Briefly describes the process of textbook selection and offers some guidelines to help board members who may serve on selection committees. (IRT)

Describes the work of Mel and Norma Gabler and their campaign against what they have determined are "improper" textbooks. (IRT)

Provides a brief description of the current state of book censorship in Warsaw, Indiana, and of some of the community response to the censorship. (IRT)

Provides guidelines a board of education should follow before a censorship controversy arises. Also includes a brief list of organizations that can assist in the preparation of guidelines for the selection of textbooks and other curricular materials, and, in handling complaints. (Author/IRT)

School districts can stretch their budgets for printed materials further by the following: (1) phasing in new textbook series; (2) substituting teacher-made activities for workbooks; and (3) purchasing classroom sets rather than separate workbooks for each student. (MLF)

The process of selecting a new textbook depends on whether the school board can select any textbook on the market or whether state funds can be spent only on textbooks of which the state has approved. Critics of the textbook selection process argue that much of what publishers offer has already been dictated by the 22 adoption states. (MLF)

A board cannot abrogate its responsibility to decide nor can it delegate that responsibility to others. And a board should not surrender its authority. (Author)

Proposes that textbook publishers and educators collaborate in producing high-quality curriculum materials. Some of the materials would be customized to deal with the students' own environment. Representatives of two large publishing firms disagree and contend that the problem is school boards' unwillingness to pay for quality products. (MLF)

Textbooks should be selected to meet the needs of students and teachers. Making "a deal" can, in the long run, lead to textbooks that are more expensive and of poorer quality. Five ways to improve textbook selection are suggested. Some publishers' comments are included. (MLF)

After adoption of a new elementary mathematics series in a school district, mathematics scores increased by an average of 9 points in 6 schools; however,in the district's other 11 elementary schools, the average score dropped 11 points. Without exception, schools where students showed improvement had teachers who had taken inservice training on…

Curriculum materials taken for granted in thousands of school districts throughout the United States are being banned from the public schools of Kanawha County, West Virginia, on grounds that these materials are "filthy" and "blasphemous." (Author)

"Impressions," a K-6 reading series that is a lavishly illustrated anthology of fairy tales, poems, and classic children's literature has been the target of conservative religious groups. Other books and programs have also been actively opposed. School boards need sound policies for dealing with challenges to the curriculum and the…

Presents several ways--gathered from a variety of sources--to help prevent differences of opinion about textbooks from becoming full-blown controversies. (Author)