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Regular Session, 2014
SENATE BILL NO. 144
BY SENATOR CROWE
TEXTBOOKS/MATERIALS. Provides relative to the review and adoption of textbooks and
other instructional materials. (gov sig)
AN ACT1
To enact R.S. 17:351.1 and to repeal R.S. 17:415.1, relative to the adoption of textbooks and2
other instructional materials by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary3
Education; to delete requirements for a physical review process and provide instead4
for a digital review process; to provide for review criteria and procedures; to provide5
relative to the purchase or acquisition of textbooks and instructional materials by6
public schools and school districts; to provide for rules; and to provide for related7
matters.8
Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:9
Section 1. R.S. 17:351.1 is hereby enacted to read as follows:10
ยง351.1. Review and adoption of textbooks and other instructional materials;11
digital process; requirements12
A.(1) The State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education shall13
establish a transparent, digital process by which the Department of Education14
shall review textbooks and other instructional materials to be presented to the15
board for adoption for use in public elementary and secondary schools.16
(2) All textbooks and other instructional materials adopted by the state17 SB NO. 144
SLS 14RS-18 ORIGINAL
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board shall sufficiently support public schools and school districts in meeting1
state curriculum and content standards and the requirements of the school and2
district accountability system.3
B.(1) The digital review process for textbooks and other instructional4
materials to be presented to the board for adoption shall be conducted entirely5
through a website created by the department specifically for this purpose. Every6
aspect of the digital review process, including the textbooks and instructional7
materials under review and any and all comments submitted by members of a8
review committee, parents and other members of the public, and publishers and9
other content providers, shall be posted on the website and readily accessible to10
all interested parties.11
(2) The digital review process required by this Section shall, at a12
minimum, provide for the following:13
(a) Criteria and procedures for the evaluation and selection of textbooks14
and other instructional materials that ensure that all textbooks and15
instructional materials presented to the state board for adoption are aligned16
with state curriculum and content standards and the requirements of the school17
and district accountability system.18
(b) Guidelines and time lines for the submission, review, comment,19
consideration, and adoption of textbooks and other instructional materials.20
(c) Establishment of review committees composed of teachers,21
educators, parents, and other educational stakeholders who have interest in or22
knowledge of curriculum and the subject matter under consideration.23
(d)(i) The opportunity for parents and the public to view all textbooks24
and instructional materials under review and submit comments for review25
committee and state board consideration. A read-only copy of all textbooks and26
instructional materials under review shall be placed on the department's27
website and made readily available for this purpose.28
(ii) The opportunity for publishers and other content providers to29 SB NO. 144
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submit comments in response to any review committee evaluation.1
(iii) All comments submitted to a review committee shall be posted to the2
website for ready access by the state board and any other interested party.3
(e) A requirement that all textbooks and instructional materials4
submitted for review and adoption by the board shall also be supplied in an5
electronic format that meets the National Instructional Materials Accessibility6
Standards and can be converted into specialized formats for children with7
disabilities and from which Braille and large-print textbooks can be produced8
for blind and visually impaired students.9
C. Nothing in this Section shall be construed as prohibiting a public10
school or school district from purchasing or otherwise acquiring textbooks and11
instructional materials that are not included in the lists approved by the State12
Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, provided the use of such13
textbooks and instructional materials is not prohibited by law or state board14
regulation.15
D. The State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education shall16
promulgate rules in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act to17
implement the provisions of this Section.18
Section 2. R.S. 17:415.1 is hereby repealed.19
Section 3. This Act shall become effective upon signature by the governor or, if not20
signed by the governor, upon expiration of the time for bills to become law without signature21
by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana. If22
vetoed by the governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become23
effective on the day following such approval.24
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Jeanne C. Johnston.
DIGEST
Crowe (SB 144)
Present law, in accordance with Article VIII, Section 13(A) of the La. Constitution, requires
the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) to prescribe and adopt free SB NO. 144
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textbooks and other instructional materials for use in public elementary and secondary
schools.
Proposed law retains present law.
Present law (R.S. 17:415.1) provides for the process by which textbooks and other
instructional materials are to be submitted, reviewed, evaluated, and presented to BESE for
adoption. Present law contemplates a physical process that includes meetings, written and
oral public comment, and placement of hard copies of all textbooks and instructional
materials under review in specified libraries across the state.
Proposed law repeals present law and instead provides for a transparent, digital process by
which to review textbooks and other instructional materials to be presented to BESE for
adoption as follows:
(1) All textbooks and other instructional materials adopted by BESE shall sufficiently
support public schools and school districts in meeting state curriculum and content
standards and the requirements of the school and district accountability system.
(2)The digital review process for textbooks and other instructional materials to be
presented to BESE for adoption shall be conducted entirely through a website created
by the department specifically for this purpose.
(3)Every aspect of the digital review process, including the textbooks and instructional
materials under review and any and all comments submitted by members of a review
committee, parents and other members of the public, and publishers and other
content providers shall be posted on the website and readily accessible to all
interested parties.
(4)The digital review process shall, at a minimum, provide for the following:
(a)Criteria and procedures for the evaluation and selection of textbooks and
other instructional materials that ensure that all textbooks and instructional
materials presented to the board for adoption are aligned with state
curriculum and content standards and the requirements of the school and
district accountability system.
(b)Guidelines and time lines for the submission, review, comment,
consideration, and adoption of textbooks and other instructional materials.
(c)Establishment of review committees composed of teachers, educators,
parents, and other educational stakeholders who have interest in or
knowledge of curriculum and the subject matter under consideration.
(d)The opportunity for parents and the public to view all textbooks and
instructional materials under review and submit comments for review
committee and state board consideration. Further provides that a read-only
copy of all textbooks and instructional materials under review shall be placed
on the department's website and made readily available for this purpose.
(e)The opportunity for publishers and other content providers to submit
comments in response to any review committee evaluation.
(f)All comments submitted to a review committee shall be posted to the website
for ready access by the state board and any other interested party.
(g)A requirement that all textbooks and instructional materials submitted for
review and adoption by the board shall also be supplied in an electronic SB NO. 144
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words in boldface type and underscored are additions.
format that meets the National Instructional Materials Accessibility
Standards and can be converted into specialized formats for children with
disabilities and from which Braille and large-print textbooks can be produced
for blind and visually impaired students.
(5)Provides that nothing in proposed law shall be construed as prohibiting a public
school or school district from purchasing or otherwise acquiring textbooks and
instructional materials that are not included in the lists approved by the BESE,
provided the use of such textbooks and instructional materials is not prohibited by
law or state board regulation.
(6)Requires BESE to promulgate rules in accordance with the Administrative Procedure
Act to implement proposed law.
Effective upon signature of the governor or lapse of time for gubernatorial action.
(Adds R.S. 17:351.1; repeals R.S. 17:415.1)