conference for ocean literacy larry snowhite vice president, government relations houghton mifflin...

Conference for Ocean Literacy Conference for Ocean Literacy

Larry SnowhiteVice President, Government Relations

Houghton Mifflin Company

[email protected]

June 7, 2006

Conference on Ocean Literacy

Conference for Ocean Literacy

Educational Publishing – An Introduction

• Textbooks and other instructional materials are second only to the teacher in the central role they play in classroom instruction.

• Well-researched, standards-based instructional materials – in multiple formats – are an essential key to successful teaching and learning.


What Publishers Do — Textbooks

• Comprehensive learning programs in print and electronic formats to maximize teacher effectiveness

• Textbooks, workbooks, teachers' guides and resources, audio visual aids, and computer software

• Aligned to State standards

• Must meet the needs of diverse learners and teachers

• Provide professional development for fidelity of implementation


What Publishers Do — Tests

Assessment systems in print and electronic formats

• Measure student’s educational progress and attainment of academic content standards

• Diagnose student’s strengths and weaknesses

• Support data-driven decisions – link test performance results directly to classroom interventions

• Use technology for test creation, delivery, scoring, analysis, and reporting


What Publishers Do — Interventions and Student Support Services

• Research-based supplemental instructional materials help all children succeed academically

• Materials include readers, student handbooks, workbooks, teacher guides, various hands-on materials, software and other technology products.

• They are published in all core academic areas and in many other subjects, and focus on a specific subset of state and national standards.


What Publishers Do — Interventions and Student Support Services

• Supplemental materials are used in student support programs during regular school days, summer school and after-school programs

• E.g., supplemental programs provide strategic accelerated intervention programs for students who are reading just below or significantly below grade level at elementary, middle, and high school


What Publishers Do -- An Introduction

• The average state spending for textbooks is 0.95 percent of total education expenditures—less than a penny on the dollar.*

• A recent survey of teachers found*–

• One in three using textbooks 10 years old or older.

• Textbooks are the most frequently used teaching tool

• One out of six teachers said their students are forced to share books in class.

• Textbook shortages fuel the “achievement gap”Source: Less than a Penny: The Instructional Materials Shortage & How It Shortchanges

Students, Teachers, & Schools (Association of American Publishers, 2003)


Publishers today are very responsive to state standards and testing requirements


Publishers draw on many sources in determining the content of instructional materials, while ensuring alignment to state content standards


The Elementary and Secondary Education Act/NCLB requires alignment between

• state standards and assessments

• Instructional materials and content standards


Publishers do have flexibility in meeting the content standards –


FLORIDA STANDARDS

SC.D.1.1.2.1.1. knows some kinds of organisms that live on or near the surface of the Earth in land, water, and air.

SC.G.1.1.3.1.1. knows some characteristics of different environments and some plants and animals found there.

ELEMENTARY


CALIFORNIA STANDARDS

3.3 Adaptations in physical structure or behavior may improve an organisms chance for survival.

3.3b Students know examples of diverse life forms in different environments, such as oceans, deserts, tundra, forests, grasslands, and wetlands.

ELEMENTARY


MIDDLE SCHOOL


MIDDLE SCHOOL

Spanish Edition

Teachers Edition

Support Materials


HIGH SCHOOL


What Next?

• Standards will continue to drive content on instructional materials

• Technology will enable greater student engagement and motivation

• Publishers will continue to provide the tools and support for teaching and learning.

conference for ocean literacy larry snowhite vice president, government relations houghton mifflin...

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