INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS PROGRAM

INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS PROGRAM

po2521Adopted December 14, 2021Revised October 15, 2024

2521 - INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS PROGRAM

  1. Instructional Materials
     
    1. The Board shall provide instructional materials and equipment, within budgetary constraints, to implement the District's educational goals and objectives and to meet students' needs. The primary objective of such instructional materials and equipment shall be to enrich, support, and implement the educational program of the school. Instructional materials used in the District shall be consistent with the District goals and objectives and the course descriptions established by the State Board of Education and the State standards provided for in F.S. 1003.41. State law requires the Board to provide adequate instructional materials free of charge to students who are enrolled in the District.
    2. "Adequate instructional materials" means a sufficient number of student or site licenses or sets of materials that are available in bound, unbound, kit, or package form and may consist of hard-backed or soft-backed textbooks, electronic content, consumables, learning laboratories, manipulatives, electronic media, and computer courseware or software that serves as the basis for instruction in the core courses of mathematics, language arts, social studies, science, reading, and literature.
    3. Furthermore, Federal law requires the Board to provide accessible instructional materials as specified in a student's IEP. Such accessible instructional materials may be of a type or in a format as specified in the definition of adequate instructional materials in this policy.
    4. "Library media center" means any collection of books, ebooks, periodicals, or videos maintained and accessible on the site of a school, including in classrooms.
    5. The Board hereby establishes an instructional materials program that includes the review, recommendation, adoption, and purchase of instructional materials. The program shall be implemented in accordance with the terms of this policy and administrative procedures adopted in accordance herewith. The program shall comply with all applicable provisions of F.S. Chapter 1006, Part I, F. Instructional Materials for K-12 Public Education.
  2. Certification by Superintendent
     
    1. The Superintendent shall annually certify to the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) (1) that all instructional materials for core courses used by the District are aligned with applicable State standards; and (2) that the District's process for review, selection and adoption of instructional materials complies with the hearing and public meeting requirements of the Board and F.S. 1006.283. A list of the core instructional materials that will be used or purchased for use by the District shall be included in the certification.
    2. On or before July 1 each year, the Superintendent will certify to the Commissioner of Education (1) the estimated allocation of State funds for instructional materials for the ensuing fiscal year; and (2) that school librarians and media specialists who are involved in the selection of library media materials for students have completed the online Library Media Training course.
    3. By August 1 each year, the Superintendent will certify to the Commissioner of Education that the Board has approved a comprehensive staff development plan that supports fidelity of implementation of instructional materials programs, including verification that training was provided the materials are being implemented as designed, and that core reading materials and reading intervention materials used in kindergarten through grade 5 meet the requirements of F.S. 1001.215.
  3. Publication on Website: List of Instructional Materials and Process to Limit Student Access
     
    1. The Board will publish on its website, in a searchable format, a list of all instructional materials, including those used to provide required instruction under Florida law.
    2. The Board will also adopt and publish on its website the process for a parent to limit his/her student’s access to materials in the school or classroom library.
  4. Compliance with F.S. 1006.32, Relating to Prohibited Acts

    In accordance with State law, this policy strictly prohibits any individual or the Board from engaging in any of the prohibited acts set forth in F.S. 1006.32.
  5. Parental Notification of Access to Student’s Instructional Materials and Access to Materials and Books in District Libraries

    The District shall notify parents through the District’s website and in writing annually of their ability to access their children’s instructional materials through the District’s local instructional improvement system. The notification shall encourage parents to access the local instructional improvement system.

    Upon written request, an individual will be provided access to material or books specified in the written request that are maintained in a District library if such material or books are available for review. The school principal shall arrange for a convenient time to provide such access.
  6. Maximization of Student Use of District-approved Instructional Materials
     
