cent of the county graduates returned to teach in their home counties.
In October, 1929, 93 per cent of the white elementary teachers held first
grade certificates, 5 per cent second grade certificates, and only 2 per
cent third grade certificates, in 1920 one-third of the teachers held first
grade certificates, one-third second grade certificates, and one-third held
third grade certificates, in the financially poorer counties, which cannot
carry the minimum requirements of the State program on the county
school tax rate of 67 cents, the State provides the additional amount
necessary through an Equalization Fund, This fund will grow until all
county teaching positions are filled by professionally trained men and
women.

During the school year ending in June, 1929, there was at least one
supervising or helping teacher in every county in Maryland. This is the
eighth year that this satisfactory situation has existed. Tire State pays
two-thirds of the salaries of the county supervising and helping teachers
and of county superintendents. The improvement in the results of the
tests in reading and arithmetic is one evidence of effective supervision,

Supervision or improving instruction is accomplishing the following
results in the elementary schools:

1. There is organization of what to teach and when it should
be taught where formerly there was chaos. The goals in the
various subjects published by the State Department of Edu-
cation after criticism of supervisors and teachers are help-
ing in course of study making.

2, Higher standards of teaching have been set up and main-
tained in place of the low standards which formerly pre-
vailed. Demonstration lessons by supervisors and by su-
perior teachers in teachers' meetings are one means of ac-
complishing this.

3. Definite standards for the progress of children are held up
and reached where formerly there was no guide. State-wide
standardized tests in the "Three R's" are given at inter-
vals; State-wide tests in history and geography have been
recently given; and informal tests in all the school subjects
are given in each county. (See 1.)

4. The gradual elimination of the excessive number of over-
age pupils is being brought about since the advent of super-
vision. Age-grade studies and analysis of the results of tests
are helping to bring better classification of pupils.

5. Physical conditions in the schools are much improved by
reason of the supervisor's insistence. Standards for elemen-
tary schools have been set up and more and more schools
are meeting them.

6. All teachers, whether beginners or those of experience and
superior merit, are receiving helpful supervisory visits in
their classroom and are participating in professional group
meetings conducted by the county supervisors,

7. Supervision is breaking down the isolation of the teacher
in rural schools and is utilizing all the strength of all the
teachers for the benefit of each one of them,

8. Better understanding on the part of the public of what the
schools are trying to accomplish is the result of an increas-
ing number of visits to the schools by parents, the organi-
zation of active parent-teacher associations, and talks made
by the supervisors before men's and women's clubs, in ad-
dition a large number of visitors from other States come