Chapter VII: The Organization and Administration of Adult Education

Abstract

THE LITERATURE is reviewed for public schools, libraries, co-operative extension service, voluntary organizations, and university extension programs.at University of Manchester Library on June 5, 2015 http://rer.aera.net Downloaded from REVIEW OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH Vol. XXIX, No. 3time directors for general adult education. In 1946-47 the number of full-time directors was 13 and remained the same to and during 1956-57.In the last three years the National Association of Public School Adult Educators (in co-operation with the Fund for Adult Education) has provided money to employ state directors in Colorado, Minnesota, and Oklahoma. With such aid Georgia, Iowa, and Utah have each added a full-time person since January 1958, and this may mark the upward swing of the trend (55).The state department study by Holden (33) summarized the provisions the states have made for adult education. Forty-one states now have legislation enabling the public schools to finance and operate general adult education programs. Radcliífe and Holden (57) showed in chart form that all but one of 48 states had provided for education of adults at some level.A number of studies examined the program of specific states or communities. In California, Mann and Getsinger (43) reviewed the 100-year history of the state program; and Hurlbut (35), the financial structure. The Mann and Getsinger study is of general interest because of the inferences it provides as to some of the methods followed in obtaining state financial aid. The Hurlbut study recognized the premium the California state aid formula places on enrollment and suggested that reimbursement to local districts on the basis of average daily attendance alone be modified.In Colorado (28) and Minnesota (44), involvement of state officials in surveys of adult education offerings led to the establishment of statesupported adult education programs.Under stimulus of legislative curtailment of the Michigan program, Cheskie (21) compiled the opinions and public statements of leaders in Michigan and elsewhere as to the goals and values of adult education. Thomas (70) studied the 100-year-old program of Buffalo and discovered that a steady growth pattern of earlier years was interrupted by the depression and World War II and never fully regained. Jackson, however, found that in Los Angeles (36) a slow and steady expansion followed the depression and that new and expanded programs were developed after World War II.In New York City, Silverman (64) sought to discover the essential ingredients of a procedural manual by investigating the inservice training needs and interests of the principals and supervisors in the areas of program organization, supervision of the instructional staff, and general administration.Growing force of the public schools in adult education was reflected in the more extensive and more comprehensive research than that of the other two periods covered by previous issues of the REVIEW.