Instructional Materials

The following text was sent to publishers on December 2018

We are currently in a districtwide adoption process for our core math course in grades Kindergarten through 8. We are not seeking to review materials for supplemental or elective programs that are not part of our core programs.

Our Adoption Committee will be comprised of a representative group of community members, teachers, parents, and support specialists. Criteria for this request have been set by the School Board (see page 2). In addition to print materials, the committee will be considering Open Education Resources (OER). The adoption committee may add additional considerations in addition to the following:

Considerations in reviewing materials

• The curricula are aligned to the Common Core State Standards.
• The curricula Include resources and differentiation tools for instructing all students in a general education classroom. It also needs to include resources for differentiating instruction for students requiring intervention (including students with IEPs, in the dual language programs-Spanish and Vietnamese- and other home languages, and students who are learning English), as well as enrichment for students who are exceeding standards.
• The curricula provide tasks and questions that promote high level thinking along with access and language support.
• The curricula provide rigor and balance. Materials and tools should reflect the balances in the Standards and help students meet the Standards' rigorous expectations by developing students' conceptual understanding of key mathematical concepts, giving attention throughout the year to procedural skill and fluency, and allowing teachers and students using the materials as designed to spend sufficient time working with engaging applications/modeling.
• The curricula emphasize Mathematical Reasoning by prompting students to construct viable arguments and critique the arguments of others concerning key course-level math that is detailed in the content standards, engaging students in problem-solving as a form of argument, and explicitly attending to the specialized language of math.
• The curricula include a range of materials that are culturally responsive.
• The curricula support NCTM-defined best instructional practices for mathematics instruction.

Some things you should know about our committee work and adoption process

• We are a closed district, and ask that publishing representatives not contact individual members on the committee, nor individual schools. This includes solicitations by mail, e-mail, phone, or visitations at schools. Please note that failure to comply with this request can result in having your company’s curriculum materials removed from consideration.
• The committee will use the screening tools they create to review all materials and narrow the choices to 2 finalists. We will contact the representatives of the finalists for pilot samples.

Request for Samples

• For print-based curricula: We’re requesting one set of materials for each grade level math course. Teacher editions would suffice if they include the student edition. We are also requesting any ancillary components such as assessments, teacher guides, study guides and other print materials.
• For materials that include online access, we will require online access to teacher and student editions and other digital resources that accompany the curriculum according to the timeline below.
• Please include a list of materials that are available in other languages, such as Spanish or Vietnamese, if any.
• Where possible, please send materials with the least amount of packaging. We would prefer not to receive display boxes of materials for each grade as we do not have the space to store this.
• Due to space limitations in our district office, we would prefer if you send the sample curriculum materials combined together in one single pallet shipment.
• We are only reviewing materials that will be available for use and/or purchase by June, 2019.
• If your curriculum is chosen for a pilot, we will request additional samples.
• Send online access directions to miriam.madill@highlineschools.org
• Please include a list of materials that are available in other languages, such as Spanish or Vietnamese, if any.

In addition to the specific information and considerations listed above, the following criteria, from Highline’s Board Procedure 2020 apply to the selection of all core instructional material.

Criteria for Selection of Core Instructional Materials

Core instructional materials shall be selected based upon the degree to which they: A. Demonstrate likelihood of impact as shown by scientific or evidence-based research; B. Enable implementation of the district’s developed goals and priorities and meet state standards and College Readiness requirements; C. Provide sufficient flexibility to meet the varied needs and abilities of the students served; D. Provide clear and appropriate differentiation components for English Language Learners, students who qualify for special education, students with academic opportunity gaps, and students identified as highly capable; E. 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;
F. Demonstrate consideration of appropriate format(s) (including technological, visual, and/or auditory components); G. Support an equitable access to learning and learning materials for all students; including the provision of appropriate, high-quality accessible instructional materials to all students with disabilities who require them; and H. Are free of stereotyping and gender, race, class, and other forms of bias, 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 in order 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://www.k12.wa.us/CurriculumInstruct/InstructionalMaterialsReview.aspx

Timeline

Please have preview materials delivered to our office by the week of January 7, 2019. Any materials received after January 22, 2019 will not be considered. Please have electronic access available by Monday, January 7, 2019.

