July 2015 Committee on Instruction Item 8
Approval of Exceptions of Standards and Specifications Requirements for Products Adopted under Proclamation 2015
July 17, 2015
COMMITTEE ON INSTRUCTION: ACTION
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION: ACTION
SUMMARY: The State Board of Education (SBOE) adopted instructional materials called for in Proclamation 2015 in November 2014. Administrative rules in 19 TAC Chapter 66, State Adoption and Distribution of Instructional Materials, Subchapter A, General Provisions, §66.7, Manufacturing Standards and Specifications, require that all adopted instructional materials comply with the standards in the Manufacturing Standards and Specifications for Textbooks (MSST). Some publishers have requested exemptions to specific standards. This item provides an opportunity for the SBOE to approve these exceptions to the requirements in order to allow the materials to remain in the EMAT system and available for district ordering.
STATUTORY AUTHORITY: Texas Education Code (TEC), §31.022 and 31.023.
PREVIOUS BOARD ACTION: Proclamation 2015 was issued by the SBOE in April 2013. Instructional materials were adopted in November 2014 through Proclamation 2015.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND SIGNIFICANT ISSUES: The TEC, §31.023, requires the SBOE to adopt applicable physical specifications for instructional materials on the adopted list. Current rule in 19 TAC, §66.7 establishes that all instructional materials adopted by the SBOE must comply with the Manufacturing Standards and Specifications for Textbooks (MSST) approved by the national Advisory Commission on Textbook Specifications. If it is determined that good cause exists, the commissioner of education may recommend that the SBOE grant an exception to this requirement.
The deadline approved by the SBOE for publishers to provide proof of adherence to Manufacturing Standards and Specifications for Textbooks (MSST) was Friday, May 1, 2015. Several publishers indicated that they did not meet one or more of the required standards. TEA staff was able to work with all but two to bring their materials into compliance. Cengage Learning, Inc. and Tempo Press have one or more products that do not meet a specific margin requirement of the MSST. In order to bring the materials into compliance with the margin requirements, the publishers would have to reprint the materials.
FISCAL IMPACT: None.
PUBLIC AND STUDENT BENEFIT: Districts will have access to more choice in SBOE-adopted instructional materials aligned to revised Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for use beginning in the 2015-2016 school year.
PROCEDURAL AND REPORTING IMPLICATIONS: None.
PUBLIC COMMENTS: None.
ALTERNATIVES: None.
OTHER COMMENTS AND RELATED ISSUES: None.
MOTION TO BE CONSIDERED: The State Board of Education:
Approve an exemption for Cengage Learning, Inc., Timmons: Mathematical Models with Applications (Texas Edition), and Tempo Press, Expressive Techniques for Orchestra, from the Manufacturing Standards and Specifications for Textbooks (MSST) print margin requirements and allow these materials to be available in the education materials system (EMAT).
Staff Members Responsible:
Monica Martinez, Associate Commissioner
Standards and Programs
Kelly Callaway, Division Director
Instructional Materials and Educational Technology
Attachment:
Statutory Citations (PDF, 22KB)