Teachers’ Professional Judgment in Contrast with Policy Mandates: Instructional Material Adoption and Students’ Needs

The reading materials used in Oregon schools reflect the influences of the Reading First decade. This study reports the results of a survey of a representative sample of 1,206 K-6 and 7-12 ELA teachers in Oregon to learn what materials are currently being used, what materials teachers would prefer, and what instructional practices teachers use. Qualitative data included 365 comments from the survey and thirty-four follow-up interviews with survey participants. Results indicate that teachers would like more voice and choice in the materials they use in their classrooms. Practical applications for presevice teachers are explored