Scanned by Wesley R. Elsberry. Warning! I haven't had the opportunity to remove scanner errors yet.

TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY
1701 NORTH CONGRESS AVENUE + AUSTIN, TEXAS 78701-1494 Ir 512/463-9734 + FAX: 512/463-9838
  MIKE MOSES
COMMISSIONER DF EDUCATION


March 25, 1996


Wesley R. Elsberry
5007 Avenue U
Galveston, TX 77553:

Dear Mr. Elsberry:

Each year, a proclamation is issued by the State Board of Education
(SBOE) calling for bids on new instructional materials to be used by
school districts in Texas. Proclamations are issued approximately 24
months before the SBOE is scheduled to consider adoption of
instructional materials in the subject areas listed in the
proclamation. The proclamation contains a schedule of adoption
procedures, content requirements for the categories/ grade levels
being called for adoption, and maximum per-student and per-teacher
costs for state-adopted components.

Proclamation 1994, issued by the SBOE in November 1994, calls for new
instructional materials to be reviewed and adopted at the state level
in 1996. Schools would use new material adopted under the call of
Proclamation 1994 beginning in 1997-48. The proclamation was amended
by the SBOE in March 1995 and in ~anuary 1996. Copies of Proclamation
1994 and the two amendments are enclosed for your information, along
with a copy of SBOE rules 19 TAC Chapter 67, State Adoption and
Distribution of Instructional Materials Adopted Under Proclamation
1994.

We also enclose the list of student's and teacher's components which
publishers have submitted for consideration in the 1996 state-level
adoption. Titles of instructional materials are listed, along with
authors, publishers, editions, and copyrights. Sample copies of all
instructional materials contained in student's and teacher's
components submitted for adoption should be available at each of the
20 Regional Education Service Centers for public review. State Board
of Education rules require that one sample copy of each student's and
teacher's component be retained in the center for review and one copy
be available to be checked out according to rules established by each
Education Service Center. A list of service center representatives,
addresses, and telephone numbers is enclosed for your information.

Texas residents are encouraged to participate in the state adoption
process. Any resident of the state is entitled to submit official
written comments for or against any item under consideration for
adoption. Residents may also register to appear at public hearings
before one or more of the 1996 State Textbook Committees.

WRITTEN COMMENTS

Proclamation 1994 establishes a deadline of June 24, 1996 for
submission of written comments filed for or against instructional
materials being reviewed by seven of the 1996 State Textbook
Committees. Written comments regarding Social Studies Spanish, Grades
1-5, are to be filed by August 1, 1996. Due to time constraints, we
ask that persons filing written comments follow the formatting
guidelines listed below.  Adherence to these guidelines will ensure
more efficient preparation, printing, and distribution of the written
comments. One copy of written comments should be filed with Debra Kile
at the Texas Education Agency Division of Textbook Administration on
or before the appropriate deadline. Written comments will be compiled
and sent to be printed immediatelv after the deadline. Therefore,
written comments received after the deadline will not be accepted for
the record.

1. Written comments should clearly specify the publisher and title of
the instructional material being
    addressed and should be written or printed on only one side of the
page.

2.  Please leave at least one inch margins on either side, at the top
of the page, and at the bottom of the
    p'ge.

3.  If you wish to number pages of comments, page numbers should be
placed at the top of pages.
    Please do not number pages at the bottom.

PUBLIC HEARINGS

June 14, 1996 at 5:00 p·m· is the deadline for Texas residents
to request in writing to appear at joint hearings before the
Commissioner of Education and the 1996 State Textbook Committees. All
requests to appear must be filed in writing with Debra Kile of the
Texas Education Agency Division of Textbook Administration on or
before the 5:00 p.m. deadline. Requests should identify the subject
area, publisher, and title of instructional material about which
testimony will be presented. Please note that telephone requests to
appear are not accepted, nor is it possible to accept requests
received after the ~une 14 deadline.

We hope this information will be helpful to you in your participation
in the 1996 Texas instructional materials adoption. Please refer to
the enclosed copies of Proclamation 1994 and State Board of Education
rules for additional information regarding the process. If you have
any questions, please contact Debra Kile at (512) 463-9203.

Sincerely,


Robert H. Leos
Senior Director
Textbook Administration

Enclosures