The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction was established under the 1846 Iowa Constitution, with the primary responsibility of distributing monies received by the School Fund to the counties. Numerous duties were soon added including holding teachers institutes and the general supervision of county superintendents. In 1913, the Department of Public Instruction was created by the General Assembly; it was renamed the Department of Education in 1986. The following is a partial list of record series in our holdings. A complete list is available in the Preliminary Guide to Records of the Public Instruction/Education at the Research Center in Des Moines.
General| General | Date Span |
|---|
| Annual Reports of County Superintendents | 1873-1972 |
| Appeal Case Decisions | 1861-1893 |
| Appeal Case Letter Books | 1861-1922 |
| Correspondence | 1921-1928, 1959-1970 |
| Cost Analysis and Statistical Reports | 1911-1959, 1971-1973 |
| Education Agency Budgets | 1984-1989 |
| High School Normal Training Examination Grade Sheets and Transcripts | |
| Letter Books of Superintendent and Deputy Superintendent | 1848-1922 |
| Mining Camp Schools, Account Ledger | 1927-1930 |
| Miscellaneous - Register of Teacher Institutes | 1858-1889 |
| Miscellaneous - Reports | 1951-1960, 1970-1972 |
| Miscellaneous - School Buildings (Completed) | 1954-1956 |
| Miscellaneous - State Conferences and District Meetings | 1930-1949 |
| Miscellaneous - Veterans | 1953-1969 |
| Public Enrollment Records | 1971-2001 |
| Rural Visitation Reports | 1957-1963 |
| School Budget Review Committee, Minutes | 1984-2001 |
| School Correspondence and Annual Evaluations | 1946-1969 |
| School Reorganizations and Closings | 1936-1968 |
| Senior and Junior High School Daily Program Cards | 1933-1961 |
| Standard School Reports | 1920-1945 |
| State Plans | 1954-1967 |
Board of Educational Examiners| Board of Educational Examiners | Date Span |
|---|
| Committee Reports and Minutes | 1913-1952 |
| Fee Books and Classified Record of Fees | 1907-1920, 1939-1948 |
| Letter Books | 1882-1918 |
| Record of Proceedings | 1912-1914 |
| Record of State Certificates | 1898-1940 |
| Reports of Inspections, Teachers' Training Advisors | 1930-1950 |
Junior Colleges| Junior Colleges | Date Span |
|---|
| Annual Reports | 1947-1966 |
| Correspondence | 1952-1955 |
State Board of Public Instruction| State Board of Public Instruction | Date Span |
|---|
| Minutes | 1954-1983 |
Vocational Education| Vocational Education | Date Span |
|---|
| Annual Descriptive Report for Vocational Agriculture | 1928-1968 |
| Annual Farm Reports | 1960-1965 |
| Annual Vocational Agriculture Reports | 1963-1965 |
| Applications for American Farmer Degrees | 1938-1958, 1963-1969 |
| Board for Vocational Education - Administrative Files | 1923-1937 |
| Board for Vocational Education - Subject Files | 1920-1975 |
| Future Farmers of America - Iowa Future Farmers Magazine | 1941-1970 |
| Future Farmers of America - Membership | 1929-1973 |
| Vocational Agriculture Education Publications | 1929-1968 |
| Vocational Agriculture Teachers Association Meeting Minutes | 1928-1957 |
