[tasla] Fwd: [TEA-L] Experts Needed to Review Materials Submitted for Adoption

[Martha Rossi]

A unique opportunity.  Please see forwarded message below.  Those of you (and your staffs) with applicable certifications may be interested.  The nomination form that's referred to includes a list of content that will be reviewed.  Thanks, - Marty

>>> Review Adoption <Review.Adoption at TEA.STATE.TX.US> 1/19/2010 8:11 AM >>>
Experts Needed to Review Materials Submitted for Adoption


Commissioner of Education Robert Scott is seeking experts in the areas
of English language arts and reading, Spanish language arts and reading,
and educational technology to review electronic textbooks and
open-source instructional materials submitted for use in Texas schools.
 

Recent legislation has created two new processes by which publishers and
other content providers can submit exclusively electronic materials for
adoption. These materials can be submitted for inclusion on the
Commissioner's List of Approved Electronic Textbooks or as
State-Developed Open-Source Textbooks. These two new processes will not
only provide schools additional choices from which to select materials
for their students, but will also provide schools a greater opportunity
to leverage the power of technology to educate their students.


Review panels, comprised of content-area experts and experts in
educational technology, will review the submissions to determine the
extent to which the materials address the required Texas Essential
Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). Based on their findings, the panels will
make recommendations to the Commissioner regarding which materials meet
the rigorous standards for use in Texas schools. 
 

This is the first review of its kind, and Commissioner Scott is
soliciting volunteers interested in having the honor of participating in
the review that will determine the materials to be included on the
inaugural Commissioner's List of Approved Electronic Textbooks and the
first materials to be purchased as State-Developed Open-Source
Textbooks. 

 
The review of materials is scheduled to occur in March of 2010.
Panelists will not be asked to travel. Instead, the Texas Education
Agency (TEA) will provide appropriate login information to access the
materials through the internet and hold an orientation meeting via
webinar. Working in small groups, panel members will collaborate as a
virtual team-using phone and email to coordinate, communicate, and come
to a consensus regarding the extent to which the materials cover the
required TEKS. 

 
More information regarding this review and the requirements for the
materials that will be submitted for review are available in the Request
for Quote (RFQ) for electronic textbooks and Request for Offer (RFO) for
open-source textbooks released by the TEA. The RFQ is available on the
TEA website at


http://esbd.cpa.state.tx.us/bid_show.cfm?bidid=86713 
<http://esbd.cpa.state.tx.us/bid_show.cfm?bidid=86713> 


The RFO is available on the TEA website at


http://esbd.cpa.state.tx.us/bid_show.cfm?bidid=86724 
<http://esbd.cpa.state.tx.us/bid_show.cfm?bidid=86724> 


If you are interested in participating in this review, or would like to
nominate someone else for this exciting opportunity, please complete the
nomination form available on the TEA website at
http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/textbooks/CommissionersList/index.html and
return it to the TEA via email to review.adoption at tea.state.tx.us 
<mailto:review.adoption at tea.state.tx.us> . Nomination forms are due on
or before February 15, 2010.


Thank you, and we look forward to working with you in the near future.

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