Study Session Packet

March 31, 2008

RACINE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

BOARD OF EDUCATION March 31, 2008

AGENDA ITEM: Textbook Adoptions (see attached) PRESENTING: Jeff Weiss, Director of Curriculum and Instruction DESCRIPTION: With the exception of the elementary reading adoption, the textbook adoptions

listed above were presented to a subcommittee of the District-Wide School Improvement Council on Tuesday, January 29, 2008. The committee consisted of one building principal, one Curriculum and Instruction coordinator, and three classroom teachers. The textbook presenters were asked the eight Critical Questions attached to this packet. After hearing presentations regarding the selection textbooks, committee members asked additional questions regarding the adoptions. Upon hearing the presentations and answers to additional questions, the committee voted to unanimously recommend that the Board of Education approve the attached list of books for adoption. Due to the scope of the elementary reading adoption, the DWSIC recommended that this committee go through the full, three-step approval process. The committee chair and elementary reading coordinator, Jane Barbian, first presentation to the DWSIC was in November, 2006. The elementary reading committee’s final presentation to the DWSIC occurred on January 18, 2008. The council voted 14 to 3 in favor of approving the adoption. Dissent concerning the distribution of textbooks and materials to the schools will be addressed in the resolution of Improvement Action #035.

FISCAL NOTE: TOTAL COST TO DISTRICT (including Algebra adoption approved in December): $3,343,794.40 + $154,322.10 = $3,498,116.50

RECOMMENDATION:

Teaching and Learning Director-Curriculum and Instruction

Elementary Reading (cost to be incurred over two year period for item #1):

1) Grades K-5 a. Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt b. Title of Series: Story Town c. Value of Program: $ 6,018,512.41 d. Cost to District: $2,227,111.99

2) English Language Learners, Grades K-5 a. Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt b. Title of Series: Villa Cuentos c. Value of Program: $359,343.00 d. Cost to District: $150,847.18

3) Handwriting, Grades K-3 a. Publisher: Pearson Scott Foresman b. Title of Series: D’Nealian Handwriting Program c. Value of Program: $113,824.60 d. Cost to District: $83,851.75

4) Dictionaries/Thesauruses (Spanish)

a. Publisher: multiple (detailed in packet) b. Title of Series: multiple (detailed in packet) c. Value of Program: $25,943.12 d. Cost to District: $23,937.60

5) Technology Upgrade a. Company: Cisco/Inacom b. LAN infrastructure upgrade c. Value of Components: $630,705.00 d. Cost to District: $304,424.00

Science:

1) Biology a. Publisher: Glencoe b. Title of Book: Biology c. Value of Program: $252,157 d. Cost to District: $193,719

2) Horticulture

a. Publisher: Pearson/Prentice Hall b. Title of Book: Introduction to Horticulture c. Value of Program: $53,588 d. Cost to District: $53,152

Science (continued):

3) Science Survey a. Publisher: Glencoe b. Title of Books:

i. Level Blue (Physical Science) ii. The Water Planet

iii. The Air Around You c. Value of Program: $110,227 d. Cost to District: $87,415

Social Studies:

1) Criminology a. Publisher: Thomson/Wadsworth b. Title of Book: Introduction to Criminal Justice c. Value of Program: $28,175 d. Cost to District: $28,175 (This course will reduce the number

of students approved for Youth Options courses. This spring, four students are enrolled in courses that will no longer be approved through Youth Options with the addition of this course.)

2) World History

a. Publisher: i. AGS Globe

ii. McDougal Littell iii. Holt

b. Titles of Books: i. World History

ii. World History: Patterns of Interaction iii. World History: Human Legacy

c. Value of Program: $271,161 (est.) d. Cost to District: $191,161.10

TOTAL COST TO DISTRICT (including Algebra adoption approved in December): $3,343,794.40 + $154,322.10 = $3,498,116.50

FROM: Jeff Weiss, Director of Teaching and Learning Jane Barbian, Elementary Reading and Language Arts Coordinator Gayle Richter, English & Language Arts Supervisor RE: Kindergarten through Grade 5 Reading and Language Arts Textbook

Adoption DATE: March 31, 2008 Course: Reading and Language Arts, grades Kindergarten through Fifth. Textbook Titles:

1. Reading and Language Arts a. Storytown

i. Authors: Isabel Beck, et al. ii. Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

iii. Copyright: 2008 b. Villa Cuentos (parallel Spanish program)

i. Authors: Isabel Beck, et al. ii. Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

iii. Copyright: 2008 2. Handwriting

a. D’Nealian Handwriting Program i. Authors: Donald Neal Thurber

ii. Publisher: Pearson Scott Foresman iii. Copyright: 2008

3. Dictionaries/Thesauruses a. Merriam-Webster’s Intermediate Thesaurus

i. Publisher: Merriam-Webster ii. Copyright: 2004

b. Libro de Sinonimos (Thesaurus for Children) i. Publisher: Hampton Brown

ii. Copyright: 2004 c. Diccionario Didactico de Español Basico (Basic Didactic Dictionary)

i. Publisher: Ediciones S. M. ii. Copyright: 2004

d. DK First Spanish Picture Dictionary (Spanish version) i. Publisher: Dorling Kindersley Publishing

ii. Copyright: 2005 e. Diccionario de la lengua Española, Primaria

i. Publisher: Lectorum ii. Copyright: 2007 (publishing date)

