District Information and Resources

Each Oklahoma school district has a responsibility to conduct a thorough review of instructional materials to guide the investment of textbook funding. A Local Textbook Committee must be established consistent with legislative requirements found at 70 O.S. § 16-111.

• Districts must appoint members to the local textbook committee. This usually occurs in October or early November each year and no later than February. 

• The local textbook committee needs to meet to become familiar with and/or make recommendations to improve, as well as district guidance and requirements for textbook evaluations. 

• After the State Textbooks Committee approves materials for adoption for the upcoming school year, the district committee can contact selected publishers to request samples and/or present them to the committee.

• Once the district chooses the textbook(s) for adoption, the textbook committee must submit the adoption recommendation to the district. 

• Districts may purchase textbooks on or after July 1 of each year.

Additional resources for local textbook committees:

• Local Textbook Review Guidance Document
• Generic Rubric Template
• District Adoption Timeline

The state-approved Evaluation Rubrics may help districts assess the quality of instructional materials. Districts should evaluate materials based on their specific needs and are encouraged to modify rubrics to reflect those particular district needs.

Rubric Structure

The rubric below may be used to evaluate an existing district curriculum to support internal reviews and/or other comprehensive instructional material programs that may not have been bid for state adoption.

Rubric Results

The rubric results below reflect the State Textbook Committee's results using a three-tiered rating system. The top tier, "Exemplifies Quality," indicates the highest standard. The second tier, "Approaching Quality," signifies materials that meet many criteria but may need improvement. The third tier, "Not Representing Quality," identifies materials not meeting established standards. 70 O.S. §16-102(F).

All state-reviewed instructional materials with completed rubrics can be found under Approved Titles.

The superintendent of each school district shall submit to the State Board of Education a textbook plan outlining the estimated number of textbooks needed and the total amount of money to be spent on them. 70 O.S. § 16-111(D)

District Ordering - Resource Link
iStar Online is a convenient online ordering system that Oklahoma school districts can use to submit estimates of instructional material needs and orders. To register with iStar, email oksupport@istaronline.com.

Districts can submit textbook orders directly to a depository. Below is contact information for the Archway Depository and Thompson School Book Depository. All depositories handling orders must have a physical address in Oklahoma. The district superintendent or textbook coordinator appointed by the superintendent is responsible for placing orders with the appropriate depository for all textbooks outlined in the district’s textbook plan for the upcoming year. 70 O.S. § 16-111(D)

Flexibility Statute

Under 70 O.S. § 16-114a, a district may request approval from the State Board of Education to use State Textbook funds in a manner that differs from the standard requirements. The district must demonstrate that the textbooks and instructional materials used by the district for the subject areas being considered in the current textbook adoption cycle are current and appropriate for student learning.

Requests submitted under the flexibility statute are intended for situations in which a district seeks to use State Textbook funds outside the standard adoption process. 

To request flexibility under 70 O.S. § 16-114a, districts must complete and submit the Textbook Waiver Flexibility Request Form.

Supplemental Instructional Materials

If a district is using State Textbook funds to purchase supplemental instructional materials, the request must meet the requirements of 70 O.S. § 16-111.1 and OAC 720:10-3-6.

Under these requirements:

• The local textbook committee should conduct a rigorous review of the supplemental materials prior to selection. OAC 720:10-3-6(b).

• The district must provide the local board of education with a written justification explaining why the supplemental materials are being selected. 70 O.S. § 16-111.1.

• The district board agenda and minutes should clearly document that approval is being requested under 70 O.S. § 16-111.1 for the use of State Textbook funds for supplemental instructional materials. See Oklahoma Open Meeting Act, Title 25 O.S. §§ 301 et seq.

• The written justification must include evidence that the supplemental materials support instruction aligned with the subject matter standards adopted by the State Board of Education. 70 O.S. § 16-111.1.

Supplemental materials should supplement adopted comprehensive materials or programs but not replace them. 720:10-3-6(b). If materials are intended to replace the State Textbook Committee-approved comprehensive curriculum, the district may, if applicable, use another applicable statutory authority, such as the flexibility process under 70 O.S. § 16-114a.

Visit the Accreditation Standards Division for more information on how to apply.

For more guidance, see the documents below:

• Using Textbook Funds Under the Flexibility Statute

State law, 70 O.S. §16-114a(C), allows for any textbooks distributed to districts that have been destroyed by fire or other hazards to be replaced by the State Board of Education. Please direct related inquiries to the Office of Legal Services. 

For further reading and ideas for improving the local review process, the following reports may be useful:

EdReports

• Selecting for Quality: Six Key Adoption Steps (2019)

Instruction Partners

• Questions for Naming Curriculum Criteria (Curriculum Support Guide, 2018)
• Selection and Decision-Making Approaches (Curriculum Support Guide, 2018)

OSDE Connect Training: High-Quality Instructional Materials Training Course

• This course provides a comprehensive guide to High-Quality Instructional Materials (HQIM). It equips educators, administrators, and curriculum specialists with the knowledge and tools necessary for successful adoption and implementation. Participants will explore the importance of HQIM, the selection process, best practices for forming review committees, and strategies for ensuring effective classroom integration. OSDE Connect Course link.

Carolynn Bristow  
Project Manager, Educational Material
Oklahoma State Department of Education 
(405) 522-1904
carolynn.bristow@sde.ok.gov