THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
Lawrence

November 30, 1942

To High School Principals Who Participated In Wartime Adjustment Study:

In response to a request, dated October 15, 1942, from the School of Education
of this University, 347 high schools promptly supplied information pertaining to
the wartime adjustments made to date in those schools.~ Still other schools re-
ported after the tabulations had been completed. In addition to the changes report-
ed several schools stated that further changes were planned for the pecs semester.

Two-thirds of these schools assert that all students in the school have oppor-
tunity to participate in some organized form of war effort. Similar opportunity is
provided for at least a portion of the students in 3.4 per cent of the schools.
Three out of ten of the reports replied in the negative or made no reply to this
question. No attempt was made to appraise the effectiveness of such participation
and it would of course be difficult to measure it.

It was not necessary to ask the schools concerning their participation in the
important tasks of rationing the nation's sugar or gasoline. Neither were they
asked specifically about the m.king of model airgplanes, although several referred
to this project in their reports. Credit for these meritorious achievements is
already a matter of record. There is also a growing recognition of what high schools
are contributing to the war effort in the way of providing, emergency. help to farm-
ers, industries, business, and some other types of need. ‘This service will doubt-
less continue to grow.

While recognizing that some high schools have long offered such technical
training usable in the war program as shop courses, food raising and food processing,
this inquiry is restricted to those extensions or developments which have originated
directly from wartime needs. It follows that the tabulations in this study, if all
principals observed the directions, must from its very nature be an understatement
of the services of schools to our war effort. Indeed, it may be asserted that. in
the long view widespread literacy, a working Pac eace of and devotion to democracy,
as well as the foundations of physical and mental health constitute their most
important cont ribution.

The two-page question form which was mailed to all high school principals in
Kansas listed 12 types of provision for student activities, 19 types of change in
curricular content or emphasis, end 11 administrative adjustments related to wartime
needs. Spaces were provided for listing other wartime services of the schools than
those indicated on the inquiry sheets. Helatively, few additional services were
reported. They included rifle clubs, victory gardens, emergency labor by ee
and making personal articles for men in armed forces.

Information secured by asking principals to report what their schools are do-
ing or attempting is valuable only to the extent that principals are competent and
trustworthy in reporting. It is a pleasant privilege to be able to state here that
there was commendable evidence of care and discrimination in stating what is and in
not claiming credit which is not due. Frequently the response on what was to the
principal a doubtful item was accompanied by a notation or explanation. Perhaps he
merely said "not yet", or "for several years". Often too no credit was claimed
for his school on items for which an affirmative reply would seem desirable or on