Rationale: The K – 5th grade Reading and Language Arts’ nine-year book adoption rotation cycle is this year with implementation to begin in the fall of 2008-2009. This adoption will provide our district with an opportunity to align all twenty-one elementary schools with the same core program for regular ed., special ed., and bilingual teachers, with a parallel program for our bilingual students. Our program will reflect the most current research from the National Reading Panel Report (2000) and the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) national reading initiative.

The Storytown and Villa Cuentos programs center around flexible grouping (CP) and differentiating reading and writing instruction for students. All levels – above, on, and below level reading abilities are structured, sequenced, and aligned, providing teachers with the tools necessary to meet the needs of all their students. In addition to an anthology that is used with all students in the classroom, differentiated leveled readers are provided to target each student’s reading ability. Each reader correlates to each anthology selection. This alignment enables all students within a grade level to have exposure to the skills at that grade level despite the child’s independent reading level. Whole group and small group lessons, as well as literacy stations are provided in teacher editions with guidance for differentiating student skill levels. Each teacher will have a set of leveled readers correlated with the anthology to target each child’s specific reading level. These readers follow the same theme and vocabulary as the anthology selection. Writing, grammar, vocabulary, and spelling are embedded in the reading selections. A robust vocabulary is used throughout the reading program and is designed to increase vocabulary knowledge for all our students, as it is known to strongly relate to reading proficiency. For special students requiring additional reading support, this program has two additional tiers of intervention. First, strategic intervention materials provide the classroom teacher with tools to address the needs of students reading well below their peers. Teachers will also have intensive intervention materials that will support students in need of further remediation, especially in the area of decoding. This intervention layer can also occur in or outside of the reading block, through instruction by a reading specialist or special education teacher. Teachers will also be provided with an on-line edition of all teacher and student resources. Teachers will be able to target specific reading instruction through the resources available through the Internet, giving each child and teacher access to their reading anthology, leveled readers, practice books, and assessments. Because this Internet-based resource extends to all ancillary teacher resources, teachers may select to access all practice book pages through the Internet, and printing those targeted for each day’s instruction. Lesson plans can be completed using the teacher resources and emailed to principals, even from the teacher’s home. This access can also be extended to the child and parent at home if they have Internet so that students may complete readings and assignments at home. Flexible, on-going assessment options in both print and electronic formats are integrated with the selections to help students learn a variety of test taking strategies. Selection: The Elementary Reading and Language Arts Selection Committee consisted of approximately 45 members that included teachers from K – 5, bilingual program, Title I, and special education. The committee also included parents, a school psychologist, principals, an assessment supervisor, and Paula Boudreaux, Bilingual Coordinator. The committee based their text decision on this program after a successful Tregoe process that included development of a list of key objectives based on the Wisconsin Academic Standards for English as selection guidelines. The committee also selected to continue with the D’Nealian handwriting program. The materials needed to continue this program are minimal, since most teachers have the teacher materials already. The consumable student workbooks would be the only cost, and these workbooks were a yearly purchased since they are consumed each year and must be replaced.

The committee decided to only purchase new thesauruses for the fourth and fifth grade students. The other grade levels elected to continue using the dictionaries and thesauruses already in their classrooms. Prior to this adoption, students and teachers in the Bilingual Program had limited access to Spanish dictionaries and thesauruses for spelling, vocabulary, and reference activities. The Textbook Committee selected grade level appropriate Spanish dictionaries and thesauruses for the Bilingual Program students and teachers to use in their classrooms. The committee began this process in October of 2006, and completed their work in February of 2008. The outstanding dedication and professionalism of these teachers and educators throughout the long decision-making process was to be commended. The choice for Storytown and Villa Cuentos and all of the adoption materials was the result of intensive research and study. Reading Level: The Anthology reflects the skills and interests of each grade level. Each anthology story has coordinating leveled readers that support below-level, on-level, and above-leveled reading abilities. Below-level is one grade level below, and above-level reflects about one grade level above. Additionally, strategic and intensive intervention kits provide additional support for struggling readers two or more levels below their grade. Challenge reading kits provide additional reading resources to challenge the strong reader, but still reflect appropriate grade level interests, themes, and subject matter. Program Strengths: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s Storytown and Villa Cuentos provide an excellent alignment to local, state, and national reading and language arts standards. The program covers classic and contemporary literature, reading strategies, vocabulary, and writing, all of which are designed around thematic units. The series supports all district initiatives, including Continuous Progress and the Instructional Process. The D’Nealian handwriting program enables children to develop handwriting fluency. The letter formation structure makes for easier transition from block to cursive writing by forming letters with a single, continuous stroke. RUSD students have been using the D’Nealian handwriting method since its adoption in 1999, and the Textbook Committee selected to continue the program with the 2008 adoption. One caveat concerns RUSD’s access to the technology component of Storytown and Villa Cuentos. Tim Peltz, RUSD Network Manager, has stated that presently ten schools require an upgrading of the LAN infrastructure that will deliver 100 MBs to each classroom computer desktop. This upgrade will enable each classroom computer with enough bandwidth for Internet or locally hosted applications. The convenience and cost-savings of having the Storytown and Villa Cuentos program resources internet-based supports the cost of upgrading the school’s land infrastructure. Eventually all reading and language arts consumable materials may be eliminated through accessibility via the Internet. Meeting Individual Differences:

