(a) The Commission shall evaluate all textbooks offered for adoption.

Each proposed textbook shall be read by at least one expert certified in the discipline for which the textbook would be used. The Commission may use external experts if no Commission member or advisory committee member qualifies as an expert certified in a particular discipline.

The Commission may consider any review of a proposed textbook by other experts certified in the discipline who are not involved in the textbook adoption process. However, these reviews may not substitute for the direct examination of the proposed textbook by a Commission member, an advisory committee member, or any other expert retained by the Commission.

(b) Each member shall examine carefully and file a written evaluation of each proposed textbook for which the member is responsible.

The evaluation report shall give special consideration to the suitability of the textbook to the instructional level for which it is offered, the content or subject matter, whether the textbook is aligned with the Standard Course of Study, and other criteria prescribed by the Board.

Each evaluation report shall be signed by the member making the report and filed with the Board not later than a day fixed by the Board when the call for adoption is made. (1955, c. 1372, art. 24, s. 4; 1969, c. 519, s. 1; 1981, c. 423, s. 1; 1993 (Reg. Sess., 1994), c. 777, s. 3(a); 1999-237, s. 8.30(b).)