Committee forwards textbook adoption recommendations across ELA, social studies, STEM and CTE to full board

Instructional staff presented the committee with a package of recommended textbook adoptions on March 27 and requested the Academics Committee forward the selections to the Beaufort County Board of Education and the state for final approval.

Staff described teacher-led reviews and voting on state-adopted options across career-and-technical-education pathways and core subjects. Examples included the 7th edition of Earth and Its Peoples for AP world history, INSPIRE Science Chemistry (McGraw Hill) for Chemistry 1, and a mix of print and online materials (for example, CodeHS as an online supplement for web-design coursework). For handwriting and early-grade literacy, staff reported a high teacher vote in favor of a Zaner-Bloser handwriting program for grades K–5 (with state funding for 2nd and 3rd grades).

Board member Will Smith moved that the committee recommend the proposed textbook adoptions (including CTE, writing and composition lists) to the full board on April 2, 2024; the motion was seconded and the committee signaled approval to send the package forward. Staff said schools can submit preorder choices during the state's free-order window beginning April 8 and that, if timelines hold, schools may begin receiving materials in June.

Next steps: committee recommendation will be included in the April board packet and staff will submit selections to the state adoption process and support schools with ordering windows.