TURNING THE PAGE Textbook survey Major findings of a June survey of 1,000 teachers by the National Education Association and the Association of American Publishers.

The "achievement gap" widens when textbooks aren't available. Thirty-four percent of teachers surveyed nationally say the achievement gap has widened between schools because of insufficient quantities of textbooks.
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 pupils of lower socio-economic levels and those who teach primarily minority pupils are almost twice as likely to report an inadequate supply of textbooks.
Textbooks are far and away the most frequently used teaching tools. Nearly half of the responding teachers say they use textbooks every day.
Of teacher respondents who use textbooks, a strong majority -- 84 percent -- say it is very important that every pupil have his or her own textbook for use in class.
Major problems arise when teachers and pupils do not have enough textbooks. For example, nearly one in three teachers report they do not have enough textbooks so that all pupils 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 they have to buy supplemental materials using their own funds.
Another common problem relates to class discipline. Twenty-seven percent of teachers report that they experience class disruptions because of pupils' sharing books in class.
One in three teachers report the oldest textbook they use is 10 years or older.