Shipping

Please send your preview materials to:
Attn: Miriam Madill
Math Instructional Specialist, Highline Public Schools
15675 Ambaum Blvd. SW
Burien, WA 98166

Contact

Miriam Madill Opens a New Window.
Math Instructional Specialist, Highline Public Schools

• Michele Brees, Instructional Specialist
• Ashley Brough, Teacher
• Alejandra Cordoba, Teacher
• Terri Costinett, Teacher
• Kathleen Detzler, Teacher
• Julia Faherty, Teacher
• Megan Funes, Administrator
• Ruth Gardner, Instructional Specialist
• Judith Grande, Paraeducator
• Charlene Grob, Teacher
• Emily Gunn, Teacher
• Amy Jones, Teacher
• Chau Le, Teacher
• Doug Neufeld, Administrator
• May Ovalles, Administrator
• Allie Rios, Teacher
• Jessica Scheele, Teacher
• Stacey Snyder, Instructional Specialist
• Leslie Sokolik, Teacher
• Kerry Steinke, Instructional Specialist
• Nathaniel Walker, Teacher
• Susan Wood-Megrey, Instructional Specialist

• Thursday, March 7     4:15-5:30pm, Central Office
• Thursday, March 14   4:15-5:30pm, Central Office
• Thursday, March 21   4:15-5:30pm, Central Office
• Thursday, March 28   4:15-5:30pm, Location TBD
• Thursday, April 4        4:15-5:30pm, Location TBD

Staff and community are invited to an open house to learn more about the instructional materials under consideration.

• Tuesday, March 26   4:30-7:30pm, Central Office
• Wednesday, April 3   4:30-7:30pm, Chinook Middle School Library

Adoption committee members will share instructional materials being considered. Participants can ask questions and provide feedback. Feedback will inform the committee's recommendation to the school board in May. Materials will be introduced in the 2019-20 school year.

Spanish interpretation will be available. Please contact (206) 631-3182, 72 hours in advance if additional languages are needed.

Elementary:

• Ready Math/Classroom
• San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) (Open Educational Resource)

Middle School:

• Learn Zillion
• Open-Up Resources
• enVision

K-5 Adopted Materials

• San Francisco Unified School District Math Core Curriculum  - SFUSD (Open Educational Resource)

6-8 Adopted Materials

• Open Up Resources

 

The following text was sent to publishers on December 2018

We are currently in a district-wide adoption process for our core course in grades 6th through 11th. We are not seeking to review materials for supplemental or elective programs that are not part of our core programs.
Courses

• 6th grade – Ancient World History and Geography
• 7th grade – Early World History
• 7th grade - Pacific Northwest History
• 8th grade - US History (Before Colonization to Reconstruction)
• 9th grade – Contemporary Global Issues
• 10th grade – Modern World History
• 10th grade – Civics
• 11th grade – US History (Gilded Age to Present)

Our Adoption Committee will be comprised of a representative group of community members, teachers, parents, and support specialists. Criteria for this request have been set by the School Board (see page 2). The adoption committee may add additional considerations in addition to the following:

Considerations in reviewing materials

• C3 and CCSS for History standards alignment with a focus on literacy and inquiry
• Capacity to support to support a flexible curriculum map that fits our frameworks
• Additional materials beyond the curriculum map to build deep and rigorous case studies (with the ability to filter results by standards, timeframe, course content, and/or course type) based on student interest
• Vetted complex texts, with at least the Lexile level for reference,
• A range of materials that that is culturally responsive
• Differentiation tools that support students to access grade level texts (including students with IEPs, in the dual language programs-Spanish and Vietnamese- and other home languages, and students that are learning English)
• Supports for best/preferred practices for inquiry-based learning in Social Studies including: primary and secondary sources, deep dives into content, mixed media texts, simulations, debates/decision making tasks, etc.
• Able to print most resources and access to it electronically

