To determine the best means of improving the effectiveness of classroom English teaching, the reasonableness of the present teaching load, and the adequacy of teacher education programs, 430 experienced teachers, representing 150 communities throughout California, were asked to report on their own professional preparation in English, their departmental organization, objectives, teaching responsibilities and pupil load, working conditions, texts, library facilities, and methods of evaluation. They also marked samples of high school pupils' compositions and timed their work. These findings were used to determine how much time is required of an English teacher to develop pupils' competence in written composition. The findings suggest that the amount of time needed by the English teacher to supervise pupils' writing practice varies directly with the effectiveness of the supervision. Furthermore, teachers reported great difficulty in reading and marking compositions during school hours, since so-called "free periods" are used for extracurricular affairs. It was recommended that full-time English teachers be assigned a teaching load of four daily one-hour classes of 25 pupils each. English teachers would also be assigned two daily one-hour composition-reading periods interspersed among the class hours to be used primarily for reading and marking the required compositions. Such a program would give English teachers a work week of from 40 to 45 hours, a load comparable to that of teachers in other subjects. (HOD)