A descriptive study of textbook preparation programs and state level textbook adoption in Texa

The purpose of this study was to present a comprehensive description of textbook preparation programs in Texas in 1986. The study analyzed the relationships of textbook representatives, state textbook committee members, textbook critics, and local level educators who have participated in local textbook adoption procedures. The data collected identified trends that have emerged in textbook preparation programs.;The telephone interview techniques was used for collecting data. Letters were sent to members of the Texas State Textbook Committee, textbook representatives, textbook critics, and local level educators involved in textbook selection in 1986. Each letter included an addressed postcard denoting a convenient time for a telephone interview. Four interview guides were developed and administered to the participants in the study. The data from fifty-six participants were hand tabulated. Percentages were calculated and the data were presented tables.;Major findings of the study included: (1) State level textbook adoption policies have a great impact on textbook preparation programs. (2) Professional, political, and religious groups exert some influence on textbook preparation programs. (3) The majority of textbook critics interviewed feel they have been successful in their criticism of textbook content. (4) Respondents from the state textbook committee, the textbook representatives, and local level educators indicated that the lack of time in the textbook adoption schedule was a critical problem area.;The data from this study supported the following conclusions: (1) Textbook publishers should be required to furnish evaluation data on the effectiveness of textbooks. (2) Many local school districts fail to do the hard work of curriculum design that would give individual schools and teachers more control. Hence, many local school districts delegate their curriculum design and instructional decision-making to the publishers of instructional materials. (3) The effectiveness of Mel and Norma Gabler and other textbook critics is hard to assess. (4) The system of state level textbook adoption is not easily open to change or a willingness to experiment.