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    Farmersville Unified School District Textbook Adoption Process

    The district instructional materials selection process shall identify the core program instructional materials selection for Farmersville Unified School District. The Curriculum and Special Projects Division shall convene a review committee for each instructional area included in the adoption.

    The committee(s) shall include, but are not limited to:

    • adequate representatives from each school level addressed in the adoption
    • district expert teachers in the content areas of adoption
    • staff from the departments of Special Education, English Learners, and Assessment
    • Parents and community members 

    The committee shall review only those materials approved for adoption by the California Department of Education. The review committee shall consider the following Board Policy criteria when selecting materials for recommendation to the Board of Education. 

    • Alignment of instructional materials with the state content standards.
    • Alignment of district curriculum which includes instructional materials that present a broad spectrum of knowledge and viewpoints, reflect society's diversity, and enhance the use multiple teaching strategies and technologies.
    • The capacity of the instructional materials to meet the educational needs of the students served by the district.
    • When appropriate, the availability of intervention materials aligned to the core program materials
    • Digital based materials aligned to state content standards
    • How the materials support K-12 articulation of instruction.

    While the committee is charged with recommending the most aligned and appropriate materials for the district, the committee may take into consideration the allocated amount provided for instructional materials purchase.
    In a year in which there is more than one major adoption or limited funding, the respective committees shall work together to ensure that there is proper distribution of funds to each area.
    The committee shall help to ensure equity in publisher access to the committee members and ensure that contacts with district staffs follow state regulations around these contacts. Publishers shall not contact schools directly unless authorized by the district.


    Field-Testing/Piloting or Complimentary Materials
    All field-testing and piloting of instructional materials shall comply with CDE regulations regarding pilot testing materials and shall subject to the approval of the Assistant Superintendent. District personnel shall not accept complimentary materials once a publisher has been listed on the approved list for adoption by the California Department of Education. The only exception to this regulation is the provision of review materials in reasonable quantities. Pilot materials training shall be provided to teachers piloting instructional materials. Feedback from teachers piloting materials shall be made available to the Board before the materials are adopted.

    Public Review of Instructional Materials Considered for Adoption
    The Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Special Projects shall maintain a display of sample instructional materials being considered for adoption. These materials shall be available for review on-site by public school personnel, parents/legal guardians and members of the community. The Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Special Projects shall publicize information concerning the review of instructional materials to school personnel and the community. The district shall post a notice of Board of Education hearing in three public places within the district containing the time, place and purpose of the hearing.

    Adoption of Instructional Materials
    The review committee, as per the direction of the Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Special Projects, shall present the review process, information about committee membership, the final recommendations for the adoption, and a plan to fully implement the instructional materials to the Board. The Assistant Superintendent in consultation with the Superintendent shall recommended approval of the final selection and presents this information to the Board of Education.

    Once materials are approved, the Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Special Projects shall order the materials, maintain a record of inventory, and manage their timely distribution to schools.

    Funding of Adopted Instructional Materials
    Instructional materials funds are allocated as part of the Unrestricted Lottery Funds provided by the California Department of Education directly to the district and are discretionary by nature. Any shortfall in this allocation may be made up by district funds.

    The purchase shall ensure that each student has appropriate instructional material for his/her personal use during their time in that class.

    After the district purchase of the instructional materials additional funds may be distributed to the schools for the replacement of instructional materials that are lost, destroyed, or stolen as well as for consumable materials.

    Implementation of Instructional Materials
    Individual school principals shall be responsible for ensuring that the instructional materials are distributed to teachers and fully implemented in their schools. Professional development for teachers on the newly adopted instructional materials shall be included as an integral component of the implementation process.