2020P - Curriculum Development and Adoption of Core Instructional Materials

The curriculum of the District shall be reviewed on a regular basis subject to budgetary limitations.

District course design and core instructional materials should be reviewed to ensure their ongoing alignment with state law, teaching and learning standards, and research-based best practices. All students will receive high-quality core instruction and, as appropriate, strategic and intensive intervention supports matched to their needs.

Definitions

For the purpose of policy and procedure 2020P, the following definitions will apply:

Course Design is the process that includes identifying and sequencing essential content to support students’ skill development towards state learning standards. Course design involves providing teachers with appropriate instructional materials, professional development, and support systems as they implement the course.

Instructional Materials are materials designed for students and their teachers as learning resources to help students acquire facts and skills, develop cognitive processes, and meet state learning standards. Instructional materials may be printed or digital and may include textbooks, technology-based materials, other educational media, and assessments. They may carry different licensing types, from open to all rights reserved. For the purposes of this policy, there are five categories of instructional materials:

Core Instructional Materials are the primary instructional resources for a given course. They are district-approved and provided to all students to help meet learning standards and provide instruction toward course requirements.

Alternative Core Materials are the primary instructional materials for a given course used with a subset of students. These materials are intended to replace approved core materials and may be used for specialized course offerings or flexible learning environments.

Intervention Materials are designed to support strategic or intensive intervention for students at risk of not meeting established learning standards. Intervention materials are used with students to accelerate progress toward particular learning goals based on systematic assessment, decision-making, and progress monitoring.

Supplemental Instructional Materials are used in conjunction with the core instructional materials of a course that are not expressly required by the school or district and are instead selected at a teacher’s discretion. These items extend and support instruction. They include, but are not limited to, books, periodicals, visual aids, video, sound recordings, computer software, and other digital content.

Temporary Supplemental Materials are those items used in conjunction with the core instructional materials of a course that are of interest or value for a short period and are chosen within district-established guidelines. They are not intended to supplant the adopted curriculum nor be used on a regular instructional basis. Examples might include timely articles from relevant, reliable sources, websites, or news broadcasts. The use of temporary supplemental materials for over one year requires consideration of the material as either part of the core instructional material for a course or supplemental material for the course, depending on the nature and scope of the material.

Instructional Materials Committee is the body that recommends core instructional materials to the board based on superintendent-established procedures.

 

I. Course Design

A. Existing Courses

The superintendent or designee will establish a regular cycle of course design review and development that includes examination by review committees composed of district subject area coordinators and, as appropriate, external content area experts. This review cycle should be based on student needs, changing demographics, and funding. The cycle should cover each content area to ensure current course relevance. The course design process should review the following:

1. Relevance, rigor, and alignment to state learning standards.
2. Efficacy of core, alternative core, and intervention instructional materials that support student learning.
3. Processes and resources used to assess student progress and address teacher professional learning

Based on this review, the following might occur:

1. Affirmation of continued use of current processes and instructional materials.
2. Establishment of a timeline for completion of recommended tasks.
3. Creation and assignment of tasks to subcommittees as required to select, write, or revise the course design.
4. Recommendation of new instructional materials selection to the Instructional Materials Committee (IMC).Design of course implementation and staff development plans.
5. Identification of projected budget needs in accordance with established timelines.
6. Maintained communications with impacted stakeholders

 

B. New Courses or Major Modifications to Existing Courses

The superintendent or designee will review new course offerings or major course modifications that propose significant changes to course objectives or scope before they are scheduled to ensure that the course is rigorous, uses appropriate instructional materials, and is carefully considered part of the school’s college and career pathways.

When implementing new or modified courses requires adopting new instructional resources, the IMC will consider those resources using the process outlined in this procedure.

II. Selection and Adoption of Instructional Materials

For the purposes of this procedure, instructional materials used in the district will be classified as core, alternative core, intervention, supplemental, and temporary supplemental. They shall be selected according to the following procedures. The principal is responsible for ensuring their certificated staff is familiar with this procedure. The district will provide the technical assistance necessary to accomplish this.

