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Historical patterns and recent evidence show that health textbook decisions are often not grounded in science or best pedagogical practice, so educators must advocate for accurate, age-appropriate information.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/","Research & 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\nDavid Wiley and Elissa Barr  \nABSTRACT  \nTextbooks are often acore element of curricula and delivery of classroom instruction and have long been a source of controversy. The textbook adoption process has become less about content and more about political/cultural pressure. Special-interest groups from the right and left exert enormous influenceon textbook content through bias and“sensitivity” guidelines and “review” processes. Textbooks are now oftenjudged not by their style, content, or effectiveness, but by the way they live up to such guidelines. Texas is the second largest textbook market in the country, behind only California. This paper examines the controversies behind, and the lessons tobe learned from, the textbookadoption process in Texas. Recent history has demonstrated that health textbook content decisions are often not based in science or pedagogical best practices. Health educators must be proactive in recognizing this trend and work atthe state and local levels to ensure that students have access toscientifically accurate, age-appropriate information that can help prepare them forlifein the twenty-first century.  \nINTRODUCTION  \nTextbooks are often a core element of curricula and delivery of classroom instruction. It is important that health educators, administrators, parents, and the public at large have an understanding of how textbooks are written and, ultimately, how they endupin classrooms.  \nTextbook content has long been a source of controversy. Whether the subject is science, history, or health education, what students read in school has become a source of heated debate, censorship, and moral and political posturing. Atthe core of these problems is the question of whether textbooks should represent reality or how we wish the world were.  \nSince textbooks are a core part of curricula, one might assume that they are conceived, researched, written, and published as important contributions to advancing knowledge. In fact, most of these books  \nfall far short of their key role in the educational process.1  \nFor example, censorship has been a staple of textbook publishing since the Civil War. During Reconstruction, former Confederate states issued guidelines for school materials that reflected their version of the Civil War. It was felt that such guidelines were necessary because most publishing houses of the time had their headquarters in the North. Northern publishers complied, publishing separate textbooks for schools in the South and North. For decades, Southern textbooks referred to the Civil War as “the War for Southern Independence” or the “War between the States.” Interestingly, nearly 150 years later, most centralized textbook adoption states—that is, states with a centralized process rather than vs.“local” control by local school districts—are still located in the South and West.2  \nMost people are not aware of specific  \ncontent in textbooks and appear to show little concern for what is included. The majority of people believe textbooks used in public schools are up-to-date, accurate, and useful.3 The conventional wisdom is that scholars synthesize and distill centuries of information into learned and well-written texts, which publishers first review for accuracy and currency, then field-test to see whether the books successfully engage stu  \ndentsand increase student achievement.2  \nThe reality is that textbooks are put together by teams of writers from“develop-  \nDavid Wiley is a professor in the Health, Physical Education, and Recreation Department, Texas State University, Jowers Center, San Marcos, TX 78666; E-mail: [davidwiley@txstate.edu. Elissa](davidwiley@txstate.edu. Elissa)[ ](davidwiley@txstate.edu. Elissa)Barr is an assistant professor in the School of Public Health, University of North Florida, 4567 St. John’s Bluff Rd. South, Jacksonville, FL 32224.  \nAmerican Journal of Health Education—Septemb","cbCaieMl3f1fuQut","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaieMl3f1fuQut","pdf",134610,"English","# Introduction\n## Textbooks as a core curriculum element\n## Controversy over textbook content\n## The gap between intent and educational impact\n## History of censorship and centralized adoption","[{\"question\":\"Why has the Texas health textbook adoption process become more political than educational?\",\"answer\":\"Special-interest groups from the right and left exert strong influence through bias and “sensitivity” guidelines and “review” processes, so textbooks are judged by compliance rather than effectiveness.\"},{\"question\":\"What is the historical role of censorship in textbook publishing?\",\"answer\":\"Censorship has been present since the Civil War era, including Reconstruction-era guidelines that reflected particular Civil War narratives in different regions.\"},{\"question\":\"What responsibilities do health educators have according to the paper?\",\"answer\":\"Health educators must proactively monitor this trend and work at state and local levels to ensure students access scientifically accurate, age-appropriate information.\"}]","Health Education Textbook Adoption in Texas - A Lesson in Politics and Morality | PDF",1792074044,15]