The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) continues its commitment to intellectual freedom with the release of a new white paper that discusses the state of book selection and the ways teachers use literature. The State of Literature Use in US Secondary English Classrooms details the results of a large-scale survey of more than 4,000 public middle and high school English language arts (ELA) teachers across the country. It builds on the last large-scale national study on the topic, which was published by Arthur Applebee in 1989. Researchers Kyungae Chae and Ricki Ginsberg’s findings highlight the differences and similarities in teaching literature over the past 35 years.
Key findings include:
- Most frequently used texts
- Teacher freedom in text selection
- Most frequently censored texts and topics
- Familiarity, interest, and practice in teaching diverse topics
This report was peer-reviewed by educators and designed by NCTE, in collaboration with the researchers, so that it can be shared with those who will benefit from the information. Educators, researchers, administrators, policymakers, parents, school librarians, and the general public are invited to download this report for free by following the directions below.
NCTE hosted a webinar for members featuring report author Ricki Ginsberg and NCTE President Dr. Tonya B. Perry on September 10, 2025.
Nonmembers can obtain access by entering their email below. This report is free and open to all.
NCTE members can sign in to their My NCTE account to get access to the PDF report here or use the form below. (Learn more about NCTE membership here. Join or renew today!)
Download The State of Literature Use in US Secondary English Classrooms report!
NCTE membership is not required to access this report.