 

A. Roles and Responsibilities in the Selection and Adoption of Instructional Materials

Core Materials

Core materials follow the adoption procedure described in this regulation and are adopted by the board.

Intervention Instructional Material Selection
Instructional materials designed to support strategic or intensive intervention for students at risk of not meeting established learning standards will be approved by the superintendent or designee based on evidence from reputable sources (e.g., National Center on Response to Intervention, Johns Hopkins Best Evidence Encyclopedia).

Alternative Core Instructional Material Selection
The superintendent or designee will establish procedures for approving schools' use of alternative core materials for specialized course offerings or flexible learning environments. In many cases, the superintendent may decide that certificated staff designated by the building principal should select these alternative core materials.

Supplemental Instructional Material Selection
Supplemental materials are selected within district guidelines, not requiring board approval. 

The primary purpose of supplemental materials includes the following:

• Address current topics or events that have arisen since development of the scope and sequence will receive consideration.
• Provide for the various ability levels and interests of students.
• Provide more depth or detail on content in core curriculum.

Supplemental instructional materials must meet the following criteria:

1. Shall compliment, not replace Core/Standard Instructional Materials.
2. Shall not replace or shorten any portion of the scope and sequence.
3. Shall be consistent with the district equity framework for supplemental materials.
4. Shall provide opposing views on issues to support students in applying critical thinking, when applicable.
5. Shall respect the worth, dignity, and personal values of individual students.

Staff may be directed to cease utilizing supplemental materials inconsistent with the purposes of the school system or the process or criteria stated within this section of the Regulation.

 

B. Social Studies Instructional Materials Review or Adoption

In compliance with RCW 28A.320.170, when the board adopts or reviews the District’s social studies course design, it will incorporate the history, culture, and government of the nearest federally recognized Indian tribe or tribes using the John McCoy (lulilas) Since Time Immemorial: Tribal Sovereignty in Washington State instructional materials on the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) website. The District may adapt these resources for regional relevance or integrate them into existing instructional materials.

During regularly scheduled reviews and revisions of its social studies and history courses, the District will collaborate with any federally recognized tribe within or near its boundaries to incorporate expanded and improved instructional materials about Indian tribes and create classroom and community cultural exchange programs. OSPI’s Office of Native Education will help identify federally recognized Indian tribes whose reservations are in whole or in part within the district’s boundaries and those nearest to the District.

The District will collaborate with OSPI on instructional areas regarding tribal government and history that are statewide in nature, such as the concept of tribal sovereignty and the history of federal policy towards federally recognized Indian tribes.

C. Inclusive Instructional Materials

In compliance with RCW 28A.345.130, the board, within available materials, must adopt inclusive curricula and select diverse, equitable, inclusive, age-appropriate instructional materials that include the histories, contributions, and perspectives of historically marginalized and underrepresented groups including, but not limited to, people from various racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds, people with differing learning needs, people with disabilities, LGBTQ people as the term is defined in RCW 43.114.010, and people with various socioeconomic and immigration backgrounds.

In adopting curricula and selecting instructional materials, the board must seek curricula and instructional materials that are culturally and experientially diverse as possible, recognizing that the availability of materials that include the histories, contributions, and perspectives of historically marginalized and underrepresented groups may vary.

 

D. Instructional Material Delivery Formats

Instructional materials may be delivered in many formats, including textbooks, technology-based materials, or other educational media.

 

E. Open Educational Resources

Open Educational Resources (OERs) are teaching and learning resources that reside in the public domain or have been released under an intellectual property license that permits their free use and re-purposing by others. A wide variety of free, high-quality instructional content is available, from supplemental to core instructional materials. Supplemental instructional materials may be found on OSPI’s Washington OER Hub. District staff are encouraged to consider OERs when selecting instructional materials. OERs are subject to the same selection and adoption procedures as other instructional materials outlined in this document.

