Fort Worth ISD INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS SELECTION AND ADOPTION TEXTBOOK SELECTION AND ADOPTION

Transcription

1 TEXTBOOK SELECTION DISTRICT TEXTBOOK SELECTION ADVISORY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION AND ADOPTION Recommendations for new textbooks for use in the District shall be made to the Superintendent by the District textbook selection committee for presentation to, and consideration for action by, the Board. The department of curriculum shall be responsible for coordinating all activities relative to the adoption of textbooks. On or before October 15, upon recommendation ofat an appropriate time following adoption of instructional materials by the State Board, the Superintendent, the Board shall make recommendations to the Board for appointment of the a District textbook selection advisory committee. Members shall be comprised of representatives from each individual textbook committee. The committee selection shall be composed of not more than 15 nor less than seven members. All members of the District textbook selection committee shall be professional employees of the District, and the majority shall be classroom teachers. The Superintendent or designee shall be a member and shall serve as chairperson of the committee. The associate superintendent for curriculum or designee shall serve as chairperson in the absence of the Superintendent. Members of the individual textbook committees shall be professional staff, and the majority shall be classroom teachers. After examining all instructional materials adopted by the State Board and reflected on the multiple lists, each individual textbook advisory committee shall recommend materials for use in the District. A quorum, consisting of a majority of the committee members, must be present when the consensus process is conducted to determine final recommendations to be forwarded for approval. The Superintendent will review all recommendations and forward his or her recommendation to the Board for ratification. In the event the Board does not ratify all of the selections, the reasons shall be recorded in Board minutes. The committee shall make other recommendations to be forwarded for the Superintendent s review and forwarding the selection until the Board has ratified all selections. The Superintendent or designee shall be responsible for coordinating the time frame for meetings of the committee and meetings of the Board to ensure compliance with state timelines. DATE ISSUED: 2/7/ of 5 -X

2 Teachers serving on the District textbook selection committee shall be selected for their expertise in the curriculum areas of textbooks for adoption. The composition of the committee shall include teacher representation from the geographic areas, student populations, and ethnic groups that make up the District. DUTIES OF THE DISTRICT TEXTBOOK SELECTION COMMIT- TEE The District textbook selection committee shall be responsible for approving recommendations regarding a particular textbook or set of textbooks. Each member of the District textbook selection committee shall serve as a member of a textbook advisory committee and as the liaison person with that committee. TEXTBOOK ADVISORY COMMITTEES A textbook advisory committee shall be named for each subject area for which textbooks are being considered. Each textbook advisory committee shall be composed of professional employees of the District, representative of the geographic areas, student populations, and ethnic groups of the District, plus one community person. The community representative may participate in all activities of the committee, but may not participate in the balloting process. The members shall be selected for their expertise in the subject area and/or grade level for which textbooks are being considered. A director, program director, or instructional support team member shall serve as co-chairperson of each subject area textbook advisory committee, along with a co-chairperson from the membership of the textbook advisory committee. DUTIES OF THE TEXTBOOK ADVISORY COMMITTEES The co-chairpersons of each textbook advisory committee shall be responsible for coordinating the work of that committee. The function of each textbook advisory committee shall be to: 1. Establish criteria for analyzing the textbooks for consideration. 2. Conduct an evaluative study of the particular textbooks. 3. Rank the textbooks according to order of preference based on the established criteria and input from faculty members throughout the District. 4. Prepare a written report based upon the committee s study and evaluation of the textbooks considered for adoption. The recommendation of the committee shall contain the reasons why a DATE ISSUED: 2/7/ of 5 -X

3 particular textbook is being recommended as well as reasons why the remaining textbooks considered are not being recommended for adoption. If the committee selects a textbook for a course in the foundation curriculum that is not on the State Board s conforming list, the committee s report must indicate what materials will be used to supplement the nonconforming textbook and how each element of the essential knowledge and skills will be covered. The committee s report must also contain projected costs to the District of the supplementary materials. If the committee selects a textbook for a course in the enrichment curriculum that is not on either of the State Board lists, the committee s report must contain projected costs to the District as stated in (LEGAL). If a multiple selection of textbooks is recommended for adoption or protective adoption, the recommendation shall contain a justification. When a textbook advisory committee recommendation is not unanimous, a notation shall be made in the committee s report and a dissenting report may be attached. COORDINATION OF THE TEXTBOOK SELECTION AND ADOP- TION PROCESS The Superintendent shall appoint the coordinator of the textbook selection and adoption process. The process shall include the following: 1. Preparation of the calendar of activities including meetings of the District textbook selection committee, activities of the textbook advisory committees, and the publishers hearings. 2. Preparation and distribution of a handbook for committee members. 3. Distribution to each school lists of the subjects or courses for which textbooks are to be selected, the textbooks on the State Board s conforming list and/or nonconforming list, District textbook selection committee members, members of the textbook advisory committees, and a copy of the textbook adoption calendar and procedures. 4. Arrangement for meeting places, as needed, for the District textbook selection committee, textbook advisory committees, and publishers hearings. DATE ISSUED: 2/7/ of 5 -X

4 5. Preparation and distribution of other materials related to the adoption process, including notices to committees and selection criteria instruments developed by members of the textbook advisory committees. 6. Arrangement of the final joint meeting of the District textbook selection committee and textbook advisory committees. 7. Preparation of necessary documents for submission to TEA prior to established deadlines. LOCAL SELECTION The District textbook selection committee shall submit its recommendations to the Board for initial consideration at the Board s second meeting in February. At the second meeting in March, recommendations shall be considered for approval by the Board. If the Board fails to ratify any of the selections of the District textbook selection committee, the reasons therefor shall be placed in the official minutes, and the Board shall direct the committee to recommend another selection(s). Such procedure shall be continued until the Board shall ratify all selections. After District ratification by the Board, two copies of the District textbook selection committee s report, signed by the members of that committee, the Board President, and the Board Secretary, shall be submitted to the textbook Division of TEA in Austin, Texas, not later than April 1. TEXTBOOK SAMPLES AND PUBLISHER CONTACTS Publisher representatives shall have access to the adoption process within guidelines listed below: 1. Publishers of textbooks being considered shall be provided the names of the members of the District textbook selection committee and the textbook advisory committees. 2. Contact with District textbook selection committee members and textbook advisory committee members shall be between November 1 and February Contacts with classroom teachers may be made during school hours only with the permission of the principal and the consent of the committee member. Contacts with members other than classroom teachers may be made at times mutually agreeable to both parties. 4. Publisher representatives may contact program directors, directors, and instructional support team members, and other central administrators at times convenient to all parties. Additional DATE ISSUED: 2/7/ of 5 -X

5 meetings with an individual textbook advisory committee shall be arranged through the co-chairperson(s) serving on the committee. DATE ISSUED: 2/7/2000 ADOPTED: 5 of 5 -X