An Historical Comparison and Analysis of School Laws Enacted by the Indiana General Assembly During Four Selected Decades (2007)

This paper presents an historical comparison and analysis of school laws enacted by the Indiana General Assembly during four selected decades fifty years apart. The decades selected were 1847-1856, 1897-1906, 1947-1956, and 1997-2006. The number of school laws enacted during each of the four selected decades was compared and analyzed. The subject areas of the school laws enacted during the four selected decades was also compared analyzed. Research findings included that the number of school laws passed during the four decades increased each decade. Another finding was that for some school law subject areas there was an increase in the number of laws enacted during each of the four selected decades, while there were exceptions in a few instances. The author comments on whether the increasing activity of the Indiana General Assembly is consistent with good leadership as described in the quality process literature.