Textual Materials Adoption Committee DraftRecommendations

9th, 11th and 12th Grade Science

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Adoption Committee Application and Selection Process

Application Process

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Committee Selection

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Adoption Committee

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Publisher Notification

When the funds for a scheduled adoption are identified, the Professional Library/Textbook Office contacts the regional textbook publishers association, WOATRA/ the Washington Oregon Alaska Textbook Representatives Association. At the direction of the Adoption Coordinator, we announce in the WOATRA newsletter the subject, grade level(s) and general parameters of what instructional materials we intend to adopt. We also identify the approximate date we intend to come to our final decision. In addition, if a publisher who is not a member of WOATRA contacts the Textbook Office, we send them the same information we supplied to WOATRA.

Publishers are requested to submit three copies of any instructional materials they want to come under consideration for adoption. Materials are sent ONLY to the Professional Library/Textbook Office Seattle Public Schools Stanford Center 22-636 PO Box 34165 2445 3rd Av S Seattle, WA 98124 . The contact person is Carol Sword (206) 252-0227 or csword@seattleschools.org.

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Instructional Materials Committee (IMC)

The Instructional Materials Committee (IMC) is led by Carol Sword, Instructional Materials Specialist. The committee includes building and district administrators. Their role in a materials adoption process is to review, revise and/or approve the proposed process, timeline, committee, criteria, and selected materials. Please contact Carol Sword for more information about the IMC.

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Screening Tools

Materials adoption committees develop initial and comprehensive criteria. The comprehensive criteria is a longer and more in-depth document that is used to review the top three choices. The initial criteria is a shorter version of the longer document, and is used to screen all of the materials submitted by publishers, in order to narrow down to the top three. All members of the mathematics adoption committees (both core and advanced) have input into the criteria. They review criteria from other districts, identify potential criteria, share their lists of criteria, review and comment on their colleagues’ criteria, and ultimately reduce the criteria to a workable list. The criteria will include the following categories: Assessment, Cultural Relevance, Content, Pedagogy, Student Needs, and Teacher Tools and Resources. These criteria will be posted in early January, upon approval from the Instructional Materials Committee (IMC).

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State Rankings of High School Mathematics Materials

OSPI and the State Board of Education are currently in the process of ranking high school mathematics materials based on how well the materials align with the new state mathematics standards (Performance Expectations). The preliminary rankings are expected in early January, and the final rankings are due no later than January 31. Our high school mathematics adoption committees will give weight to these rankings, during the screening, narrowing, and final selection process for Seattle students. Washington State Comprehensive Instructional Materials Review Information (grades 9 – 12)

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Public Review, Student Focus Group, and Site Visits

Once the Core and Advanced Math committees have identified their top three choices of mathematics materials, these materials will be available at the John Stanford Center for public review. Students, school staff, family, and community members will be able to review the materials and write comments for the committees’ consideration as they begin the final review process.

After the public review process has taken place, committee members will meet with panels of teachers who have used the finalist materials (either in or out of district) that are currently using one of the top three choices.

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Updated: April 7, 2009