Step 1 — Determine Content
• Consult state curriculum committees, authors, independent experts/reviewers, national standards organizations, national advisory groups.
• Study established research base and new research findings.
• Establish plan for customized correlations to state and/or common national standards.
• Develop preliminary plan for content.
Step 2 — Research & Planning
• Identify authors and content experts.
• Survey educators.
• Develop preliminary plan for chapter organization and design.
• Build out plan for customized correlations to state and/or common national standards.
• Develop and produce prototype pages.
• Review prototype pages with authors and educators.
• Revise content development plan to reflect input from authors and educators.
• Develop and test new prototype.
Step 3 — Early Development
• Form editorial team, including authors, content experts and other specialists.
• Begin development of customized correlations to state and/or national standards.
• Develop detailed outlines and make writing assignments.
• Establish project schedule.
• Authors and content area experts write and evaluate first-draft of manuscript.
• Design plan for special features and assign writer teams.
• Create page and cover design for textbooks and all ancillary materials.
• Plan teacher editions and ancillary materials.
Step 4 — Editing and Review
• Update as necessary customized correlations to state and/or national standards.
• Document all facts from at least two independent sources.
• Edit student and teacher texts as well as ancillary materials.
• Review for accuracy (academic reviewers, independent readers, evaluators, master teachers).
• Copy edit, fact-check, prove formulas and equations, proofread.
• Incorporate changes from authors, editors and reviewers.
• Create pages, develop art, prepare charts and graphs, choose photographs.
• Check revised pages, perform cold read.
• Repeat page checks until all pages are correct.
• Check proofs.
• Produce first version or go to first printing (intended for use only as marketing samples).
• Distribute first printing or digital version.
Step 5 — Quality Reviews of First Version/Printing
• Send student and teacher editions to independent reviewers for complete content read.
• Solicit comments from teachers and state review committees.
• Research and verify accuracy of error reports through authors and independent content authorities.
• Correct errors and create proof of corrected pages.
• Proofread corrections.
• Repeat process until all corrected pages are accurate.
• Check proofs of final pages.
• Produce second digital version or print second printing (which will be sold for classroom use).
Step 6 — Continuing Quality Reviews
• Receive and review comments from students, teachers, academics and textbook review committees.
• Correct text, photographs, charts & graphs, art for errors or clarifications.
• Prepare and distribute errata if errors found.
Step 7 — Subsequent Editions
• Research clarifications, including public comments.
• Hold discussions among authors and editors.
• Complete entire preparation process—productions, documentation, verification, editing.
• Reprint (if edition is print).