Study: Adopting new textbook doesn't increase students' math achievement

Simply adopting a new textbook, even if it’s in line with the Common Core State Standards, does not result in an increase in student achievement, according to a study released Monday by the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University.Focusing on elementary math textbooks in a sample of more than 6,000 schools across six states — California, Louisiana, Maryland, New Jersey, New Mexico and Washington — the researchers found the average growth in math achievement in 4th and 5th grade was about the same, regardless of which textbook the schools were using. “Notably, no single text stands out as a consistent high- or low-performer in multiple states, nor in multiple years,“ the researchers write.They also found that only a quarter of the 1,200 teachers randomly surveyed said they use the official textbook to plan most of their lessons. Most reported using supplemental materials for instruction, either because the textbook didn’t cover the standards they were trying to teach or because they found it to be too easy or too hard for their students.