California school districts may soon have the option to purchase digital-only versions of print textbooks for their high school students. By a vote of 36-0, the state Senate recently passed a proposal that would allow this cost-saving measure. SB 247 is now under consideration by the Assembly.

"Today's K-12 students represent the first generation to have spent their entire lives surrounded by and using computers, video games, digital music players, video cameras, cellphones and all the other gadgets of the digital age," sponsor Sen. Elaine Alquist (D-Santa Clara) observed. "Today's students are no longer the students of blackboards and chalk."

Current California law requires school districts to supply all students with textbooks before using state funds to purchase electronic instructional material. Because of this, districts aiming to develop their digital curriculum are forced to spend scarce funds on traditional texts first. Some districts simply cannot afford software under this restriction.

SB 247 would give districts the option to forgo textbooks in favor of software as long as the electronic version is as accessible as the traditional textbook – in other words, the students can take the electronic text home with them to complete assignments. The bill is limited to grades 9-12.

A separate measure, Assembly Bill 314, by Assemblywoman Julia Brownley (D-Santa Monica), would further promote digital instruction by requiring publishers to offer electronic texts at a lower price than print versions.

Source: LATimes.com, Senate approves software as an alternative to textbooks by Patrick McGreevy