Definition pending: Textbook, Basal, or Other Instructional Materials – full curricula (print or digital) with both teacher and student versions that align to Louisiana academic standards. These stand-alone materials constitute the principal source for teaching and learning and include all materials, such as lesson plans, assessments, and ancillary materials (see definition herein) needed for students to attain Louisiana academic standards for a grade level subject or course.

Open educational resources (OER) are learning materials that are freely available under a license that allows them to be: reused, revised, remixed, and redistributed.

An electronic format that meets the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard, as consistent with the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (20 U.S.C. 1474(e)), and can be converted into specialized formats for children with disabilities and from which braille and large-print textbooks can be produced for blind and visually impaired students.

Appropriate devices used for conversion into braille, audio, large print, digital

The governing authority of each public elementary and secondary school shall adopt policies and regulations for the adoption and use of textbooks and other instructional materials that sufficiently support the needs of all students in meeting state content standards.

Statute RS17:351.1.B.4 states, “The purchase of electronic textbooks, instructional materials, and other media or content shall be maximized to the extent possible.”

The governing authority of each public elementary and secondary school shall adopt policies and regulations for the adoption and use of textbooks and other instructional materials that sufficiently support the needs of all students in meeting state content standards. The purchase and use of electronic textbooks, instructional materials, and other media or content shall be maximized to the extent practical. For the adoption of textbooks and instructional materials that have not been reviewed by the state Department of Education pursuant to this Section, such policies and regulations shall provide for the establishment of review committees composed of classroom teachers and other educators, all of whom shall be employees of Louisiana public schools, parents of students enrolled in Louisiana public schools, and other educational stakeholders in Louisiana who have interest in or knowledge of curriculum and the subject matter under consideration.

The state requirement that all print textbooks and print instructional materials submitted for review be supplied in an electronic format that meets the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard, as consistent with the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (20 U.S.C. 1474(e)), and can be converted into specialized formats for children with disabilities and from which braille and large-print textbooks can be produced for blind and visually impaired students is supported through local guidance

Appropriate devices used for conversion into Braille, audio, large print, digital. NIMAS compliance is supported with explanations and links to support both publishers and district administrator’s understanding. The accessibility assurance form listS acceptable technologies for providing instructional content. Contract language that encourages NIMAS compliance is used at the state level and encouraged locally for purchases of instructional materials for core instruction.

Materials are evaluated by a committee of Louisiana educators selected through an annual application process. Any current Louisiana public school educator can apply to be a part of a review committee as a Teacher Leader Advisor. Publishers are invited annually to submit materials for state review, including OER, in all core subjects using a competitive bid process. There are three phases to the process: Phase 1: Initial LDOE recruits and Providers submit screening and trains reviewers content for review reviews, Phase 2: State review public comment and publisher response and Phase 3: Publication of tiered ratings. Resources that support the three-phase state review process are available online 24/7 at the Online Instructional Materials Reviews website. The Publisher’s User Guide provides detailed information about the instructional materials review and selection process, while the rubrics disclose the criteria that will be examined. The Publisher’s User Guide also explains that companies must be licensed to do business in the state and provides a hyperlink to licensing information through the Secretary of State’s Corporate Division. Louisiana sets state review priorities in core subject areas and seeks programs that fully align to the state’s academic content standards and grade-level expectations. Publishers are encouraged to submit both video and printed “navigational roadmaps” to explain how to access their online content.

School Book Supply Company of Louisiana is managed by a state contractor.