The Kanawha County school board Thursday unanimously approved adopting, for the first time in years, new instructional materials for science, visual art and music.
Missy Ruddle, Kanawha's assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, said the science materials -- including digital-only "techbooks" that can be updated, unlike paper textbooks -- will cost about $1.8 million. She expects the visual art and music materials to cost a little under $1 million.
The science materials are aligned to the state's new kindergarten through 12th grade science education standards that will go into effect next school year. The new science standards are themselves based off the national Next Generation Science Standards blueprint.
Several different companies -- including Discovery Education, McGraw-Hill Education and Pearson Education -- will provide the instructional materials.
Ruddle said it has been at least eight years since Kanawha adopted new science materials, and at least six years have passed since the county got new materials for visual art and music. She said visual art includes things like studio art and pottery.
The board approved putting the materials out for public comment last month.
Also last month, the board requested waivers of state Board of Education policies regarding some instructional materials.
One exemption Kanawha requested was to be allowed to use local teacher-designed custom curricula for high school chemistry, physics and physical science courses instead of adopting state school board-approved materials. Generally, the state board must approve materials before counties can purchase them.
Ruddle -- who said those elective science courses will each have a non-textbook curriculum that will provide students everything needed on their school-issued tablet computers -- expects the state board to decide on the waiver requests next month.
Kanawha school board members also recognized the winners of annual employee awards during Thursday's meeting.
Leslie Michaelson, currently secretary for the county's director of the Office of Professional Development and a 17-year employee of the public school system, is school service person of the year.
Fred Albert, president of the local branch of the American Federation of Teachers union and a Kanawha teacher for 26 years, is teacher of the year.
And Amon Gilliam, who's been principal of Dunbar Middle for three years and previously led Stonewall Jackson Middle for three years, was named principal of the year.
Reach Ryan Quinn at ryan.quinn@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-1254, facebook.com/ryanedwinquinn, or follow @RyanEQuinn on Twitter.