xt7kpr7msq7g https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7kpr7msq7g/data/mets.xml Kentucky. Department of Education. Kentucky Kentucky. Department of Education. 1952-10 bulletins  English Frankford, Ky. : Dept. of Education  This digital resource may be freely searched and displayed in accordance with U. S. copyright laws. Educational Bulletin (Frankfort, Ky.) Education -- Kentucky Educational Bulletin (Frankfort, Ky.), "Principles of a Foundation Program of Education (a Handbook)", vol. XX, no. 8, October 1952 text 
volumes: illustrations 23-28 cm. call numbers 17-ED83 2 and L152 .B35. Educational Bulletin (Frankfort, Ky.), "Principles of a Foundation Program of Education (a Handbook)", vol. XX, no. 8, October 1952 1952 1952-10 2022 true xt7kpr7msq7g section xt7kpr7msq7g A _\.._‘_._. __, ——_

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0 Commonwealth of Kentucky 0

EnucATIONA BULLETIN

 

PRINCIPLES OF A
FOUNDATION PROGRAM
OF EDUCATION
(A Handbook)

 

Published by

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Wendell P. Butler
Superintendent of Public Instruction

 

ISSUED MONTHLY
Entered as second-class matter March 21, 1933, at the post office at
Frankfort, Kentucky, under the Act of August 24, 1912.

Vol. XX OCTOBER, 1952 No. 8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 ‘v

CONTENTS

Chapter
I Background of the Bulletin ........................... 337
II The Present Situation ................................. 339
III What Causes These \Veaknesses ........................ 348
IV Solution to the Problem ............................... 353
V Suggestions for a Plan of Action ...................... 356
Appendix ............................................ 358

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 FOREWORD

May I take this opportunity to express the appreciation of the
school people of Kentucky to Governor Lawrence Wetherby and
Lieutenant Governor Emerson Beauchamp for their interest in the
problems of education in Kentucky. Both Governor Wetherby and
Lieutenant Governor Beauchamp have assisted in every way possible
in giving encouragement to those who desired that a study of public
education be made. I would also like to express gratitude to the
Legislative Research Commission for its willingness to conduct a
study on education in Kentucky. The General Assembly of 1952 gave
the citizens of Kentucky the opportunity to amend Section 186 of the
Constitution. If this amendment is successful, the General Assembly
of 1954 will be able to enact into law a defensible program of educa-
tion for the children of Kentucky.

WENDELL P. BUTLER
Superintendent of Public Instruction

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

    

 

 

P U R P 0 S E S
The purposes of this bulletin are:

1. To provide information about the present status of public
education in Kentucky.

2. To supply the reader with information about a minimum
foundation program. Some of the essentials in other states
and the possibility of their adoption for Kentucky are con-
sidered. Also enumerated are some of the steps taken up to
now in developing an understanding of foundation programs
generally.

3. To make this information available to interested persons in
the teaching profession and interested lay citizens.

4. To meet a need for information at the present time while the
research study is getting under way.

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Chapter I

BACKGROUND OF THE BULLETIN

For many years members of the teaching profession and inter-
ested laymen have been concerned about the status of education in
Kentucky. This concern grows out of an interest in the educational
future of Kentucky’s children. One example of this may be found
in the December, 1933, Bulletin of the Bureau of School Service of
the University of Kentucky which contains the following statement
from a speech by Dr. James W. Martin at the 10th Annual Education
Conference:

“In order to meet the constitutional difficulty already referred to,
the Constitution of Kentucky should be amended to render valid
any plan of distributing state school funds which the legislature may
adopt.”

In recent years two amendments which partially followed the above
recommendation have been passed. Both were designed to equalize
more nearly educational opportunities. The first amendment per—
mitted the General Assembly to distribute ten per cent of the school
fund on a basis other than per capita. A few years later the second
amendment was passed permitting the General Assembly to dis—
tribute up to twenty—five per cent of the school fund on a basis other
than per capita. The passage of these two amendments indicates that
the people of Kentucky desire to support a total program of educa-
tion for the entire state.

The 1952 General Assembly made it possible for the voters of
Kentucky to amend Section 186 of the Constitution in November,
1958. The enactment of this amendment would permit the General
Assembly to determine the method of distributing the common school
fund.

Immediately after the General Assembly adjourned, members
of the State Department of Education, in session with leaders from
five state colleges, planned a series of workshops to promote under-
standing of the kind of educational program Kentucky needs and
should have.

