February 2015 Committee of the Full Board Item 10
Instructional Materials for Adoption under Proclamation 2015
February 13, 2015
COMMITTEE OF THE FULL BOARD: ACTION
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION: ACTION
SUMMARY: Proclamation 2015 of the State Board of Education (SBOE) called for new instructional materials to be made available to school districts and open-enrollment charter schools beginning in school year 2015-2016. The board adopted instructional materials in November 2014 under Proclamation 2015. At that time materials submitted by WorldView Software were rejected. This item provides the board the opportunity to reconsider Basic American History I: Pre-Columbian Years to Reconstruction, Economics: An Interactive Approach, U.S. Government: An Interactive Approach, American History II: Post-Civil War America to the Present, and World Geography: An Interactive Approach for placement on the adopted list. Recommendations will also be made regarding manufacturing standards and specifications and corrections of factual errors to be required in adopted materials.
STATUTORY AUTHORITY: Texas Education Code (TEC), §31.023 and §31.024.
PREVIOUS BOARD ACTION: Proclamation 2015 was issued by the SBOE in April 2013. The Proclamation 2015 Question and Answer Document was approved by the SBOE in July 2013. Instructional materials were adopted in November 2014 under Proclamation 2015.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND SIGNIFICANT ISSUES: TEC, §31.023, requires the SBOE to adopt a list of instructional materials that meet physical specifications adopted by the SBOE and contain material covering at least half of the essential knowledge and skills for the subject and grade level. In addition, TEC, §31.023, requires that each instructional material on the adopted list be free from factual errors at the time the contracts are executed.
The following subject areas and grade levels were included in Proclamation 2015: social studies, grades K-12; mathematics, grades 9-12; fine arts, grades K-12; and Principles and Elements of Floral Design. A state textbook review panel was appointed by the commissioner to evaluate instructional materials in these subjects for coverage of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). State review panel members were asked to list any factual errors found during the course of their evaluations.
Following the initial review, publishers received preliminary reports for each of their products. Publishers had several options following receipt of the preliminary reports: they could (1) agree with the recommendations and take no action; (2) provide documentation supporting coverage of TEKS in their original submissions; (3) submit new content to cover TEKS considered not addressed; (4) exercise any combination of these options; or (5) withdraw their products from the process. In accordance with 19 TAC §66.63(b)-(d), publishers also had the option to request a show-cause hearing to protest the preliminary recommendations. The Report and Recommendations from the Commissioner of Education Regarding Instructional Materials Offered for Adoption under Proclamation 2015 incorporates the results of the initial review, as well as the results of any of these options exercised by publishers.
The board adopted instructional materials in November 2014 under Proclamation 2015. At that time materials submitted by WorldView Software were rejected. This item provides the board the opportunity to reconsider Basic American History I: Pre-Columbian Years to Reconstruction, Economics: An Interactive Approach, U.S. Government: An Interactive Approach, American History II: Post-Civil War America to the Present, and World Geography: An Interactive Approach for placement on the adopted list.
FISCAL IMPACT: None.
PUBLIC AND STUDENT BENEFIT: Students will have access to additional social studies instructional materials aligned to revised TEKS for use beginning in the 2015-2016 school year.
PROCEDURAL AND REPORTING IMPLICATIONS: Adopted materials will be included in the educational materials (EMAT) online system.
PUBLIC COMMENTS: None.
ALTERNATIVES: None.
OTHER COMMENTS AND RELATED ISSUES: None.
MOTION TO BE CONSIDERED: The State Board of Education:
Require WorldView Software to make corrections listed in the Report of the Commissioner of Education Concerning Required Corrections of Factual Errors.
Require that the instructional materials meet applicable established manufacturing standards and specifications.
Place Basic American History I: Pre-Columbian Years to Reconstruction, Economics: An Interactive Approach, U.S. Government: An Interactive Approach, American History II: Post-Civil War America to the Present, and World Geography: An Interactive Approach instructional materials submitted for adoption on the adopted list.
Staff Members Responsible:
Monica Martinez, Associate Commissioner
Standards and Programs
Kelly Callaway, Division Director
Instructional Materials and Educational Technology
Attachments:
I. Statutory Citations (PDF, 17KB)
II. Recommended WorldView Materials for adoption (PDF, 39KB)
III. Report of the Commissioner of Education Concerning Required Corrections of Factual Errors – WorldView materials (PDF, 122KB)