The Board of Trustees 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.
(cf. 0440 - District Technology Plan)
(cf. 6000 - Concepts and Roles)
(cf. 6011 - Academic Standards)
(cf. 6141 - Curriculum Development and Evaluation)
(cf. 6143 - Courses of Study)
(cf. 6146.1 - High School Graduation Requirements)
(cf. 6161.11 - Supplementary Instructional Materials)
(cf. 6162.5 - Student Assessment)
(cf. 6163.1 - Library Media Centers)
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 State Standards adopted pursuant to Education Code 60605.8. (Education Code 60200, 60210)
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.
(cf. 1220 - Citizen Advisory Committees)
The review process shall involve teachers in a substantial manner and shall encourage the participation of parents/guardians and community members. (Education Code 60002)
(cf. 6020 - Parent Involvement)
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. (Education Code 60210)
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.
(cf. 9270 - Conflict of Interest)
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.
(cf. 5020 - Parent Rights and Responsibilities)
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. (Education Code 60119)
The hearing shall be held on or before the end of the eighth week from the first day students attend school for that year. (Education Code 60119)
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. (Education Code 60119)
(cf. 9322 - Agenda/Meeting Materials)
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 State 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: (Education Code 60119)
1. Mathematics
(cf. 6142.92 - Mathematics Instruction)
2. Science
(cf. 6142.93 - Science Instruction)
3. History-social science
(cf. 6142.94 - History-Social Science Instruction)
4. English language arts, including the English language development component of an adopted program
(cf. 6142.91 - English/Language Arts Instruction)
(cf. 6174 - Education for English Learners)
5. World/foreign language
(cf. 6142.2 - World/Foreign Language Instruction)
6. Health
(cf. 6142.8 - Comprehensive Health Education)
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. (Education Code 60119)
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. (Education Code 60119)
The degree to which every student has sufficient access to standards-aligned instructional materials shall be included in the district's local control and accountability plan. (Education Code 52060)
(cf. 0460 - Local Control and Accountability Plan)
Complaints
Complaints concerning instructional materials shall be handled in accordance with law, Board policy, and administrative regulation.
(cf. 1312.2 - Complaints Concerning Instructional Materials)
(cf. 1312.4 - Williams Uniform Complaint Procedures)
Legal Reference:
EDUCATION CODE
220 Prohibition against discrimination
1240 County superintendent, general duties
33050-33053 General waiver authority
33126 School accountability report card
35272 Education and athletic materials
44805 Enforcement of course of studies; use of textbooks, rules and regulations
49415 Maximum textbook weight
51501 Nondiscriminatory subject matter
52060-52077 Local control and accountability plan
60000-60005 Instructional materials, legislative intent
60010 Definitions
60040-60052 Instructional requirements and materials
60060-60063.5 Requirements for publishers and manufacturers
60070-60076 Prohibited acts (re instructional materials)
60110-60115 Instructional materials on alcohol and drug education
60119 Public hearing on sufficiency of materials
60200-60210 Elementary school materials
60226 Requirements for publishers and manufacturers
60350-60352 Core reading program instructional materials
60400-60411 High school textbooks
60510-60511 Donation for sale of obsolete instructional materials
60605 State content standards
60605.8 Common Core State Standards
60605.86-60605.88 Supplemental instructional materials aligned with Common Core State Standards
CODE OF REGULATIONS, TITLE 5
9505-9530 Instructional materials
Management Resources:
CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION PUBLICATIONS
Instructional Materials FAQ
01-05 Guidelines for Piloting Textbooks and Instructional Materials, rev. January 2015
Standards for Evaluating Instructional Materials for Social Content, 2013
WEB SITES
CSBA: http://www.csba.org
Association of American Publishers: http://www.publishers.org
California Academic Content Standards Commission, Common Core State Standards: http://www.scoe.net/castandards
California Department of Education: http://www.cde.ca.gov
Policy LANCASTER SCHOOL DISTRICT
adopted: September 19, 2017 Lancaster, California