In an effort to better understand the intents of those policies that prescribe state-level textbook adoption, a study collected and analyzed data from (1) the textbook adoption statutes of each of the 22 "state adoption" states, (2) documents and policy manuals produced by the state departments of education of each of these 22 states, and (3) the perceptions of selected populations of individuals who typify those involved in the process of state-level textbook adoption (including representatives of the textbook publishing industry, educators and lay persons who serve on local-level adoption committees, and state-level educational administrators responsible for textbook adoption policy coordination and implementation in the 22 states). The data were collected through content analyses of all documents and through interviews. Nine issues of intent were identified, three of which emerged more clearly as the most significant intents of state-level textbook adoption: control of textbook costs, ensuring statewide curricular uniformity, and ensuring that only textbooks of the highest quality are adopted. The remaining six issues of intent were to control the marketing practices of the publishing industry, to provide for public participation in the adoption process, to ensure the periodic review and purchase of textbooks, to save time and work for local school districts, to provide structure and organization to the adoption process, and to allow the state to share responsibility for potentially controversial textbooks. (HOD)