The Challenges of Textbook Selection and Adoption in Our Public Schools In textbook adoption systems, a committee selects or recommends which books and other primary teaching materials actually arrive in local classrooms. This process is practiced in up to 25 states. Adoption occurs primarily in the South and West and dates back to the Reconstruction era. Procedures for selecting textbooks arose in the United States in the late 19th century. By the early 20th century a balance had been established between the number of states using adoption procedures at the state or local level. At the same time that the publishing industry was developing in the United States, states enacted laws that controlled the adoption of textbooks. and the provision of free textbooks. In Kordus's (2000) article, it was found that legislation standardizing procedures for adopting textbooks arose during the mid-nineteenth century in each state in response to the development of a gradual organization requiring books uniform text books for formal classroom instruction. Initially, uniformity was practiced at the local level through laws that required each local school board to adopt a list of textbooks, which parents were required to provide in a given period of time. The provision of free textbooks to public school students was first mandated in Philadelphia in 1818, and extended to the state level when Massachusetts became the first state to enact legislation in 1884. Instances of laws extending the textbook adoption and mandated provision of free textbooks at the state level increased during the late 19th century and early 20th century, but at different rates. The highly political process of determining textbook content and selection for classrooms...... middle of paper ...... and a copy of the district's published policies for controversial materials and explaining the procedure to follow followed up.• Require a review committee to provide the school board with a final report.• Inform the complainant of the review process and when committee meetings are scheduled.• Provide an appeals process.• While the complaint is being examined, keep the disputed material available, except possibly to the student whose family has lodged an appeal. In summary, the NSBA report states that “the challenge is not to avoid censorship, but to address it directly with appropriate policies and procedures that provide an open forum for deciding what should – or should not – happen in public schools.” Although Frank Wang, former CEO of Saxon Publishers, puts it another way: “Successful adoption systems are about playing the game, playing politics and kissing the right backside”..”