The Florida Senate

1006.29  State instructional materials committees.--

(1)  Each school year, not later than April 15, the commissioner shall appoint state instructional materials committees composed of persons actively engaged in teaching or in the supervision of teaching in the public elementary, middle, or high schools and representing the major fields and levels in which instructional materials are used in the public schools and, in addition, lay citizens not professionally connected with education. Committee members shall receive training pursuant to subsection (5) in competencies related to the evaluation and selection of instructional materials.

(a)  There shall be 10 or more members on each committee: At least 50 percent of the members shall be classroom teachers who are certified in an area directly related to the academic area or level being considered for adoption, 2 shall be laypersons, 1 shall be a district school board member, and 2 shall be supervisors of teachers. The committee must have the capacity or expertise to address the broad racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, and cultural diversity of the state's student population. Personnel selected as teachers of the year at the school, district, regional, or state level are encouraged to serve on instructional materials committees.

(b)  The membership of each committee must reflect the broad racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, and cultural diversity of the state, including a balanced representation from the state's geographic regions.

(c)  The commissioner shall determine annually the areas in which instructional materials shall be submitted for adoption, taking into consideration the desires of the district school boards. The commissioner shall also determine the number of titles to be adopted in each area.

(2)(a)  All appointments shall be as prescribed in this section. No member shall serve more than two consecutive terms on any committee. All appointments shall be for 18-month terms. All vacancies shall be filled in the manner of the original appointment for only the time remaining in the unexpired term. At no time may a district school board have more than one representative on a committee. The commissioner and a member of the department whom he or she shall designate shall be additional and ex officio members of each committee.

(b)  The names and mailing addresses of the members of the state instructional materials committees shall be made public when appointments are made.

(c)  The district school board shall be reimbursed for the actual cost of substitute teachers for each workday that a member of its instructional staff is absent from his or her assigned duties for the purpose of rendering service to the state instructional materials committee. In addition, committee members shall be reimbursed for travel expenses and per diem in accordance with s. 112.061 for actual service in meetings of committees called by the commissioner. Payment of such travel expenses shall be made from the appropriation for the administration of the instructional materials program, on warrants to be drawn by the Chief Financial Officer upon requisition approved by the commissioner.

(d)  Any member of a committee may be removed by the commissioner for cause.

(3)  All references in the law to the state instructional materials committee shall apply to each committee created by this section.

(4)  For purposes of state adoption, "instructional materials" means items having intellectual content that by design serve as a major tool for assisting in the instruction of a subject or course. These items may be available in bound, unbound, kit, or package form and may consist of hardbacked or softbacked textbooks, consumables, learning laboratories, manipulatives, electronic media, and computer courseware or software. The term does not include electronic or computer hardware even if such hardware is bundled with software or other electronic media, nor does it include equipment or supplies.

(5)  The department shall develop a training program for persons selected to serve on state instructional materials committees. The program shall be structured to assist committee members in developing the skills necessary to make valid, culturally sensitive, and objective decisions regarding the content and rigor of instructional materials. All persons serving on instructional materials committees must complete the training program prior to beginning the review and selection process.

History.--s. 304, ch. 2002-387; s. 1950, ch. 2003-261.