Textbooks 6-60.1

School Board of the City of Virginia Beach
Regulation 6-60.1

INSTRUCTION

Textbooks

1. Textbooks

   Textbooks will be selected to support and enrich the goals and objectives of the curriculum. A wide range of abilities and interests and the diversity of differing points of view in a democratic society will be considered in the selection of textbooks.

   The selection process is described below.

   1. Textbook selection will be the ultimate responsibility of the School Board which will delegate the preliminary screening to curriculum committees.
   2. Curriculum committees will be formed for each of the following areas:
      • Art
      • Mathematics
      • Business Education
      • Music
      • Foreign Language
      • Science
      • Health and Physical Education
      • Social Studies
      • Home Economics
      • Special Education
      • Language Arts
      • Technology Education
      • Marketing Education
   3. Curriculum committees will be composed of representatives of the following groups:
      • Parents
      • Principals
      • Students
      • Teachers
      • Librarians/Library Media Specialist
      • Counselors
      • Program Coordinators
   4. Specific procedures will be used for the selection of committee members by the Department of Teaching and Learning.
   5. The curriculum committee will establish criteria for assessing textbooks. Criteria may include such items as the following:
      1. Content
         • 1) Is the material educationally significant?
         • 2) Does the content correlate with the school division's goals and objectives for the curriculum area?
         • 3) Is the material valid and up-to-date?
         • 4) Are the reading level and vocabulary appropriate for the student?
         • 5) Does the material fit the scope and sequence of the local curriculum?
         • 6) Are the format and artistic quality appealing?
         • 7) Are charts, maps, and tables accurate and clearly presented?
         • 8) Does the text reinforce basic skills?
      2. Date of publication
      3. Cost
      4. Reputation and significance of the authors and publishers
      5. Reviews found in standard selection sources
      6. Physical characteristics
         • 1) Is the binding sturdy enough?
         • 2) Is the paper quality durable?
         • 3) Are the typeface and type size suitable for the age of the students?
         • 4) Are there online resources for teacher and/or students?
      7. Treatment of sensitive areas
         • 1) Are all sides of an issue treated fairly and objectively?
         • 2) Are racial, sexual, religious, and ethnic stereotypes avoided?
         • 3) Have the roles of minority groups been presented with integrity?
         • 4) Is the content age appropriate?
   6. Criteria for rating textbooks will be presented to the superintendent or designee for approval.
   7. The curriculum committee will rate those textbooks on the state-approved list according to the established criteria.
   8. Should a committee wish to study a textbook not on the state-adopted list, the committee will first have examined and evaluated those books on the state list. This process should be verified in writing.
   9. The appropriate program coordinator will develop a schedule for sending textbooks selected for consideration and rating forms to the schools for the review of teachers.
   10. At the conclusion of its review of textbooks and its analysis of data, the committee will recommend one of the following:
       1. Re-adopt materials currently in use
       2. Adopt new materials
       3. Continue study for a specified period of time
   11. Textbooks being recommended for adoption will be displayed in public libraries and in the school administration building’s lobby for the review of citizens thirty (30) days prior to consideration of the textbooks.
   12. A summary of citizens' reviews will be presented to the committee before its final recommendation.
   13. Written recommendations from the committee will be presented in a standard format with specified contents.
       1. First and second choice with author, title, publisher, and copyright data
       2. Justification for each choice
       3. Implementation recommendations
       4. Cost and quality of each text
   14. The written recommendations will be presented to the School Board for a selection decision.

Approved by Superintendent: July 16, 1991
Revised by Superintendent: October 19, 2023