 

F. Technology-based Resources

As new technologies rapidly evolve, district educational technology staff should be involved early in selecting and adopting core instructional materials and in developing policy regarding selecting digital supplemental materials. Key considerations include evaluating district technological impacts, ensuring compliance with student privacy and data protection laws, and promoting equitable access for students and teachers.

 

III. Core Instructional Material Selection

 

A. Instructional Materials Committee

The IMC is formed to establish and monitor the evaluation and recommendation of core materials used by the district in conformance with stated criteria. The committee will act upon requests for core material approval and evaluate and act upon a parent’s (“parent” means a parent or legal guardian of a student enrolled in the District) requests for reconsideration of core materials.

Committee meetings will be held on a schedule determined by the District. If necessary, the committee chairperson may call special meetings. The committee secretary will provide department heads, principals, and program developers with copies of the committee meeting schedule.

In alignment with RCW 28A.320.230, the IMC will include the following: representative members from the District’s professional staff, including those involved in curriculum development, and one or more parents of enrolled students, ensuring that parent members make up less than half of the committee’s total membership.

The Superintendent shall appoint the non-voting chairperson. The chairman is appointed annually by the Superintendent. Other members shall have two-year terms. Temporary appointments of one year or less may be made to fill vacancies.

The District will provide parents with reasonable notice of the opportunity to serve on the IMC and the terms of office for members. The District will also develop and implement a comprehensive outreach program to recruit a diverse pool of parent members that reflects the District's demographics and learning needs to the greatest extent possible. If the IMC cannot recruit at least one parent, it must report quarterly to the board and the public about its recruitment efforts.

Duties

The committee, with the approval of the Superintendent, shall establish and monitor such procedures as may be necessary for the implementation of this Regulation.

Community members Participation in the Instructional Materials Process

Should a community member wish to make a formal protest regarding specific material used in the school system, he/she must use the form for requesting reconsideration of instructional materials. These forms are available in the District office. A request to remove an item from the schools or limit its use will be acted upon by the committee. A written decision will be delivered to the complainant within two months. Any appeal of this decision must be delivered in writing to the superintendent within two weeks. The Board will make final decisions on appeals.

Instructional Materials Committee: Scope and Schedule

The Instructional Materials Committee is formed to establish and monitor such procedures as may be necessary for the selecting, adopting and discarding of Core/Standard instructional materials owned and used by the District. The committee will act upon requests for text/materials approval and removal and will evaluate and act upon community members' requests for reconsideration of Core/Standard instructional materials. The function of the committee is to insure that Core/Standard materials are selected in conformance to stated criteria.

Regular committee meetings will be held on an as needed basis. All meetings will be arranged through the IMC chairperson. The District will be responsible for arranging release time for committee members when appropriate. Special meetings may be called by the committee chairman if necessary.

The committee secretary will provide department heads, principals, and program developers with copies of the committee meeting schedule at the beginning of each school year.

B. Criteria for Selection of Core

Instructional Materials
Core instructional materials shall be selected based on the degree to which they do the following:

1. Demonstrate a likelihood of impact as shown by scientific or evidence-based research.
2. Enable implementation of the district’s developed curriculum and meet state standards and College Readiness requirements.
3. Provide sufficient flexibility to meet the varied needs and abilities of the students served.
4. Provide clear and appropriate differentiation components for English Language Learners, special education students, students with academic opportunity gaps, and highly capable students.
5. Where appropriate, present balanced but differing views of issues, controversial or otherwise, so students may develop critical analysis and informed decision-making skills.
6. Demonstrate consideration of appropriate formats (including technological, visual, and/or auditory components).
7. Support equitable access to learning and learning materials for all students, including the provision of appropriate, high-quality accessible instructional materials to all students with disabilities who require them.
8. Are free of stereotyping and other forms of bias, recognizing that under certain circumstances, biased materials may serve as appropriate resources to present contrasting and differing points of view, and biased materials may be employed to teach students about bias, stereotyping, and propaganda in historical or contemporary contexts. The Washington model resource, Screening for Biased Content in Instructional Materials, published by OSPI, should be consulted when selecting non-biased materials.

