Questions and Answers
Criteria for Evaluating Instructional Materials Category 1: Visual and Performing Arts Content/Alignment with Standards
Question 1:
At the Invitation to Submit Meeting, CDE staff and Commissioners said that the full text of the content standards must be included in the student edition text. Where in the evaluation criteria does it state this?
Answer:
Criterion 1.3 requires, “topics or concepts, lessons, activities, examples, or illustrations, as appropriate, to support the content standards explicitly stated for the grade level(s) in the designated discipline(s) submitted.” This criterion requires that the content standards be explicitly stated for the grade level and discipline. Also, Criterion 1.1 states that instructional materials must provide, “A full program that includes all the standards in one or more disciplines at one or more grade levels,” and Criteria 1.5 and 1.6 both state that students must gain an “understanding of the standards.” To gain an understanding of the standards students should know what the standards are. Therefore, the standards need to be included within the student materials. They may be printed in each chapter, inside the cover or on a separate handout or insert to be given to students.
Another compelling reason to include the content standards in the materials that students take home is to inform parents of the standards that their child is learning in school.
Question 2:
But my program does not include a student edition; it is activity-based. Does this mean that my program cannot be adopted? Where should I put the content standards, in this case?
Answer:
The evaluation criteria does not require that a student edition be provided, however, activity-based programs must still give students a full understanding of the content standards. In this case, the full text of the standards should either be included with the student activity or supply kits, or if no materials are provided to students whatsoever, on a handout that is to be given to each student.
Question 3:
If we already have national standards in our teacher edition, why should we take them out?
Answer:
Criterion 1.1 states that no reference to national standards shall be included in the instructional materials. Remember that Category 1 is the “gatekeeper” category, so all of the criteria statements in this category must be met in order for a program to be eligible for adoption. References to national standards in submitted materials will be required to be removed as a condition of adoption.
Question 4:
Will the Instructional Materials Advisory Panel (IMAP) members be told that e.g. means “for example”? In social studies, some IMAP members never grasped this concept.
Answer:
It is a common mistake to assume that the evaluation criteria for all adoptions are identical. In the 2005 History–Social Science Primary Adoption, “e.g.” was addressed differently because a specific criterion (1.15) stated that, “Where the standards call for examples (or use “e.g.”), materials shall go beyond the listed examples…” No such language exists in the evaluation criteria for the 2006 Visual and Performing Arts Primary Adoption, so when “e.g.” appears in a standard, those examples provided are only suggestions, and are not required to meet the standard. The IMAP members will be fully trained in how to interpret standards as being met.
Question 5:
Do ancillaries have to be submitted or listed? If submitted, we assume to meet standard? If texts meet criteria, why would technology or ancillaries need to be submitted?
Answer:
It is up to the publisher to determine which components they wish to submit as part of their program. At a minimum, the publisher must submit materials that meet all of the content standards in one or more disciplines and all five categories of the evaluation criteria in order for their program to be eligible for adoption. Please note, however, that if a component is not submitted, it cannot be marketed as part of an adopted program, and it will not be included in the CDE’s online Price List and Order Form. Additional components may not be added after the adoption is completed, unless they are specifically included as “gratis” items and undergo a legal compliance review.
Question 6:
What recourse do you have if there is a standard discrepancy or challenge to your standard map? How does that work?
Answer:
The standards maps are used by the Instructional Materials Advisory Panel/Content Review Panel (IMAP/CRP) panel as tools to verify whether the content of the program meets the standards. Each reviewer will have your standards map and the instructional materials for several months at home for an individual review. Reviewers bring citations and questions back with them to deliberations on July 31—August 3, 2006. There is an opportunity for the panel to ask publishers questions about their programs on the first day of deliberations. Ultimately it is up to the IMAP/CRP to determine if the publisher’s submitted standards map accurately reflects what is included in the program. For this reason, it is important for the publisher to have someone fill out the standards map who is familiar with both the standards and the program.
Publishers have an opportunity to comment on the IMAP/CRP Report of Findings at public hearings held at the Curriculum Commission in September and the SBE in November.
