September 2015 Committee of the Full Board Item 4
Proposed Amendments to Proclamation 2017 of the State Board of Education
Advertising for Bids for Instructional Materials
September 11, 2015
COMMITTEE OF THE FULL BOARD: ACTION
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION: ACTION
SUMMARY: This item provides an opportunity for the State Board of Education (SBOE) to amend Proclamation 2017 to make technical edits and to include requirements related to accessible instructional materials. The subjects and courses included in Proclamation 2017 are career and technical education, languages other than English, Special Topics in Social Studies, Statistics, and Algebraic Reasoning. The adoption of materials submitted in response to Proclamation 2017 is scheduled for November 2016 and school districts and open-enrollment charter schools are scheduled to begin using the materials adopted under the proclamation in school year 2017-2018.
STATUTORY AUTHORITY: Statutory authority for this action is the Texas Education Code (TEC), §31.022, which 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.
PREVIOUS BOARD ACTION: At the July 2014 meeting the board took action to change the effective date of Proclamation 2016 to delay for one calendar year. Proclamation 2017 was issued by the SBOE in April 2015. Proclamation 2017 Questions and Answers was approved by the SBOE in July 2015.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND SIGNIFICANT ISSUES: Since the SBOE’s call for electronic supplemental science materials in 2011, the number of adopted electronic materials has grown steadily. Electronic materials are not covered by TEC §31.028, relating to special instructional materials. Under that provision, accessible print materials are produced for students with visual impairments. Electronic materials, however, must be accessible to students with a wide range of disabilities. The proclamation requires that all electronic instructional materials be fully accessible for students with disabilities, as did other proclamations issued since 2011. A proposed amendment adds a requirement that publishers of electronic materials provide unbiased evidence that their materials are fully accessible, thus ensuring they are meeting that requirement. Additionally, technical edits are proposed to make minor corrections to the proclamation.
FISCAL IMPACT: The agency is currently conducting an audit of electronic materials adopted under Proclamation 2014 to ensure they meet accessibility requirements. It is likely that a similar audit will be required for Proclamation 2015 products. TEA has $769,000 budgeted for an audit of products adopted under Proclamation 2014. The proposed amendments are expected to save the agency a cost similar to the Proclamation 2014 cost of conducting these audits while still providing the public with an assurance that adopted electronic materials meet accessibility requirements.
PUBLIC AND STUDENT BENEFIT: Benefits include the availability of fully accessible electronic instructional materials aligned to revised standards in the year in which new and revised standards are implemented.
PROCEDURAL AND REPORTING IMPLICATIONS: None.
PUBLIC COMMENTS: None.
MOTION TO BE CONSIDERED: The State Board of Education:
Approve proposed amendments to Proclamation 2017 of the State Board of Education Advertising for Bids for Instructional Materials.
OTHER COMMENTS AND RELATED ISSUES: None.
Staff Members Responsible:
Monica Martinez, Associate Commissioner
Standards and Programs
Kelly Callaway, Division Director
Instructional Materials and Educational Technology
Attachments:
I. Statutory Citations (PDF, 22KB)
II. Proposed Amendments to Proclamation 2017 of the State Board of Education (PDF, 347KB)