Policy 6161.1 - Selection and Evaluation of Instructional Materials

Selection and Evaluation of Instructional Materials

The Board of Education desires that district instructional materials, as a whole, present a broad spectrum of knowledge and viewpoints, reflect society's diversity, and enhance the use of multiple teaching strategies and technologies. The Board shall adopt instructional materials based on a determination that such materials are an effective learning resource to help students achieve grade-level competency and that the materials meet criteria specified in law. Textbooks, technology-based materials, and other educational materials shall be aligned with academic content standards and the district's curriculum to ensure that they effectively support the district's adopted courses of study.

The Board shall select instructional materials for use in grades K-8 that have been approved by the State Board of Education (SBE) or have otherwise been determined to be aligned with the state academic content standards adopted pursuant to Education Code 60605 or the Common Core Standards adopted pursuant to Education Code 60605.8.

The Board shall adopt instructional materials for grades 9-12 upon determining that the materials meet the criteria specified in law and administrative regulation.

The Board's priority in the selection of instructional materials is to ensure that all students are provided with standards-aligned instructional materials in the core curriculum areas of English/language arts, mathematics, science, and history-social science.

Review Process

The Superintendent or designee shall establish a process by which instructional materials shall be reviewed for recommendation to the Board. Toward that end, he/she may establish an instructional materials review committee to evaluate and recommend instructional materials.

The review process shall involve teachers in a substantial manner and shall encourage the participation of parents/guardians and community members.

In addition, the instructional materials review committee may include administrators, other staff who have subject-matter expertise, and students as appropriate.

If the district chooses to use instructional materials for grades K-8 that have not been adopted by the SBE, the Superintendent or designee shall ensure that a majority of the participants in the district's review process are classroom teachers who are assigned to the subject area or grade level of the materials.

Individuals who participate in the selection or review of instructional materials shall not have a conflict of interest, as defined in administrative regulation, in the materials being reviewed.

The committee shall review instructional materials using criteria provided in law and administrative regulation, and shall provide the Board with documentation supporting its recommendations.

All recommended instructional materials shall be available for public inspection at the district office.

The district may pilot instructional materials, using a representative sample of classrooms for a specified period of time during a school year, in order to determine how well the materials support the district's curricular goals and academic standards. Feedback from teachers piloting the materials shall be made available to the Board before the materials are adopted.

Public Hearing on Sufficiency of Instructional Materials

The Board shall annually conduct one or more public hearings on the sufficiency of the district's textbooks and other instructional materials

The hearing shall be held on or before the end of the eighth week from the first day students attend school for that year.

The Board encourages participation by parents/guardians, teachers, interested community members, and bargaining unit leaders at the hearing. Ten days prior to the hearing, the Superintendent or designee shall post a notice in three public places within the district containing the time, place, and purpose of the hearing. The hearing shall not take place during or immediately following school hours.

At the hearing(s), the Board shall determine, through a resolution, whether each student in each school, including each English learner, has sufficient textbooks or instructional materials which are aligned to the state content standards adopted pursuant to Education Code 60605 or the Common Core Standards adopted pursuant to Education Code 60605.8 and which are consistent with the content and cycles of the state's curriculum frameworks. Sufficiency of instructional materials shall be determined in each of the following subjects:

1. Mathematics
2. Science
3. History-social science
4. English language arts, including the English language development component of an adopted program
5. Foreign language
6. Health

The Board shall also determine the availability of science laboratory equipment, as applicable to science laboratory courses offered in grades 9-12.

In making these determinations, the Board shall consider whether each student has sufficient textbooks and/or instructional materials to use in class and to take home. However, this does not require that each student have two sets of materials. The materials may be in a digital format as long as each student, at a minimum, has and can access the same materials in the class and to take home as all other students in the same class or course in the district and has the ability to use and access them at home. However, the materials shall not be considered sufficient if they are photocopied sheets from only a portion of a textbook or instructional materials copied to address a shortage.

For example, fourth-grade students at all district schools must have instructional materials from the same SBE science adoption cycle, though fourth-grade students at different schools could be using materials from different publishers within the same adoption cycle. However, the district may use materials from different adoption cycles for grades K-3 and grades 4-8 since those students are not in the same "course." ***

The Board shall also make a determination that all students within the district who are enrolled in the same course have "identical" standards-aligned textbooks or instructional materials from the same adoption cycle, as defined in Education Code 1240.3 and 60119.

However, the district may purchase the newest adopted instructional materials for students in district schools ranked in deciles 1-3 of the base Academic Performance Index in any one of the past three school years without necessarily purchasing these materials for use in other district schools.