• Leveled Readers – K-5th, above, on, and below level supplemental storybooks accompany every anthology selection.

• Leveled Practice – K-5th, above, on, and below level practice materials differentiate student practice needs for phonics, vocabulary, spelling, and comprehension skills and strategies.

• Intervention – designed for K – 5th students needing additional support within or outside of the reading block. These materials align with recommendations for Response to Intervention (RtI) mandates.

• Challenge – designed for 1st – 5th students needing more challenging text to extend their reading abilities and provide for continuous reading growth with our highest readers.

Contribution to Integration and Treatment of Minority Groups: The fiction, nonfiction, and illustrations are selections representing our diverse student population. There is a balance of different ethnicities and cultures so that students can explore the many ways of living. The parallel bilingual program, Villa Cuentos, includes authentic Spanish and Mexican literature. English Language Learner (ELL) kits are provided to ELL teachers to support the strategies and skills of the reading program with their ELL students. Ancillary Resources include: Storytown/Villa Cuentos

• Teacher Editions • Student Editions • Teacher and Student On-line Resources • Spelling Practice Books • Leveled Readers • Leveled Practice Books • Phonics Practice Books • Writer’s Companion • Fluency, Retelling, and Sound Spelling Cards • Big Book Collections (Kindergarten and Grade 1) • Transparencies • Read aloud Anthology • Literacy Center Kit • Strategic Intervention Kit • Intensive Intervention Kit • Challenge Support Kit • Grammar Practice Book • Assessments (weekly, theme, and benchmark) • ELL Leveled Readers • ELL Support Kit

D’Nealian Handwriting - • Student Practice Books • Practice Masters • Transparencies • Teacher Editions

Number Required: Teacher (regular, special ed. and Title I) materials – Storytown and Villa Cuentos only

• English Program, Kindergarten through Grade Five – about 180 per grade level • Bilingual Program, Kindergarten through Grade Five – about 10 per grade level

Student Materials – Reading and handwriting programs • English Program, Kindergarten through Grade Five – about 1700 • Bilingual Program, Kindergarten through Grade Five – about 185

Cost of the Adoption: 2008-2009 Seller’s List Price District Cost • Storytown $ 6,018,512.41 $2,227,111.99 • Villa Cuentos $ 359,343.00 $ 150,847.18 • Handwriting Program $ 113,824.60 $ 83,851.75 • Dictionaries/Thesaurus (Spanish) $ 13,910.00 $ 13,910.00 • Thesaurus (English, grades 4-5) $ 12,033.12 $ 10,027.60 • Technology Upgrade $ 630,705.00 $ 304,424.00 Total $ 7,148,328.13 $ 2,790,172.30

Annual cost per student (9 year adoption) = $44.27 Cost of Adoption-Succeeding Years: Consumable Materials

• Kindergarten Practice Book Collection - $15.00 per student • D’Nealian Handwriting Practice Books (grades K – 3 only) - $10.55 per student • Spelling Book (may be phased out due to on-line access) – $6.82 per student (grades 1-5) • Reading Practice Book (may be phased out due to on-line access) - $12.98

