Every year, historians in the United States attend the American Historical Association (AHA), a conference that has met annually since 1884. The AHA draws scholars from all specializations, and it is the primary organization through which the profession is represented. In 1969, the conference met at the Sheraton Park Hotel in Washington, D.C. At…

Although there are many college freshman writing textbooks on the market, the selection of a textbook can be made simpler by following a number of guidelines. Teachers should examine textbooks they consider using to make certain the books contain the following elements: (1) appropriate readability for users; (2) textual features, such as self-help…

Three discussion papers about the Open University's correspondence texts consider (1) the role of a transformer, i.e., any person working in communication media who is responsible for the effectiveness of his/her decisions; (2) factors involved in the design of Open University texts, including their use as a resource for a range of different…

Discusses the problem school systems have in selecting textbooks that do not offend special interest groups but still address pertinent, possibly controversial, issues. (JC)

Argues that only through understanding and improving the textbook adoption process can those interested in improving education influence the quality of textbooks printed and used. Presents some observations about the adoption process, makes recommendations for research, and suggests actions to take while waiting for research findings to come in.…

Examines why textbooks will survive despite competition from new technological inventions. Discusses opposition to textbooks through the development of audiovisual aids, multimedia, and interactivity; advantages of textbooks over other educational media; development of print media; five principles for developing textbook content; and future…

Argues for a system of quality control that discovers errors and communicates them to textbook users (students and teachers), and a system that keeps the worst textbooks off the market. (WRM)

Changes in textbook adoption policies in three states--North Carolina, Texas, and California--are examined in this paper, which analyzes major legislative or regulatory changes in the context of each state's educational improvement efforts. Findings indicate a growing conflict between advocates for statewide versus local responsibility for…

"Kentucky v. Rudasill" involves state regulation of 22 Christian schools recently established by fundamentalist churches. The schools used the "Accelerated Christian Education" curriculum; the Kentucky Department of Education refused them accreditation because they did not use state-approved textbooks or state-certified…

Provides brief review of results of a study of junior and senior high school United States history textbooks conducted by a panel of six educators and historians. In general, panel found that books ranged from strong to adequate in their content coverage. Coverage of pluralistic background, religion, and painful aspects of our history were areas…

Three favorable reactions to an 11th-grade textbook chapter dealing with the history surrounding the writing of the U.S. Constitution that was written by experts as an example of an ideal textbook are presented. The evaluators thought that the chapter is in many ways exemplary and is a good initial attempt at writing an ideal text. (RM)

The creation/evolution controversy has gained renewed popularity in the last few years. This has resulted in serious implications for science teachers. All classroom teachers need to protect themselves by learning the distinctions between scientific law and theory and to acquire knowledge of the various theories of evolution. (JN)

Reviews the results of a study of the quality of basal reading textbooks and a survey of primary and secondary school teachers' perceptions of their quality. Considers the ways in which the textbook adoption process affects content and urges teachers to become more involved in this process. (DMM)

First published in 1969 in "Journal of Geography," this article suggested an introductory geography course provided an introduction to field of geography and provided useful image of world. Claimed that these objectives were viewed as incompatible, and suggested a geography course that served both purposes. Described early textbooks and the…

Six "silver bullets" that could raise student achievement are (1) set national standards;(2) make sure all students can read; (3) improve the quality of teaching; (4) demand from vendors better textbooks and teaching materials; (5) encourage charter schools; and (6) collaborate, coordinate, and redefine resources. (MLF)