C. Identification of Core Instructional Materials

Core materials shall be initially selected by certificated staff assigned by the superintendent or designee. Materials must meet the Criteria for the Selection of Core Materials described above.

D. Recommendation of Core Instructional Materials

The staff assigned by the superintendent will recommend core instructional materials for the IMC to review. The IMC will review those materials in accordance with this procedure to ensure compliance with selection criteria and district equity framework for curriculum adoptions, which will be consistent with the instructional material evaluation guidance on the OSPI Course Design & Instructional Materials website.

Based on its evaluation, the IMC will recommend instructional materials to the board for adoption.

As outlined in RCW 28A.320.230, recommendations must include culturally and experientially representative instructional materials including materials on the study of the role of contributions of individuals or groups that are part of a protected class under RCW 28A.642.010 and 28A.640.010, but the board will ultimately decide what instructional materials are used.

In accordance with RCW 28A.320.233, the board cannot refuse to approve or prohibit any instructional materials for student instruction because they relate to or include the study of the role and contributions of any individual or group who is part of a protected class as established by RCW 28A.642.210 and 28A.640.010.

E. Adoption of Core Instructional Materials

Core/Standard Instructional texts/materials shall be adopted by the Board prior to their use in classrooms. Texts/materials selected previously are exempt from this requirement.

F. Regularly Scheduled Core Material Updates

Any courses using district-adapted OER as their core instructional material shall annually convene a representative group of district teachers of the course to revise and improve the core material. Adaptations shall be based on teacher and student suggestions and data from state or district assessments identifying areas of lower student performance. Revised versions of the core material will be implemented for the following school year.

If the adaptations to the core material result in significant changes to course objectives or scope, the revised resource shall be forwarded to the IMC for consideration and formal recommendation for board adoption.

G. Exceptional Needs or Rapidly Changing Circumstances

The superintendent or designee may authorize the acquisition of alternative core instructional materials to meet exceptional needs or rapidly changing circumstances. However, expanded use of core instructional materials selected for exceptional needs will require adoption through the formal process.

H. Dual Credit Programs

Dual credit programs consistent with the requirements under Chapter 28A.600 RCW, may have varying course designs as necessitated by their course credit transfer requirements.

I. Field Testing

The superintendent or designee may consider using field testing as part of the adoption process. Field testing can provide a flexible opportunity to investigate the effectiveness of curricular approaches, instructional materials, or assessment resources through careful experimentation for an identified purpose based on student needs.

The superintendent may authorize trial-use core instructional material that is experimental and field-tested for no more than one school year before the materials must be adopted through the formal process.

J. Community member Access to View Core Materials

Community members are invited to review any core instructional materials in current or proposed use. Such review may be accomplished at the school, district office, or online. The review and examination process should be arranged to avoid disrupting the educational program. Core materials should be reviewed with the knowledge of district objectives in mind.

To help community members become familiar with Core/Standard Instructional materials, once such materials are recommended for adoption or field test, they are placed on public display for a minimum period of two weeks prior to Board action.

K. Removal of Core Instructional Materials

Core/Standard Instructional materials may be removed from collections at any time that they no longer meet the criteria for initial selection outlined in “Criteria for Selection of Instructional Material.” Any Core/Standard Instructional materials may be removed when the administration judges such removal to be in the best interests of the District. Ordinary procedures for withdrawal of materials are outlined below:

Core/Standard Instructional texts/materials shall be removed from schools as they are replaced during the adoption cycle based on the criteria for selection in this procedure.

 

Protest Process for any Instructional Materials

In accordance with RCW 28A.320.230, the process for receiving, considering, and acting upon complaints regarding the district's core instructional materials is described below.

