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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 8, 2002

Joint News Release

NEA/AAP Survey Finds Nationwide Textbook Shortages, Teachers Don't Have Enough Books to Assign Homework

Less Than One Percent of the Education Dollar is Spent on Instructional Materials

Washington, D.C. - One out of six elementary and secondary school teachers who use textbooks in their classes say they do not have enough books for every child in their class, and nearly one in three teachers report they do not have enough textbooks so that all students can take a textbook home, according to a national survey released today by the National Education Association and the Association of American Publishers.

The textbook shortage is most acute in urban schools, where 39 percent of teachers say they do not have enough textbooks to assign homework, but even suburban teachers report an inadequate supply.

"Textbooks are the most basic classroom resource there is, and yet the nation is failing to provide enough funding for each student to have one," said Reg Weaver, president of the 2.7 million member NEA. "It's just not fair to ask educators to provide a world-class education for our students and then give them second-class resources, if any at all, to do it."

"Policymakers must address this staggering need and provide teachers and students with the tools required to be successful," Weaver added.

The results are part of a NEA/AAP survey performed in June 2002 of 1,000 teachers nationwide. The purpose of the survey was to learn more about how instructional materials are being used in schools. The survey shows little change from a similar survey by the NEA and AAP in 1996.

"There is a terrible textbook shortage in our nation's schools," said AAP President and Chief Executive Officer Pat Schroeder. "While teachers tell us that textbooks perform critically important roles in the classroom, spending for instructional materials remains at deplorable levels. In fact out of every dollar spent on education nationwide, less than a penny is spent on textbooks."

Recent analyses performed by AAP show that state spending for textbooks varies from 2.3 percent to 0.5 percent of total education expenditures. The average of all the states is 1 percent - less than a penny on the dollar.

Among the survey's major findings:

Textbook Shortages & The "Achievement Gap"

• The "achievement gap" widens when textbooks aren't available. Thirty-four percent of teachers surveyed nationally say the achievement gap has widened between schools due to insufficient quantities of textbooks. Teacher comment from the survey: "We didn't have up-to-date textbooks, not enough textbooks for the classroom and not enough textbooks to take home."
• When it comes to the availability of textbooks, there appears to be an economic divide. Teachers in urban districts are twice as likely as teachers in rural areas, small towns, and the suburbs to report an inadequate supply of textbooks. Similarly, those who teach students of lower socio-economic levels and those who teach primarily minority students are almost twice as likely to report an inadequate supply of textbooks.

The Use & Value of Textbooks

• Textbooks are far and away the most frequently used teaching tools. The most frequently used instructional materials include textbooks, handouts, manipulatives (such as wood blocks, beads, or other tangibles used to teach math) and workbooks. Nearly half (47 percent) of the responding teachers say they use textbooks every day. Thirty-two percent of them report daily use of handouts, 30 percent report daily use of manipulatives and 21percent report daily use of workbooks.
• Elementary school teacher members are more likely than those who teach other grade levels to report daily use of handouts (44 percent vs. 16 percent who teach middle/junior high, 23 percent who teach high school, and 29 percent who teach combined grade levels), manipulatives (49 percent vs. 13 percent, 11 percent, and 34 percent respectively), and workbooks (33 percent vs. nine percent, 11 percent, and 17 percent). Teacher comment from the survey: "I just think it (the textbook) benefits the kids. It provides a methodical stream of information for the kids."
• Of teacher respondents who use textbooks, a strong majority - 84 percent - say is it very important that every student have his or her own textbook for use in class. Teacher comment from the survey: "Without the textbooks they (students) would not have gained as much valuable information."
• Eighty-eight percent of teachers who use textbooks say it is very important that teachers select the textbooks, and 87 percent said teachers should be trained to use materials in instruction. Twenty-eight percent of teachers say they are responsible for choosing the textbooks for their classes. Others who are likely to be responsible for choosing textbooks include a site-based committee (20 percent) or a curriculum coordinator (15 percent).

The Consequences of the Textbook Shortage

• Major problems arise when teachers and students do not have enough textbooks. For example: Nearly one in three teachers report they do not have enough textbooks so that all students can take a textbook home, making it more difficult for teachers to assign homework.
• Among teachers who use textbooks, 61 percent report that the most common problem resulting from an inadequate supply of textbooks is that have to purchase supplemental materials using their own funds. Teachers who use textbooks and primarily teach minority students are significantly more likely than those who teach majority white students to say they have had to purchase supplementary materials (74 percent vs. 56 percent). Teacher comment from the survey: "Every year I have to supplement by buying books for students. I've spent thousands of dollars of my own money for books for the students."
• Another common problem relates to class discipline. Twenty-seven percent of teachers report that they experience class disruptions due to students sharing books in class. Teacher comment from the survey: "It was chaotic having the kids share and read their own book and not having books to take home to do work. ..."

Textbooks are Outdated

One in three (32 percent) teachers report the oldest textbook they use is 10 years or older. Teachers forced to use such outdated information report the likelihood of having to do additional work to update the textbook (36 percent); students lose interest (33 percent); students being exposed to incorrect information (28 percent); and students who feel that the textbook is of no value (27 percent).

Profile of Survey Respondents

• A random sample of 1,000 teachers who belong to NEA were interviewed. Forty-six percent of the respondents teach in elementary schools. One in five teach middle or junior high school, 26 percent of respondents teach high school, and the remaining eight percent teach a combination of levels. Thirty-two percent of the teachers are located in a suburban area, 24 percent each are located in an urban area or small town, and 20 percent are in a rural location.
• Because this is a survey of teachers who are NEA members rather than a survey of all teachers across the nation, several important urban areas were beyond the scope of this study. Consequently, while this study uncovers a serious need for more and better textbooks, it is likely that the problem across the nation as a whole is even more serious than what we describe in this report.

To view all findings of the NEA/AAP 2002 National Survey on Instructional Materials, please visit www.publishers.org

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The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing 2.7 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, and students preparing to become teachers.