If the Board determines that there are insufficient textbooks or instructional materials, it shall provide information to classroom teachers and to the public setting forth, for each school in which an insufficiency exists, the percentage of students who lack sufficient standards-aligned textbooks or instructional materials in each subject area and the reasons that each student does not have sufficient textbooks or instructional materials. The Board shall take any action, except an action that would require reimbursement by the Commission of State Mandates, to ensure that each student has sufficient materials within two months of the beginning of the school year in which the determination is made.

Complaints

Complaints concerning instructional materials shall be handled in accordance with law, Board policy, and administrative regulation.

Rule 6161.1

The district shall use state funds received under the Instructional Materials Funding Realignment Program to ensure that each student is provided with standards-aligned textbooks or instructional materials, in an electronic or hard-bound format in the core curriculum areas of reading/language arts, mathematics, science and history/social science.

Instructional materials for grades K-8 shall be selected from the list of standards-aligned materials adopted by the State Board of Education (SBE). Instructional materials for grades 9-12 shall be adopted by the Board of Education.

For grades 1-8, the Superintendent or designee shall select instructional materials from among the list of materials adopted by the SBE and/or other materials that have not been adopted by the SBE but are aligned with the state academic content standards and/or the Common Core Standards.

For grades 9-12, the Superintendent or designee shall review instructional materials in history-social science, mathematics, reading/language arts, and science using a standards map in order to determine the extent to which the materials are aligned to Common Core Standards and Next Generation Science Standards.

1. For grades 9-12, are provided by publishers that comply with the requirements of Education Code 60040-60052, 60060-60062, and 60226.
2. Do not reflect adversely upon persons because of their race or ethnicity, gender, religion, disability, nationality, sexual orientation, occupation, or other characteristic listed in Education Code 220, nor contain any sectarian or denominational doctrine or propaganda contrary to law.
3. To the satisfaction of the Board, are accurate, objective, current, and suited to the needs and comprehension of district students at their respective grade levels.
4. With the exception of literature and trade books, use proper grammar and spelling.
5. Do not expose students to a commercial brand name, product, or corporate or company logo unless the Board makes a specific finding that the use is appropriate based on one of the following:
   1. The commercial brand name, product, or corporate or company logo is used in text for an educational purpose as defined in guidelines or frameworks adopted by the SBE.
   2. The appearance of a commercial brand name, product, or corporate or company logo in an illustration is incidental to the general nature of the illustration.
6. If the materials are technology-based materials, are both available and comparable to other, equivalent instructional materials.
7. Meet the requirements of Education Code 60040-60043 for specific subject content.
8. Support the district's adopted courses of study and curricular goals.
9. Contribute to a comprehensive, balanced curriculum.
10. Demonstrate reliable quality of scholarship as evidenced by:
    1. Accurate, up-to-date, and well-documented information
    2. Objective presentation of diverse viewpoints
    3. Clear, concise writing and appropriate vocabulary
    4. Thorough treatment of subject matter
11. Provide for a wide range of materials at all levels of difficulty, with appeal to students of varied interests, abilities, and developmental levels.
12. Include materials that stimulate discussion of contemporary issues and improve students' thinking and decision-making skills.
13. Contribute to the proper articulation of instruction through grade levels.
14. As appropriate, have corresponding versions available in languages other than English.
15. Include high-quality teacher's guides.
16. Meet high standards in terms of the quality, durability, and appearance of paper, binding, text, and graphics.
17. When available, include options for lighter weight materials in order to help minimize any injury to students by the combined weight of instructional materials.

Conflict of Interest

To ensure integrity and impartiality in the evaluation and selection of instructional materials, any district employee who is participating in the evaluation of instructional materials and not otherwise designated in the district's conflict of interest code shall sign a disclosure statement indicating that he/she:

1. Shall not accept any emolument, money, or other valuable thing or inducement to directly or indirectly introduce, recommend, vote for, or otherwise influence the adoption or purchase of any instructional material. Sample copies of instructional materials are excepted from this prohibition.
2. Is not employed by nor receives compensation from the publisher or supplier of the instructional materials or any person, firm, organization, subsidiary, or controlling entity representing it.
3. Does not have and will not negotiate a contractual relationship with the publisher or supplier of the instructional materials or any person, firm, organization, subsidiary, or controlling entity representing it.
4. Does not have an interest as a contributor, author, editor, or consultant in any textbook or other instructional material submitted to the district.

When the Board of Education has certified that all students have been provided with standards-aligned instructional materials in the core curriculum areas, the district may use any remaining program funds for the purposes specified in Education Code 60242.