Textbook Adoption Cycles

In the public school system schools order books in what we call adoption cycles. These cycles range anywhere from 4 to 7 years. Adoption cycles can be tricky, so I will do my best to explain them. For example: In Georgia, new books are adopted for the whole state every 7 years. So if we begin in 2000, lets say Georgia adopted science books. That means that the whole state, with the exception of a few counties, adopted all new science books for all grade levels. They bought, and paid full price, for new books from the publishers. These books will be used until the next science adoption in 2007. In 2001, Georgia may have adopted new social studies books. These books would be used until the next social studies adoption in 2008. In 2002 math would be adopted and used until 2009, and so on and so forth. A new subject is adopted every year, and used for 7 years. In many states the adoption cycle is mandated and controlled by the state board of education. They choose when specific books are to be adopted and each county in the state has to abide by the cycle they have made. There are a few instances where this does not happen. In Georgia for example, a few of the larger counties are a year behind. This does not cause too much of a problem because each county or school district controls their own budget.

In the mean time students are lugging these books around, spilling their cokes on them, using them as umbrellas in the rain and writing all over them. Not to mention the basic wear and tear from being shoved in lockers and backpacks. With all of this going on it is hard to believe that a book could last for 7 years, right? Well, most of them don't. This is where a used book company comes in. Yes, the school could order the books new again from the publisher but why waste that kind of money for a new class set? Schools buy used because the bulk of their textbook budget goes to buying those new books on the adoption cycle. So don't feel bad for the book publishers, they are still getting over 80% of the schools budgeted book money. In counties where they don't have a huge budget, used textbook buying can save them a lot and they can take that extra money and put it into another area. There have been counties that have been able to save art and music programs because of used textbook buying. Used textbook companies "fill in" what the schools need between adoptions.

There are a few exceptions to this process. Some states, like New Jersey, do not have state wide adoption cycles. Each county or school district decides when to buy new books. These counties may choose to buy only used textbooks. When a new adoption comes around, they may buy the edition from the year before or two years before. Many subjects don't change drastically over the course of a few years so ordering older editions may be beneficial. Our biggest selling grammar and composition book was published in 1989! If you have children in school, it would be beneficial for you to find out if the state has an adoption cycle and what year they are on.

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