several months of their work. New teachers depend on these assigned helpers for many details, but are, of course, free to get assistance from other sources.

One school is proud of the fact that members of the parentteacher group call on all new teachers and offer their services. Whenever possible, the parent-teacher representatives even meet them at the railway station. These parent-teacher members continue throughout the year to assume some responsibility for the orientation of the new teachers.

We see, then, that many schools recognize the fact that new teachers and teachers new to a school system face problems with which they need assistance. There is evidence that programs for the orientation of these teachers are planned to fit their individual needs, that in addition to professional help they also need help with personal problems, and that a variety of ways are used to bring about a smoother adjustment to a new environment.

Using Local and Nearby

Institutions of Higher Learning

Institutions of higher learning are assuming an increasing amount of responsibility for assisting their graduates and other teachers who work within their areas of influence. Many of the school systems visited reported a close relationship between them and these institutions.

In several instances definite follow-up studies are made of the institution's graduates to see how effective their pre-service education has been and how the college may continue to serve. The services as reported by the various school systems are varied in amount and kind, but the general objective seems similar in all cases: To extend the services of the institution to meet the educational needs of teachers in service. This section points out some of the ways in which the school systems work with these institutions.

Several school systems reported an arrangement whereby nearat-hand colleges and universities cooperated in filling specific needs through offering special lectures or conducting workshops or conferences in special areas. The school system and the participating

college work together in selection of personnel, development of program, and follow-up activities.

Several of these school systems reported that one example of close relationship is through student teaching assignments. Especially competent teachers in the local school systems serve as critic teachers. These teachers work closely with the director of student teaching from the college or university. This contact often affords opportunity for the cooperating school system to select for their permanent staff, the most promising student teachers. A Pennsylvania school reports that these student teachers have been responsible for some innovating practices in the local school.

Several school systems reported that the colleges to which they supply critic-teacher services extend to teachers who work with college students waivers of tuition if they wish to attend summer school at these institutions.

One university reports that Spanish language majors assume responsibility for the teaching of Spanish in the sixth grade in the city school where the university is located. The room teachers assist and attempt to carry on the work between the times the Spanish teachers come. Another school system reports that the needs of the physically handicapped and children with other dif

ficulties are met in part through special consultative service from colleges. This affords opportunities for students to have practical experience in dealing with these cases and provides services for the school system that would otherwise not have them.

An Indiana school system reports that it has cooperated with a local college in carrying on an experimental reading program in selected schools. The director of the reading clinic at the college is working closely with four fourth-grade teachers in diagnosing difficulties, selecting materials, and programing special help.

A Georgia school system reports similar services from a local university in establishing a speech clinic.

Another school system described a center for advanced study which utilizes the services of two nearby universities and the local college. This school system requires 6 hours of college credit for every 5 years of teaching to meet its professional growth standards. The credit may be earned in several ways: through formal course study, travel, research, or writing. When enough teachers indicate an interest in a particular course, the course is organized by one of the participating colleges.

An Oklahoma school system reported that a nearby college is currently offering weekly seminars in social studies which any interested teacher may attend. The board of education pays half of the fees of each attending teacher who may or may not receive credit, as desired. This seminar continues throughout the time that the local curriculum committee is centering its attention on the improvement of the social studies program.

An Indiana school needed expert advice and information about school building needs; consequently the board of education employed local university school building experts to make a comprehensive survey in cooperation with local administrators and teachers. Through this cooperative arrangement recommendations for enlargement of school facilities were made for the present and future.

In a similar vein but less extensive in scope, is the use a Georgia school system has made of the landscape club of the local university. The club received practical experience in preparing a blueprint of plans for the school grounds of the new school buildings and assisted the schools in obtaining and planting the plants.

A Virginia school system reported that the principals of the school requested a meeting with the deans of instruction of the teacher-preparation institutions in the State to discuss in detail the needs of teachers on the job. Such a one-day meeting was held and plans are advanced for continuation of this study.

Institutions of higher learning are, to an increasing extent, making their staffs and facilities available to work on problems of concern to the teachers and administrators in their areas. Cooperatively with public-school systems, they are designing courses, sponsoring conferences and workshops, and supplying consultants to work on specific problems. Cooperative planning between public schools and institutions of higher learning appears to be on the increase with beneficial results to both.

Children learn through their experiences. When we look at the experiences sponsored by the school, we see children at work. We see the curriculum being built. Let us look at children at work in the school systems represented in this study. We will see boys and girls working in informal groups, we will see them working alone and independent of the teacher, and we will see, them working in organized groups such as student councils and school clubs. We will see ways in which many of the boys and girls grow in the skills, understanding, and competence that life in our society requires of them.

Classroom Groups

In all schools, children work in groups at least part of the time. The group of longest standing is the grade group. Some schools name groups by the chronological ages of the pupils. These are age groups. Within grade or age groups, schools often provide for groups of children who like to work or play together, committees for specific jobs, interest groups, ability groups, and groups of children who have similar problems and needs.