The Commissioner of Education's introduction in volume 1 provides data and discussion on school and college total enrollment, common schools, average schooling amount per U.S. inhabitant, British India's public schools, truant schools, Puerto Rican schools, U.S. educational extension, sociology and education at the Paris Exposition, introduction…

Every American public-school system has abundant reason for making sharp analyses of the peculiar needs to which it should be ministering; yet, in practice, the kind of training provided by the schools of one section is very similar to that given by the schools of other regions, though it must be apparent that occupations may differ widely.…

Influential historic documents in American education are presented in Chapter I, including legislation, land grants for common schools and universities and for agricultural and mechanical colleges, Bureau of Education role, early discussion on establishing a national university, and state constitutions' education provisions. Also included are the…