Work of the State Department of Education.

The twenty-three counties of the State in 1920....1921 enrolled in
school 149,000 children in nearly 2,300 schools in charge of over 4,300
teachers. Over 11,000 of these pupils were in the 121 high schools
distributed over the State, in the same year, the counties expended
on schools approximately $6,000,000 for current expense and capital
outlay, of which amount over $1,500,000 was received from the State
of Maryland. Baltimore City received approximately $1,000,000 from
the State School Fund.

Through the action of the Legislature of 1922, the budget for the
State Department of Education for 1922-1923 was increased to
$3,476,500, an increase of $717,270, or 26 per cent. over the previous
year. Almost all of this increase will beused in the counties to carry
out the changes in the school law resulting from the enactments of
1922, which are summarized below:

1. The establishment of an "Equalization Fund" to help
fifteen of the counties which cannot carry the State school
program on a 67 cent comity tax rate.

2. An increase of 50 per cent. In the State aid to high
schools.

3. The establishment of the position of helping teacher.
Provision for the employment of a superintendent, a super-
vising teacher, or a helping teacher for every forty white
elementary teachers, the State paying two-thirds of the salary
expense in accordance with a minimum salary schedule set up.

4. The payment by the State of the entire salary of the
attendance officer.

5. An increase in the minimum number of days required
for colored schools from 140 to 160 days.

6. Salary increases for the trained teaching and super-
visory staff, which should be an added incentive to bring
to the normal schools more graduates of the high schools and
to hold trained teachers in the service.

The Bureau of Educational Measurements in the State Depart-
ment of Education, which, began work in January, 1921, is aiding the
county superintendents and supervisors to use standardized tests in
reading, spelling, and arithmetic. The results show how the children
in Maryland compare in achievement with averages obtained by chil-
dren tested in the United States in exactly the same way. Teachers
in the counties are then given specific remedial measures which will
correct defects revealed by the testa and help in bringing their pupils
up to standard. As the supervisors in the counties diagnose the re-
sults of the tests and see that proper remedial measures are adopted,
definite improvement in instruction in the fundamental subjects will
be brought about.

On the administration side, the Bureau is furnishing county super-
intendents with facts, showing the comparative standing of the coun-
ties in an index number of educational efficiency in school attendance
and expenditures on schools. For the year 1920-1921, the counties rank
as follows: