Because the state of Texas is the largest single market for secondary texts in the nation and because its state adoption process has drawn a small but well-organized group of protestors, the Texas textbook adoption process has begun to shape textbooks in use nationwide. A study was conducted to examine the arguments most recently used by citizens…

Instructional materials are usually selected by classroom teachers. Little is known about what criteria they use in making these choices. Most of the literature recommends, instead, the attributes to be used. This study employs a qualitative approach to examine one teacher's thinking about her selection of materials. Fundamental to her thinking…

This publication is intended to serve as a resource for teachers who are responsible for selecting textbooks for general mathematics courses in high school. Contained are 18 factual textbook reviews. (The reviews do not contain assessments about the quality of the books). Each review includes four parts. Part 1 contains information furnished by…

Most teachers of mathematics would agree that a student's major difficulty when studying mathematics is the mastery of "vocabulary." A taxonomy could provide an outline of the various types of vocabulary and could suggest their relative interrelationships. One proposed taxonomy has five levels that seem to recur. The levels seem to have…

Theme speech delivered before the Cortland, New York, College Conference, May, 1973. (RJ)

This speech calls attention to some recent judicial developments relative to the public school curriculum (curriculum being defined to encompass all experiences provided for public school students under the aegis of public school authorities). Curricular elements, be they whole courses or single words, may be analyzed legally in terms of whether…

To tackle the issue of sex discrimination in social studies, three areas need to be changed: employment patterns, curriculum materials, and sexist behavior in schools. (JR)

This guide is based on one published by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics in 1980. The guidelines are presented in an effort to assist in the selection of textbooks. There are two major sections. The first, How to Get Started, has sections on: Reviewing Objectives; Assessing the Program; Selecting the Evaluation Committee; Developing…

MATERIAL CONCERNING MINORITY GROUPS SHOULD BE PRESENTED IF IMPORTANT TO AN ADEQUATE UNDERSTANDING OF THE SUBJECT MATTER. PRESENTATION SHOULD BE MATURE AND REALISTIC, AND TREATMENT SHOULD REFLECT A RESPECT FOR CULTURAL DIFFERENCES AND HUMAN DIGNITY. A CHECKLIST IS INCLUDED TO AID THE TEACHER IN SELECTING TEXTBOOKS WHICH GIVE ADEQUATE PRESENTATION…

This report of a curriculum seminar at Washington State University is focused on the use of textbooks in both schools and libraries. Incorporated within Chapter 1 are topics concerning the textbook industry and how it works, a short discussion of the publishing structure, and information about the developmental costs of both curriculum and…

Two brief studies on community college social science textbook readability are compiled in this document. The first study compared textbook readability in 1977 to the findings of previous research. When the readability levels of community college social science textbooks were compared with the reading levels of the community college population in…

This guide provides teachers, authors, and editors with a fuller knowledge of economics textbook alternatives. The guide consists of four parts which provide information on 41 college economic texts published 1970-72. Part 1 is a guide to text identification through such objective factors as approach, length, price, rigor, publisher, title,…

The objective of this study was to collect "baseline" data with which to examine a complex process in the educational system--the selection of educational materials. The first part of the study analyzes the statutes of the fifty states which bear upon selection and purchase of educational materials. The purpose of this analysis is to…

Most social studies methods course textbooks concentrate on planning, assuming the teacher will operate as his own curriculum developer and packager. Curriculum development projects prepackage materials and often include specific instructions on how to use them. Only a few textbooks and projects incorporate selecting/adapting skill development the…

Minority groups should be accurately presented in educational materials for all school children, especially those with minority backgrounds. Materials should avoid giving the minority child a negative self-image. Life should be portrayed as it is, including harsh realities. Factual material must reflect authoritative, comprehensive, and current…