Date: June 30, 2006
Dear County and District Superintendents, Assistant Superintendents for Curriculum, and Charter School Administrators:
History-Social Science Instructional Materials Adoption,
Kindergarten Through Grade Eight
The State Board of Education (SBE) adopted instructional materials programs for history–social science, kindergarten through grade eight, on November 9, 2005. The Price Lists of Adopted Instructional Materials at Price Lists of Adopted Instructional Materials [http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/cr/cf/ap1/plsearch.asp] comprise all individual items and the price of each, which includes the cost of shipping to any location in California. The list of adopted programs [http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/hs/im/sbehssadop.asp] is enclosed.
The SBE made its adoption of instructional materials programs contingent upon publishers making certain edits and corrections to their programs. These edits and corrections were adopted by the SBE after careful consideration and opportunity for public comment. Publishers have completed the process of incorporating these edits and corrections into the kindergarten through fifth grade materials. Those materials are, therefore, available for purchase now. Publishers are in the process of incorporating the adopted edits and corrections into the seventh and eighth grade materials, and it is expected that those materials will be available for purchase by August 9, 2006.
The process of incorporating the edits and corrections into the sixth grade instructional materials has taken longer than the other grade levels due in large part to a lawsuit, Hindu American Foundation et al. v. California State Board of Education, filed by a group interested in additional/different changes to the sections of the sixth grade texts that cover ancient India and the Hindu religion. On April 21, 2006, the judge in this matter denied the Hindu American Foundation’s (plaintiff) request for a preliminary injunction that would have stopped the printing and sale of the sixth grade materials. As a result, publishers are proceeding to complete the process of incorporating the adopted edits and corrections into the sixth grade materials and are expected to have those materials available for purchase by August 23, 2006.
However, the above-mentioned lawsuit is not yet resolved. Plaintiffs will ask the court to decide the case on its merits at a hearing tentatively scheduled for August 11 or 18, 2006. We will provide districts with more information regarding this lawsuit as it becomes available.
The Instructional Materials Funding Realignment Program (IMFRP) in Education Code sections 60420-60424, requires that governing boards use the funding received to provide each pupil with an adopted textbook or instructional materials, or both, by the start of the school term that commences no later than 24 months from the date of adoption. Districts must provide each pupil in kindergarten through grade eight with instructional materials from the 2005 History-Social Science adoption by the start of the Fall 2007 school term. For more information on IMFRP see our Web site at IMFRP Information [http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/cr/cf/imfrpintro.asp].
If you have any questions about the history-social science adoption, please contact Suzanne Rios, Administrator, Instructional Resources Unit, 916-319-0665, or Kenneth McDonald, Consultant, Curriculum Frameworks Unit, 916-319-0447 or by e-mail at kmcdonal@cde.ca.gov.
Sincerely,
Sue Stickel, Deputy Superintendent
Curriculum and Instruction Branch
SS:sm
1430 N Street
Sacramento, CA 95814