Request for Special Consideration Regarding an Update to Adopted Instructional Materials
April 15, 2011
COMMITTEE OF THE FULL BOARD: ACTION
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION: ACTION
SUMMARY: One publisher has requested approval to update adopted instructional materials. Great Source, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, is requesting to update its Texas Assessment Preparation student consumable and Texas Assessment Preparation teacher edition for its adopted Texas Write Source products for grades 2-12. These products were adopted under Proclamation 2011 in November of 2010 and are scheduled to be implemented in schools beginning with the 2011-2012 school year. Approval of the update would entail waiving one requirement of the update process described in 19 Texas Administrative Code §66.75.
STATUTORY AUTHORITY: Statutory Authority for this action is the Texas Education Code (TEC), §31.022, and 19 Texas Administrative Code (TAC) §66.75.
PREVIOUS BOARD ACTION: In November 2010, the State Board of Education (SBOE) adopted instructional materials under Proclamation 2011.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND SIGNIFICANT ISSUES: In its English Language Arts (ELA) submissions for each grade 2 through 12 submitted for adoption under Proclamation 2011, Great Source, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, included a Texas Assessment Preparation student consumable and Texas Assessment Preparation teacher edition. In November 2010, the SBOE adopted all of Great Source’s submissions for ELA as conforming under Proclamation 2011.
In accordance with the requirements of the proclamation, Great Source provided a list of editorial changes that it intended to make to its Texas Assessment Preparation student consumable and Texas Assessment Preparation teacher edition. Upon review of these proposed editorial changes, TEA staff determined that the extent of the revisions reflected a complete update to the components rather than only minor editorial changes.
Accordingly, Great Source has requested permission to update its Texas Assessment Preparation student consumable and Texas Assessment Preparation teacher edition included in its adopted ELA products in grades 2-12. This presents a unique circumstance: a publisher is requesting to update its products after the initial adoption, but before the products are delivered to schools for implementation. SBOE rule 19 TAC §66.75(c) directs that requests for the approval of updates shall not be approved during the first year unless changes in technology, curriculum, or other reasons warrant.
SBOE rule §66.75(a) requires a publisher requesting an update to provide two copies of the updated edition and one copy of the currently adopted edition. Great Source is unable to provide two copies of the final, bound updated editions, because the books have not yet been manufactured. Great Source has provided unbound camera-ready copy of the newer versions.
Because the final, bound versions of the updated editions of the books are not yet available, the appropriate curriculum subject-area staff provided a limited review of the camera-ready copy provided by the publisher. The state textbook review panels that evaluated the Write Source products during the summer of 2010 and recommended them as conforming did not cite either the Texas Assessment Preparation student consumable or the Texas Assessment Preparation teacher edition components in making the determination that the submissions addressed all of the required TEKS.
FISCAL IMPACT: None.
PUBLIC AND STUDENT BENEFIT: Product updates provide revised student and teacher editions.
PROCEDURAL AND REPORTING IMPLICATIONS: Indication of the updated product will be made in the Educational Materials and Textbooks (EMAT) online system.
PUBLIC COMMENTS: None.
ALTERNATIVES: None.
OTHER COMMENTS AND RELATED ISSUES: None.
Respectfully submitted,
Robert Scott
Commissioner of Education
Staff Members Responsible:
Anita Givens, Associate Commissioner
Standards and Programs
Norma Torres-Martinez, Deputy Associate Commissioner
Standards and Alignment
John Lopez, Managing Director
Instructional Materials and Educational Technology
Separate Exhibit:
Update Request Side-by-Side Comparison