Instructional Materials Adoption Process
Major steps in the state adoption process for K-8 instructional materials.This table describes, in sequence, the major events in the California kindergarten through grade eight instructional materials adoption process. The initial events do not occur on any given timeline; however, subsequent events typically occur during specific months. For specific dates on a particular subject-matter adoption currently in progress, please visit the subject matter’s California Department of Education (CDE) instructional materials web page.
| Event | Typical Timeline |
|---|---|
| State Board of Education (SBE) adoption of the curriculum framework for a specific subject matter, including its chapter on the subsequent state instructional materials adoption evaluation criteria (California Education Code [EC] Section 60200[b][1]) | Following subject-matter framework development |
Instructional Quality Commission (IQC) recommends:
|
Following subject-matter framework development |
SBE approves:
|
Following subject-matter framework development |
| CDE establishes a comprehensive website for the specific subject matter adoption where all formal documents are posted. | January in the year preceding the adoption year |
| Reviewer online application period (5 CCR Section 9513[a]) | April–September in the year preceding the adoption year |
| Small publisher fee reduction requests due (EC Section 60213) | November in the year preceding the adoption year |
| IQC recommends reviewers (5 CCR Section 9512[b]) | November in the year preceding the adoption year |
| SBE appoints reviewers (5 CCR Section 9512[a]) SBE considers small publisher fee reduction requests (EC Section 60213[d][1]) |
January of the adoption year |
| Publisher Invitation to Submit meeting (5 CCR Section 9517) | January of the adoption year |
| Publisher intent to submit forms due (5 CCR Section 9517.3[a][3]) | February of the adoption year |
| Publisher submission forms due (5 CCR Section 9517[c]) | March of the adoption year |
| Publisher fees due (EC Section 60213) | April of the adoption year |
| Reviewer training week (5 CCR Section 9512[h]) | April of the adoption year |
| Publisher complete instructional programs due (5 CCR Section 9517[e]) | May of the adoption year |
| CDE posts links to student-facing materials of all participating publishers’ programs | May of the adoption year |
| CDE posts recommendations for submitting public comment and begins to collect any public comment for later submission to the IQC and SBE | May of the adoption year |
| Reviewer deliberations week; review panels make program adoption recommendations in a “Report of Findings” for every participating program (5 CCR Section 9519[i]) | July of the adoption year |
| CDE posts online all “Reports of Findings” for participating programs | July of the adoption year |
| IQC holds meeting to receive oral and additional written public comment (5 CCR Section 9524[a][1]) | August of the adoption year |
| IQC makes program adoption recommendations (5 CCR Section 9524[a][5]) | September of the adoption year |
| SBE holds meeting to receive public comment SBE takes action on program recommendations and adopts or does not adopt all participating publisher programs (EC Section 60200) |
November of the adoption year |
| CDE posts online final adoption documents, including SBE Adoption Report | December of the adoption year |
| CDE works with SBE-adopted publishers on final administrative matters | January–February of the year following the adoption |
| Publishers market SBE-adopted programs for school district fall implementation | Year following the adoption |
Questions:
Curriculum Frameworks and Instructional Resources Division | CFIRD@cde.ca.gov | 916-319-0881
Last Reviewed: Monday, June 23, 2025
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