CURRICULUM LEADERSHIP IN SELECTING MATHEMATICS MATERIALS

Mathematics instructional materials play an important role in shaping what happens in the mathematics classroom, and therefore need to be chosen carefully. This article reports on an investigation of the mathematics materials selection process in districts and discusses the role that curriculum leaders play in those processes, and the opportunity that materials selection offers for mathematics program improvement. Research questions included: (1) What processes do school districts use in selecting mathematics textbooks? (2) What factors shape those decisions? (3) How does textbook selection differ in state-adoption and open-territory states? (4) What research do curriculum leaders find most useful in textbook selection? (5) What questions about mathematics textbooks do decision-makers need answered? This article draws on 150 interviews with mathematics curriculum leaders from districts in eight states. Findings about the role of the mathematics curriculum leader in facilitating the selection process for new mathematics instructional materials are discussed, and include the influence of district and state context, along with variations in the role that mathematics curriculum leaders play in the selection process. The article also describes the importance of determining which materials are the best fit for the district, and of building teachers’ commitment to using new materials. It also encourages leaders to consider their own role in the district materials selection process and how this process can promote improvement and bring greater coherence to a district’s mathematics program.