The Delegate Assembly of the Kentucky Education Association
in April of 1952 unanimously requested that a workshop be con-

337

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   

 

 

 

 

 

 

. ' i ’ 
gave county districts the right to levy a, school tax up to the $1.50
maximum already permitted independent school districts. The first i
year after this law became effective, sixty-five county districts in-
creased their levies above the old maximum and six districts went
to the new maximum rate of $1.50. In 1952-53, 102 county districts
are levying the maximum rate and only one county district is levying
less than one dollar.

The General Assembly in 1950 enacted a special voted building
fund tax law. Under this law, a majority of the voters of a district
may vote to levy a tax of from five to fifty cents for capital outlay
purposes. The voters of eighteen districts have authorized these
special levies.

Teacher Education Program and High Training Level of Teachers

A sound teacher education program is being carried on in our l
colleges. Kentucky’s teachers are better prepared today than ever
before. to guide the education of her children. The median training (
level of teaching personnel is above the A. B. degree. Of the approxi—

 
 
 

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mately 20,000 teachers employed in 1950-51, 58.5 per cent held the
baccalaureate or master’s degree.

The Division of Teacher Education and Certification of the De-
partment of Education, working with the colleges, is conducting an
in—service training program that is upgrading the training level of
teachers. The professional growth of teachers is being forwarded
by the Kentucky Education Association working through the local
education associations. In addition, the Kentucky Commission for
Teacher Education and Professional Standards is providing leader-
ship in the area of teacher education and professional growth.

Flexible and Efficient System of Certification

In keeping with a nation—wide trend, all certification authority
was placed in the State Board of Education by the General Assembly
in 1950. Certificates, however, are issued only on curricula prescribed
by the Council on Public Higher Education. This is a significant step
in a long—range plan for. the teaching profession to accept responsi-
bility for setting its own standards, as do other professions.

Free Textbooks and New Textbook Law

Since 1934:, the state has provided some free textbooks. At
present, basal and some optional textbooks are provided for the first
eight grades. Under a law enacted by the 1952 General Assembly,
all local districts will be permitted to adopt their textbooks from a
multiple list approved by the State Textbook Commission.

Tenure, Sick Leave, and Retirement

Teachers have the advantage of sick leave benefits which are
cumulative up to twenty days. Teachers are members of an actu—
arially sound retirement system which is being gradually strength—
ened and expanded. Trained teachers are protected by a strong
tenure law.

UNMET NEEDS OF KENTUCKY’S CHILDREN

Education in Kentucky presents many problems, although much
progress has been made in the last fifty years. The unmet needs of
Kentucky’s children are many. Some of these needs are:

341

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

l. The school housing situation and health conditions are deplor-
able.

2. Pupil transportation facilities are inadequate.

3. Attendance centers are too small for the most effective pro-
gram.

4. Curricular offerings are limited.

5. Insufficient administrative and supervisory personnel are
employed to provide educational leadership.

6. Lack of libraries and instructional materials indicates the pov-
erty of the usual educational program.

7. The shortage of trained teachers is critical.

School Housing and Health Conditions

The school housing situation in Kentucky is deplorable. The
needs brought about by the increased enrollments of the fifties, plus
the. backlog of construction carried over from the depression years
and the war years, have created problems in practically every school
district.

The School Facilities Survey in 1951 showed that at the begin-
ning of the present school year 7,511 new classrooms were needed
Of these classrooms, 1,138 were needed to relieve overcrowding; 795
were needed to house increases in enrollment; and 5,578 were needed
to replace obsolete buildings.

The survey also showed that 80 per cent of all the school build-
ings in Kentucky, housing 60 per cent of the elementary school
children, do not have central heating systems. Twenty—five per cent
of Kentucky’s children are in schools with hand-operated water
facilities. Thirty-eight per cent attend schools with outdoor toilets.

By nation-wide standards, only 122 school buildings in Kentucky
can be rated satisfactory.

The State Health Department’s Division of Public Health Sani-
tation, in a survey of 259 schools in 16 counties, found that:

Toilets in 90.3 per cent of Kentucky’s school buildings are inadequate
or in bad condition.

Hand-washing facilities are deficient in 87.2 per cent.
Water supplies in 67.9 per cent are unsafe.

'Water disposal in 74.1 per cent is substandard.

