156.407 Selection of textbook reviewers -- Review and evaluation process.
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/ky/chapter-156/156-407A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
(Effective until July 1, 2026)
(1)The chief state school officer shall, not later than February 1 of each year in which
an adoption is to be made, solicit applications for filling twelve
(12)positions for
textbook reviewers.
(2)Solicitation shall be statewide for all appointments and include specifications which
ensure candidates have professional expertise in the subject areas to be reviewed if
appropriate for the appointment.
(3)The State Textbook Commission, at its first yearly meeting, shall select textbook
reviewers based on a list of qualified applicants prepared by the chief state school
officer and giving consideration to the recommendations as specified in KRS
156.405.
(4)The Department of Education's curriculum and instruction specialists shall serve as
staff to the commission and reviewers. The staff shall:
(a)Orient and train the commission and reviewers regarding departmental policy
and review procedures;
(b)Make available existing standards and criteria for textbook evaluation; and
(c)Provide supplies and sample textbooks for the review process.
(5)The textbook reviewers shall develop subject specific criteria for textbook review
and evaluation in the following textbook areas:
(a)Subject content, including its relationship to the academic expectations;
(b)Audience;
(c)Format;
(d)Readability;
(e)Accuracy; and
(f)Ancillary materials.
(6)On or before July 15, the State Textbook Commission shall develop general criteria,
review and approve subject specific criteria, and provide the standard criteria and
evaluation forms to be used by the commission and textbook reviewers.
(7)Based upon approval of the standard criteria and evaluation forms, the textbook
reviewers shall review textbooks and programs. The committee shall submit
evaluation forms for each textbook or program reviewed in each of the five
areas, set forth in subsection
(5)of this section, with comments related to strengths
and weaknesses in each area.
(8)The State Textbook Commission shall review the work of the textbook reviewers
and based on this review and any of its own reviews of textbooks or programs,
establish a state multiple list of recommended textbooks and programs. The list of
recommended textbooks and programs shall be free of factual error. Copies of all
evaluation forms submitted by the textbook reviewers shall be made available to
commission members and maintained on file within the Department of Education
for the cycle length of the books. For those materials placed on the state multiple
list of recommended textbooks and programs, the Department of Education shall
publish a consumer guide that includes summary results of the evaluations and any factual error identified in the textbooks, and shall distribute it to all public schools in the state.