2020 Procedure – Course Design, Selection and Adoption of Instructional Materials

For the purposes of this procedure, the definitions from Policy 2020 will apply.

District course design and core instructional materials should be regularly reviewed to ensure their ongoing alignment with state law, teaching and learning standards and research-based best practices. All students will receive high quality core instruction and, as appropriate, strategic and intensive intervention support matched to student needs.

Course Design

A. Existing Courses

The superintendent or designee will establish a regular cycle of course design review and development that includes examination by teaching and learning committees composed of district teaching and learning directors and, as appropriate, external content area experts. This review cycle should be based on student need, changing demographics and funding. The cycle should cover each content area to ensure current course relevance. The course design process should review:

1. Relevance, rigor and alignment to state learning standards.

2. Efficacy of core, alternative core and intervention instructional materials that support student learning; and

3. Processes and resources used to assess student progress and address teacher professional learning.

Recommendations of this review may lead to:

1. Affirmation of continued use of current processes and instructional materials.

2. Establishment of a timeline for completion of recommended tasks.

3. Creation and assignment of tasks to subcommittees as required to select, write or revise the course design.

4. Recommendation of new instructional materials selection to the Instructional Materials Committee (IMC).

5. Design of course implementation and staff development plans.

6. Identification of projected budget needs in accordance with established timelines; and/or

7. Maintained communications with impacted stakeholders.

B. Social Studies Instructional Materials Review or Adoption
In compliance with RCW 28A.320.170, when the board adopts or reviews the district’s social studies curriculum, it will incorporate history, culture and government of the nearest federally recognized Indian tribe or tribes utilizing curriculum available on the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) website. The district may modify the OSPI curriculum to incorporate elements that have a regionally specific focus or may incorporate the curriculum into existing instructional materials.

During regularly scheduled reviews and revisions of their social studies and history curriculum thereafter, the district will collaborate with any federally recognized Indian tribe within its boundaries and with neighboring Indian tribes to expand and improve instructional materials about Indian tribes and to create programs of classroom and community cultural exchange.

The district will collaborate with OSPI on curricular areas regarding tribal government and history that are statewide in nature. 

C. New Courses or Major Modifications to Existing Courses

New course offerings or major course modifications that propose significant changes to course objectives or scope will be reviewed by the superintendent or designee prior to being scheduled to ensure that the course is rigorous, utilizes appropriate instructional materials and is a carefully considered part of the school’s college and career graduation pathways. New Course proposals are submitted to department of teaching and learning for review using 2020F-1 New Course Proposal Form.

When the implementation of new or modified courses requires the adoption of new instructional resources, those resource recommendations will be forwarded to the IMC for consideration by the process outlined below.

Selection and Adoption of Instructional Materials

For the purposes of this procedure, instructional materials used in the school district will be classified as core, alternative core, intervention, supplemental and temporary supplemental and shall be selected according to the procedures that follow. The principal is responsible for ensuring the continuing familiarity of their certificated staff with the requirements of this policy and procedure. The district office will provide technical assistance as may be necessary to accomplish this.

A. Roles and Responsibilities in the Selection and Adoption of Instructional Materials

B. Instructional Material Delivery Formats

Instructional materials may be delivered in many formats and may include textbooks, technology-based materials or other educational media.

C. Open Educational Resources

Open Educational Resources (OER) are teaching and learning resources that reside in the public domain or have been released under an intellectual property license that permits their free use and re-purposing by others. A wide variety of free, high quality instructional content is available from supplemental to core instructional materials. District staff are encouraged to consider OER when selecting instructional materials. OER are subject to the same selection and adoption procedures as other instructional materials outlined in this document.

D. Technology-based Resources

When instructional materials are technology based, district educational technology staff should be consulted regarding the technological impacts of the suggested program. Equity of access for students and teachers must be considered for all core instructional materials delivered in digital formats.

Core and Alternative Core Instructional Material Selection

A. Instructional Materials Committee (IMC)

The IMC is formed to establish and monitor such procedures as may be necessary for the evaluation and recommendation of core and alternative core instructional materials used by the district in conformance with stated criteria. The committee will act upon requests for core instructional material approval and will evaluate and act upon citizens’ requests for reconsideration of core instructional materials.

Committee meetings will be held on a schedule determined by the district. Special meetings may be called by the committee chair if necessary. Meeting schedule will be published on the IMC district webpage.

Except for the executive team member and the committee chair, the committee will have rotating/staggered three-, two- and one-year memberships to balance this committee, so that new members join with those who have experience with the policy and procedure. Vacancies will be filled based on the term length that was vacated.