342

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Walls are in bad condition in 71.8 per cent and floors in 55.9 per cent.
Lighting is poor in 58.6 per cent and heating and ventilation poor in
57 per cent.
Conservative estimates indicate that present building needs
total $157,000,000. These estimates are for economical, efficient, and
easily maintained buildings.

Transportation Facilities

Most Kentucky districts do not have enough school busses. Con-
sequently, children must leave home early in the morning and return
late in the afternoon. Overcrowding, with its attendant safety
hazards, is another evidence of inadequacy.

Some Kentucky school children must board a bus at 5 :45 a.1n. to
get to school . . . and they don’t get home until 6:00 p.m.1 The
average bus picks up pupils between 7:00 am. and 7:15 am. and
returns them between 4:30 p.11]. and 4:45 p.111. Accordingly, many
school children leave home before daylight and return after dark
during much of the year.

The crowded condition of the busses and the number of trips
made by busses is shown by the fact that in the 1950-51 school year
five large county districts transported 329, 302, 213, 171 and 170
pupils respectively per bus daily.

The financial burden of pupil transportation falls, in the main,
on county districts. A total of $4,450,000 was expended by all dis-
tricts for pupil transportation in 1950-51. Of this amount, $4,300,000
was expended by county districts, and represented 12.60 per cent of
their current expenditures, with a range from 1.33 per cent in Taylor
County to 34.43 per cent in Livingston County.

Even these data do not reveal the full financial burden. When
teachers’ salaries are deducted from the total expenditures (since
this revenue was already committed), the average county district
spent 40.29 per cent of available funds for pupil transportation in
1950—51. Expenditures ranged from 7.81 to 67.47 per cent of avail—
able, uncommitted funds.

Attendance Centers

Attendance centers, both elementary and secondary, are not
large enough to make possible a complete, modern educational pro-
gram in an economical, efficient, and effective way.

343

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

Kentucky still has 3,004 one-teacher schools and 872 two and
three—teacher schools. One fourth of the school children in the State
attend these schools. A satisfactory program is extremely difficult
to secure under these circumstances.

In 1951—52 there were 114 high schools, in 64 counties, with
fewer than 100 pupils in grades nine through twelve. If a complete
program is to be provided with the maximum of efficiency and econ-
omy, it is generally accepted that a secondary school should have an
enrollment of at least 300. In 1951-52, only 105 of the total of 491
complete public high schools had an enrollment of 300 pupils or more.

Curricular Offerings

The size of attendance areas is one of the factors which deter-
mines the scope of the curriculum. The one-teacher school, as well
as other small schools, finds it well-nigh impossible to have other
than the most restricted program.

The small high school is seriously handicapped in regard to
curriculum. For the most part, it is restricted to an academic pro-
gram with a minimum of electives. Classes must be combined to
secure a broader program. Small classes do not provide the best
situation for the social and emotional growth of children.

Data are available on the needs of children for vocational train—
ing in agriculture and homemaking. From these data it can be esti-
mated that at least one half of farm boys are not being given an
opportunity to study agriculture. For homemaking, the story is
better; 424 high schools have homemaking departments. But many
high schools which have homemaking departments find it necessary
to limit the number of girls who may take homemaking courses.

The poverty of the education program could also be shown for
commercial subjects and shop work and for many other subject
areas.

Administration and Supervision

The problem of inadequate administrative and supervisory
personnel is closely connected with the lack of financial resources and
the existence of some small, inefficient attendance centers and ad-
ministrative units. In many districts, the superintendent is executive
officer of the board of education, administrative officer of the dis-

344

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trict, director of maintenance, director of a building program, direc—
tor of transportation, supervisor of instruction, and co—ordinator of
public relations. Many times he has no clerical assistance. The super—
intendent should be given enough assistants to free him of routine
responsibility and allow him to devote his time to educational leader-
ship in the school and the community.

Elementary principals in Kentucky spend most of their regular
school day teaching, with their extra activities coming at noon and
after school.

The need for supervision is critical in most school districts, es—
pecially in county districts with numerous one, two, and three—
teacher schools. The greatest shortage of trained teachers is found
in these small schools. Notwithstanding the great need for super-
vision in these districts, only about one-fourth of the county school
districts have a staff member who devotes his full time to supervision
of teachers and improvement of instruction.

Libraries and Instructional Materials

The adequacy of library facilities and instructional materials
provide an important clue to the quality of the school program.

