April 2021 Committee on Instruction Item 3

Approval of Update to Instructional Materials for EDUSPARK, Inc.

April 16, 2021

COMMITTEE ON INSTRUCTION: ACTION
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION: CONSENT

SUMMARY:  EDUSPARK, Inc. is requesting approval to update content in its adopted products EDUSPARK PreK System (English) and Sistema EDUSPARK PreK (Spanish). The updated content has been reviewed by curriculum subject-area specialists and determined to address the pertinent student expectations in a manner equal to the content initially reviewed and approved by the state review panel.  

STATUTORY AUTHORITY:  Texas Education Code (TEC), §31.003 and §31.022.

TEC, §31.003, permits the State Board of Education (SBOE) to adopt rules for the adoption, requisition, distribution, care, use, and disposal of instructional materials. 

TEC, §31.022(b), requires the SBOE to adopt rules to provide for a full and complete investigation of instructional materials for each subject in the foundation curriculum and for each subject in the enrichment curriculum.

The full text of statutory citations can be found in the statutory authority section of this agenda.

PREVIOUS BOARD ACTION:  Prekindergarten materials from EDUSPARK, Inc. were adopted in November 2020.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND JUSTIFICATION:  Rules in 19 Texas Administrative Code §66.75 permit a publisher to submit a request for approval to substitute an updated edition of state-adopted instructional materials. The rule also requires that all requests for updates involving content in state-adopted instructional materials be approved by the SBOE prior to their introduction into state-adopted instructional materials. 

MOTION TO BE CONSIDERED: The State Board of Education:

Approve the request from EDUSPARK, Inc. to update content in its adopted products EDUSPARK PreK System (English) and Sistema EDUSPARK PreK (Spanish).

Staff Members Responsible:
Melissa Lautenschlager, Director, Instructional Materials and Implementation
Amie Williams, Director, Review and Adoption

Attachment I:        
EDUSPARK, Inc. Update Request (English)

Attachment II:       
EDUSPARK, Inc. Update Request (Spanish)