The demand for efficiency in the schools and for the best possible use of money expended for schools and of the time of the children in school has given rise to a demand for expert supervision by men and women competent to give to all teachers, and especially to young and inexperienced teachers, help in those phases of their work in which they need it most. As a result, State, county, district, and township superintendents are now chosen with reference to their knowledge of teaching more than formerly; and in many States they are given the assistance of special supervisors. So valuable have been the results of the work of these expert supervisors in those places where it has been tried under favorable conditions that there is now a general desire for information on the subject. This bulletin seeks to provide that information in four parts: (1) Origin and development of school supervision at the State and local levels; (2) Status of rural supervision, comprising Union, district, and division superintendents, County superintendents and assistants, and the Efficiency of county supervision; (3) Special forms of rural supervision in various parts of the United States--The State rural-school inspector in Wisconsin, History of State supervision in Connecticut, Supervision of Negro schools through the Jeanes Fund, Cook County (Illinois) system of rural supervision, Rural supervision in Vermilion County (Indiana), and Rural supervision in Claiborne County (Tennessee); and (4) Statistical tables. (Contains 27 footnotes, and 10 tables.) [Best copy available has been provided.]