foreign-born alike and where all efforts have been coordinated

the public education authorities. Full information in regard to the Americanization activities being carried on by the several states will be found in the chapters of this report dealing with state activities. We mention here very briefly a few of the unique and outstanding methods employed.

To anyone interested in establishing or furthering Americanization work or citizenship training, the report of activities in Delaware will afford subject for study. The work is based upon a carefully taken census which shows exactly what the situation is in that state and steps have been taken to meet each phase of the problem presented. California seems to divide the honors with the State of New York in the matter of home teaching, having a Home Teacher Law and an effective program for carrying it out. California also has a Civic Center Law making all public school houses in the state available for the use of citizens in their respective communities. Ohio has thoroughly organized its work. The work there has largely grown out of measures established to meet war emergencies. That so much interest was aroused in Americanization was doubtless due to the fact that (according to the 1910 census Lasis) 333,985, os seven percent of the total population of the state were born in enemy countries. In Arkansas the Illiteracy Commission cooperates with the Naturalization Bureau. Colorado requires that each public school offer an Americanization course in order to fail into what is termed the "standardized class." That state emphasizes work in rural communities. There is a State Commission on Americanization, consisting of twelve members, who aim to coordinate all work. They make it a point to follow up local superintendents, principals, and teachers, who keep up their interest and enthusiasm for their task. They also foster the idea of community pageants to promote Americanism. New Mexico and Nebraska have a "Roosevelt Americanization Day" on Colonel Roosevelt's birthday. Appropriate exercises are held in all public schools. New Mexico seems to formulate its ideas on Americanism entirely from the career and utterances of Colonel Roosevelt.

The Committee's investigation reveals the fact that in all probability New York State has one of the best, if not the best developed program of adult education, particularly for the foreign-born. It is, however, far from adequate. The following reports from the New York State educational authorities are descriptive of what is being done.

b. AMERICANIZATION AND IMMIGRANT EDUCATION, NEW YORK STATE AND CITY OF NEW YORK*

The state program of Americanization, immigrant education, and educational extension is based upon the legislative action of the past three years.

In substance, the State legislature has conceived Americanization of the foreign-born in the State of New York to be a welldeveloped program of extension education, particularly of the educational service of the public evening schools and annex classes for adults.

Such legislation has placed upon the University of the State of New York and the State Department of Education the responsi bility for cooperating with local public educational agencies to meet conditions and needs. Its educational program as authorized by the legislature involves in general the following:

1. The organization and conduct of public evening schools for a minimum number of nights per year, based upon the population. 2. The extending of the educational facilities now provided for adults in evening school buildings into day classes, both day and evening classes in factories, hotels, clubs, churches, settlements and homes.

3. Provisions whereby groups of twenty persons or more may successfully petition their local public school authorities for instruction in English, citizenship, history and similar themes.

4. Compulsory education of minors between sixteen and twentyone years of age unable to read and write English, with penalties attached to the minor himself, guardians, employers or others who would seek to secure the avoidance of this law. Such minors are required to have a reading and writing knowledge of English equal to that of a child in the fifth grade.

5. Specialized training of teachers of evening schools, extension classes and all kinds of education for the foreign-born.

To carry out the intent of these laws last year, the State Board of Regents was authorized to district the state into fifteen zones,t of which Greater New York is one, for the purpose of administration. The Board of Regents was likewise instructed to perfect a

Special bulletins relating to immigrant education in New York State in respect to legislation, organization, program, special features and methods of work have been issued by the Department of Education during the past year. We are informed that other bulletins are in preparation. All such material may be secured from the special Division on Immigrant Education in the above department.

† See map facing page 2286.

staff of specialists to organize and supervise the work. This has been done. A special appropriation was made to carry out the intent of the law. The State Department of Education expects to continue such activities as a regular part of the State's educational

program.

A concurrent resolution now pending in the State Legislature as a proposed amendment to the Constitution of the State would require all persons, upon reaching their majority, to know how to read and write English as a requirement for voting.

The program of state effort involves the following features:

1. Effort for the opening of evening schools and extension. classes where they are not now being conducted, and encouragement and assistance to those now in operation.