• Primary teachers (2)
• Intermediate teachers (or resource teacher) (2)
• Middle school teachers (or resource teacher) (2)
• High school teachers (or counselor) (2)
• Elementary library media specialist (1)
• Secondary library media specialist (1)
• Site administrators (2)
• Parent/guardian s/community members (3)
• Executive team member (deputy superintendent or assistant superintendent), Ex-officio
• Director of teaching and learning – chair
• Administrative Assistant

Instructional Materials Committees will include one or more parent/guardian /guardian of enrolled students; state law ensures that parent/guardian /guardian members make up less than one-half the committee’s total membership.

Members will be appointed by the superintendent or designee through the district’s committee process.

B. Criteria for Selection of Core and Alternative Core Instructional Materials

Core and alternative core instructional materials shall be selected based upon the degree to which they:

1. Demonstrate likelihood of impact as shown by scientific or evidence-based research.

2. Enable implementation of the district’s developed curriculum and meet state standards and College Readiness requirements.

3. Provide sufficient flexibility to meet the varied needs and abilities of the students served.

4. Provide clear and appropriate differentiation components for multilingual learners (MLL), students served in special education, students with academic opportunity gaps and students identified as highly capable.

5. Where appropriate, present balanced but differing views of issues, controversial or otherwise, in order that students may develop critical analysis and informed decision-making skills.

6. Demonstrate consideration of appropriate format(s) including technological, visual and/or auditory components.

7. Support equitable access to learning and learning materials for all students; including the provision of appropriate, high-quality accessible instructional materials to all students served in special education who require them; and

8. Are free of stereotyping and bias against gender, race and class recognizing that under certain circumstances biased materials may serve as appropriate resources to present contrasting and differing points of view and biased materials may be employed to teach students about bias, stereotyping and propaganda in historical or contemporary contexts. The Washington Models for the Evaluation of Bias Content in Instructional Materials, published by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) should be consulted in the selection process to further to the goal of eliminating content bias: https://ospi.k12.wa.us/policy-funding/equity-and-civil-rights/resources-school-districts-civil-rights-washington-schools/reviewing-instructional-materials-bias.

C. Identification of Core and Alternative Core Instructional Materials

Core and alternative core instructional materials shall be initially selected by such certificated staff as the superintendent or designee may assign. Materials must meet the Criteria for the Selection of Core Instructional Materials above.

D. Recommendation of Core and Alternative Core Instructional Materials

The IMC will receive recommended district material proposals through superintendent-assigned staff. New instructional materials proposals are submitted on 2020F-2 New Instructional Materials Proposal Form. Core and alternative core instructional material will be reviewed according to superintendent-established procedures to ensure compliance with the above selection criteria and by using instructional material evaluation tools listed on the OSPI website: https://ospi.k12.wa.us/student-success/learning-standards-instructional-materials/course-design-instructional-materials. Based on their evaluation, the IMC will recommend instructional materials to the board for adoption.

E. Adoption of Core and Alternative Core Instructional Materials

Core and alternative core instructional material will be approved by the board prior to their use in classrooms. Texts selected previously are exempt from this requirement.

F. Regularly Scheduled Core Instructional Material Updates

Any course using OER as their core or alternative core instructional material will annually convene a representative group of district teachers of the course to revise and improve the core or alternative core instructional material. Adaptations will be based on teacher and student suggestions and data from state or district assessments identifying areas of lower student performance. Revised versions of the core or alternative core instructional material will be implemented for the following school year.

If the adaptations to the core or alternative core instructional material result in significant changes to course objectives or scope, the revised resource shall be forwarded to the IMC for consideration and formal recommendation for board adoption.

G. Exceptional Needs or Rapidly Changing Circumstances

The superintendent or designee may authorize the acquisition of alternative core instructional materials to meet exceptional needs or rapidly changing circumstances. However, expanded use of core instructional materials selected for exceptional needs will require adoption through the formal process.

H. College in High School (CIHS) and Advanced Placement (AP)

CIHS and AP courses may have varying course designs as necessitated by their course credit transfer requirements.

I.  Field Testing

The superintendent or designee may consider the use of field testing as part of the adoption process. Field testing can provide a flexible opportunity to investigate the effectiveness of curricular approaches, instructional materials and/or assessment resources through careful experimentation for an identified purpose based on student needs.

Trial-use core or alternative core instructional material of an experimental, field-test nature may be authorized for use by the superintendent for a period of no more than one school year prior to adoption through the formal process.

J. Citizen Access to View Core or Alternative Core Instructional Materials

Members of the community are invited to review any core instructional materials in current or proposed use. Such review may be accomplished at the school, the district office or online. The review and examination process should be arranged in a way to avoid disrupting the educational program. The review of core instructional materials should be undertaken with knowledge of district objectives in mind.

