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TABLE 26.-Number and types of accredited high schools,1 1912–34

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III. Junior High Schools

1. Junior High Schools in Washington

Recent development.-The first mention of the junior high school in the State superintendent's reports is found in 1920, in the report of Edwin Twitmyer, high-school inspector.

In many parts of the country the junior high school is being successfully operated. Some of our State people have attempted to organize their schools on this plan but under existing laws no credit attendance for high-school work can be allowed except for grades 9, 10, 11, and 12. This plan of school organization is worthy of very serious consideration from the standpoint of financial encouragement. I recommend that legislation be enacted which shall not discriminate against the organization and conduct of junior and senior high schools.52

In 1928 the State board of education adopted the following report of one of its committees delegated to make a survey of the junior high school problem:

The junior high school has come to be recognized as a unit of secondary education in one-third of the States. It seems reasonable that the State board of education should: First, authorize existing districts to establish junior high schools under suitable conditions and that the State board should recommend curriculums.

Second, provide that junior high-school teachers should be prepared at our State normal schools, at the State college, and the State university.

82 Report of superintendent of public instruction, 1920, p. 29.

Third, safeguard progress in this field by directing attention to the specific problems involved, without a study and analysis of which the new program may prove super. ficial, sporadic, and a failure.

Causes of slow development.-The junior high school is of recent development in Washington and thus far has not reached very large numbers. This is due in part to the well-balanced judgment of the people which prevents them from being carried away by an idea just because it happens to be new. They also hesitated to use a name implying an organization which did not legally exist. There were legal obstacles in the way also. Those might have been removed through remedial legislation had the need seemed great.

Extent of development.—In 1932 there were 50 junior high schools in the State with an enrollment of 24,475 pupils. This number included 26.6 percent of all pupils in the seventh, eighth, and ninth grades, the remaining 67,454 or nearly 75 percent being in the tradi tional types of grammar schools and high schools. The smaller communities have not adopted the junior high school organization to any great extent. More than half of all junior high school pupils are in Seattle, Tacoma, Spokane, and Everett and approximately 75 percent are in 10 cities of the State. The smaller communities cannot afford the added expense. 53

State course of study for junior high schools. Although junior high schools were not mentioned in the statutes until 1933, the State board of education has been forward-looking and has sanctioned the inevit able movement. Undoubtedly the law was broad enough and flexible enough to permit their establishment. The State board prepared a course of study for the guidance of this organization. A copy is appended.

Problem of securing teachers.-When junior high schools were first established much difficulty was experienced in securing adequately prepared teachers because teachers trained in the normal schools and holding elementary certificates were eligible under the law of 1917 to teach only in the elementary schools and graduates from the university and the State college were eligible to teach only in the high schools. The law of 1923 apparently remedied this by making normal-school graduates eligible to teach in grades 1 to 9, inclusive, and holders of standard advanced certificates (college) eligible to teach in all grades. The attorney general ruled that graduates of the university and the State college, however, did not come under this classification and were ineligible to teach in the elementary schools.54

Figures from mimeographed report of the State board of education, June 21, 1932. *Code of Public Instruction, 1923, p. 113.

Thus matters were very much complicated. The State board of education ruled notwithstanding the foregoing that "All holders of certificates for the high-school field may teach in junior high schools" and "All holders of certificates for the elementary field who have had 3 years or more of training above high school may teach in junior high schools." 55

The foregoing ruling seems clearly illegal and contrary to previous opinions expressed by the attorney general, but has helped to staff the schools with properly prepared teachers. The law is a stumbling block-but it is the law.

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1. This program is based upon 6 daily 60-minute periods. 2. A brief initial period in the morning would provide an opportunity for handling matters of incidental or routine nature without encroachment upon the first period.

3. Latin-English, while dealing largely with the story of English words, is intended also to explore pupils' aptitudes for the study of languages. The course may be taught either by the English or the Latin teacher. 4. The number of periods assigned to seventh year physical education and science may be reversed. 5. Guidance should be taught by the principal unless the school employs a counselor.

6. Music and guidance are taught in 30-minute periods twice a week in the seventh year; 60-minute periods elsewhere.

7. The scheduling of classes under the above distribution offers little difficulty if programmed on the basis of 30 periods per week rather than pairing subjects on the basis of the 6 periods of a single day. (Sample blanks may be had from the department of education.)

IV. Junior Colleges

Four junior colleges have been established in Washington in connec tion with public-school systems. They are really a part of the city school systems in the communities where they are located. There is no statute legalizing them and according to a ruling of the attorney general they cannot use public funds for their support. Consequently they depend on tuitions and function as private institutions. For several years they used public funds the same as for any other grades but when some patron objected the attorney general ruled that it was illegal.

In every case public-school buildings are utilized for which a nominal rental is charged. Each junior college is under a dean who devotes no time to the public school. The superintendent of schools gives much time gratis to the junior college. Most members of the staffs devote their entire time to the colleges, although a few give some instruction in the high school. The salaries of such teachers are prorated between the college and the high school.

All the junior colleges are accredited by the University of Washing ton. Only liberal arts and science subjects are accredited, as technical

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subjects would be too expensive to equip and maintain. Full credit for all of 2 years' work or any part of it is given by the university for work completed in the junior colleges. All other higher educational institutions in the State accept the credits at par. The credits are accepted at practically any higher educational institution in the country.

The growth of each of the junior colleges in the State is indicated in the accompanying table.

TABLE 27.-Growth of public junior colleges in Washington

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