TED STATES OF AMERICA

FOREWORD

In the following pages are listed the theses received in response to our recent request that a copy of each doctor's thesis and each outstanding master's thesis in education be filed in the library of the United States Office of Education. Two hundred and forty-two theses have been received-132 doctors' theses and 110 masters' theses. Most of them were completed and issued during the school year 1930-31, but a few for other years which were received in response to this request have been included in this first published list.

All theses listed have been given the Library of Congress classification and are now available through interlibrary loan to students engaged in educational research. Application should be made through the borrower's librarian to the Librarian of the United States Office of Education.

This service has been instituted by the Office of Education in response to many suggestions. Numerous deans of education, research workers, librarians, and superintendents have urged that some central agency collect information on studies completed but not published and studies in progress. They have further urged that the central agency selected make completed studies readily available.

The cooperation accorded this office in this new service has been very generous. Some schools of education and graduate schools have sent copies of all recently published theses in education; some have sent manuscript copies; some institutions have stated that it is impossible or inadvisable at present to require graduate students to deposit theses in this office but have forwarded our request to all recent candidates for the doctorate; many individuals have themselves submitted copies of their theses; and some institutions which issue abstracts or annotated lists have forwarded such publications. Such cooperation makes it probable that this office will become a depository for graduate studies in education. Additional lists will be issued as the receipt of theses warrants.

RECENT THESES IN EDUCATION

An Annotated List of 242 Theses Deposited with the Office of Education and Available for Loan

ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE

Belser, Danylu. Conditions and practices influencing the elementary education of white children in the public schools of Alabama. Doctor's thesis, 1930. Teachers college, Columbia university, New York, N. Y. Birmingham, Ala., Birmingham printing company [1930]. 310 p.

The following conclusions were drawn from the study: Legal aspect of school support should be reconsidered; state and county superintendents should be appointed by competent boards and not elected by popular ballot; qualifications for county and city superintendents and for elementary school principals should be raised; elementary school principal should be made chief supervisory officer of his school; state should inaugurate complete system of permanent school records; future school building programs should be based upon surveys of factors influencing such program; long-term program of curriculum revision and construction is needed; classification and promotion of pupils should be made on basis of physical, mental, and social educational development; state should establish minimum standards for approved elementary schools.

Broady, Knute O. Administrative measures of the adaptation of schools to individual differences. Doctor's thesis, 1929. Teachers college, Columbia university, New York, N. Y.

A formulation of present best opinion and practice in providing for individual differences. The policies collected and evaluated are those which indicate the type of individual for whom adjustment should be made and the specific adjustment needed.

Cooper, Hermann. An accounting of progress and attendance of rural school children in Delaware. Doctor's thesis, 1930. Teachers college, Columbia university, New York, N. Y. New York city, Teachers college, Columbia university, 1930. 150 p. (Contributions to education, no. 422.)

A report of results secured from an analysis of the eight-year individual attendance and progress cumulative records of the 1915 entrants into grade 1 of the rural and village schools of the State of Delaware. The attendance conditions found are due to defects in the attendance law, the attitude of mind in the adult population of the attendance district, the economic necessity on the part of the parents, and the sociological conditions surrounding community life. The book contains many remedial suggestions.

Dales, Orrin Penfield. A study of supervising officials in New York State. Doctor's thesis, 1931. New York university, New York, N. Y. 173 p. ms. Appendix: 142 p. ms.

The purpose of this study was to discover and analyze important facts about the persons engaged in supervisory work in the public schools of New York State outside of New York City. Questionnaires were sent to 38,875 persons, and replies were received from 98.1 per cent of the personnel.

Davis, L. W. An investigation into the conduct and financial support of playground and recreational activities in selected states. Master's thesis, 1931. New York university, New York, N. Y. 62 p. ms.

The purpose of the study was to determine the amount of legal support for the financing and conducting of out-of-school-hour programs on school property, and to determine if school buildings, grounds, equipment, and funds are being used without legal support.

Davis, Percy R. State publication of textbooks in California. Doctor's thesis, 1930. University of California, Berkeley. Berkeley, California society of secondary education, 1930. 91 p.

A consideration of the educational and financial aspects of state publication of basal elementary textbooks in California. Findings: The existence of any financial saving to the State of California resulting from the state publication of textbooks is doubtful; the total cost of textbooks is relatively insignificant; the possibility of comparatively slight financial savings should not be permitted to curtail an ample, regular, and unrestricted supply to the school of the best modern books produced; the policy of state printing operates in this State to curtail such a supply; and for these reasons state publication of textbooks in California can not be defended upon financial or educational grounds. Dillon, Marie. High school physical examinations and recommendations for improvement. (A case study of three city high schools.) Master's thesis, 1931. New York university, New York, N. Y. 56 p. ms.

A case study of three girls' secondary schools in New York City over a period of three years. All three schools examined the students in the same ten items, but there was no consistent improvement in any one item in three years.

Fox, John Fenton, jr. Organization and administration of recreation in a city with a population under 25,000. Master's thesis, 1931. New York university, New York, N. Y. 100 p. ms.

The study gives present recommended theories by leading recreation experts and actual practices in nine typical cities under 25,000.

Hamon, Ray L. Utilization of college instruction rooms. Doctor's thesis, 1930. Teachers college, Columbia university, New York, N. Y. Nashville, Tenn., 1930. 99 p.

Complete data were collected on 1,393 instruction rooms in 22 colleges located in the Middle West, New England, the South and the metropolitan area of New York City. The one-hour period and the full college week were used as units of utilization measurement. Conclusions: Recitation and lecture rooms were used more during the periods before lunch, and laboratories were used slightly more during the four periods following lunch. Teachers colleges showed a higher utilization than liberal arts colleges, engineering colleges, and state universities.

Harshman, Floyd E. Adjustments in secondary education during the decade 1920-1930. A survey and evaluation of adjustments reported by a group of 'secondary school principals. Doctor's thesis, 1931. New York university, New York, N. Y. 288 p. ms.

The study gives adjustments in secondary education during the past decade as reported by 227 high school principals, and tries to evaluate typical practices in terms of a democratic philosophy of education.

Hill, Henry E. State high-school standardization. Doctor's thesis, 1930. Teachers college, Columbia university, New York, N. Y. Lexington, Ky., University of Kentucky, 1930. 96 p. (Bulletin of the Bureau of school service, vol. 2, no. 3, March 1930.)

This study gives a brief history of state high-school standardization, describes the standards of 1929, and shows the trends during the past decade. Data were secured from bulletins and other publications of the 48 states; and from a personal investigation of 24 high schools of North Carolina. The author gives some principles which should apply to state high-school standardization, and indicates their application to the establishment of state standards for high schools.

Hodgdon, Daniel R. Legal aspects in the administration and control of public school property. Doctor's thesis, 1931. New York university, New York, N. Y. 2 vols. (399 p.) ms.

The problem of this study was to discover and formulate the general principles which have been established through the mass of judicial decisions and legislative enactments as such enactments are involved in the judicial decisions concerning school property.