This primary purpose of this thesis is to explore the progression of education within Ellis County. The first two chapters focus on how the county was founded, the first settlements, the formation of towns and economic developments. The rest of the paper gives the history and development of education, specifically the early schools of the county, the beginning of public schools, and the more recent trends of education.

"The study will attempt to show how the boys and girls of Waxahachie spend their leisure time. It will also indicate the need for more direction in the proper use of leisure time. Furthermore, it will show that much should be done by the adults of Waxahachie to help these boys and girls live a fuller, happier life, and prepare healthy minds and bodies to carry on life in a democratic society."-- leaf 3.

The problem of this study is to determine a sound plan of using community resources as instructional aids in the school. The purpose of the study is threefold: first, to discover criteria of soundness relative to the use of community resources; second, to discover local resources which could be utilized; and third, to determine how the resources could be used as instructional aids according to criteria.

The problem in this thesis is to determine the reading interests of the students of the Waxahachie High School for the first semester of the 1948-1949 school year.

The problem of the study was to analyze the first-grade reading program of the elementary school of Ferris, Texas, in relation to the recognized plans for progress in first-grade reading.

The purpose of this study is to determine to what extent Ellis County, Texas, has kept its educational program abreast of the development of the community and thereby has met the educational needs of the children in this section of the state.