KRS § 156.405 — KY Code / Title XIII / Chapter 156 / Section 156.405
156.405 State Quality Curriculum Task Force -- Duties -- Membership -- Instructional materials reviewers. (Effective July 1, 2026)
Status: in_force

156.405 State Textbook Commission -- Textbook reviewers. (Effective until July

1, 2026)

(1) The purpose of the State Textbook Commission is to provide a recommended list of

current and high quality textbooks and instructional materials to local school

districts that complement the educational program in Kentucky schools; to provide

a consumer guide to schools to aid with the selection of materials; and to provide

for public participation in the evaluation process.

(2) The State Textbook Commission shall consist of the chief state school officer and

ten (10) appointive members. The ten (10) members shall be appointed by the

Kentucky Board of Education upon the recommendation of the chief state school

officer for terms of four (4) years with two (2) appointments each year, except that

every fourth year there shall be four (4) appointments. No member shall be eligible

to serve more than two (2) full terms consecutively. All vacancies that occur on the

State Textbook Commission shall be filled in like manner for the remainder of the

unexpired terms. The Department of Education and the State Textbook Commission

shall receive assistance in the textbook evaluation process from professionals and

lay citizens who will be referred to in this chapter as the "textbook reviewers."

(3) The State Textbook Commission shall:

(a) Select and direct the activities of the textbook reviewers who develop

selection criteria and review textbooks and programs;

(b) Develop selection criteria and evaluation forms with the help of the textbook

reviewers and Kentucky Department of Education staff to be used in the state

level review process;

(c) Approve the evaluative criteria and forms used by the commission and

textbook reviewers;

(d) Review the textbook reviewers' evaluations, and textbooks or programs as it

deems necessary, in order to select from them a recommended list of high

quality materials;

(e) Provide notice of and the opportunity for public inspection of textbooks and

programs offered for adoption and use in the public schools;

(f) Conduct a public hearing for the purpose of receiving public comment

concerning textbooks and programs under consideration;

(g) Select, recommend, and publish a list of high quality textbooks and programs;

and

(h) Publish a consumer guide and distribute it to Kentucky public schools.

(4) The textbook reviewers shall be comprised of twelve (12) individuals for the area or

areas being considered for adoption. The textbook reviewers shall be approved by

the State Textbook Commission based on the recommendation of the chief state

school officer.

(5) The textbook reviewers shall:

(a) Develop and submit to the commission subject specific evaluative criteria to

be used in reviewing textbooks and programs;

(b) Review textbooks and programs to determine those of high quality, using

evaluative criteria and forms approved by the commission;

(c) Submit to the commission reviews and evaluative forms regarding reviewed

textbooks and programs;

(d) Attend meetings and training sessions as requested by the commission and the

Department of Education; and156.405 State Quality Curriculum Task Force -- Duties -- Membership --

Instructional materials reviewers. (Effective July 1, 2026)

(1) The State Quality Curriculum Task Force is hereby established to:

(a) Promote increased access to high quality instructional materials;

(b) Support school districts in the evaluation, selection, and use of high quality

instructional materials;

(c) Provide a state-approved list of current and high quality textbooks and

instructional materials to school districts that complement the educational

program in Kentucky schools;

(d) Provide a consumer guide to schools to aid with the selection of high quality

instructional materials; and

(e) Provide for public participation in the review process.

(2) (a) The task force shall consist of a minimum of ten (10) appointive members

who shall be appointed by the chief state school officer in accordance with

subsection (6) of this section for terms of four (4) years, with two (2)

appointments each year, except that every fourth year there shall be four (4)

appointments. A member shall not be eligible to serve more than two (2) full

terms consecutively.

(b) All vacancies that occur on the task force shall be filled in like manner for the

remainder of the unexpired terms.

(c) The department and the task force shall receive assistance in the instructional

materials review process from professionals and lay citizens appointed to be

instructional materials reviewers under subsection (4) of this section.

(3) For the subjects of reading and writing, mathematics, science, and social studies,

the task force shall:

(a) Select and direct the activities of the instructional materials reviewers, who

shall develop and recommend subject specific selection criteria and evaluation

forms to be used in a school district's selection of instructional materials and

programs;

(b) Develop general selection criteria and evaluation forms with the help of the

instructional materials reviewers and department staff to be used in a school

district's selection of instructional materials and programs;

(c) Approve the selection criteria and evaluation forms developed by instructional

materials reviewers under paragraph (a) of this subsection;

(d) Review the instructional materials reviewers' evaluations, and consider

instructional materials or programs as it deems necessary, in order to select

from them a state-approved list of high quality instructional materials;

(e) Provide notice of and the opportunity for public inspection of the instructional

materials and programs that are included in the state-approved list and offered

for adoption and use in the public schools, which may be done through the

instructional materials depository;

(f) Select, recommend, and publish from the list provided by the instructional

materials depository under KRS 156.407 the state-approved list of high

quality instructional materials and programs; and

(g) Publish a consumer guide and distribute it to Kentucky public schools that

shall include the general selection criteria, subject-specific selection criteria,

and the evaluation forms for a school district's review and selection of

instructional materials and programs.

