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--- Monday --- September 8, 1997 --- Vol. 7 --- No. 52 ---
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Supported by the NATIONAL EDUCATION GOALS PANEL
__________ __________
A FIRST | SPOTLIGHT |
Today's publication marks the | |
kick-off of a monthly education | A BEAST OF MANY HEADS |
series sponsored by the | |
National Education Goals Panel. | Like the mythical hydra |
Similar in format to the DAILY | slain by Hercules, |
REPORT CARD, the NEGP Monthly | America's multi-headed |
will present more detailed | textbook selection process |
information on topics relating | is fraught with peril. |
to the National Education | |
Goals. | Author Harriet Tyson rues |
| over the fragmented process |
ABOUT THE AUTHOR | in which textbooks are |
Today's topic, "Overcoming | produced and published |
Structural Barriers to Good | according to unsuitable |
Textbooks," was written by | criteria. Current |
education writer and consultant | textbooks available in most |
Harriet Tyson. Other | American classrooms remain |
publications of Ms. Tyson | superficial, despite the |
include "Who Will Teach the | drive toward national and |
Children: Progress and | state standards and assess- |
Resistance in Teacher Education | ments, she claims. |
(Jossey-Bass, 1994) and "A | |
Conspiracy of Good Intentions: | One of Tyson's |
America's Textbook Fiasco" | recommendations: "State |
(Council for Basic Education, | development of selection |
1988). | criteria and selector |
Ms Tyson is a former high | training models which are |
school teacher and was a member | standards-driven, |
and president of the Montgomery | intellectually defensible, |
County (Md.) Board of | and informed by research." |
Education. She also has held | If Hercules can conquer |
positions at the Institute for | textbook evaluation, the |
Educational Leadership and the | unwieldy beast should fall. |
Rand Corporation. |_____________________________|
============== QUOTE OF THE DAY ==============
"The weakest link in the chain of processes ... is textbook
evaluation."
Harriet Tyson,
in "Overcoming Structural Barriers to Good Textbooks."
_______________________________________________________________
| (c) by the Daily Report Card |
| 1255 22nd Street NW; Washington, D.C. 202/724-0124 |
| The DRC hereby authorizes further reproduction and |
| distribution with proper acknowledgement. |
| Publisher: Barbara A. Pape |
|
|_______________________________________________________________|
===== AN OVERVIEW =====
* TEXTBOOK TRAVAILS: "OVERCOMING STRUCTURAL BARRIERS"
American textbooks have been described as "a mile wide and
an inch deep," and our nation's teaching methods have been
labeled superficial at best. The struggle to select high-quality
textbooks is detailed in a paper written by education consultant
and writer Harriet Tyson. It is one of a series of papers
commissioned by the National Education Goals Panel.
The paper, "Overcoming Structural Barriers to Good
Textbooks" describes problems inherent in the nation's textbook
selection process, raises a series of questions and presents
recommendations. According to Tyson, the "juxtaposition of a
national [textbook publishing] industry and decentralized
educational governance has produced a de-facto national
curriculum." Unfortunately, state leaders, who demand control
over the curriculum, have succumbed to the "hodge-podge national
curriculum embodied in most textbooks," writes Tyson.
Education reformers should understand the "multi-layered"
textbook market, according to Tyson, who goes on to describe the
nation's textbook publication and purchasing process. First,
there are the "adoption" states, mainly located in the South,
Southwest and West, in which the state "adopts" a list of state-
approved textbooks and bears the cost of textbooks for all
students in the state.
Over the 100 years that the "adoption" process has been in
play, states have moved to approve a list of books for each grade
level and subject matter, rather than a single book, explains
Tyson. Demands for accountability, which surfaced during the
1970s, put more fire power in a state's decision to select texts
that cover everything in the state curriculum and testing
program.
For the 1990s, "alignment" is the buzz word: "Alignment"
has become the principle criterion for textbook selection in the
adoption states," writes Tyson. "A 'good' textbook is one which
is tightly aligned with everything in the state's instructional
program," she notes. Alignment has become more critical in
recent years given the public's demand to hold schools and
teachers accountability for student performance on tests.
Liberalization of the adoption policies have become de
rigueur in several states in which local educators have demanded
more control over textbook selection. Tyson explains that
Florida sets aside 50% of its textbooks funds for the purchase of
non-adopted books, and Texas plans to offer two approved lists:
"Conforming," which are 100% aligned and "Non-conforming," which
are texts that are 50% aligned -- districts will be able to pick
from either list.
Tyson reports on the significance of Texas, California and
Florida; states which are "far more attractive to publishers than
others," since collectively they represent about 25% of the total
national market. New York, while not an "adoption" state, also
is influential and many publishers consider the requirements of
the New York State Regents Examination when producing texts. A
company's viability is "virtually guaranteed" if its books pass
muster in at least one of these states, writes Tyson.
Tyson heralds a recent study that examines math and science
textbooks. "A Splintered Vision: An Investigation of U.S.
Science and Mathematics Education," written by William Schmidt,
Curtis McKnight and Senta Raizen (Dordrecht/Boston/London:
Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1997), reports that "mathematics and
science textbooks are as splintered as the system itself," writes
Tyson. The report claims that American textbooks are "major
obstacles to higher levels of academic performance by American
students," according to Tyson.