per student (grades 1-5) • Replacement costs of lost or damaged texts and CDs

RE: Criminology Adoption Date: February 14, 2008 Course: Criminology (2755) Textbook Title/Authors/Publisher/Copyright: Introduction to Criminal Justice/Siegel and Senna/Thomson, Wadsworth/2008. Rationale: This is the first new semester elective for the Social Studies Department in many years. Criminology is one of the fastest growing career paths for many young people, and the District often pays the expenses of students who take this course at area colleges. Two teachers took the lead in this course proposal surveying students as to their levels of interest for such a course. Once approved and added to the course selection list for students, over three hundred students have now enrolled in this elective beginning in the 2008-2009 school year at our four larger high schools. Selection: A textbook committee made up of one teacher each from Horlick, Case, Park and Walden High Schools examined available texts during the Fall of 2007. Teachers believe that the book selected does an excellent job of addressing the major concepts related to this course, and provides excellent case studies and activities to engage students. Students and police officers also critiqued the recommended text and gave the selection excellent reviews. Program Strengths: The material in the recommended text is up-to-date, relevant, and presented in a succinct manner. Charts, graphs, and other pictorial representations are laid out well, and the book presents all races and both sexes fairly. This book has met with widespread appeal nationally, and in fact is in its eleventh edition. Meeting Individual Differences: The basal comes with a number of support materials that will assist in meeting individual needs. Readers, CDs, and other components provide the teacher with a variety of items to reach all students. The book is also written at a level appropriate for our students, coming in with a reading level of 10.3 as measured on the Flesch-Kincaid scale. Contribution to Integration and Treatment of Minority Groups: The publisher claims this title's greatest asset is its balance of presentation. Textbook committee members found support for this claim, with all races and ethnic backgrounds depicted fairly, and in a multicultural, non-sexist manner. Ancillary Material: All teacher support materials are provided free of charge, including teacher resource manuals, assessment generators, power point presentations, and other resources. Number Required: A total of 250 texts are recommended for purchase.

Course: World History (#s 2711, 2712, 2713) Textbook Titles/Authors/Publishers/Copyright: World History/King and Lewinski/AGS Globe/2008 World History: Patterns of Interaction/Beck, et. al./McDougal, Littell/2007 World History: Human Legacy/Rameriz/Holt/ 2008 Rationale: World History became a graduation requirement beginning in the 1985-86 school year and is offered to students on five different levels: special education, access, regular, college preparatory, and Advanced Placement (AP). For this adoption, AP materials were not included since new basals were purchased three years ago when this level of instruction was added to the curriculum. The technology and support materials are an important part of the adoption. These items will help the teacher access the necessary components and present the curriculum to students in a very engaging manner.

Selection: The textbook committee convened in the spring of 2007 to lay its plans for the study of materials that began in earnest in September of 2007. Regular and special education teachers from every building and a university professor formed the majority of the committee. During deliberations, students and parents from every building reviewed materials. All stakeholders used the evaluation form that follows this introduction. In each case, the basal chosen was a unanimous choice. Program Strengths: Textbooks submitted by publishers were first grouped by level of instruction (special education, regular, etc). Using the evaluation form noted above, committee members then rated each basal after a thorough review. One of the major areas of review was the rating of texts according to how well they conform to the Instructional Process (IP) format in which the District has engaged itself. All three titles perform well in the IP realm, including attributes such as: clear learning targets, concepts and patterns (the big ideas) consistently identified and reinforced, and the use of guiding questions to focus student work, as well as assessments that measure a variety of thinking levels. Meeting Individual Differences: All materials come with a wide range of support materials to address the needs of learners. Items include a wealth of primary sources, music, links to current internet sites, research guides, etc. All three titles also have Spanish versions which are available on-line, as well as narratives of the textbook in Spanish available in CD format. Great care was taken to match material to the level of instruction for which it is intended. The following are the reading levels (Dale – Chall) of each text. World History (AGS Globe) 6.8 World History: Patterns of Interaction (McDougal, Littell) 9.0 World History: Human Legacy (Holt) 9.8

Contribution to Integration and Treatment of Minority Groups: All three basals do an excellent job of broadening world history into a global (not just a Western) perspective. As such, people of all nationalities are included in this story. The committee also believed that all religions were treated fairly, and great concern was taken to detect any cultural and sexist biases—none were found present in the materials. Graphic representations and photographs were also deemed to be fair. Ancillary Material: All teacher materials are provided free of charge, and two of the three publishers are providing media projectors to teachers at no charge. It is estimated the free materials to be well in excess of $80,000. Number Required: Please see the attached chart for specific information regarding quantities and costs.

Course: Biology, Course #2622 (Grades 9-12) Textbook Title: Biology Authors: Alton Biggs Whitney Crispen Hagins William G. Holliday Chris L. Kapicka Publisher: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill Copyright: 2007 Rationale: In the fall of 1999, the Racine Unified School District adopted the Glencoe/McGraw-Hill science program, Biology: Dynamics of Life. That nine-year adoption, as specified by the Board of Education, concludes this spring. In the spring of 2007, a committee of teachers, parents and students was convened to choose a replacement program. The committee examined our existing program, identifying components that were obsolete and highlighted strengths that would be desirable in a new program. What follows are the summary findings and recommendations of this committee. It should be noted that the need for various technology pieces for the delivery of this program was examined carefully. These technology pieces are included at this time since the high schools presently do not have them for their program. Selection: The selection committee consisted of 9 teachers, presently teaching Biology at our high schools, along with two parents and two students. The recommendation to adopt this series was made after a sequence of meetings that reviewed our present program, examined local and state standards, and reviewed the programs presently available for adoption. The committee, using an extensive evaluation instrument, evaluated two different programs: Glencoe and Prentice Hall. The final selection was for the Glencoe program by a vote of 8-0 (2-votes each for Case, Horlick, Park and 1 vote each for REAL and Walden schools). Attached is a copy of the evaluation results for the two programs (see page 5). Reading Level: The textbooks’ readability is 9.1 (Dale-Chall), which is an appropriate reading level for this course. Parent Input: Two parents of present high school biology students evaluated both programs. The focus was on the worthiness of parent involvement in student activities and on-line resources available to parents. Student Input: Two students evaluated both programs. The focus was on what units were covered and the hands-on activities presented in each unit. The students also looked at online resources for both programs. Program Strengths:

