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Instructional Materials and Educational Technology Newsletter December 2007 State Board of Education Adopts Changes to Rules for Instructional Materials On November 16, 2007, the State Board of Education adopted changes to administrative rules regarding the adoption and distribution of instructional materials. The following rule action was filed with the Texas Register on Wednesday, December 5, 2007, for publication in the December 21, 2007, issue:
Adopted
Amendments to 19 TAC Chapter 66, State Adoption and Distribution of
Instructional Materials, Subchapter A, General Provisions;
Subchapter B, State Adoption of Instructional Materials; and
Subchapter C, Local Operations. The rules are available online at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/rules/home/sboeadopt.html. State Board of Education Awards Contracts for Production and Delivery of Braille and Large Type Instructional Materials
On November 16, 2007, the State Board of Education (SBOE) awarded contracts for production and delivery of braille and large type versions of the newly adopted instructional materials in elementary mathematics that will be used in school districts and open-enrollment charter schools beginning in school year 2008-2009. This action was taken to ensure that braille and large type readers in Texas school districts and charter schools have equal access to mathematics materials.
Proposals from the Region 4 Education Service Center (ESC), Houston, Texas and Visual Aid Volunteers, Inc. of Garland, Texas were accepted by the board for production of braille masters and proposals from the Region 4 ESC and the Region 20 ESC of San Antonio, Texas were accepted to produce and deliver copies of braille textbooks to school districts and charter schools. For production and delivery of large type versions of the newly adopted elementary mathematics instructional materials to districts and charter schools, the board accepted a proposal from DocuData Solutions of Houston, Texas.
These actions by the board followed the Texas Education Agency’s receipt of recommendations from two review panels of experts in braille and outstanding teachers of the visually impaired that examined braille and large type textbook samples and proposals submitted by producers in response to agency requests for proposals. Information on Initial Steps for Acquiring Instructional Materials for School Year 2008-09: Submit Local Board of Trustees Certification Form to TEA by April 1, 2008 On November 16, 2007, the SBOE, adopted Elementary mathematics materials. A list of the mathematics materials that were adopted by the board and placed on the conforming list can be found at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/textbooks/adoptprocess/index.html under “Information Related to Proclamation 2005.” No programs submitted under Proclamation 2005 were placed on the nonconforming materials list. Now that the SBOE has adopted new instructional materials, the Texas Administrative Code §66.104 (a) requires that each local board of trustees of a school district or governing body of an open-enrollment charter school adopt a policy for selecting instructional materials for that district. Final selections of materials are to be recorded in the minutes of the board of trustees or governing body. Next, key information, including a certification that the materials requisitioned in the Educational Materials (EMAT) system have in fact been selected by the local board of trustees and also an indication of preferred shipments dates must be reported to the agency. This is needed so that Agency staff can properly process district requisitions and plan freight deliveries of instructional materials to districts. This information should be submitted to the Agency on the Local Board of Trustees Certification form, found at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/textbooks/forms/certificate.rtf, and it is due to the Agency by April 1, 2008. We are announcing the April 1 due date at this time to allow each school district and charter school to form their local adoption committee, make their local adoption selections, and acquire the signatures of the local board president and board secretary. Districts are asked to ensure that the following information is included on the form: (1) the name of the school district or charter school, (2) the county-district number of the school district or charter school, (3) the signature of the local board president and board secretary, and (4) an indication of the three separate one-week periods in the summer that the district would prefer to receive shipments of instructional materials. The form should be mailed to Texas Education Agency, Instructional Materials and Educational Technology, 1701 North Congress Avenue, Austin, Texas 78701 or sent by fax to the attention of Robert Lopez at (512) 475-3612. The form must be returned to the IMET division before staff can process school year 2008-2009 instructional materials’ requisitions in EMAT. Updated by JMcDaniel on 12/18/07 |
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