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 the diversity of our society, and enhance the use of multiple teaching strategies and technologies. The Board shall adopt instructional materials based on a determination that such materials are aligned with the state content standards, meet other criteria specified in law, and are an effective learning resource to help students achieve grade-level competency. To ensure that instructional materials effectively support the district's adopted courses of study, the selection of textbooks, technology-based materials, other educational materials, and tests shall be aligned with the development and evaluation of the district's curriculum and standards. The Superintendent or designee shall establish a process by which instructional materials shall be reviewed for recommendation to the Board. This process shall involve teachers in a substantial manner and shall also encourage the participation of parents/guardians and community members. All recommended instructional materials shall be made available for public inspection at the Instruction Materials Center throughout the selection and evaluation process during advertised open house hours. Individuals who participate in selecting and evaluating instructional materials shall not have a conflict of interest in the materials being reviewed, as defined in administrative regulation. Complaints concerning instructional materials shall be handled in accordance with law, Board policy, and administrative regulation. In accordance with the Instructional Materials Funding Realignment Program, the Board's priority in the selection of instructional materials is to ensure that all students in grades K-8 are provided with instructional materials that are aligned to state content standards in the core curriculum areas of reading/language arts, mathematics, science, and history/social science. Students in grades K-8 shall be provided with instructional materials adopted by the State Board of Education. When the Board determines that standards-aligned textbooks and instructional materials have been provided to all students in accordance with Education Code 60422, it shall so certify. A copy of the certification shall be kept on file in the district office. The Superintendent or designee shall ensure that the district satisfies the criteria necessary to access funds under the state's Pupil Textbook and Instructional Materials Incentive Account pursuant to Education Code 60252. 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 instructional materials. At the hearing(s), the Board shall determine, through a resolution, whether each student in each school has sufficient textbooks and/or instructional materials that are aligned to the state content standards adopted pursuant to Education Code 60605 in each of the following subjects: (Education Code 60119) - Mathematics - Science - History/social science - English language arts, including the English language development component of an adopted program The Board shall also make a written determination as to whether each student enrolled in a foreign language or health course has sufficient textbooks or instructional materials that are consistent with the content and cycles of the state curriculum frameworks. (Education Code 60119) The hearing shall take place 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. The Superintendent or designee shall post, 10 days prior to the hearing and in three public places within the district, a notice containing the time, place, and purpose of the hearing. The hearing shall not take place during or immediately following school hours. (Education Code 60119) If the Board determines that there are insufficient textbooks and/or instructional materials, the Board 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 and/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)