An index of this adequacy is the level of financial support.
An average of fifty cents for each elementary pupil in average daily
attendance was expended for library and supplementary books in
1950—51. The range, however, was from no expenditures in some
districts to approximately $4.00 per pupil in other districts. On the
average, $1.40 was expended for each high school pupil in average
daily attendance for libraries in 1050-51. Again, the range was from
no expenditures in some districts to over $4.00 per pupil in other
districts. '

Data from the School Facilities Survey show that only 99 of
the 491 high schools have library facilities that were planned and
constructed for that, purpose. Only 147 of the 4,514 elementary
schools have rooms originally designed or suitably adapted for
libraries.

Expenditures for instructional supplies in 1950-51 amounted to
approximately eighty-five cents for each pupil in average daily
attendance in both elementary and high schools. Since seventeen

345

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

districts reported no expenditures for educational supplies, the
range was from zero to a probable level of adequacy.

Teaching Staff

The teacher shortage is one of the most critical problems of
education in Kentucky. Each year, children in some districts are
entering high school without ever having had the services of a quali-
fied teacher.

For the 1951—52 school year, 2,971 of Kentucky’s 19,739 teachers,
or fifteen per cent, were teaching on emergency permits. The number
of emergency permits has been decreasing annually from the total
of 5,300 in 1947—48, but there is every indication that the number will
increase in 1952-53.

Many teachers trained in Kentucky are going to other states to
teach. A questionnaire returned by 186 districts indicates that at
least 300 teachers have left Kentucky schools during the last twelve
months to accept teaching positions in other states. The six public-
supported teacher training institutions report that many of their
graduates accept teaching positions outside the state because of
more attractive salaries.

This constant competition for the services of trained teachers
continues. Kentucky loses teachers to neighboring states, while eco-
nomically unfavored districts lose to the wealthier districts. Between
the close of the schools last spring and the opening of schools this
fall, 700 Kentucky teachers changed districts and 1200 did not return
to the classroom at all.

It is small wonder that there is such a great turnover in the
teaching staff. At the beginning of the current school year twenty-
five elementary teachers in the State had an enrollment of over
seventy pupils in their classrooms, fifty teachers had an enrollment
of from 60 to 69 pupils, 268 teachers had from 50 to 59 pupils en—
rolled, 1,892 teachers had from 40 to 49 pupils enrolled and 5,652
teachers had from 30 to 39 pupils enrolled.

The generally accepted maximum pupil—teacher ratio for the
elementary school is 30. This year, 7,885 teachers have more than 30
pupils enrolled in their classrooms.

346

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In Summary

Kentucky suffers from a number of serious liabilities because of
its failure to provide an adequate educational program for all its
school districts. This failure can be directly traced to Section 186 of
the Constitution which makes it almost impossible to provide a de-
fensible program, adequately financed.

Educational deficiencies of the adult population have hindered
the economic and social well—being of Kentucky’s citizens. The aver-
age adult in Kentucky, 25 years of age and older, in 1950 had com-
pleted only 8.4 years of schooling. In one county, the average male
adult had completed less than six years of formal education.

The record for illiteracy is alarming. In 1950, there were 37,060
adults in Kentucky who had not completed even one year of school.
At the same time 223, 060 adults reported that they had completed
from one to four years of educational training.

The next generation may show little improvement in its training
level if steps are not taken to remove the causes of these weaknesses.
In April of 1952, there were over 88,000 children in the school census
who were not enrolled in school. One of every eight children in the
school census is not enrolled in any school and therefore not receiv-
ing the opportunity for an education.

Ignorance cannot be quarantined. Weakness in one part of the
State or in one segment of the population weakens the Whole state.
All must enlist in advancing the educational opportunity of every
child in the Commonwealth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter III

WHAT CAUSES THESE WEAKNESSES?

ne framers of the present State Constitution wrote into it a
strong mandate for an efficient state—wide system of public educa-
tion. In Section 183 they directed that:

“The General Assembly shall, by appropriate legislation, provide
for an efficient system of common schools throughout the State.”

The meaning of this is clear. Yet the inadequacies already
pointed out offer conclusive evidence that an efficient system has not
been provided.

Why (2

What has caused the General Assembly to fail in carrying out
this Constitutional mandate? Undoubtedly, there have been many
contributory causes; but the primary cause has been Section 186
which has made impossible the economical attainment of the goal
of Section 183.

