How well do new textbooks meet the state standards?

In 2005, California’s Curriculum Commission held a series of education board meetings and public hearings to evaluate new history-social studies textbooks for adoption and use in the state’s schools. The textbooks were the first to be designed according to the California standards issued several years earlier. In line with our previous assessments of national and state standards for world history, we produced a 104 page assessment of the textbook programs submitted for adoption. In our scholarly evaluation, we focused both on how well the textbooks implemented the standards for world history, reflected current scholarship in fields informing world history, and adhered to constitutional guidelines for teaching about world religions.

Our review helped decision makers evaluate the textbooks’ respective academic merits, and helped them distinguish between legitimate and unsubstantiated demands made by special interest groups in the public hearings.

For more information: Programs Submitted for California History-Social Science Adoption (2005)