I know, it's a fairly inflammatory title, but it matches my attitude on the subject - I am fairly inflamed.

Textbook companies are cozy with state government to the detriment of our kids in local schools.  Considering the state of our California budget as well as this week's "revelations" on Wall Street and their connection to the federal government, I would hope that you aren't surprised!

Folks, I believe that the state is more concerned with making life easier for the textbook companies than doing the right thing by our kids.  Let me explain.

Recently, the federal government, because of NCLB, delivered an ultimatum to the state of California - all of your 8th graders need to take the same state math test.  The fed didn't specify which test it should be, only that there should be only one test, and that it should align with the state content standards for 8th grade.

They finally noticed that California has no real content standards for 8th grade math.  It only took, what, 10 years?  Anyway, as it has to do with math, 8th grade was lumped in with 9th - 12th Grades when they were created.  This pattern was not followed when content standards were adopted for Language Arts, Science, or Social Studies.  As a result, it has been pretty unclear what is expected of 8th Graders when it comes to content standards and ultimately, the state tests.

For math, the 8th through 12th grade lump simply splits out into the following subject areas: Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, Trigonometry, Mathematical Analysis, Linear Algebra, Probability and Statistics, AP Probability and Statistics, and Calculus. The lowest level subject area of all of these is Algebra I, which the vast majority of 8th grade math teachers will tell you is developmentally beyond at least 80% of the 8th graders in our schools.

So, when 80% of 8th Graders can't be expected to pass the Algebra I state test, what do you do?  You make sure they have an easier test to take, that's what!  So, for quite some time now, the majority of 8th Graders have taken a state test that is based on 6th and 7th grade math standards, while only the students actually taking Algebra I classes in 8th grade actually take the Algebra I state test.

This has worked out okay, but it isn't ideal.  The fact that it isn't ideal isn't the kids' fault.  It's the fault of content standards that don't in any way align with reality.  So, the schools do the best they can, and the CA Department of Education has looked the other way - until now.

Their hand has been forced by the ultimatum from the fed.  The way I see it, they had two choices: 1) They could split out 8th grade from the high school standards and create 8th grade math standards that realistically fit that level, or 2) They could make every 8th grader take the Algebra I test, regardless of whether they are ready for it.

Many of you probably know already that a select few in Sacramento deliberated for a very short time and chose option 2.  Now, let me tell you how I think this relates to textbook companies.

After 10 years of pounding content standards into the heads of everyone in education, then using the state tests as a whip to ensure nobody steps out of line, let me tell you, us educational folks know our content standards!  Even I, as a technology director, not even a teacher, know them inside and out.  It would not be difficult, or time consuming, to come up with good 8th grade content standards and agree on them in committee.  I know a bunch of teachers who have been chomping at the bit to be involved in that for some time.

I do know a group of organizations, however, that would have to spend a significant amount of resources to adjust to a change in California's content standards.  Can you guess who they are?  Read the statement above in RED to receive your answer.

Coming Soon - Textbooks Must Die! - Part 2: How textbook companies COULD move education forward significantly in the next few years IF they were more interested in kids than profits.