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After Four Decades, Pioneer of Calculator Still Leads K-12 Field

Not all educators agree that the best ways to teach mathematics include giving students electronic calculators. But many do, and their view is reflected in the policies and practices of school districts, textbook publishers, testing companies, and state education agencies.

That adds up to profits for Texas Instruments Inc., the Dallas-based semiconductor manufacturer that invented the hand-held calculator 40 years ago and dominates the school market for the devices today.

The company’s school calculator franchise is protected by a fortress of advantages that its frustrated rivals find hard to penetrate, analysts and educators say. Those include its early lead in the field; its extensive instructional resources and training for teachers; publishers’ inclusion of TI-specific lessons as supplements to major math textbooks; and unmatched success at getting districts to buy its calculators or require...