Press Release

PROPOSED TEXTBOOK POLICIES WOULD YIELD CONSISTENCY

A series of proposed policies, considered by the Board of Education on first reading this week, would result in greater commonality throughout the district in the textbooks used in reading, writing, mathematics, science, and social studies.

If the plan is approved, the district would limit the number of adopted textbooks in those core subject areas. Additionally, the district would require schools to purchase textbooks the year after they are adopted. Waivers would only be granted for exceptional circumstances.

The new policies would yield a district in which students who move from one school to another would more likely recognize - and be familiar with - the textbooks in use.

The common learning materials would make staff development more focused and organized, said Wayne Eckerling, Assistant Superintendent for Educational Services.

And purchasing would be more efficient, given the large-volume discounts that would be available. Publishers, said Eckerling, are more likely to offer supplemental materials, including software, as incentives.

Overall, the new policies represent one important strategy for improving student achievement, said Eckerling.

In all, three policies are being considered. The Board is seeking public comment at its August 3 public hearing and has scheduled a vote for August 17. Full texts of the proposals are posted here.

Board member Les Woodward said he recognized the "trade off" of putting more district control over a matter that has largely been left to individual site discretion for years. But given the "reasonably mobile population" within the district, he said, the proposal looks "desirable."

One policy spells out the overarching criteria for textbook adoption:

1. The extent to which they are aligned with Denver Public Schools Standards for Success, district goals, and adopted curricula.
2. The extent to which they meet a wide range of needs, interests, and abilities of students.
3. The extent to which they reflect diversity in such areas as ethnicity, gender, national origin and handicapping conditions.

A companion "Textbook Selection and Adoption" policy spells out how new textbooks in each subject area would be considered for adoption on a rotating schedule. It suggests an "identification phase" to textbook review, including establishing curriculum committees, scheduling textbook fairs with vendors, and identification of textbooks for evaluation.

The "evaluation phase" would call on curriculum committees to review and evaluate textbooks, to ensure that they are aligned with district content standards, among many other criteria.

Next, a "review phase" would call for feedback from parents, community and the Board of Education prior to an analysis against an "evaluation matrix" that puts some numerical values to the review process.

Finally, the Board would consider adoption of one or more textbooks in each subject area. Schools would be required to begin buying one of the newly adopted textbooks the following year.

The third policy would govern the purchase of instructional materials.

It reads, in part: "It shall be the district's policy that each school will ensure that all students have access to textbooks and all other learning materials used in the core classes, and that students shall have maximum ability to use such materials both at school and as a resource to do homework."

The procedures for instructional materials include a section that allows for tighter inventory control of materials, including a requirement that students pay for or replace damaged or lost books. Provisions allow for the student's grades, transcript, and diploma to be withheld if payment is not made.