Textbook Review Packet
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The Working Partnership for Textbook Reviews has completed the textbook review package for people reviewing textbooks in the 2002 review cycle. Partners in developing this packet were:
Austin Eagle Forum
Concerned Women of America
Daughters of the American Revolution
Gabler Group
Reason Foundation
Texas Citizens for a Sound Economy
Texas Eagle Forum
Texas Justice Foundation
…And over 40 interested individuals!
There is a lot of information in the review packet and we hope that you will read each document carefully. Especially note the Timeline which includes important deadlines you need to meet. The packet contains Items 1-15. This is too much information to send via the Internet so we have posted it here. Click each Item number below to print the corresponding document.
Textbooks will be in the education service centers by May 10th so this will give you a little time to become familiar with the packet and note any questions you might have. We realize that, as a first effort, there will be some things we just haven’t thought of or things that are clear to us but not to reviewers, etc. With your input we will make these changes and have an even better packet next year. If you have questions, please contact your organization coordinator for the textbook project.
List of Textbook Review Documents:
Item 1: Background on the textbook review program and the working group of organizations coordinating the project (Working Partners for Textbook Review).
Item 2: Textbook Adoption and Texas Law
Purpose: Gives reviewers a background on state law dealing with curriculum, textbooks and the authority of the SBOE in the textbook selection process. Reviews important legislative history. This document is very important because it will enable you to counter common misconceptions which you may hear from elected officials and others. 2a PDF files 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, and 2e.
Item 3: Bias Indicators
Purpose: Provides a tool for objectively measuring bias in textbooks. Examples of such special advocacy bias are included in this document.
Item 4: (a): Decision Making/Problem-Solving Model and (b) Decision Making/Problem-Solving Diagram
Purpose: Helps reviewers evaluate posed questions or suggested problem-solving exercises that may be inappropriate for the classroom or for the age of the child reading the question.
Items 5: Standard Review Criteria for U.S. History
Purpose: To provide a guideline for reviewing U.S. History textbooks. Item 5 and 6 give invaluable examples or ethnic and gender bias, anti American Sentiment, partisan coverage of controversial issues, and much more.
Item 6: Standard Review Criteria for World History and 6(a) which is an example of an already completed (1999) textbook review. This is not a textbook up for adoption this year – rather it is an example. While this review focuses on error such as “wrong century”, we are also looking for errors of special interest agenda bias and indoctrination.
Purpose: Informs reviewers about important historical information that is frequently omitted by authors and publishers.
Item 7: Standard Review Criteria for Economics
Purpose: Includes vital information that any approved economics textbook should have.
Item 8: General Guidelines and Instructions for Textbook Review Documentation
Purpose: This document explains how to use Item 9(a) and (b).
Item 9(a): Textbook Tabulation Summary and (b) Textbook Review Worksheet
Purpose: To provide a consistent method of recording errors. Item 9(a) and (b) are the ONLY documents in the packet that you will return. Please return them to the person who gave you this packet or mail them to Citizens for a Sound Economy, 1005 Congress Ave., Suite 910, Austin, Texas, 78701
Item 10: List of contact information for SBOE members (this document contains a link where you can locate your representative if you don’t know who he/she is. The same link can be used to find your legislators.
Item 11: List of Regional Service Center locations where textbooks are available for review. Call first to make sure the book you want to review is available.
*Note: If you have any trouble gaining access to textbooks, please notify your SBOE member and ask them to get the books for you – they have indicated that they would help.
Item 12: (excel format) List of books being reviewed by the participating organizations (Working Partners for Textbook Review). The working partners selected these books for review based on certain criteria. There are over 200 books total and it is impossible to do complete reviews on all of them; hence we selected priority books for review. Please pick from the books listed priority if possible. If these are not available, then pick from any on the list.
Item 13: Timeline of Events which will serve as a guide to important dates such as deadlines to request to testify, etc. We will be sending e-mail reminders as well.
Item 14: One Page Flyer to hand out at meetings or to use when talking to groups etc.
Item 15: Citizens for a Sound Economy’s Textbook Principles outlines what should and what should not be in textbooks. This is also a good flyer to hand out. Together Items 14 and 15 give a good overview of what we want and what we are doing and what people can do to help. You will want to remove “Item 14” and “Item 15” from the respective documents when you print them to distribute. These item numbers are on the documents to help you keep them in order as you print off the textbook review packet.