The program the committee is recommending provides an excellent alignment to local, state, and national science standards. The program covers all the major areas of biology. The program provides content and activities to assist students in the development of process skills and higher level thinking skills, which is consistent with the district’s IP initiative. The student and teacher guides are state-of-the-art and help assist teachers in providing a challenging Biology course. Glencoe: Biology provides a wide range of teaching options and the flexibility to choose the resources that meet the needs of Biology students. The program contains many real-world examples and applications including point-of-use references that guide students to online resources that extend the content of the text. Excellent hands-on investigations are an integral part of the program. Technology that is compatible with the Racine Unified School District is embedded in the program. The Internet component, “Biology Online”, brings a highly interactive technology to the classroom with activities that extend and enrich every lesson, help develop the students’ online research skills, and help sharpen problem-solving and analysis skills. Glencoe will supply an extensive professional development package for teachers at the onset of the adoption and will continue to provide support throughout the lifetime of the adoption at no cost. Meeting Individual Differences: The program provides many innovative tools and strategies that can be used to successfully teach struggling students. “Reading Essentials”, a research based reading support package, provides active reading strategies that grant all students access to content. ESL/ELL strategies appear in each chapter. They provide insights into English vocabulary and help increase comprehension of scientific concepts. Both the student edition and the “Reading Essentials” package are available in Spanish. Contribution to Integration and Treatment of Minority Groups: Illustrations in the books provide photographs of all races and both sexes. Career explorations also reflect the same. Ancillary Material: The teacher’s edition, teacher’s classroom resource package, laboratory guide, laboratory videos, color transparencies, Dinah Zikes Foldables, and online resources are all provided to each teacher at no charge on a one per teacher basis. Number Required: Glencoe: Biology Student Text – 1200 copies @ $71.70 $86,040.00 Cost of the Adoption: 2008-2009 $86,040.00 Annual cost per student (9 year adoption) $7.97 Cost of Adoption-Succeeding Years: With the exception of replacement texts due to loss or damage, there should be no additional costs in the succeeding years of the adoption.

Technology: Number Required/Cost of Adoption for 2008-2009: 4 Apple MacBook Wireless Mobile Labs (10 Pack MacBook Combo) $52,920.00 w/AppleCare, Imaging Services and Microsoft Office 40 Apple MacBook Wireless Combo Computers $44,720.00 w/AppleCare, Custom Imaging, and Microsoft Office 8 Epson S4 Video Projectors $5,800.00 8 Linksys Wireless-G Broadband Router #WRT54GL $480.00 2 SMART Interactive White Boards Model 660 $2014.00 5 SMART Airline Wireless Tablets $1745.00 Total Technology Cost: $107,679.00 With all the ancillary materials and online resources provided by the publisher (CD-ROM’s, test generators, presentation software, lesson planners, simulation software, animations, multimedia managers), the technology hardware will be needed to complete the course objectives, insure student individual help, and help teachers creatively engage their students both in and out of the classroom. The online resources will allow students to learn how concepts are applied to real life and help reinforce these concepts through problem-based learning.

Summary of Textbook Evaluations Overall Ratings

Biology - Course #2622 Publisher School Glencoe Prentice-Hall Case- Anastasio 2.47 * 2.37 Case- Norman 2.79 * 2.77 Walden III- Torner 3.87 * 3.58 Park- Cullum 3.67 * 3.51 Park- Mattison 3.7 * 3.65 REAL- Olson 3.77 * 3.61 Park- Rocheleau 3.08 * 2.97 Horlick- Rizzo 3.4 3.64 * Horlick- Klaves 2.82 2.97 * Total Rating 3.29 * 3.23 * Highest rated program Parents/ 3.2 * 2.82 Students 0-Unaccepatable 1-Poor2-Average 3-Good 4-Excellent Compiled by Ron Viola 1/7/08

