August 19, 2008
 
TO:       ACSA members and Interested Parties

FR:       Jeff Frost, Legislative Advocate

RE:       AB 2468 (Brownley) Instructional materials: policies.

This year one of ACSA's highest legislative priorities has been AB 2468 (Brownley), which AB 2468 expresses the intent of the Legislature that in establishing policies on instructional materials, the State Board of Education should consider procedures where textbook price is not considered by the Curriculum Commission in determining recommendations to the Board for instructional materials and that their recommendations be based solely on content standards alignment, approved evaluation criteria and quality.  However, the bill urges that procedures be established to ensure that the State Board consider price as one factor after the commission submits its recommendations to the State Board 
 
As all of you know, the price of textbooks has continued to skyrocket in recent years.  ACSA has worked over the last several years to address the impacts of this price increase.  AB 2468 is one small step toward changing the dynamics of the adoption process by including price as one factor in the adoption process.  ACSA thinks this is a critical first step and our hope is the Governor will sign the bill.  However, we cannot take that for granted.
 
We hope that you will take the time to send the Governor a letter on behalf of your school district supporting the bill.  Below is a sample support letter. You are free to utilize any of its arguments in your own letters.  All letters can be sent to the Governor, State Capitol, Sacramento, CA 95814.
 
Thank you for your help on this important bill.
 

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August 14, 2008
 
Hon. Arnold Schwarzenegger                                   AB 2468:  SUPPORT
Governor                                                                      Enrollment
State Capitol                                                   
Sacramento, Ca 95814
 
Dear Governor:
 
The Association of California School Administrators is the sponsor of AB 2468 (Brownley) and the association urges you to sign this important bill when it reaches your desk.
 
AB 2468 expresses the intent of the Legislature that in establishing policies on instructional materials, the State Board of Education consider procedures that price is not considered by the Curriculum Commission in determining recommendations to the Board for instructional materials and that the recommendations be based solely on content standards alignment, approved evaluation criteria and quality.  Furthermore, the bill urges that procedures be established to ensure that the Board considers price as one factor after the commission submits its recommendations to the State Board.  Finally, the bill calls for the procedures to ensure that districts can purchase unbundled instructional materials and program components and not be required to purchase intervention programs or other ancillary components that the district deems unnecessary.
 
ACSA strongly supports the inclusion of additional legislative intent regarding the issues of both textbook quality and price.  ACSA believes that the overriding priority of Curriculum Commission and State Board must be to approve textbooks based on content standards alignment and overall quality.  However, ACSA believes that once the Curriculum Commission has made content and quality recommendations to the Board, that the Board should then be able to consider the price of the textbook before final actions are taken.
 
ACSA supports AB 2468 because it helps move California toward an effective model that allows the State Board to negotiate the price with publishers once they have taken action to approve textbooks for quality and content.  In North Carolina, where this process is used very effectively, this negotiation is handled through a sealed bid by the publisher of each text being considered for approval by the Board.  The Board may then adopt the books required by the courses of study and enter into contracts with the publisher of adopted books.  It may refuse to adopt any of the books offered at the prices bid and call for new bids.  When bids are accepted and a contract entered into, the contract may require, at the Board's discretion that the total sales of each book in the State be reported annually to the Board.
 
ACSA believes that while textbook quality is of paramount importance, that price should also be a factor in final decisions made by our State Board of Education.  AB 2468 would help to establish a policy that would allow California to adopt the highest quality textbooks but to utilize our size and volume in an effort to ensure that textbooks are purchased at the most reasonable price possible.  In every area of state and local government, agencies utilize a bid process to ensure that goods are purchased at the most reasonable price.  This is done in ways that ensure that the quality of the products being purchased will meet the highest standards.  AB 2468 can establish the same type of process for textbook purchases. 
 
Again, ACSA strongly supports AB 2468.  As school districts work to balance local budgets, while at the same time using substantial amounts of local general fund dollars to subsidize the purchase of required instructional materials, it seems appropriate that California begin to consider the price of materials before final decisions are made by our State Board.  If I can be of further assistance or answer any questions on this bill please contact me at (916) 447-8420.
 
Sincerely,

Jeffrey Frost
ACSA Legislative Advocate
 
cc:  Assembly Member Julia Brownley
       Paul Navarro, Governor's Deputy Legislative Secretary
       Dr. Dave Long, Secretary of Education
       Jeannie Oropeza, Department of Finance