Instructional materials: digital supplemental instructional materials.

Assembly Member Zbur's proposal to reform how California schools evaluate digital learning materials would establish new requirements for local educational agencies before they can adopt or purchase digital instructional software. The legislation creates a mandatory review process centered around publicly-noticed workgroups tasked with examining proposed materials across multiple dimensions.

Under the bill, each workgroup must include at least two teachers, two classified employees who assist with classroom instruction, and an information technology manager. These groups would evaluate digital materials based on specific criteria including costs and maintenance requirements, academic benefits, impacts on classroom instruction time and homework policies, effects on student behavioral health, and educator workload. The review must also assess privacy protections, data handling practices, and whether the materials promote equitable access across diverse student populations.

The workgroups must solicit input from parents, teachers, staff and students about their experiences with the proposed materials before reporting findings to their governing board. Local educational agencies, which include school districts, county offices of education, charter schools and educational joint powers authorities, must consider these evaluations before approving any digital instructional materials. The bill defines these materials as educational software that provides lessons, tracks attendance, administers exams, manages grades or facilitates communication between educators, parents and students.

The measure acknowledges California's geographic and socioeconomic diversity by allowing specific material choices to be made locally while establishing minimum standards for selection. If the Commission on State Mandates determines the new requirements create state-mandated costs, local agencies would be eligible for reimbursement under existing law.