The main appeal of corporation-produced consumer education materials is their "free or inexpensive" aspect. But the very low price of these items may have a high cost in the form of their biased perspectives. Teachers must exercise continued care in selecting and using consumer education materials. (Author/SJL)

Budget cuts and textbook availability problems precipitate an English department chairperson's remembrance of the English curriculum as it was in the past. (RL)

Issues of concern in the area of teaching health education are outlined including the need for clear definitions of terms in health education, the choice and use of classroom materials, and recognition of the limitations of available resources. (JMF)

Some of the problems concerning the selection of science textbooks are discussed. A specific procedure for evaluating textbooks which uses questioning levels as a criterion is presented. Textbooks are compared with simple statistical methods using this method. (CW)

Guidelines are presented for improving textbook adoption procedures to ensure that instructional materials address diverse learner characteristics and that educators receive necessary training to effectively use instructional materials to teach diverse learners. The guidelines are based on research reviews, document reviews, and fieldwork directly…

Designed for publishers and producers, this document initiates the annual subject area(s) adoption of basic instructional materials for California schools, kindergarten through eighth grade. The document presents an overview of the total instructional materials adoption-distribution process, specific instructions relating to initial submissions…

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…

As a pilot effort to match research and development information and products with textual materials being used by schools in the northwest region of the United States, this catalog focuses on materials for writing instruction at grades six through nine. The first section lists products and materials in alphabetical arrangement by title. For each…

To assist California school district personnel in their selection of state-adopted instructional materials, this catalog of literature materials consists of four parts. The first, an annotated index of instructional materials identified as basic materials, gives pertinent information about each literature program, including program title, year of…

Censorship of books and learning materials is a growing trend nationwide, according to responses from a 1980 survey of 1,891 public elementary and secondary school administrators and library personnel from across the country and of state administrators overseeing evaluation and adoption of textbooks in 21 states. This summary and interpretation of…

This full report of a nationwide survey provides data on the range of procedures and policies currently followed in selecting textbooks and other instructional materials, the extent to which these materials have been challenged, and the resolution of such challenges. The survey sample comprised school administrators and library personnel from…

Teachers of all subjects at all levels are constantly searching for helpful new materials, and many corporations and special interest organizations have responded by preparing and distributing free or low-cost materials for "educational" purposes. However, a teacher should preview such materials carefully before using them to determine whether…

The Iowa State Department of Public Instruction has developed an instructional materials selection policy and procedures to help achieve appropriate assignment of selection responsibility and quality selection while guarding against unwarranted censorship of materials. The model emphasized the ongoing nature of media selection, involving…