Question 7:
Regarding Category 1, is it sufficient to code only a teacher edition with the standards met? Even though the standards are met in the student edition, they are only coded in the teacher edition; is this okay?
Answer:
The standards map that includes publisher citations is generally included as a separate document, although it can also be included in the teacher edition. Publishers should use the format provided at the CDE Web site at Visual and Performing Arts Standards Maps {http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/vp/im/vpastdmps.asp} This does not preclude publishers noting in their student or teacher editions where standards are met; in fact, several of the criteria under Category 2: Program Organization, require that instruction be linked to the content standards in an easily identifiable manner.
Publishers should also note the answers to questions 1 and 2 above, which state that the full text of all content standards for a given grade level must appear somewhere in the student materials.
Question 8:
Regarding Category 1.12 on page 47 of the ITS, do the recommendations for reading and writing need to be explicitly stated in the teacher or student edition?
Answer:
The criterion does not specify where these recommendations must be included, but they must be present. The English-language arts standards themselves do not have to be included, but publishers may elect to do so.
Criteria for Evaluating Instructional Materials Category 2: Program Organization
There were no questions dealing with this criteria category.
Criteria for Evaluating Instructional Materials Category 3: Assessment
Question 9:
What is “Chapter 5, strategies and tools reflecting assessment guidelines?”
Answer:
Chapter 5 refers to the Visual and Performing Arts Framework for California Public Schools. This chapter provides information about types of assessment, multiple measures of student progress, and other issues specific to the arts that are referenced in the evaluation criteria. Publishers should familiarize themselves with the guidelines referenced in this chapter.
Criteria for Evaluating Instructional Materials Category 4: Universal Access
Question 10:
Are Braille files generally what is submitted in other states?
Answer:
Information about digital files for Braille transcription is provided on page 15 of the ITS. For more detailed questions, you may contact Rod Brawley, Administrator of the Clearinghouse for Specialized Media and Technology, at 916-323-2202.
Question 11:
Are the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standards (NIMAS) files being used for accessibility?
Answer:
No. The National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard is not being used in this adoption. The state will make a determination regarding NIMAS by November 2007.
Criteria for Evaluating Instructional Materials Category 5: Instructional Planning and Support
There were no questions dealing with this criteria category.
Standards Maps
Question 12:
Is there a minimum number of primary citations that should be used in the standards map for each standard?
Answer:
Yes, one per standard. If a program does not provide instruction for students to master all of the standards, it cannot be adopted.
Question 13:
May material in the teacher edition and student edition, as well as ancillaries, be listed as a primary citation?
Answer:
Any element of your program may be cited for a primary citation. However, be cautious of citing anything that may be treated as “optional” in your program as a primary citation. Programs have run into difficulty in the past when they cited material in their programs as meeting standards where the teacher was directed to select from a variety of activities in preparing lessons. If something is listed as a primary citation, it should be an essential component of the instructional plan.
Question 14:
Can content on a web page be used as a primary or secondary citation?
Answer:
Yes, it can be either. Remember that publishers with Web content will be required to submit a statement of assurance that said content will remain unchanged for the life of the adoption (see Attachment L on page 255 of the Invitation To Submit (ITS).
Sampling and Shipping
Question 15:
Is there any way for publishers to receive sampling information before April 5?
Answer:
Due to past experience, CDE now confirms shipping addresses with IMAP/CRP reviewers on the first day of the IMAP/CRP training. When the sampling information was provided earlier in past adoptions, we would frequently get last-minute changes that would result in materials being sent to improper addresses, or locations that were unable to accept large shipments of materials. Therefore, we use the first day of training to confirm with reviewers that their shipping addresses are current and capable of receiving large package deliveries. However, publishers certainly may begin organizing their materials for shipment prior to April 5. Also note that a list of the Learning Resource Display Centers that will be included in the sampling memo is included on the CDE Web site and in the (ITS) on page 249-251.
Question 16:
Are transportation costs included in the price quotation, or broken out on the bid form?
