It must be confessed that a stranger would need some time and insight to discover in some of the schools anything significantly different from what he would find in any live high school. He Would almost certainly note an atmosphere of friendly, informal co-operation and many changes in ways of teaching, but the subject matter might seem to be the same as always. He would observe classes in science, foreign language, mathematics, history, and English as elsewhere; but investigation would probably reveal many departures from the conventional content of these courses. For example, the science class might be studying the technique of solving problems, not Only in the field of science but in many other phases of life. The class in Spanish might be investigating the influence of geography upon the life ill d character of South American peoples. The group in mathematics might be applying principles of logic to in analysis of a local problem of housing or conservation. The class in history might be drawing up a statement for the next school assembly, outlining the issues involved in the annual election of student leaders. The English class might be analyzing recent newspapers and magazines to discover ways and means by which propaganda molds public opinion.

The visitor would find, of course, that the worthwhile content of traditional courses had been retained, but he would learn that the teachers had re-examined their work in the light of clearer purpose and that much new subject matter had supplanted that which had ceased to be of interest or value to students. An illustration of enriched content of traditional subjects is found in one school's report on its work in Latin. This school writes:

Latin forms and grammar were never taught here for their own sakes but instead for the purpose of reading Latin as readily as possible. . . . Already much effort was expended on English derivations from Latin words and roots. This concern with English vocabulary now has become one of our major interests in these first years of Latin. As much time is expended on this as oil the Latin itself.

Finally the content of these courses is based on reading of material of some significance to later work in history and other subjects. It is not . . . a year (or two) on Latin forms, grammar, sentence, and idioms followed by a year of Caesar. We long ago reduced the Caesar content to a half year and selected material of real use: the stories of his crossings into Britain and his accounts of Gallic and German customs, etcetera.

For a number of years, the material to be read in the junior Latin class . . . has been the subject of searching experiment. It is years since such stupid material as the Catiline Orations bas even been looked into. We use the best parts of three ably written and edited texts of Latin writers. . . . We read a number of Cicero's letters-twenty or twenty-five-and about the same amount of material from Pliny's letters in the early Christian period. We chose essays, anecdotes, philosophy, political and legal speeches; and-most interesting of all-the first two and a half months of the junior year are spent on a fascinating and interesting period in Cicero's legal career .... ¹

Here one finds many changes from the traditional first year of grammar, second year of Caesar's Commentaries, and third year of Cicero's orations.

It would be discovered, also, in some schools which seemed to have changed only slightly, that each older student was engaged in a serious, independent, long-time investigation of some topic of his own choosing. One school advises selection of a topic which requires personal investigation, interviews, and work with one's hands. The report of the investigation is not always in writing; it may take form in an art product, in a musical composition, an original play production. Schools report investigations dealing with the Maine coast in literature, Philadelphia housing, examples of good and bad thinking ranging from a Supreme Court opinion to a vitriolic editorial, American Negro poetry, plans for a modem house, making a motion picture on conservation, co-operatives, community health, and numerous other subjects of genuine student concern. The schools in which these extended investigations and elaborate reports are encouraged emphasize their value as experience in methods of elementary research and in seeing a long, hard task through to completion.

The visitor would find in many of these more conservative of the Thirty Schools somewhat less required work in foreign language and mathematics; but some students, having marked aptitude and interest in these studies, go far beyond requirements and enter college ready for sophomore work in these fields. More opportunity is provided for study of the natural and social sciences and the arts, including public speaking, dramatics, home economics, and industrial arts. There is also greater provision for continuing subjects for more than one year. Because most colleges would allow only one entrance credit in chemistry, for example, the secondary school limited that subject to one year. Now the student with special scientific bent often has a second year of chemistry before going to college.

These and other changes in content of courses have been made in the schools which have taken least advantage of the freedom granted to participants in the Study. They may seem of minor importance, but no one can fail to be impressed by the testimony of principals and teachers in these schools. They say emphatically that changes run deep, far beneath anything which casual observation can discover on the surface. One school writes, "There are few if any of our classrooms which have not been enriched and invigorated from the participation of the school with the Experiment." Another reports: "It will be seen that our set-tip is essentially traditional, but a great change has come in the spirit of teaching. In certain subject areas little progress has been made. In others much progress has come about. The school has grown educationally and spiritually during the years of the Study.-

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