This study's purpose was to provide data on major inhibitory factors experienced by a third of Oregon high school English teachers in areas of: attitudes, behaviors, and physical and emotional effects of theme assessment. Methods employed two analyses: (1) statistical testing of the independent variable of teaching experience (1 to 2, 3 to 5, 6 to 10, and 11+ years) applied to twelve null hypotheses by the Chi-Square test for significance; and (2) descriptive analysis of frequencies. Hypotheses were stated to measure no significant differences between years of experience and twelve assumptions about: 1)number of themes assessed per month, 2)hours spent per month on theme assessment, 3)assessment turnaround time, 4)amount of commentary given, 5)perceptions that most students do not seem to apply assessment suggestions to subsequent themes, 6)fatigue affecting judgment in assessment, 7)perceptions that assessment may adversely affect eyesight, 8)feelings of despair over students making the same errors previously pointed out, 9)perceptions that burnout is related to assessment, 1O)perceptions that a journalism copy editing course would be unlikely to lessen assessment time, ll)the belief that composition should be taught as a separate course, 12)perceptions that a teachers' short course on assessment would have practical application to an increased theme load. Measured by Chi-Square, the first hypotheses was rejected; the other eleven were retained. Descriptive analyses supported null hypotheses results and yielded conclusions about: l)assessment loads and teachers behaviors, 2)in-service training and assistance, and 3)attitudes about a national standardized theme structure, theme writing per se, and work loads of other disciplines. Recommendations include smaller and fewer classes, a separate composition course, and further assessment training, Suggestions for further research include investigating the lack of militancy in high school English teachers, feasibility of shifting assessment training to Education Departments, applicability of copy editing training, studying teachers' physical and emotion-related ailments. / Graduation date: 1990