Show t f 1 Automation Promises School Help An experimental pr program ogra m employing the latest products of science and technology in a systems approach to teaching now being deve developed loped by the State Department of Public Instruction Instruction Instruction tion may hold the key in checking checking check check- ing the term long-term rising trend in Utah instructional costs THIS TInS HOPE was expressed in ina ina ina a research study of Utah education education ed education ed- ed prepared by Utah Foundation Foundation Foundation Foun Foun- dation the private governmental tal research organization The study reports that one of the major factors in educational costs during recent years has been that the schools have not been able to raise the level of their productivity at a time when there has been a growing demand for educational services ices Under the new systems approach approach ap approach ap- ap to teaching which will willbe willbe willbe be tested experimentally mentally in four Utah school districts next year classroom lectures and laboratory laboratory laboratory labora labora- tory demonstrations will b be e pro provided v ide d on professionally- professionally prepared video tapes which will willbe willbe willbe be fed into individual classroom television sets In add addition i t ion computers and teaching machines machines machines ma ma- chines will provide a system of programmed learning for indi individual in individual in- in di vidual instruction THIS WILL free the skilled teacher to do what he can do dobest best best answer answer questions I clear up misunderstandings provide encouragement offer challenges challenges challenges chal chal- lenges and otherwise motivate individual students on a person- person to-person to basis The Foundation report points out that many educators feel that this new program could greatly improve the quality of instruction instruction instruction tion in the Utah schools while at the same time making teachers teachers teachers teach teach- ers more productive T This his hopefully will lead to a change In traditional staffing patterns under which pupil teacher ratios have declined 19 per cent in Utah since 1954 THE STATE Superintendent of Public Instruction has stated that this new approach to teaching teaching teaching teach teach- ing If successful can provide a better system of education within the framework of the current level evel of public support According to the Foundation study a number of indicators rate Utah ver very high in quantitative quan ve measures measures of educational achievement Poor showing on tests which measure high scholastic scholastic scholastic scho scho- lastic achievement however raises a question of whether Utah is providing a sufficient challenge to the superior stu stu- dent As noted by the S State tat e Superintendent it appears that we do a good job for the mass massof massof massof of students but that we should have more concern for our very able students SOMEWHAT related to the foregoing point Is the Foundation Foundation Foundation tion conclusion that Utah has drifted toward absolute uniformity uniformity uniformity uni uni- uni- uni In the amount of funds available and the type of school program provided throughout the state While generally lauding ef efforts efforts efforts ef- ef forts at equalization many ed educators educators educators ed- ed question the a advisability advisability advis advis- d vis-I vis ability of this trend to the ex ex- ex practiced in Utah since it tends to destroy local leadership leadership lead lead- responsibility initiative and Interest ANOTHER POINT mentioned in the report is that city school districts In Utah and the na nation nation nation na- na tion generally have especially acute problems at the present time Changing population characteristics characteristics char char- new and unfamiliar education burdens and eroding tax base unfavorable state school aid laws obsolete and costly to maintain costly a in t a i n physical school plants teacher strikes and work stoppages have combined combined combined com com- to present the large city schools with an array of seeming seeming seeming seem seem- ing unsolvable problems The report points out that by most of the accepted standards standards standards stand stand- ards of comparison Utah has one of the larger reI relative a ti ve school loads in the Un United it e d States Although the ability of the state Is low the effort made to finance the public schools is at or near the top in the en entire entire entire en- en tire nation DESPITE the fact that Utah ranks very high among the fifty states in the relative effort that It puts forth to support edI education education ed- ed and particularly particularly the I public schools Foundation an analysts analysts analysts an- an observe that It is someI somewhat somewhat some some- I what below regional and na naI national national na- na I Honal averages in the amount expended per pupil This of course is the result of the large number of children in the state to be educated and the rel relatively relatively relatively rel- rel low financial ability of ot Its people |