Textbook Adoptions

Humboldt Unified School District (HUSD) follows a structured and collaborative process when adopting new textbooks and instructional materials. This process ensures that the textbooks selected meet the needs of our students, align with state standards, and support the district’s educational goals.

Purpose: The purpose of the HUSD Textbook Adoption Committee is to review, evaluate, and recommend high-quality textbooks and instructional resources for formal approval by the district's Governing Board.

Objectives: The committee's responsibilities include:

• Reviewing the district’s educational goals and instructional needs.
• Understanding current best practices in education, as well as state and national standards.
• Using a rubric to assess textbooks and resources for alignment with the curriculum and academic rigor.
• Evaluating the effectiveness of textbooks in supporting student learning.
• Recommending textbooks and instructional materials to the Governing Board for formal approval.

Public Review of Materials: When textbooks are under consideration for adoption, HUSD opens the review process to the public. This allows community members to review materials and provide feedback. Specific dates and times will be posted, and public meetings will be held in accordance with Open Meeting Law, ensuring transparency in the process.

Example Timeline:

1. Announce to the Board:
   • Inform the Governing Board that a new textbook or supplemental material adoption process is starting. This includes forming the Textbook Adoption Committee.
2. Form the Committee and Hold Meetings:
   • Recruit committee members (teachers, administrators, etc.), and hold initial meetings to define the scope, review current needs, and learn about the selection process.
   • Committee members review, evaluate, and discuss various options for textbooks and materials based on established criteria.
3. Decide on Leading Options:
   • After evaluating various textbooks, the committee narrows down the options and agrees on a leading choice. They prepare for public review.
4. Public Review:
   • The leading textbook(s) and supplemental materials are posted for public review. This period allows for community input and lasts for 60 days. During this time, the materials are made available for public examination, and feedback is encouraged.
5. Make Recommendation to the Governing Board:
   • After the public review period concludes, the committee evaluates any feedback and prepares a final recommendation for the Governing Board.
   • The committee presents their recommendations to the Governing Board for approval.
6. Pending Approval, Implement Training:
   • Once the Governing Board approves the textbooks and materials, HUSD begins preparations for training staff on the new resources. Training sessions are scheduled to ensure teachers are ready to effectively implement the new materials in their classrooms.

Material Selection and Vendor Presentations: The committee reviews textbooks and instructional resources from a variety of publishers. After reviewing materials, vendors may be invited to present their resources to the committee. The materials are evaluated based on their alignment with curriculum standards, their ability to engage students, and their educational value.

Requirements for Committee Members: Committee members are typically educators and administrators who volunteer their time to review textbooks and materials. They are expected to:

• Review meeting agendas and assigned materials before each meeting.
• Complete conflict-of-interest forms and adhere to committee norms.
• Participate actively in meetings and decision-making.
• Attend all scheduled meetings during the adoption process.

Final Approval: Once the committee has reviewed and evaluated all materials, they will recommend a list of textbooks for adoption to the Governing Board. The Governing Board will then vote to approve or reject the recommendations.

The process is designed to be inclusive, thorough, and transparent, ensuring that the textbooks and materials selected will best support student achievement and learning.

https://policy.azsba.org/asba/browse/allmanuals/humbold/IJJ