Texas Textbook Review

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One of the areas for reform is in the ways textbooks are written. A major purchaser of textbooks is the State of Texas, whose standards for acceptance have a large influence on the way textbooks are written that are sold to other states. Here are a few documents that indicate the problem and possible solutions.

2002 Hearings

•           Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) — The standards for textbooks to be used in Texas public schools.
•           Texas Education Agency, Textbook Administration. Hearings at and comments to: 1701 N Congress Av, Austin, TX 78701. For information Linda Janney ljanney@tea.state.tx.us 512/463-9609. Submit comments on textbooks to Robert H Leos rleos@tea.state.tx.us Fax: 512/463-8728.
•           Overview of the State Board of Education (SBOE). Why its work matters, and how the public may work with it to influence textbook content.
•           Compilation of Textbook Factual Errors — Guide from the Texas Public Policy Foundation. (393 KB). Their site also has their 1700-page report on textbooks and publisher responses to that report, but not to other witnesses, and the files are in PDF format.
•    Report on Magruder's American Government (Prentice-Hall, 2003), presented in Testimony of Jon Roland before the State Board of Education, 2002 July 17.
•        Publishers' Responses to Testimony and Written Comments, Public Hearing #1, July 17, 2002
•    Report on United States Government, by Richard C. Remy, and The American Republic, by Joyce Appleby, et al., both published by Glencoe/McGraw-Hill; and American Government, by Stephen Kelman, published by Holt, Reinhart & Winston, presented in Testimony of Jon Roland before the State Board of Education, 2002 August 23.
•    Introduction to Testimony of Jon Roland, 2002 September 11 — Critical comments about some of the reviewer criticisms and publisher responses.
•    Response of Jon Roland to the 2002 August 6 response of Prentice-Hall on Magruder's American Government. (Subject to revision)
•    Responses of Jon Roland to various criticisms and responses on various textbooks, 2002 September 11. (Subject to revision)
•           Proposed Amendments to Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), by Jon Roland. (Subject to revision)
•           Learning Objectives for American Government, by Jon Roland. (Subject to revision)
•        Publishers' Responses to Testimony and Written Comments, Public Hearing #2, August 23, 2002
•        Publishers' Responses to Testimony and Written Comments, Public Hearing #3, September 11, 2002 (Under construction)
•  Response of Jon Roland to the 2002 October 2 response of Prentice-Hall on Magruder's American Government. (Subject to revision)

2003 Hearings

•    Written Testimony of Jon Roland, 2003 July 9 — Recommendations for enhancements to textbooks.
•        Press Release of Jon Roland, 2003 July 10 — Summary of points made in oral testimony.