Concerns Expressed about the Prentice Hall Biology program by the Biology Adoption Committee Members: 1) Vocabulary word presentation does not separate ‘new” vocabulary from “review vocabulary” like the Glencoe program does. 2) Charts, diagrams, and pictures are not as detailed as those in the Glencoe program. 3) The sequence of presentation of concepts in the “genetics” unit was not in as good of a sequence as the Glencoe program. 4) Lacked the direct support for “Foldables” material. The Glencoe program has exclusive rights to the Dinah Zikes "Foldables" and is included in every chapter. 5) The treatment of “human evolution” was very minimal as compared to the Glencoe program. 6) Lacked the reading support that the Glencoe “Reading Essentials” packet has for students with reading difficulties. 7. Lacked slightly in incorporating careers in Biology, technology and state standards application. 8. Not as strong in support materials as the Glencoe program. 9. A bit too much chemistry in the “Chemistry of Life” unit. 10. Two of the three students who evaluated the text expressed that it was a “boring” book as compared to the Glencoe text.

TO: Board of Education FROM: Jeff Weiss, Director of Teaching and Learning Ron Viola, Secondary Science Coordinator RE: Horticulture Textbook Adoption DATE: March 31, 2008 Course: Horticulture, A Laboratory Approach, Course #2628 (Grades 11-12) Textbook Title: Introduction to Horticulture, Fourth Edition Author: Charles B. Schroeder Publisher: Pearson/Prentice Hall Copyright: 2004 Rationale: In the fall of 1999, the Racine Unified School District adopted the Thomson Publishing Company science program, Introductory Horticulture. That nine-year adoption, as specified by the Board of Education, concludes this spring. In the spring of 2007, a committee of 4 teachers, and a former student was convened to choose a replacement program. The committee examined our existing program, identifying components that were obsolete and highlighted strengths that would be desirable in a new program. What follows is the summary findings and recommendations of this committee. It should be noted that the need for various technology pieces for the delivery of this program was also examined carefully. These technology pieces are included at this time since the high schools presently do not have them for their program. Selection: The selection committee consisted of 4 teachers, 2 presently teaching Horticulture at our high schools along with 2 teachers who will be teaching Horticulture next year and a former student. The recommendation to adopt this series was made after a sequence of meetings that reviewed our present program, examined local and state standards, and reviewed the programs presently available for adoption. Only two publishers submitted materials for examination due to the nature of this course. The committee, using an extensive evaluation instrument, evaluated two different programs: both published by Pearson/Prentice Hall. The final selection was for the Introduction to Horticulture program by a vote of 3-0. Attached is a copy of the evaluation results for the two programs (see page 10). Reading Level: The textbooks’ readability is appropriate for this course. Student Input: One former Horticulture student from Park High School evaluated both programs. The focus was on what units were covered and the hands-on activities presented in each unit. The student also looked at online resources for both programs.

Program Strengths: The program the committee is recommending provides an excellent alignment to local, state, and national science standards. The program presents an unbiased approach to the study of horticulture. The program provides content and activities to assist students in the development of process skills and higher level thinking skills, which is consistent with the district’s IP initiative. The student and teacher guides are state-of-the-art and help assist teachers in providing a challenging Horticulture course. Excellent hands-on investigations are an integral part of the program. The stress of the program is on supporting science principles and the application of these principles in all areas of horticulture. Technology that is compatible with the Racine Unified School District is embedded in the program. Pearson/Prentice Hall will supply an extensive professional development package for teachers at the onset of the adoption and will continue to provide support throughout the lifetime of the adoption at no cost. Meeting Individual Differences: Due to the specific nature of this course, there are limited resources for meeting individual differences. The instructor’s manual includes instructional strategies for working with students at different interest levels. Also, higher-order thinking skills are suggested in all the chapters. Contribution to Integration and Treatment of Minority Groups: Illustrations in the books provide photographs of all races and both sexes. Career explorations also reflect the same. Ancillary Material: A Teacher’s Manual, ExamView Test Bank on CD/ROM Exploration, Activities Manual, and online resources are all provided to each teacher at no charge on a one per teacher basis. Number Required: Introduction to Horticulture Student Text – 150 copies @ $58.97 $8845.50 Cost of the Adoption: 2008-2009 $8845.50 Annual cost per student (9 year adoption) $6.55 Cost of Adoption-Succeeding Years: With the exception of replacement texts due to loss or damage, there should be no additional cost in the succeeding years of the adoption.

Technology: Number Required/Cost of Adoption for 2008-2009: 2 Apple MacBook Wireless Mobile Lab (10 Pack MacBook Combo) $26,460.00 w/AppleCare, Custom Imaging, and Microsoft Office 10 Apple MacBook Wireless Combo Computers $11,180.00 w/AppleCare, Custom Imaging, and Microsoft Office 3 Epson S4 Video Projectors $2,175.00 3 Linksys Wireless-G Broadband Router #WRT54GL $180.00 2 SMART Interactive White Boards Model 660 $2,014.00 2 SMART Interactive White Boards Model 660 Stand $698.00 1 Set of Senteo Interactive Response Keypads (set of 24) $1,599.00 Total Technology Cost $44,306.00 With all the ancillary materials and online resources provided by the publisher, the technology hardware will be needed to complete the course objectives, insure student individual help, and help teachers creatively engage their students both in and out of the classroom. The online resources will allow students to learn how concepts are applied to real life and help reinforce these concepts through problem-based learning.

