State Policies & Practices
With the shift to digital instructional materials, a plurality of states have statutes that either require or allow the implementation of digital instructional materials for students learning. Currently, six states require the implementation of digital instructional materials, with 30 states indicating that they allow the implementation of digital instructional materials.
Adoption Policy
Currently, twenty-four states have a state statute for the adoption of instructional materials. States may adopt materials for all grade levels and content areas or only specific grade levels and content areas. Even in states with instructional materials adoption policies, most districts maintain local control and select the instructional materials that best meet the needs of their students. The state adoption process is a resource for districts, which can be especially valuable in smaller districts that may lack the human capacity to conduct extensive reviews of materials.
As you begin your planning process, determine what state policies and practices and state learning standards govern the selection of instructional materials. SETDA’s Digital Instructional Materials Acquisition Policies for States (DMAPS) is an excellent resource to find out about policies in your state.
Key Questions
- What is your adoption policy for textbooks?
- What is your adoption policy for digital instructional materials?
- What are the requirements for digital instructional materials implementation?
- Do you have policies about OER?
- Do you have legislated subject area instruction?
- Do you have specific accessibility policies or requirements?
- Do you have bias and sensitivity review requirements?
- What are your targeted learning standards?
- What are your recommended frameworks for the subject areas under consideration.