A bill that would extend the textbook review and adoption period from 73 months to 97 months moved out of the Senate Education Committee and its counterpart will be heard on Tuesday morning in the House Education Instruction Subcommittee. The proposed measure, SB0421, would also impact the review period of state standards for English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. It is a change that comes from State Senator Jon Lundberg (R-Bristol), at the urging of the Tennessee State Board of Education (SBE).
The bill passed out of the State Senate Education Committee after its sponsor and committee chair, State Sen. Lundberg, drew fellow members’ attention to the attached fiscal note. That note shows that a change would save the state approximately $101,700 annually and decrease local expenditures by $16,250,000 annually.
In calculating local savings, the Tennessee General Assembly’s Fiscal Review Committee offered that there would be an average of 75,000 students in each grade level, kindergarten through twelve, and the average cost for one textbook is $100. If districts purchased a textbook for each student, the district cost for one textbook purchase would be approximately $97,000. (75,000 x $100 x 13 grade levels) The fiscal note proposes that the extended review cycle will allow local funds needed to purchase materials to be spread out over eight years versus six.
However, the purchasing of instructional materials includes more than just textbooks.
Core curriculum materials have become primarily digital. They are interactive and utilize assessment and data analytics. Instead of purchasing a physical book, districts purchase access through a digital subscription. This is done on a per-student, per-year basis. Subsequently, an eight-year license will normally cost more than a six-year one.
In addition to digital access, many districts also purchase workbooks. This is especially true for especially for elementary-grade subjects. These materials are often referred to as “consumables”, and must be replaced every year.  The annual cost to replace consumable materials remains the same, whether the adoption period is six years or eight. The cost of a book represents only a part of the overall program cost.
In talking to school superintendents across Tennessee, most view this extension as an opportunity to stabilize instructional practices. One district leader told The Tennessee Star that, “It usually takes a teacher about three years to become truly comfortable with changes to the standards, and new course materials. By lengthening the review period, a teacher will have more time to dig into the standards, and by extension offer better instruction.”
This view is shared by State Representative Scott Cepicky (R-Culleoka), who chairs the House Education Instruction Subcommittee. In a phone call, he told The Star, “This change in the process will ensure that standards will receive the attention that they require.” In his view, this step is essential to improving student outcomes.
Cepicky has filed a bill (HB0481) that would require the standards recommendation committees to identify standards as either foundational or advanced. It further requires, the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) to include student proficiency rates for foundational and advanced academic standards tested on each Tennessee comprehensive assessment program test to be published on the department’s website.
Cepicky acknowledged that by extending the review and adoption period, there comes a risk of opening the door for LEAs to use unapproved supplemental materials. Supplemental materials are not subject to review by the Textbook Commission, but cannot be used as core curriculum. While Cepicky recognizes the challenge, he is confident that it can be addressed, and he and Lundberg are exploring ways to ensure that potential loopholes are closed.
In 2019, the ELA adoption process was stopped midway through by Tennessee Commissioner of Education Penny Schwinn. Outside help from David Steiner, the executive director of the John Hopkins Institute for Education Policy and a member of the board for the Core Knowledge Foundation, was solicited to review Tennessee’s adoption process. After Steiner’s review and the implementation of his recommendations, the adoption process was restarted.
Despite the review process being updated, the TDOE was required to issue 72 waivers in order to allow districts to adopt the Wit and Wisdom curriculum. The department’s actions were brought into question by legislators and as a result, laws were enacted limiting the role of the state education commissioner and the TDOE in the adoption process.
The adoption for the math period is currently ongoing, after being delayed by two years. The delay required the General Assembly to issue a waiver allowing local districts the ability to extend current textbook contracts. Districts have been reviewing the current list of approved materials, and are expected to submit their math curriculum selections in June but are still awaiting final guidance from the TDOE. It remains unclear what impact this legislation will have on those selections.
Science is the next core subject up for review. The Textbook Commission is set to approve that adoption calendar at the March meeting after the January meeting was postponed. The Textbook Committee is reportedly struggling under the weight of their new “library policing” duties. Senator Lundberg has stated that by extending the adoption and review period, some of that pressure could be relieved.
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TC Weber is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. He also writes the blog Dad Gone Wild. Follow TC on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected]. He’s the proud parent of two public school children and the spouse of a public school teacher.
Photo “Jon Lundberg” by Jon Lundberg. Photo “Scott Cepicky” by State Representative Scott Cepicky. Background Photo “Classroom” by Wokandapix.
This is what a broken education system looks like.