State Schools Chief Jack O'Connell Announces
Second Phase of Digital Textbook Initiative
SACRAMENTO — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today announced a new milestone in California's Free Digital Textbook Initiative with the successful completion of the second phase review of digital textbooks by the California Learning Resources Network (CLRN), yielding 10 new digital resources.
"I applaud the completion of the second phase of this initiative," said O'Connell. "In these dire economic times, the expansion of standards-aligned digital textbooks provides more free resources to schools."The Free Digital Textbook Initiative was launched last year by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger with the support of the State Board of Education (SBE). After a review by CLRN to evaluate the digital textbooks' alignment to California's rigorous content standards, 16 free digital resources for grades nine through twelve were made available to California public schools.
The goal in phase two was to add to the list of basic student digital instructional resources that are intended as the primary resource for a course of study. The second review has successfully added 10 new mathematics and science digital textbooks to the existing list of free digital resources for grades nine through twelve. There are two more phases of reviews.
The mathematics materials had to align to the standards in geometry, Algebra II, trigonometry, or calculus. The science materials had to align to the standards for physics, chemistry, biology/life sciences, or earth sciences, including the investigation and experimentation strand. The standards for mathematics and science are available on the California Department of Education (CDE) Content Standards Web page at Content Standards - Standards & Frameworks.
These materials were reviewed by California teachers and experts in mathematics and science under the guidance of the CDE, the Office of the Secretary of Education, the SBE, and the CLRN. Review results are currently posted on CLRN's Web site at California Learning Resource Network (CLRN) (Outside Source).
For questions regarding the Free Digital Textbook Initiative review process, please contact CDE's Standards, Curriculum Frameworks and Instructional Resources Division Director Tom Adams at 916-319-0881. For questions about electronic materials, contact CDE's Education Technology Office Administrator Cliff Rudnick at 916-323-5072. For questions regarding submitting digital textbooks for review, contact CLRN's Brian Bridges at 209-238-1420.
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