Summary of Textbook Evaluations Overall Ratings

Horticulture - Course #2628 Publisher

* Highest rated program Student 3.6* 2.1 0-Unaccepatable 1-Poor 2-Average 3-Good 4-Excellent Compiled by Ron Viola 1/15/08 Concerns Expressed about the Pearson/Prentice Hall Practical Horticulture program by the Horticulture Adoption Committee Members:

1) Pictures and diagrams were all black and white, no color. Since this text would be used in a horticulture course, the pictures and diagrams should be colorful. 2) Lab activities were very minimal as compared to the “Introduction to Horticulture” program. 3) Lacks practical activities for individual and cooperative work as compared to the “Introduction to Horticulture” program in their “Exploring” section at the end of each chapter.

School

Intro – Prentice Hall

Practical – Prentice Hall

Case- Jackley

3.9*

2.4

Horlick- Gorichanaz

3.2*

2.2

Park- Moss Mattison

3.0*

2.4

Horlick- Klaves 3.2*

2.2

Total Rating

3.3*

2.3

TO: Board of Education FROM: Jeff Weiss, Director of Teaching and Learning Ron Viola, Secondary Science Coordinator RE: 9th Grade Science Survey Textbook Adoption DATE: March 31, 2008 Course: 9th Grade Science Survey, Course #22612 (Grade 9) Textbook Title: Glencoe Science: Level Blue Glencoe Science: The Air Around You (Modular) Glencoe Science: The Water Planet (Modular) Authors: Alton Biggs Ralph M Feather Jr. Peter Rillero Dinah Zike Susan Leach Snyder Publisher: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill Copyright: 2008 Rationale: In the fall of 1999, the Racine Unified School District adopted the Glencoe/McGraw-Hill science program, Integrated Science: Courses 2 & 3. That nine-year adoption, as specified by the Board of Education, concludes this spring. In the spring of 2007, a committee of teachers, a parent and a few former students was convened to choose a replacement program. The committee examined our existing program, identifying components that were obsolete and highlighted strengths that would be desirable in a new program. What follows is the summary findings and recommendations of this committee. It should be noted that the need for various technology pieces for the delivery of this program was examined carefully. These technology pieces are included at this time since the high schools presently do not have them for their program. Selection: The selection committee consisted of 8 teachers, presently teaching 9th Grade Science Survey at our high schools, along with one parent and three former students students. The recommendation to adopt this series was made after a series of meetings that reviewed our present program, examined local and state standards, and reviewed the programs presently available for adoption keeping in mind that this course requires an Earth Science component. The committee, using an extensive evaluation instrument, evaluated two different programs: Glencoe: Level Blue and Glencoe: 15 Series Science. The final selection was for the Glencoe; Level Blue Science program, along with 2 of the 15 Series Science modules, by a vote of 5-1 (2-votes each for Case, Horlick, Park). Attached is a copy of the evaluation results for the two programs (see page 16).

Reading Level: The textbooks’ readability is 8.2 (Dale-Chall), which is an appropriate reading level for this course. Parent Input: One parent evaluated both programs. The focus was on the worthiness of parent involvement in student activities and on-line resources available to parents. Student Input: Three students evaluated both programs. The focus was on what units were covered and the hands-on activities presented in each unit. The students also looked at online resources for both programs. Program Strengths: The program the committee is recommending provides an excellent alignment to local, state, and national science standards. It uses an integrated, inquiry approach which includes life, Earth, and physical science. The real-world content, technology resources, and a variety of lab options encourage active involvement and deeper understanding of the concepts and skills encountered in the program. The program provides content and activities to assist students in the development of process skills and higher level thinking skills, which is consistent with the district’s IP initiative. The student and teacher materials are all state-of-the-art and help assist teachers in providing a challenging 9th Grade Science Survey course. Glencoe: Level Blue along with the 2 modules, provides a wide range of teaching options and the flexibility to choose the resources that meet the needs of 9th Grade Science Survey students. The program contains many real-world examples and applications including point-of-use references that guide students to online resources that extend the content of the text. Excellent hands-on investigations are an integral part of the program. Technology that is compatible with the Racine Unified School District is embedded in the program. The Internet components bring a highly interactive technology to the classroom with activities that extend and enrich every lesson, help develop the students’ online research skills, and help sharpen problem-solving and analysis skills. Glencoe will supply an extensive professional development package for teachers at the onset of the adoption and will continue to provide support throughout the lifetime of the adoption at no cost. Meeting Individual Differences: The program provides many innovative tools and strategies that can be used to successfully teach struggling students. “Reading Essentials”, a research based reading support package, provides active reading strategies that grant all students access to content. Differentiated instruction is accomplished with leveled and unique resources, like “ActiveFolders” that are effective for all students. ESL/ELL strategies appear in each chapter. They provide insights into English vocabulary and help increase comprehension of scientific concepts using visual aids and hands-on activities. Spanish editions of the student text and the “Reading Essentials” package are available. Contribution to Integration and Treatment of Minority Groups: Illustrations in the books provide photographs of all races and both sexes. Career explorations also reflect the same.