A census—pupil distribution may have been a fairly equitable
plan in 1892 because, in the predominantly rural economy of that
day in Kentucky, there were not the great extremes of local ability
which exist today. The variations that did exist have increased so
greatly with social and economic changes during the last sixty years
that a census—pupil distribution, with no concern for ability or need,
is now obsolete.

The State’s contribution to the total cost of education in 1892
was comparatively small and hence did not affect the inequities
greatly. As the state school fund has been increased, the census-pupil
distribution has become more inefficient, unfair and ineffectual.

Section 186, providing for the distribution of the state school
fund on the basis of a census of pupil children, ignored completely
local ability to finance education. This failure to consider equality of
educational opportunity was soon recognized by the educational
leaders of the State and a movement was undertaken to correct it.
In 1930, the General Assembly passed an equalization law which was
declared unconstitutional by the Court of Appeals.

3448

     
   
  
 
 
 
    
 
  
  
  
 
  
  
   
   
 
 
  
 
     

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Realizing that a constitutional change was necessary, the Gen-
eral Assembly submitted an amendment to the voters in 1941 that
ten per cent of the state school fund could be distributed to equalize
educational opportunity. It was approved by an overwhelming vote
of 312,986 to 53,924. Again, in 1949, by a vote of 232,890 to 125,697
the voters approved an amendment that made possible the distribu-
tion of 25 per cent of the state school fund on some basis other than
census-pupil.

Section 186, even as amended, makes impossible the development
of an efficient, economical, state-wide program of education.

Wealth and Children are Unequally Distributed

School districts in Kentucky vary widely in their ability to sup-
port education; and, generally speaking, the poorer districts have
the most children to educate. One county district has an assessed
valuation of $680 back of each census child while real property is
assessed at 50.4 per cent of fair cash value. This district has 818
children in the school census per 1,000 adults over 25 years of age.
Another county has an assessed valuation of $11,098 per census
child, with real property assessed at approximately 38 per cent of
fair cash value. This county has only 255 children in the school
census per 1,000 adults over 25 years of age.

A wealthier county shows even a more favorable picture. This
county has an assessed valuation of $16,460 per census child, while
real property is assessed at approximately 34 per cent of fair cash
value. This county has only 413 children in the school census per
1,000 adults over 25 years of age.

From these examples it can be seen that the second county has
16 times the ability to support education and has only one third as
many children per 1,000 adults over 25 years old as the first county.
The third county has 24 times the ability to support education and
has only one half as many children per 1,000 adults over 25 years of
age as the first county.

Inequities are Accentuated

These inequities between districts are increased by a distribution
under Section 186.

The Governor’s Committee on Functions and Resources of State

3419

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

Government has shown this point clearly in its discussion of teachers’
salaries. That Committee’s Final Report 011 Page 18 stated in part:

“The General Assembly requires that local districts’ share of the
state per capita fund be used only for teachers’ salaries. This year’s
$26,212,500 per capita fund averages $1,354 per teacher, but in 25
districts it amounts to an average of less than $1,000 per teacher, and
in 37 other districts it amounts to an average of over $1,500 per
teacher. To be more specific, one district’s share of the per capita
fund amounts to $2,710 for each of its teachers, while another’s is
only $801 per teacher. Similarly, one county district’s share of the
per capita fund amounts to only $1,096 per teacher whereas another’s
is $1,960 per teacher. If, for example, $5,000,000 were added to the
per capita fund the effect on average salaries per teacher for these
four districts would be respectively, $516; $153; $209; and $374. A
$5,000,000 increase in the per capita fund would mean almost three
and one-half times as much per teacher in one of the independent
districts referred to as in the other.

Cost of an Adequate Program Prohibitive

The present method of distribution makes the cost of an ade-
quate program prohibitive. A district has been discussed that had
an assessed valuation of only $680 per census—pupil. This district
could raise only $10.20 per census—pupil by levying the maximum tax
rate of $1.50. Since this district is assessing real property at approxi-
mately 50 per cent of fair cash value, the amount of money that
would be available locally would be only $20.40 per census—pupil if
property were assessed at fair cash value and the maximum tax rate
of $1.50 were levied. It can be seen that any additional money
which is made available for the education of the children of this
district must be provided by the State. If this additional revenue is
apportioned on a census—pupil basis, the same amount per census-
pupil sent into this economically unfavored district would have to