(4) The instructional materials reviewers shall be:

(a) Composed of a minimum of eight (8) individuals who served on the advisory

panels or review committees as part of the standards review process

established in KRS 158.6453 for the area or areas being considered, two (2) of

whom are parents who have a child currently enrolled in public schools in

Kentucky; and

(b) Approved by the task force based on the recommendation of the chief state

school officer.

(5) The instructional materials reviewers shall:

(a) Develop and submit to the task force subject specific selection criteria and

evaluation forms to be used by school districts in reviewing instructional

materials and programs; and

(b) Attend meetings and training sessions as requested by the task force and the

department.

(6) (a) The chief state school officer shall appoint the following members of the task

force:

1. Eight (8) members who have had not less than five (5) years teaching or

supervising experience in the public schools of Kentucky and shall have

had at the time of their appointment at least four (4) years of college

training in a recognized institution of higher education, of whom:

a. Two (2) members who are classroom teachers or instructional

coaches actively employed in the public schools of Kentucky as

teachers or instructional coaches in subject field or fields for

which the task force will select instructional materials; and

b. Six (6) members who are principals, instructional supervisors, or

superintendents of public schools or public school systems;

2. At least one (1) member who is a member of the faculty of a public

institution of higher education engaged in teacher preparation; and

3. At least one (1) member who is a lay citizen who has a child enrolled in

a public school at the time of appointment.

(b) In appointing the members of the task force, the chief state school officer shall

give due regard to representation from rural and urban areas and from

elementary, middle, and high school levels.

(7) Members of the task force and the instructional materials reviewers shall serve

without compensation but shall be reimbursed for necessary travel and expenses

while attending meetings at the same per diem rate promulgated in administrative

regulation for state employees under KRS Chapter 45. The department shall provide

funds to school districts to cover the cost of substitute teachers for those teacher

members of the task force at the rate established for substitute teachers at each

school district.

(8) The meetings of the task force shall be open to the public, and notice of meetings

shall be given in accordance with KRS 61.805 to 61.850.

(9) Not later than May 1 each year, if funding is available, the chief state school officer

shall call the task force into session. The members of the task force shall elect one

(1) of its voting members as chair.

(10) At the direction of the chief state school officer, the task force may select,

recommend, and publish instructional materials in subjects beyond reading and

writing, mathematics, science, and social studies to be added to the state-approved

list. The review and selection process shall be in accordance with KRS 156.395 to

156.476.to

be used in reviewing textbooks and programs;

(b) Review textbooks and programs to determine those of high quality, using

evaluative criteria and forms approved by the commission;

(c) Submit to the commission reviews and evaluative forms regarding reviewed

textbooks and programs;

(d) Attend meetings and training sessions as requested by the commission and the

Department of Education; and

(e) Ensure that textbooks are free from factual error.

(6) (a) 1. Eight (8) of the appointive members of the State Textbook Commission

shall have had not less than five (5) years teaching or supervising

experience in the public schools of Kentucky and shall have had at the

time of their appointment at least four (4) years of college training in a

recognized institution of higher education.

2. Five (5) members of the commission shall be classroom teachers

actively employed in the public schools of Kentucky as teachers in

subject field or fields for which the commission will select books.

3. Two (2) members shall be principals, supervisors, or superintendents of

public schools or public school systems.

4. One (1) member shall be a member of the faculty of a public institution

of higher education engaged in teacher preparation.

5. Two (2) members shall be lay citizens, one (1) of whom shall have a

child enrolled in a public school at the time of appointment.

(b) In recommending the members of the State Textbook Commission the chief

state school officer shall give due regard to representation from rural and

urban areas and from the elementary, middle, and high school levels when the

educational levels are included in the subject field or fields for which

adoptions are to be made.

(7) Textbook reviewers shall have the following qualifications: Six (6) of the textbook

reviewers shall be instructional supervisors and classroom teachers in various and

appropriate grade levels primary through grade twelve (12), with experience and

training in the subject areas to be reviewed. One (1) reviewer shall have expertise

and training in learning theory as applied to the classroom situation. One (1)

reviewer shall be a current or former university faculty member with expertise in

the content area of the textbooks to be reviewed. One (1) reviewer shall have

experience and training in readability and formatting of textbooks. Three (3)

reviewers shall be parents, two (2) of whom shall have a child currently enrolled in

public schools in Kentucky.

(8) Members of the State Textbook Commission shall receive fifty ($50) dollars per

day and reimbursement for their actual expenses while attending commission

meetings. Textbook reviewers shall receive remuneration based on the amount of

textbooks and programs to be reviewed and criteria to be developed as determined

by the chief state school officer. Textbook reviewers shall be paid one hundred

dollars ($100) per day, not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000) annually.

Textbook reviewers shall also receive reimbursement for actual expenses while

attending reviewer or commission meetings.

(9) The meetings of the State Textbook Commission shall be open to the public and

shall be held at least once every quarter and notice of such meeting shall be given in

accordance with KRS 424.110 to 424.210.

(10) Not later than May 1 each year the chief state school officer shall call the State

Textbook Commission into session. The members of the State Textbook

Commission shall elect one (1) of its voting members as chairman and shall adopt

administrative regulations for the procedure of the commission. The chief state

school officer shall be the secretary of the commission.