A request for IMC reconsideration of instructional material can be initiated by submitting the Request for Reconsideration of Instructional Materials Form (2020F-3) to the department of teaching and learning.

Intervention Instructional Material Selection

Instructional materials designed to support strategic or intensive intervention for students who are at risk of not meeting established learning standards will be approved by the superintendent or designee based upon evidence from reputable sources (e.g., National Center on Response to Intervention, Johns Hopkins Best Evidence Encyclopedia).

Supplemental Instructional Material Selection

Supplemental instructional materials will not require IMC approval or board adoption.

The superintendent shall delegate responsibility for examining, evaluating and selecting all supplemental and temporary supplemental instructional materials to the principal or professional staff of the district. This includes preparing all student reading lists using state standards-aligned resources/repositories. Staff will rely on reason and professional judgment in the selection of high-quality supplemental instructional materials that align to state learning standards and are appropriate for the instructional program and developmental level and interests of their students. While supplemental instructional materials do not require item-by-item approval of the IMC, staff are expected to thoroughly preview such materials and to give due consideration to the text complexity, developmental level of students, appropriateness of language or images, bias against racial, gender, ethnic or other social groups and other sensitive issues.

In accordance with RCW 28A.320.233, principals and professional staff cannot refuse to approve or prohibit any supplemental instructional materials for student instruction because they relate to or include the study of the role and contributions of any individual or group who is part of a protected class as established by RCW 28A.642.210 and 28A.640.010.

Requests for Review and Removal of Supplemental Instructional Materials

A parent/guardian may submit a written request to review and remove supplemental instructional materials to the applicable teacher and principal. If the parent/guardian  requests, the school will arrange a meeting with the parent/guardian , the principal and the teacher to address the parent/guardian ’s concerns and find solutions. If the issue cannot be resolved, the principal, in consultation with a teacher-librarian, will review the materials and issue a written decision on whether to remove them. The decision must be issued within 30 days of meeting with the parent/guardian or within 60 days of receiving the complaint if the parent/guardian  does not request a meeting. If the  parent/guardian  or teacher disagrees with the principal’s decision, they may appeal to the superintendent or designee in writing. The superintendent’s or designee’s decision is final and cannot be appealed. Once a final decision is made, the same materials may not be reconsidered for at least three years unless the superintendent determines a significant change in circumstances arises.

The decisions made under this process must comply with RCW 28A.320.233, will be based on the criteria for selecting supplemental instructional materials described in this procedure, and may apply only to the student or students whose parent/guardian  submitted the complaint.

Temporary Supplemental Instructional Material Selection

Professional staff of the district will rely on reason and professional judgment in the selection of high quality temporary supplemental instructional materials that are appropriate for the instructional program and developmental level and interests of their students.

Protest Procedure for Instructional Materials

When a parent/guardian /guardian or employee challenges any instructional materials used or restricted from use in schools, the following steps should be taken:

A. Concerns should first be discussed with the certificated teacher and/or the school principal. All parties are urged to resolve the concern at this level.

B. If the concern cannot be resolved through discussion at the school level, the following steps will be taken and the challenged instructional material will continue to be used until a decision is rendered:

I. If the challenged instructional material is supplemental in nature, at a parent/guardian /guardian written request to the principal, the supplemental instructional material may be asked to be withdrawn from their student. The principal shall facilitate a meeting of the complainant(s) and appropriate school staff. Following the meeting, the principal shall respond with a written decision. If warranted by the scope of the supplemental material, an appeal may be submitted to the superintendent or designee requesting review by the IMC and a written decision.

II. If the instructional material is core, alternative core or intervention instructional material, the parent/guardian /guardian or employee may register a request for reconsideration with the superintendent or designee. This request will be forwarded to the IMC. The IMC will review the complaint and establish a timely process for public consideration of the complaint, if appropriate.
All instructional material reconsideration decisions will be by majority vote of the IMC and are final. Decisions of the committee will be delivered in writing to the superintendent, complainant and affected staff within 10 school business days

Excluding Student from a Program/Opt-Out

Upon a parent/guardian /guardian written request based on sincerely held religious beliefs, the district will excuse a student from identified lesson(s) or material(s) and provide a reasonable, non-stigmatizing alternative. Excused students will not be penalized academically. Requests should specify the material or unit; the district will respond within five school days.

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Adopted/Previous Revisions: 10/1/98; 05.28/14; 01/14/16; 09/18/25

Last Revised: 11/17/25

Superintendent or Board Approved: Superintendent Approved