Your committee consider it to be desirable to keep this third item, the average daily number belonging to school, for the following reasons:

(1) It shows the temporary irregularity, and indicates the strictness of discipline on the part of the teachers, the moral tone of the pupils, and, to a large extent, the estimation of the community as regards the importance of the school.

(2) The total enrollment indicates the state of the more general and deeper causes lying in the social structure of the community-such, for example, as the vocations of the people, their wealth, or their political condition.

But these causes lie beyond the scope of immediate and direct influence on the part of school management.

The directive power of the school is responsible, however, in a far greater degree for the regularity of attendance while belonging. It is not easy for the teacher or the superintendent to influence an agricultural community to increase the annual amount of schooling for their children; but it is easy to secure comparatively regular attendance during the time that they belong to the school. This fact has been felt by educators, and accordingly various plans have been adopted by which to secure comparison of schools on this item of regularity. In some places a weekly enrollment or a monthly enrollment secures a basis for this item. But this does not reach the irregularities of each individual, but only those of the school in the aggregate. It is therefore not so desirable as the system by which the pupil is counted as belonging for a certain length of time, and in case of absence under certain restrictions.

The so-called Chicago Rule gives us the results in this form. The pupil is counted as belonging for five days, in case of absence for sickness, and for two days in case of absence with intention of returning but without the excuse of sickness or something else of equally stringent nature. The name is dropped at once in case of suspension of the pupil or of his withdrawal without intention of return.

Here we see two items entering the calculation which are variable and difficult to fix. No two schools or systems of schools in the country have precisely the same means of ascertaining the intentions of pupils as to return, or as to the stringency of the causes of temporary absence; or, finally, the same standard of estimating the occasion for applying the remedy of suspension of the pupil. For these reasons, there is an urgent need for adoption of a uniform standard on which to reckon the number belonging, and to separate entirely from it any records designed to have a disciplinary effect, or dependent upon intention of the pupil as contradistinguished from his overt act.

Therefore, your committee recommend the adoption of the resolution above related, together with its accompanying preamble.

W. T. HARRIS, Chairman of Special Committee.

Mr. Hancock. The plan proposed has been tried in Cincinnati, and worked admirably. The same is true of Chicago and St. Louis.

Voted-To recommend this plan to the superintendents of the country.

Adjourned.

A. P. MARBLE, Secretary.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS.

PROCEEDINGS FOR 1872.

OLD BOARD.

The Board met in the building of the Girls' High and Normal School, Boston, August 5th, and was called to order by the President, Hon. E. E. WHITE, of Ohio.

Present-The President; W. F. PHELPS, Minnesota; J. HANCOCK, Ohio; J. W. HOYT, Wisconsin; J. P. WICKERSHAM, Pennsylvania; C. C. ROUNDS, Maine; J. H. HOLMES, D. C.; D. A. WALLACE, Illinois; Miss D. A. LATHROP, Ohio; Mrs. M. A. STONE, Connecticut; and the Secretary.

In the absence of H. H. RASCHIG, of Ohio, W. D. HENKLE, of that state, was elected to fill the vacancy, and A. ABERNETHY, of Iowa, was elected to fill the place of A. S. KISSELL, of the same state, also absent.

Voted that the Presidents of the Association and its Departments, and the General Secretary, be an Executive Committee for the session.

Voted that all matter for publication in the proceedings of this meeting of the Association be required to be in the hands of the publishing committee by the close of this week.

The bills of the President for printing and postage, $53.28, were allowed and ordered paid.

Adjourned to 12 M. to-morrow.

AUGUST 6.

The Board was called to order by the President.

Present- Messrs. PHELPS, HANCOCK, HOYT, HARRIS, WICKERSHAM, ROUNDS, N. A. CALKINS, of New York, HENKLE, ABERNETHY, WALLACE, Mrs. STONE, Miss LATHROP, Miss A. C. BRACKETT, of Missouri, and the Secretary.

It was voted that Mr. J. H. HOLMES be allowed $100 in addition to the stipulated price for publishing proceedings of the Association for the year 1871.

Voted that this Board meet regularly at 8 o'clock A.M. during the session of the Association.

Adjourned.

AUGUST 7.

The Board was called to order by the President. Present-The President, Messrs. WICKERSHAM, PHELPS, HANCOCK, WALLACE, ABERNETHY, HOLMES, Mrs. STONE, Miss LATHROP, and the Secretary.

Voted that the President be authorized to give final answer to all persons applying for places on the programme for the purpose of presenting special subjects.

Adjourned.

The Board was called to order by the President.

Present-The President, Messrs. HANCOCK, WICKERSHAM,

HOLMES, ABERNETHY, Mrs. STONE, and the Secretary.

AUGUST 8.

WALLACE,

Voted that the Finance Committee be authorized to pay all bills incurred during the present session.

The Treasurer presented his report, which was approved and ordered published. [See page 120.]

S. H. WHITE, Secretary.

NEW BOARD.

LOWELL INSTITUTE, August 7.

The Board was called to order by Vice-President Hon. N. BATEMAN, Illinois, and adjourned to meet at the close of the morning session of the Association to-morrow.

GIRLS' HIGH AND NORMAL SCHOOL, August 8. The Board was called to order by the President, Hon. B. G. NORTHROP, of Connecticut.

Present-The President; Messrs. G. P. BEARD, Missouri; A. P. STONE, Maine; JOHN HANCOCK, Ohio; WARREN JOHNSON, Maine; JUDAH DANA, Vermont; D. CROSBY, New Hampshire; J. C. GREENOUGH, Rhode Island; J. H. HOOSE, New York; ADOLPH DOUAI, New Jersey; CHARLES H. VERRILL, Pennsylvania; HENRY C. BLAKE, North Carolina; J. W. HOYT, Wisconsin; A. G. BOYDEN, Massachusetts; Mrs. M. A. STONE, Connecticut; Miss D. A. LATHROP, Ohio; and the Secretary.

Mr. R. R. Moss, of Elmira, N. Y., in behalf of his fellow citizens, extended to the Association a cordial invitation to hold its next meeting in that city. Invitations were also extended from Richmond, Va., and Washington, D. C. After due consideration, it was unanimously voted to accept the invitation of Mr. Moss, and hold the next meeting of the Association in Elmira, N. Y.

Proceedings of the Board of Directors.

287

A vote of thanks was also passed to Mr. Moss and the citizens of Elmira, for the interest they had manifested in securing beforehand railroad accommodations and other favors to the Association at its next meeting.

Adjourned to close of afternoon session.

AUGUST 8-5 P.M.

The Board was called to order by the President.

Present-The President, Messrs. BEARD, STONE, CROSBY, DANA, HARRIS of Missouri, HOYT, Mrs. STONE, Mrs. A. S. KISSELL, Iowa, and the Secretary.

Voted that the bill of $7.00, incurred by Prof. TYLER, of Illinois, in printing reports, be allowed and paid.

Adjourned.

S. H. WHITE, Secretary.