Digital Learning Tab: This current tab provides information and links related to digital learning plans and standards, the adoption of computer science standards and state definitions for personalized learning. Visit the Instructional Materials, Procurement and Professional Learning Tabs for more information on this state.
California has an independent state level educational technology plan. The state revises the plan periodically. The state plan was created in 1996 and called the Connect, Compute, and Compete Plan and in 2003 the Education Technology Master Plan was published. In 2006, in order to meet the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 requirements, a new plan called the NCLB State Technology Plan was published. A new plan for 2013-2016, with a working title of Empowering Learning: California Educational Technology Blueprint was released in 2014.
District level educational technology plans are not required by California, but are required for the purpose of receiving funds for the state’s Education Technology K-12 Voucher program. The state provides planning support through online webinars, face to face trainings, e-mail and website support. The California Technology Assistance Project (CTAP) also provides assistance to districts by grooming their technology plans and uploading and approving the technology plans through the State’s Education Technology Plan Review System (ETPRS). The current ETPRS is in the process of being replaced by a more modern technology planning platform called the Technology Plan Builder (TPB). The TPB will assist the districts to write their tecnology plan.
The State Board of Education adopts instructional materials for most content areas for use in kindergarten through grade eight. LEAs are subject to a law California Education Code (EC) Section 60119,which requires instructional materials to be aligned to the state-adopted academic content standards in the four subjects of English language arts/English language development; history/social science; mathematics; and science. The Instructional Quality Commission, supervises the instructional materials reviews, utilizing state-trained volunteer teachers and administrators, to establish a list of materials meeting 100% of the state-adopted standards in addition to other evaluation criteria. California posts this list of state-adopted programs for LEAs to consider and posts details on requirements for materials via the Curriculum Frameworks Adoption Process – CalEdFacts.LEAs do not have a specific timeline to implement any specific instructional materials. The State conducts such an adoption on an eight-year cycle per subject. LEAs may conduct their own local reviews in consideration of piloting and adopting such materials.
The State Superintendent of Public Instruction (SSPI) encourages California school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools to be innovative in the use of technology to improve instruction, student learning, and teacher professional development. The SSPI continues to explore technological innovation in education with public and private sector partners. A local school district governing board may adopt relevant technology-based materials, if the materials are both available and comparable to other, equivalent instructional materials, as defined in education code Section 60010 (h).
EC Section 60010 provides a definition of instructional materials as follows Instructional Materials means all materials that are designed for use by pupils and their teachers as a learning resource and help pupils to acquire facts, skills, or opinions or to develop cognitive processes. Instructional materials may be printed or non-printed, and may include textbooks, technology-based materials, other educational materials, and tests.
EC Section 60240(a): The State Instructional Materials Fund is hereby continued in existence in the State Treasury. The fund shall be a means of annually funding the acquisition of instructional materials as required by the Constitution of the State of California. EC Section 60240(c)(1): The state board shall encumber part of the fund to pay for accessible instructional materials pursuant to Sections 60312.EC Section 60312: The state board shall make available copies of adopted textbooks and other state adopted print materials in large print and other accessible media for pupils enrolled in the elementary schools whose visual acuity is 10/70 or less or who have other visual impairments making the use of these textbooks and alternate formats necessary. The California Education Code (EC) mandates for publishers of programs that have been adopted for kindergarten through grade eight: EC Section 60060: Every publisher or manufacturer of instructional materials offered
The California State Constitution, Article 9, SEC. 7.5 states “The State Board of Education shall adopt textbooks for use in grades one through eight throughout the State, to be furnished without cost as provided by statute.” Many state laws support this basic directive (including a law extending it to kindergarten).
The State Statute allows, but does not require the use of SBE-adopted instructional materials, but does require that students have instructional materials aligned to the SBE-adopted content standards and that they are consistent with the cycles of the SBE-adopted curriculum frameworks.
Clearinghouse for Specialized Media and Translations (CSMT) has an online ordering and distribution system that LEAs can use to download digital files of SBE-adopted full-course programs to be used to help instruct and support students.
California provides opportunities to share with LEAs via list serve and email, including the ability to share examples and provide technical assistants to LEAs.
When the State conducts an instructional materials review it does not favor one media format over another. Publishers may submit materials in print or digital format. When recruiting instructional materials reviewers, the State does ask about reviewers comfortableness with digital technology.
Districts fund the purchase of digital instructional materials with general state funds and/or local initiatives.
The State of California funds local educational agencies (LEA) with one state entitlement. The LEA will utilize this funding for nearly all state-funded educational expenditures, including instructional materials. It is incumbent upon the LEA to determine their own local needs. LEAs are subject to a law California Education Code (EC) Section 60119,which requires instructional materials to be aligned to the state-adopted academic content standards in the four subjects of English language arts/English language development; history/social science; mathematics; and science. The Instructional Quality Commission supervises the instructional materials reviews, utilizing state-trained volunteer teachers and administrators, to establish a list of materials meeting 100% of the state-adopted standards in addition to other evaluation criteria. California posts this list of state-adopted programs for LEAs to consider and posts details on requirements for materials. http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/cr/cf/imagen.asp.
Curriculum Frameworks Adoption Process LEAs do not have a specific timeline to implement any specific instructional materials. The State conducts such an adoption on an eight-year cycle per subject. LEAs may conduct their own local reviews in consideration of piloting and adopting such materials. The State Superintendent of Public Instruction (SSPI) encourages California school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools to be innovative in the use of technology to improve instruction, student learning, and teacher professional development. The SSPI encourages the use of digital instructional materials to support learning, and the use of technology devices for instruction. The SSPI continues to explore technological innovation in education with public and private sector partners. A local school district governing board.
Publisher guidance is provided by content area during an adoption cycle.
The state holds the publishers of-adopted full-course programs responsible for providing digital files in RTF and PDFs of state-adopted student instructional materials. The Clearinghouse for Specialized Media and Translations (CSTM) uses the digital files to create large print, braille and audio files for students with visual impairments to use. Supplemental materials, including OERs, are not adopted in California.