Brief And Report On State Uniformity And State Publication Of High School Textbooks PDF Download

Furnishing textbooks at the expense of the community, free to the individual school children, is not a new idea in the United States. It began as a movement in city school administration nearly a century ago. Philadelphia made provisions for free textbooks in 1818. Other cities, principally in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, and Massachusetts, soon followed. In some of the States, classed as "uniform textbook" States, the adopted books must be used as basic texts in all public schools, elementary and secondary, and in all districts; in others, high schools are permitted to select for themselves; and in others, city districts and special tax districts may adopt whatever books they may desire. This bulletin explores the pros and cons of free textbooks and State uniformity of textbooks and specific State laws relating to each. An appendix presents: (1) History of the State printing of textbooks in California; and (2) State publication of textbooks in Kansas. A bibliography is included. (Contains 7 tables and 10 footnotes.) [Best copy available has been provided.].