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School district adopts new textbooks [The Union Daily Times, S.C. :: ](Union Daily Times, The (SC) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) April 22--UNION COUNTY -- A process that began more than a year ago at the state level came to an end recently with the Union County School District adopting new textbooks in 11 different subject areas. Director Secondary Education Cindy Langley recently briefed the Union County Board of School Trustees on the results of the annual textbook adoption process "Each year we go through the process of adopting textbooks in designated areas selected by the State Board of Education," Langley said. "It begins at the state level, the State Department of Education recommends to the State Board of Education the subject areas for adoption. Once that is approved then the State Superintendent issues the call for bids. About that same time the State Department of Education creates review panels and at the district level we are able to recommend teachers to serve on those committees. "Other committee members may come from higher education as well as the business community," she said. "Once those committees are approved by the state board they begin the process of reviewing instructional materials. Then they make a recommendation of materials available for adoption. The committee makes sure the books align with South Carolina standards." Langley said the district receives information from the publishers of the recommended textbooks, copies of which are made available for public review. She said it takes approximately a year for the process to get from when the decision is made by the state on the subject areas to public review of the proposed textbooks. The reviews usually take place on college campuses throughout the state. "Once we've gotten the information from the public review, that information along with the review panel recommendations is sent to the state board for final approval," Langley said. "Each January, the instructional materials department holds a book caravan across the state to give publisher representatives an opportunity to show their books to teachers and administrators. Then each district makes selections from the list and submits those to the State Instructional Materials Department." Langley said that whether the district receives all the books requested depends on the funding from the state legislature. She added that textbooks today come in different forms. "Books come in many formats now," Langley said. "We still have the traditional texts, but companies also provide online services for teachers and students as well as eBooks. "This year we adopted material for English Language Arts for grades six through eight and nine through twelve as well as textbooks for eighth grade South Carolina History, World Geography for grades nine through twelve, and U.S. History and Constitution for grades nine through twelve," she said The books adopted by the district for English Language Arts and Social Studies include: English Language Arts -- 6-8 English Language Arts -- Pearson Common Core Literature (Pearson): Honors 6th ELA: 7th Grade Text, and Honors 7th ELA: 8th Grade Text -- 9-12 English Language Arts -- Mirrors and Widows: Connecting with Literature, CCSS (Edition (EMC), College Prep Classes; Pearson Common Core Literature (Pearson), Honors Classes including 8th Grade English Honors Social Studies -- South Carolina History, Grade 8 -- South Carolina Journey (Gibbs Smith) -- U.S. History and Constitution, 9-12 -- United States History, Survey (Pearson) -- U.S. History, Advanced Placement -- Kennedy, The American Pageant (National Geographic/Cengage) -- World Geography, 9-12 -- Holt McDougal Geography, South Carolina Edition (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt): 8th Grade World Geography Honors Career and Technology Langley added that the district "also adopted books for designated career and technology classes, including Building Construction, Graphic Communications, Emergency Medical Services, Cosmetology, Computer Programming, Machine Technology, Digital Media Marketing, Automotive Collission Repair Technology, and Automotive Technology." The books adopted by the district for career and technology classes include: Architecture and Construction -- Building Construction Cluster 1, 2, 3, 4 -- Carpentry, 5th Edition (National Geographic/Cengage) Art, Audio-Video Technology and Communications -- Graphic Communications 1, 2, 3, 4 -- Adobe Photoshop CS6 Revealed, 1st Edition (National Geographic/Cengage); Graphic Communications, 5th Edition (Goodheart Wilcox) Health Science -- Emergency Medical Services 1 -- Emergency Medical Responder: First on Scene, 9th Edition (Pearson) Human Services -- Cosmetology -- Milady's Standard: Cosmetology (National Geographic/Cengage) Information Technology -- Computer Programming with Java 1, 2 -- Java Programming: From Problem Analysis to Program Design, 5th Edition (National Geographic, Cengage) Manufacturing -- Machine Technology -- Precision Machining Technology (National Geographic/Cengage) Marketing -- Digital Media Marketing -- The Video Collection Revealed: Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects, Audition and Encore CS6 (National Geographic/Cengage) Transportation, Distribution and Logistics -- Automotive Collision Repair Technology -- Collision Repair and Refinishing: A Foundation Course for Technicians (National Geographic, Cengage) -- Automotive Technology -- Automotive Service: Inspection, Maintenance, Repair (National Geographic/Cengage) ___ (c)2014 The Union Daily Times (Union, S.C.) 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