Science Textbook Adoption Process

Tennessee is in the midst of adopting a new K-12 textbook(s)/resources for science, so now is an opportune time to revisit the textbook adoption process as a whole.

Textbook Adoption Information
According to the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) website, “The State Textbook Commission is responsible for recommending an official list of textbooks to the Tennessee State Board of Education (SBOE) for approval. Once the State Board of Education (SBOE) has approved a list of textbooks, it is the responsibility of local boards of education to decide which textbooks to use in their districts. The state textbook adoption process is administered in accordance with the statutory requirements as outlined in Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 22, and the Rules and Policies of the State Textbook and Instructional Materials Quality Commission. Once the local districts are provided with the list of state-approved vendors, local school systems must adopt books on the official list or submit a waiver request to the department to use textbooks or instructional materials not on the approved list.”

Curriculum and Professional Learning Supervisor Dr. Summer Carlton oversees the FSD textbook adoption process. During each adoption cycle (typically, the core content areas adopt a new textbook every six to seven years), the FSD selects members for the textbook review committee. In accordance with state requirements, the FSD Board of Education will approve the recommended review committee to review the textbooks and instructional materials proposed for adoption and make their adoption upon recommendations of such committees. These committees are set up by grade and subject matter fields and, in alignment with state law, are composed of teachers, administrators, supervisors, and parents with children enrolled in the district at the time of appointment to the committee. According to the Tennessee Department of Education:

• “The school board may also choose to appoint experts in the grade level or subject matter field for which textbooks and instructional materials are to be reviewed.
• Teachers and supervisors who serve on the committee must be teaching or supervising the respective grade or subject at the time of appointment and must be licensed to teach in the state with endorsements in the subject matter or grade level for which textbooks or instructional materials are being reviewed.
• Teachers and supervisors must have three or more years of experience as teachers or supervisors in public schools. The director of schools in the district adopting textbooks or instructional materials serves as an ex officio member of all committees.
• After the textbook committee makes its recommendation to the school board, the director of schools records the list of all textbooks or instructional materials adopted by the board, forwards a copy of the recorded adoption to the commissioner of education, and posts the list on the district’s website.

On February 17, the FSD held a science textbook caravan. During this event, vendors from several of the textbooks on the state’s approved list (which are highly vetted and 100% aligned to the Tennessee Academic Standards) each presented teachers with overviews of the new resource options.

Educators have the opportunity to review samples of these textbooks at each school site at their convenience. Soon, there will be scheduled dates on which parents and community members can view the potential textbooks to be adopted and offer their input.

In early spring, the science textbook adoption committee will meet to reach a consensus on which textbook(s) to recommend to the FSD Board for approval to adopt. The adoption agenda item will likely be on the May board agenda. With approval, the next step will be to schedule personalized professional learning for teachers that will begin in the summer of 2025 and continue, as needed, for the life of the adoption.