Instruction
Board Policy No. 6161.1
Policy adopted:  February 6, 2020

SELECTION AND EVALUATION OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS 

The Governing Board 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 state and district content standards and the district’s curriculum in order 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.  (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. 1312.2 - Complaints Concerning Instructional Materials)

(cf. 1312.4 – Williams Uniform Complaint Procedures)

The review process shall involve teachers in a substantial manner and shall encourage the participation of parents/guardians and community members.  (Education Code 60002)

 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 or 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 and in three public places within the district, the Superintendent or designee shall post 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) 

(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 and/or instructional materials in each of the following subjects, which are aligned to the state content standards adopted pursuant to Education Code 60605 and consistent with the content and cycles of the state’s curriculum frameworks:  (Education Code 60119)

         1.   Mathematics

         2.   Science

         3.   History-social science

         4.   English language arts, including the English language development component of an adopted program

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 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 and/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)

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)

Complaints

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

(cf. 1312.4 - Williams Uniform Complaint Procedures)

Legal Reference:

EDUCATION CODE

220  Prohibition against discrimination

1240  County superintendent, general duties

1240.3  Definition of sufficiency for categorical flexibility

33050-33053  General waiver authority

33126  School accountability report card

35272  Education and athletic materials

42605 Tier 3 categorical flexibility

44805  Enforcement of course of studies;  use of textbooks, rules and regulations

49415  Maximum textbook weight

51501  Nondiscriminatory subject matter

60000-60005  Instructional materials, legislative intent

60010  Definitions

60040-60052  Instructional requirements and materials

60060-60062  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

60240-60252  State Instructional Materials Fund

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 Standards

60605.86-60605.88  Supplemental instructional materials aligned with Common Core Standards

CODE OF REGULATIONS, TITLE 5

9505-9530  Instructional materials