Education Code section 60205
(a)
On or before January 31, 2027, the state board shall, in adherence with the procedures established pursuant to Section 60227, adopt instructional materials for kindergarten and grades 1 to 8, inclusive, in English language arts and English language development.(b)
The state board shall ensure that instructional materials adopted pursuant to this section adhere to all of the following:(1)
Align to the current English Language Arts/English Language Development (ELA/ELD) Framework, including integrated and designated English language development instruction adopted by the state board, and including strategies to meet the varied language development needs of English learners.(2)
Align to evidence-based means of teaching foundational reading skills, which shall include explicit and systematic instruction in print concepts, phonological awareness, phonics and word recognition, and fluency, and attending to oral and written language development, vocabulary and background knowledge, and comprehension, including tiered supports for pupils with reading difficulties, English learners, and pupils with exceptional needs.(3)
Align to the program guidelines for dyslexia developed pursuant to Section 56335.(4)
Include materials that focus on the teaching of specific skills and standards that are a subset of the entire English Language Arts/English Language Development (ELA/ELD) Framework and clearly designate which standards they effectively address.(c)
Upon the adoption of instructional materials pursuant to subdivision (a), the state board shall update the state Guidance for Local Instructional Materials Adoptions to reflect the criteria in subdivision (b). A local educational agency shall follow this guidance and the processes described in Section 60002 for purposes of adopting instructional materials.(d)
(1)A local educational agency that adopts instructional materials that have not been adopted by the state board pursuant to subdivision (a) shall certify that the instructional materials align to the criteria in subdivision (b).(2)
A local educational agency may adopt a set of instructional materials that, in combination, address all of the state standards and components of the English Language Arts/English Language Development (ELA/ELD) Framework.(e)
It is the intent of the Legislature that the state board’s adoption of instructional materials in English language arts and English language development include high-quality instructional materials in pupils’ primary languages to enable teachers to build upon pupils’ linguistic assets in programs for which English learner pupils are being instructed in their primary language.
Source:
Section 60205, https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=EDC§ionNum=60205. (updated Jan. 1, 2026; accessed Dec. 15, 2025).