    1. In order to maximize student use of authorized instructional materials, the Board shall:
       
      1. purchase current instructional materials to provide each student with a major tool of instruction in core courses of the subject areas of mathematics, language arts, science, social studies, reading, and literature for kindergarten through grade 12;
      2. by the 2015-2016 fiscal year, use at least fifty percent (50%) of the annual allocation for the purchase of digital or electronic instructional materials included on the State-adopted list, except as otherwise authorized by law or rules of the State Board of Education;
      3. use up to 100% of that portion of the annual allocation designated for the purchase of instructional materials for kindergarten, and up to seventy-five percent (75%) of that portion of the annual allocation designated for the purchase of instructional materials for first grade, to purchase materials not on the State-adopted list, which shall be used for the purchase of instructional materials or other items having intellectual content which assist in the instruction of a subject or course.
    2. These items may be available in bound, unbound, kit, or package form and may consist of hardbacked or soft-backed textbooks, electronic content, replacements for items which were part of previously purchased instructional materials, consumables, learning laboratories, manipulatives, electronic media, computer courseware or software, and other commonly accepted instructional tools.
    3. The Superintendent shall implement procedures that will assure the maximum use by the students of the authorized instructional materials.
  7. Required Curriculum
     
    1. Nothing in this policy shall limit or remove the responsibility of the Board to include in its curriculum the required instruction specified in State law including, but not limited to, the following:
       
      1. The history of the United States; the history of the Holocaust.
      2. The history of African Americans.
      3. The study of Hispanic contributions to the United States.
      4. The study of women’s contributions to the United States.
      5. The nature and importance of free enterprise to the United States economy.
      6. The elementary principles of agriculture; and kindness to animals.
  8. Fees Charged to Parents
     
    1. A student or his/her parent/legal guardian(s) may purchase a copy of the designated course instructional materials, regardless of format, for the District's purchase price, including shipping, (plus ten percent (10%).
    2. Cost of materials may be charged for materials used in those activities beyond the basic curriculum in which a student elects to participate, particularly in activities where the product becomes the property of the student.
  9. Replacement and Purchase of Instructional Materials by Students/Parents
     
    1. Students may be held responsible for the cost of replacing any instructional materials lost, destroyed, or unnecessarily damaged. Failure to provide payment for the damage or loss may result in the suspension of the student from participation in extra-curricular activities, or the debt may be satisfied by the student performing community service activities at the school site as determined by the school principal.
    2. A student or his/her parent(s) may purchase a copy of the designated course instructional materials, regardless of format, for the District's purchase price, including shipping, plus ten percent (10%).
    3. Cost of materials may be charged for materials used in those activities beyond the basic curriculum in which a student elects to participate, particularly in activities where the product becomes the property of the student.
  10. Public Inspection of Sample Copies of Instructional Materials
     
    1. In addition to the requirements for public inspection of sample copies of instructional materials required by this policy, the Board shall make available for public inspection sample copies of all instructional materials that have been purchased by the Board. Members of the public seeking to inspect these materials shall contact the District’s Instructional Materials Manager.
  11. New Worlds Reading Initiative
     
    1. The New Worlds Reading Initiative, created by the Florida Department of Education, provides high-quality, free books directly to prekindergarten-5 students who are not yet reading on grade level, who score below a level 3 on the most recent Statewide, standardized English Language Arts Assessment (ELA), who have a substantial reading deficiency identified under F. S. 1008.25, or who have a substantial deficiency in early literacy skills based upon the results of the coordinated screening and progress monitoring under F. S. 1008.25. The School District must notify parents/legal guardians of eligible students in writing and provide them with the application form, which must allow for the selection of specific book topics or genres for the student. The District must coordinate monthly book deliveries with the program administrator beginning no later than October and continuing through at least June. However, for the 2021-2022 school year only, the delivery may begin no later than December 31, 2021. The District must participate in the initiative by partnering with local nonprofit organizations and raising awareness by using marketing materials provided by the program administrator. A student's eligibility for the initiative continues until promotion to grade 6 or until the parent/legal guardian opts out of the initiative.
    2. The District shall coordinate with each charter school it sponsors for the purposes of identifying eligible students, notifying parents/legal guardians, coordinating book deliveries, providing the opportunity to annually select book topics and genres, and raising awareness of the initiative.
    3. The District shall also establish a data-sharing agreement with the initiative’s administrator to allow for a streamlined verification and enrollment process.
    4. The Statewide ELA assessment is not the sole determiner of promotion. Additional evaluations, portfolio reviews, and assessments are available to the child to assist parents/legal guardians and schools in identifying the reading level of the student. A parent/legal guardian of a student in grade 3 who is identified anytime during the year as being at risk of retention may request that the school begin collecting evidence for a portfolio.

Revised 5/11/22
Revised 4/11/23
Revised 11/14/23
Revised 3/12/24
Revised 10/15/24

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