Some things you should know about our committee work and adoption process

• We are a closed district, and ask that publishing representatives not contact individual members on the committee, nor individual schools. This includes solicitations by mail, e-mail, phone, or visitations at schools. Please note that failure to comply with this request can result in having your company’s curriculum materials removed from consideration.
• The committee uses the screening tools they created to review all materials and narrow the choices to 2 finalists. We will contact the representatives of the finalists for pilot samples.

Request for Samples

• Because we do not anticipate purchasing print materials, we are requesting only online materials
• Send online access directions to lexi.samorano@highlineschools.org
• Please include a list of materials that are available in other languages, such as Spanish or Vietnamese, if any.
• We are only reviewing materials that will be available for use and/or purchase by June 2019.

In addition to the specific information and considerations listed above, the following criteria, from Highline’s Board Procedure 2020 apply to the selection of all core instructional material. 

Criteria for Selection of Core Instructional Materials

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

• A. Demonstrate likelihood of impact as shown by scientific or evidence-based research; 
• B. Enable implementation of the district’s developed goals and priorities and meet state standards and College Readiness requirements;
• C. Provide sufficient flexibility to meet the varied needs and abilities of the students served;
• D. Provide clear and appropriate differentiation components for English Language Learners, students who qualify for special education, students with academic opportunity gaps, and students identified as highly capable;
• E. 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;
• F. Demonstrate consideration of appropriate format(s) (including technological, visual, and/or auditory components);
• G. Support an equitable access to learning and learning materials for all students; including the provision of appropriate, high-quality accessible instructional materials to all students with disabilities who require them; and
• H. Are free of stereotyping and gender, race, class, and other forms of bias, 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 in order 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://www.k12.wa.us/CurriculumInstruct/InstructionalMaterialsReview.aspx

Timeline

Please have electronic access available by Monday, January 7, 2019.

Contact

Lexi Samorano Opens a New Window.
Secondary Social Studies Specialist

• Jeb Binns, Teacher
• Antje Brewer, Teacher
• Judy Cullen, Teacher
• Kimberly Edwards, Instructional Specialist
• Kayla Graham, Teacher
• Anna Löfstrand, Teacher
• Edda Mellas, Teacher
• Stephanie Nelson, Teacher
• Gabriela Nunez, Student
• Lucas Peterson, Teacher
• Schell Ross, Teacher
• Sharon Schmitt, Administrator
• Kelley Schottle, Administrator
• Lan Shumate, Paraeducator

• Thursday, February 28   4:15-5:30pm, Evergreen High School
• Tuesday, March 19   4:15-5:30pm, Evergreen High School
• Tuesday, April 16   4:15-5:30pm, Evergreen High School
• Thursday, April 18   4:15-5:30pm, Evergreen High School

Staff and community are invited to an open house to learn more about the instructional materials under consideration.

• Tuesday, March 26   4:30-7:30pm, Central Office
• Wednesday, April 3   4:30-7:30pm, Chinook Middle School Library

Adoption committee members will share instructional materials being considered. Participants can ask questions and provide feedback. Feedback will inform the committee's recommendation to the school board in May. Materials will be introduced in the 2019-20 school year.

Spanish interpretation will be available. Please contact (206) 631-3182, 72 hours in advance if additional languages are needed.

• ABC-Clio
• Discovery TechBooks
• Newsela
• Teaching Tolerance (Open Educational Resource)
• Native Knowledge 360 (Open Educational Resource)
• Since Time Immemorial (Open Educational Resource)

6-8 Adopted Materials:

• Discovery Social Studies TechBook

9-11 Adopted Materials:

• ABC-Clio

6-11 Open Educational Resources Adopted Materials:

• Since Time Immemorial
• Native Knowledge 360
• Teaching Tolerance
• Newsela