ANSWER:

a. Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Regulation IIB-RA provides guidance for evaluating textbooks and other instructional materials. One of the criteria to be considered is the recency of the copyright. MCPS follows the best practice of reviewing centrally-purchased textbooks annually, considering curriculum objectives and revisions, publication dates, out-of-print items, and any challenges to authenticity or diverse representation. In addition, schools may choose to replace textbooks using their textbook funds outside of central office purchasing cycles.  Due to the high cost of many textbooks, schools and central offices consider several factors when choosing to replace textbooks.  These factors include the extent to which the textbook is used in a particular course, the significance of the outdated content within course objectives, and the availability of funds for purchasing new textbooks.

Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate Materials 
All Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses have suggested textbooks and materials for teachers to use for planning, teaching, and assessing. These lists generally include texts published within the past 10 years. Neither the College Board nor IB requires one specific book for any course. The College Board requires submission and approval of the course syllabus and the textbook(s) if required. The IB also guides syllabi and textbooks.  

Textbooks (paper or online) and teacher support materials for AP and IB courses are purchased with school funds at the school level.  AP and IB courses must use the MCPS Regulation IIB-RA, Evaluation and Selection of Instructional Materials and Library Books.

b. MCPS has online texts for many courses.  Most textbooks available for purchase today are online versions that may be purchased instead of hardcover texts, or in addition to them.  Online textbooks require renewal, which may be annual or after multiyear terms.  For textbooks with online access that have been purchased centrally, schools must renew using their textbook funding allocation upon the end of the license period.  Although some courses may have centrally purchased textbooks with online licenses, schools also may purchase alternative textbooks using their textbook funding allocation. The content area supervisor must review and approve all textbooks per MCPS Regulation IIB-RA. 

c. It is possible to convert most current hardcover textbooks to online versions. Online textbook access requires a more significant monetary commitment than hardcover textbooks to fund a license for each student to access the online tools and resources fully. Schools
may use their textbook funding to purchase online versions.