Encourages educators to carefully examine the textbook adoption process, especially the way in which adoption committees evaluate and select instructional materials. Reviews the available research literature on the textbook adoption process and includes recommendations for improving the process. Discusses guidelines for designing evaluation…

Discusses the difficulty of creating recommended reading lists, examining the development of California's recommended reading list and suggesting that lists succeed or fail not because of a book that is or is not included but because of the range they suggest. Concludes that in order to be successful, a list needs constant revision by teachers,…

MOST SUGGESTIONS FOR TEXTBOOKS CHANGES EMANATING FROM CITIZEN'S GROUPS CONCERN THREE ITEMS--THE DEGREES TO WHICH CONTENT IS RELEVANT TO ALL ELEMENTS OF SOCIETY, TO THE CONDITIONS OF ALL SOCIETY AND TO VALUES REFLECTIVE OF THE AMERICAN WAY OF LIFE. ALL PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEMS OF THE GREAT CITIES EMPLOY SIMILAR CRITERIA IN MAKING TEXTBOOK SELECTIONS.…

This book recounts in narrative form the influence of Mel and Norma Gabler, two Texas parents, on the purchase of textbooks for Texas schools. Concerned over content they found objectionable, for more than ten years the Gablers used direct mail campaigns, radio talk shows, petition drives, and personal appearances, in addition to testifying…

This chapter of "The Best of the Best of ERIC" contains 12 annotations of documents and journal articles on textbook selection and controversy, all of which are indexed in the ERIC system. Materials on censorship, case studies of textbook controversies, the image of minority groups in textbooks, and other topics are annotated. (DS)

This excerpt from the series that won the 1977 IRA Print Media Award discusses the attempts of textbook publishers to meet the current market trends and to sell in states which have an approved statewide list. (MKM)

The textbooks used by public schools generally reflect the values and essential priorities of that society, and in cases of value and attitude conflicts arising in curriculum design, textbooks are apt to become prime targets for criticism. (MM)

Method for evaluating and selecting textbooks for school use. It is necessary to match the characteristics of tests to desired learning outcomes. (STS)

Reviews data collected in a 1982 national survey of state social studies coordinators which shows the patterns of textbook adoptions in the area of high school geography for the 20 states that use statewide adoption. Concludes that throughout the 1970s and early 1980s Texas's impact on other states' geography selections was almost nonexistent.…

The fifth in a series of surveys of computer courses for humanists, this article provides information about past and present courses for those designing such a program. Presents statistics on the numbers of courses offered by departments, the texts used, the types of equipment available, and the programming languages taught. (GEA)

Provides 45 guidelines useful in selecting college-level textbooks. The guidelines are presented under five major categories: (1) course strategy and tactics; (2) point of view; (3) accuracy of content; (4) currency of content; and (5) packaging information. (JN)

Presents a procedure for curriculum change and textbook adoption using a step-by-step decision-making process. (MD)