April 9, 2024 Committee of the Full Board Item 4
Update on the Instructional Materials Review and Approval Process
April 12, 2024
COMMITTEE OF THE FULL BOARD: ACTION
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION: ACTION
SUMMARY: This item provides the opportunity for staff to present an update on the Instructional Materials Review and Approval (IMRA) process and for the board to provide additional guidance to staff related to the process.
STATUTORY AUTHORITY: Texas Education Code (TEC), §31.022 and §31.023, as amended by HB 1605, 88th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, 2023.
TEC, §31.022, as amended by HB 1605, 88th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, 2023, requires the State Board of Education (SBOE) to review instructional materials that have been provided to the board by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) under TEC, §31.023.
TEC, §31.023, as amended by HB 1605, 88th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, 2023, requires the commissioner of education to establish, in consultation with and with the approval of the SBOE, a process for the annual review of instructional materials by TEA. In conducting a review under this section, TEA must use a rubric developed by TEA in consultation with and approved by the SBOE.
The full text of statutory citations can be found in the statutory authority section of this agenda.
PREVIOUS BOARD ACTION: At its January-February 2024 meeting, the board adopted the IMRA process and procedures, as amended.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND JUSTIFICATION: TEC, Chapter 31, addresses instructional materials in public education and permits the SBOE to adopt rules for the adoption, requisition, distribution, care, use, and disposal of instructional materials. HB 1605, 88th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, 2023, significantly revised Chapter 31, including several provisions under SBOE authority.
At the June 2023 meeting, the Committee of the Full Board held a work session to receive an overview presentation on HB 1605 from the commissioner of education and to begin discussing preliminary decisions and next steps. The June 2023 SBOE HB 1605 Work Session Presentation shared during the work session is available on the TEA website at June 2023 SBOE HB 1605 Work Session Slides.
At the August-September 2023 meeting, the Committee of the Full Board discussed the IMRA process and discussed the approach to developing the quality rubric criteria and process.
At the November 2023 and December 2023 meetings, the board discussed the proposed IMRA process and provided feedback to TEA staff.
At the November 2023 meeting, the board discussed criteria for the suitability and appropriateness of instructional materials for the subject and grade level for which the materials are designed to be used in the instructional materials review and approval process outlined in HB 1605, 88th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, 2023. At the December 2023 meeting, the board approved the criteria. At the January-February 2024 meeting, the board approved adjustments to the suitability rubric to further clarify the manner in which suitability criteria will be applied as part of the IMRA process.
At the January-February 2024 meeting, the board approved a final set of quality rubrics for the inaugural IMRA review, approved a process document, and adopted administrative rules related to the new IMRA process.
This item provides the opportunity for staff to present an update on the IMRA process and for the board to provide additional guidance to staff related to the process, including updates on reviewer recruitment, IMRA rubric scoring methodologies, and review operations.
Staff Members Responsible:
Todd Davis, Associate Commissioner, Instructional Strategy
Nicholas Keith, Executive Director, High-Quality Instructional Materials Supports Division
Colin Dempsey, Director, District Operations, Technology, and Sustainability Supports Division
Separate Exhibit I:
IMRA Cycle 2024 Instructional Materials for Review
Separate Exhibit II:
IMRA Cycle 2024 Market Analysis
Separate Exhibit III:
IMRA Rubric Scoring Presentation
(Separate Exhibits to be provided at the April 2024 SBOE meeting)