An analysis of inservice education in the public schools of Texas as related to the ten days of inservice education law as enacted by the Sixty-First Legislature

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the events, interpretations, and applications of the ten days of inservice education in Texas public schools beyond the regular school term of 180 days as passed by the Texas Sixty-first Legislature in 1969 and codified into the Texas Education Code as Section 16.310. The data for the study was chiefly collected from Texas Education Agency and Texas State Teachers Association personnel and a questionnaire mailed March, 1973, to 239 Texas school districts. The school districts represented a random sample of five divisions of various scholastic enrollments as classified by the University Interscholastic League. The four-page questionnaire was organized to gather data concerning the organization, structure, and utilization of the ten days for inservice education. A total of 186 usable questionnaires was returned for a 77.8 percent response rate. The factors that led to the passage of ten days of inservice education by the Texas Legislature were: 1. The concept for an extended school year had been considered by legislators and educators for over 20 years. 2. Many school districts in Texas were already practicing inservice education beyond the regular school year. 3. Teachers needed time to plan and work when students were not in school. 4. Teachers needed an increase in salaries which extra workdays could provide..