A complainant wishing to protest use of any instructional materials (Core/Standard Instructional, or supplemental or ephemeral) in the school system must use the form for requesting reconsideration of instructional materials. These forms are available from the building principal or the District curriculum office. The complainant, defined as the concerned party, i.e. community member, student, staff or the professional Teacher Association, shall adhere to the following process:

1. Confer with the teacher. The complainant shall communicate the concern to the person(s) primarily responsible for the use of the materials. The two parties shall make every effort to resolve the concern. The principal or department head may be involved at the request of either party.
2. Confer with the principal. If the matter is not resolved, the complainant may ask the building principal or the District curriculum office for the Request for the Re-Evaluation of Materials form and a copy and explanation of the Challenged Material Procedure.
3. Submit written protest. The complainant shall complete the Request for the Re-Evaluation of Materials form and shall submit the complaint to the Superintendent. Within 10 days of receipt of the complaint, the Superintendent or designee will schedule a meeting with the complainant to make an effort to resolve the concern.
4. IMC Review.  If the concern could not be resolved with the Superintendent or designee, within 10 school days of meeting with the complainant the Superintendent shall forward the Request for the Re-Evaluation of Materials form The IMC shall re-evaluate the materials with the specific objections in mind as they relate to the District goals and philosophy of selection of instructional materials. In cases where the material has gone through a selection process, this committee shall take into consideration the actions of the selection committee. The IMC shall request the complainant and person(s) primarily responsible for the use of the material to appear before the committee to add information relative to the complaint.
5. Superintendent decision. The Superintendent may accept or reject the IMC's recommendation. The decision must be issued within 60 days of the meeting between the parent or within 90 days of receiving the complaint, whichever is later. The Superintendent shall communicate his/her decision in writing to the complainant and the person(s) primarily responsible for use of the material.
6. Appeal Process. Upon request of either party, the Board shall review the Superintendent's decision. Such request for Board review must be made within ten (10) school days of receipt of the Superintendent's decision. If a request is not received within ten (10) school days, the challenge process shall be considered completed. If a request for Board review is submitted, the Board shall have thirty (30) calendar days in which to make a decision.

Any disputed materials shall remain in use in the school system until the challenge process has been completed.

The decisions made under this process must comply with RCW 28A.320.233, be based on the selection criteria for core instructional material described in this procedure and may apply only to the student or students whose parent or guardian submitted the complaint.

A. Selection of Supplemental Novels

Staff who wish to utilize an additional supplemental novel consistent with the purposes of the school system, not processed through IMC, shall submit a request for District approval through Teaching and Learning Services. Through the IMC a scope and sequence is also developed to delineate the skills/content taught and Core/Standard Instructional materials used throughout a course. In Language Arts, materials and novels and “District approved supplemental novels” are indicated in the scope and sequence.

In accordance with RCW 28A.320.233, principals and professional staff cannot refuse to approve or prohibit any supplemental instructional materials for student instruction because they relate to or include the study of the role and contributions of any individual or group who is part of a protected class as established by RCW 28A.642.210 and 28A.640.010.

B. Requests for Review and Removal of Supplemental Instructional Materials
 

1. Request for Review: A parent may submit a written request to review and remove supplemental instructional materials to the applicable teacher and principal.
2. Seeking Resolution: If the parent requests, the school will arrange a meeting with the parent, the principal, and the teacher to address the parent’s concerns and find solutions.
3. Principal’s Decision: If the issue cannot be resolved, the principal, in consultation with a teacher-librarian, will review the materials and issue a written decision on whether to remove them. The decision must be issued within 30 days of meeting with the parent or within 60 days of receiving the complaint if the parent doesn’t request a meeting.
4. Appeal Process: If the parent or teacher disagrees with the principal’s decision, they may appeal to the superintendent or designee in writing. The superintendent’s or designee’s decision is final and cannot be appealed. Once a final decision is made, the same materials may not be reconsidered for at least three years unless the superintendent determines a significant change in circumstances arises.

The decisions made under this process must comply with RCW 28A.320.233, will be based on the criteria for selecting supplemental instructional materials described in this procedure, and may apply only to the student or students whose parent submitted the complaint.

 

VII. Temporary Supplemental Material Selection

The District's professional staff will rely on reason and professional judgment in selecting high-quality temporary supplemental materials appropriate for their students' instructional programs, developmental levels, and interests.