Ancillary Material: The teacher’s edition, teacher’s classroom resource package, laboratory guide, ExamView Assessment Suite, Virtual Labs CD-ROM along with other student and teacher CD-ROM’s, color transparencies, Dinah Zikes Foldables, and online resources are all provided to each teacher at no charge on a one per teacher basis. Number Required: Glencoe: Level Blue Student Text – 500 copies @ $67.50 $33,750.00 Glencoe: The Air Around You Student Text – 500 copies @ $16.50 $8,250.00 Glencoe: The Water Planet Student Text – 500 copies NC 0.00 Cost of the Adoption: 2008-2009 $42,000.00 Annual cost per student (9 year adoption) $9.33 Cost of Adoption-Succeeding Years: With the exception of replacement texts due to loss or damage, there should be no additional cost in the succeeding years of the adoption. Technology: Number Required/Cost of Adoption for 2008-2009: 3 Apple MacBook Wireless Mobile Labs (10 Pack MacBook Combo) $39,690.00 w/AppleCare, Custom Imaging and Microsoft Office 3 Epson S4 Video Projectors $2,175.00 3 Linksys Wireless-G Broadband Router #WRT54GL $180.00 3 SMART Interactive White Boards Model 660 $3021.00 1 SMART Interactive White Board Model 660 Stand $349.00 Total Technology Cost: $45,415.00 With all the ancillary materials and online resources provided by the publisher (CD-ROM’s, test generators, presentation software, lesson planners, simulation software, animations, multimedia managers), the technology hardware will be needed to complete the course objectives, insure student individual help, and help teachers creatively engage their students both in and out of the classroom. The online resources will allow students to learn how concepts are applied to real life and help reinforce these concepts through problem-based learning.

Summary of Textbook Evaluations Overall Ratings

9th Grade Science Survey - Course #2612 Publisher School Glencoe: Level Blue + Glencoe: 15 Series Case- Feldpausch 3.64 * 3.51 Case- Norman 2.41 * 2.13 Case- Ruder 3.69 * 3.41 Horlick- Gorichanaz 2.92 * 2.74 Horlick- Klaves 3.0 3.02 * Park- Berthiaume 3.26 * 3.1 Park- Hutchison 3.6 * 3.15 Park- Ritter 3.5 * 3.31 Total Rating 3.25 * 3.05 * Highest rated program Parents/ 3.28 * 3.11 Students 0-Unaccepatable 1-Poor 2-Average 3-Good 4-Excellent Compiled by Ron Viola 1/16/08 Concerns Expressed about the Glencoe Science Modules (15) program by the 9th Grade Science Survey Adoption Committee Members: 1) Reading level for most modules (grade 6) was a bit low for the majority of the students who take this course. 2) No “Essential Reading” package is included with the modules for students with reading difficulties. 3) No audio CD-ROM with the modules. 4) The cost would be approximately twice as much when compared to the Level Blue program. 5) Too many individual modules (small books) would be required to cover all the units needed for this course.

Racine Unified School District ___________________ 2220 Northwestern Avenue, Racine, Wisconsin 53404 May 8, 2007 Textbook Adoption Committee Member, Thank you for volunteering to be on the Biology, Horticulture, or 9th Grade Science Survey textbook adoption committee. These programs will be studied this coming fall and then implemented in the fall of 2008. Therefore, you are invited to our first “organizational” meeting. Please reserve Wednesday, May 23, 2007 for our organizational meeting at 3:15 PM in the Science Center in the IMC building. This meeting should not take longer than an hour. If you have an ID badge, you may enter through entrance “F” which is off the parking lot on the north side of the building. If you do not have an ID badge, enter through the main entrance, secure a “visitors” pass, and proceed to the science center. In preparation for our first meeting, please think about what ground rules are needed for the committee (attendance, voting, etc.), the strengths and weaknesses of our present program, and what we should be looking for in our new adoption. If you have any questions/concerns, please feel free to contact me at 631-7081. I am looking forward to working with you and helping facilitate this selection process. See you on May 23, 2007.

Teaching & Learning Division Secondary Science Coordinator Ron Viola