2. Organization and conduct of factory classes.

3. Organization and conduct of home classes.

4. Co-operative and community types of eTort involving the active co-operation of immigrant groups.

5. Co-operation of naturalization authorities in training for citizenship.

6. Training of teachers.

The following table gives the most recent figures obtainable for this work in the State and New York City up to about January

1, 1920:

NUMBER OF STUDENTS REGISTERED IN AMERICANIZATION CLASS IN DECEMBER, 1919

NOTE These figures include only such classes in night schools, places of employment, home and community centers as are under the control of public school authorities. They do not include the 10.000 or more people registered in December, 1919, in "Common branch" classes in night schools, many of whom are receiving instruction in elementary English: nor do they include the nors in day continuation classes, some of whom are also being taught elementary English. No casa under private control or supervision is included.

An investigation and examination of provisions now made by the schools of New York City for various forms of adult immigrant education to meet needs among the vast numbers of nonEnglish-speaking foreign-born will show them to be wholly inadequate. Not enough evening schools and classes are conducted and requirements for the organization and conduct of such effort are not elastic enough to meet needs. There are not enough competent and trained teachers available, nor are salaries adequate to

secure more of the best kind of teaching which is needed.

More over, the evening schools are in need of more socializing features to the end that they may become more interesting and effective centers of inspiration and community effort.

It is evident to those most familiar with the situation at the present moment in New York City, where educational needs are more acute than elsewhere in the State, that public educational agencies cannot thoroughly perform their task alone. Until the State is better organized they must have the active support and interest of various industrial, civic, and welfare agencies, submitting to the supervision and direction of the State. In addition, many agencies now doing work in the general field of so-called Americanization should be encouraged to feel that they are doing splendid work but that it is largely of a pioneer nature for which ultimately the public educational system must suitably provide.

Plans and programs for extension of educational opportunities for all, irrespective of creed, condition, color, or origin are outstanding characteristics of education today. A program of immigrant education is directly in line with these tendencies. In so far as a program of so-called Americanization is one of education, the people of the State should endorse every means whereby its educational institutions, from the primary grades upward, should be made increasingly available to both native and foreign-born, according to their needs. This conception of education is the democratic ideal in education for which this Committee stands unequivocally, and in which it desires to see very material develop ments. Apparently every reasonable opportunity is offered for the hundreds of thousands of boys and girls in this State within the compulsory school age, who take advantage of them. In view of the fact, however, that approximately no more than twelve or fifteen percent of the children of the State enter high school and not exceeding three or four percent probably finish high school, it is readily apparent that vast numbers of young men and women are leaving the schools each year inadequately prepared for life either as workers or citizens, and thus add to the enormous number of persons in the State who, either of native or foreign birth, are not equipped educationally to cope with the problems of modern industrial and political life.

The Committee has abundant ground, as the result of its inves tigations, for believing that very material extensions of educa tional programs and facilities must be made to meet conditions

i needs throughout the State. For many years some of the st progressive communities of the State have made provisions evening schools and have conducted them with success. It is orted, however, that as late as two years ago 107 cities and ool districts in the State falling within the provisions of the w evening school law had previously made no provision whater for the organization and conduct of evening schools. As a sult of the legislative effort in the State this situation is being rrected as rapidly as possible.

Where local conditions in various cities and localities of the tate have seemed to warrant, evening school extension has been ovided in behalf of non-English-speaking persons, and for hers who desire to learn English and to fit themselves for more icient industrial and civic life. Fortunately, moreover, the tate in the past two years has passed legislation particularly phasizing the necessity for further extension of educational ilities in the form of evening schools and otherwise, particuly designed to meet the needs of immigrants. It is reported t only 50,000 or 60,000 foreign-born persons are in the evenschools of the State. This is but two percent of the foreignorn in the State. This attendance far exceeds that of natives,

wever.

The extension education law referred to above definitely specithat extension of education as required under it is provided or immigrants as such, and assumes that the foreign-born will ke advantage of suitable educational opportunities when they re offered. The law is mandatory in character, and requires the rganization and conduct of night schools in the common branches d additional subjects which are to be taught for a stipulated numer of hours, nights, and weeks, throughout the various cities and school districts of the State. The Committee has made an invesgation of similar legislation in other states, and is able to report hat the following states in general within the past two or three ears have developed laws pertaining to the extension of educational facilities within their borders, either general in character or specifically in application, to the needs of the foreign-born. These states are: Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon and Rhode Island. Increasing responsibilities are not only being placed upon the