According to the report, American texts are superficial,
peppered with far too many topics and often not offered in an
order that makes pedagogical sense. Tyson observes: "The goal
is not merely textbooks with fewer topics, or even lengthier
treatment of 'key' topics, but books with a coherent vision of
the disciplines presented as an unfolding story, allowing even
children in the early grades connect the bits and pieces to
larger concepts."
Another critical problem discussed in "A Splintered Vision:"
American teachers have less time to prepare than teachers
elsewhere, which means textbooks publishers are forced to
dedicate half of their books' space to instructional activities.
Tyson points out that Japanese texts are known for their
thinness, due to not only a "national consensus about which
topics are 'key' and deserve full-blown expositions; but also
because Japanese teachers have time to develop their own
instructional activities and materials."
Teachers, another layer of the textbook publishing market,
are wooed by textbook salesmen. Often the sales people highlight
in their pitch to teachers the "extras" available in the text.
The extras are items that make "teaching more convenient and less
hectic," including the teachers manual, posters, transparencies,
audio and video manuals and lab manuals, according to Tyson.
Tyson also chronicles the evolution of textbook selection
criteria. She applauds the movement away from selection criteria
that focus on readability, eye appeal and durability to a more
standards-driven, research based model developed by the American
Association for the Advancement of Science's Project 2061.
Appendix III of Tyson's reports compares typical selection
criteria with 2061 criteria.
Tyson observes that while national and state standards
frameworks have had little impact on textbook development because
"they are usually written at too high a level of generalization
to be useful to publishers," state curriculum frameworks and bid
specification documents are fast becoming "engines of change."
The reason: They are more detailed and help publishers translate
standards into day-by-day lessons and activities, writes Tyson.
Specifically, Texas and Florida are developing new programs
that should help overhaul and improve the textbook selection
process and the production of textbooks. In Texas, the "Texas
Essential Knowledge and Skills" science documents are a slimmed
down version of previous frameworks, according to Tyson. A
contractor hired by the state is developing criteria for "judging
what constitutes 'coverage' of the TEKS, and to develop a
training program for reviewers," writes Tyson.
Florida also is engaged in reforming their textbook
selection process. A new 2 1/2 day training program for textbook
evaluation teams is planned. Textbook evaluation will be
determined by state standards and will "focus reviewers attention
on whether the benchmarks in the standards are actually taught,
not merely mentioned," notes Tyson. Reforms in these two states
could have a "powerful and positive influence on textbooks
everywhere," observes Tyson.
In her conclusion, Tyson emphasizes that textbook evaluation
is the crux to producing improved textbooks for students. From
her report: "The most powerful and direct way to draw forth
better textbooks is to create and sustain a well-funded,
unhurried and thoughtful system of textbook evaluation."
===== RECOMMENDATIONS =====
Tyson makes the following recommendations, which she claims
will "change the market, which alone can change the textbooks:
Recommendation 1: Articulate the case for a more focused,
standards-driven curriculum and textbooks, since the public and
teachers are not yet convinced.
Recommendation 2: Finance, or encourage, state development
of selection criteria and selector training models that are
standard-driven, intellectually defensible and informed by
research.
Recommendation 3: Provide qualitative evaluations of
instructional materials to local school districts.
Recommendation 4: End requiring correlationa analyses and
the use of computerized key-word searches as methods for
determining curricular alignment since these methods drive up the
cost of books and reinforce the automization of textbook content.
===== QUOTABLE QUOTES =====
"The goal is not merely textbooks with fewer topics, or even
lengthier treatment of 'key' topics, but books with a coherent
vision of the disciplines presented as an unfolding story,
allowing even children in the early grades
to connect bits and pieces to
larger concepts." -- Harriet Tyson, "Overcoming Structural
Barriers to Good Textbooks."
"There is no one at the helm of U.S. mathematics and science
education. In truth, there is no one helm." -- "A Splintered
Vision: An Investigation of U.S. Science and Mathematics
Education."
"The alignment of expectations and assessments is a key
underlying principle of systemic and standards-based reform. ...
In approaching reform, the consideration of alignment cannot
come too soon." -- Norman Webb, "Determining Alignment of
Expectations and Assessments in Mathematics and Science
Education," National Institute for Science Education BRIEF.
===== FOR MORE INFORMATION =====
National Education Goals Panel; 1255 22nd Street NW; Suite 502;
Washington, D.C. 20036; Fax -- 202/632-0957; e-mail --
negp@goalline.org; web: www.negp.gov
Third International Mathematics and Science Study; National
Center for Education Statistics Hotline; 202/219-1333;
www.ed.gov/NCES/timss
==== THE LIBRARY ====
"Overcoming Structural Barrier to Good Textbooks," by Harriet
Tyson, National Education Goals Panel; www.NEGP.gov
"A Splintered Vision: An Investigation of U.S. Science and
Mathematics Education, Third International Mathematics and
Science Study; 202/219-1333
"Determining Alignment of Expectations and Assessments in
Mathematics and Science Education;" Norman, Webb; National
Institute for Science Education; University of Wisconsin-Madison;
1025 W. Johnson Street; Madison, Wisconsin 53706; 608/263-9250;
www.niseinfo@macc.wisc.edu
"Who Will Teach the Children: Progress and Resistance in Teacher
Education," by Harriet Tyson, Council for Basic Education (1988),
202/347-4171
Project 2061; American Association for the Advancement of
Science; 202/326-6400
DAILY REPORT CARD, 10/23/97, "U.S. Math/Science Instruction:
Pretty Superficial;" e-mail requests only at
DRC_publisher@goalline.org
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