Answer:
The bid forms (see page 243 of the ITS for a sample) do contain a column for shipping cost. The shipping cost must be the same for shipment to any location in California. However, the price listed on the CDE online Price List and Order Form is the total cost for the item, including shipping. Price quotation forms will be distributed to publishers on or before May 12, 2006, and are due at CDE no later than July 12, 2006. See page 24 of the ITS for more information.
Note that samples must be provided at no cost (including free shipping) to all reviewers and Learning Resource Display Centers (LRDCs) as part of the adoption process.
Legal and Social Compliance
Question 17:
Is a person’s “artwork” reviewed in legal compliance?
Answer:
Yes, but note the “special circumstances” exemption noted in the State Board-adopted Standards for Evaluating Instructional Materials for Social Content (2000 edition) (PDF; 293KB; 20pp.).
Less than full compliance may be allowed under the following special circumstances:
Literary, historical, and cultural perspectives. When examining instructional materials for adverse reflection or roles, an evaluator must make a qualitative judgment of classical or contemporary literature (including folktale), music, art, stories, or articles having a particular historical or cultural perspective. Complete compliance with the guidelines may be inappropriate in some cases. What might be considered an adverse reflection or a failure to portray appropriate roles should be judged in the context of high-quality literary works. Discussion material should be included in the teacher’s edition of instructional materials indicating that, although a particular attitude toward women or a minority group was prevalent during a period in history, that attitude has changed or is changing.
Question 18:
Do you submit ancillaries for legal compliance?
Answer:
Every component submitted as part of a publisher’s program is reviewed for legal compliance as part of the adoption process.
Question 19:
Do high school Grades nine through twelve) ) materials have to go through legal compliance?
Answer:
Yes, all materials used in California classrooms must be reviewed for compliance with the Education Code sections and standards outlined in the State Board-adopted Standards for Evaluating Instructional Materials for Social Content (2000 edition). However, these reviews generally take place at the local level for high school materials. CDE does conduct out-of-cycle (i.e. not adoption-related) reviews as a service for local districts, and maintains a catalogue of legal compliance-approved materials. This process requires publishers to pay a fee to cover the cost of the review.
Question 20:
How does the adoption process relate to the out-of-cycle review process? Does that list terminate after the adopted list is approved?
Answer:
Publishers who submit their materials for adoption have those materials reviewed for legal compliance as part of the adoption review. Even if a publisher is already on the legal compliance approval list, new citations may be issued. Rectification of those citations are a condition of adoption, although publishers do have the right of appeal of any citation.
If a publisher is adopted, their materials are considered approved for legal and social compliance for the full eight year term of the adoption. If the program is not adopted, but passes legal compliance, then the materials will be added to the legal compliance catalogue for the usual six year term that out-of-cycle materials receive.
Edits and Corrections
Question 21:
How does the edits and corrections process work? Does a new page proof have to be submitted? What is the timeline? When are final copies of corrected materials due?
Answer:
Minor edits and corrections are allowed during the adoption process (see page 30 of the ITS for a definition of what constitutes a “minor edit or correction”). A list of minor edits and corrections will be provided to publishers after the action of the Curriculum Commission in September 2006. A meeting is then held with publishers to review the minor edits and corrections required in their program. Publishers must bring tear sheets showing how each edit will be addressed to this meeting. Publishers also have the right to appeal an edit at that meeting. More information along with a timeline of deadlines and meeting dates will be provided in a publisher bulletin. Final copies of corrected materials are due to CDE in January 2007 (exact date TBA).
Miscellaneous
Question 22:
Is the NASTA (National Association of School Textbook Administrators) form required?
Answer:
No. CDE does not require that books meet NASTA design specifications.
Question 23:
What is the timeline for submitting Spanish translations?
Answer:
Spanish translations should be submitted as an Alternate Format following State Board of Education (SBE) action on the adoption in November 2006. These alternate formats will be reviewed by an expert in the Spanish language for accuracy of the translation. A timeline will be provided by CDE after SBE action. See page 14 of the ITS.
