When Dottie Hall, the textbooks purchasing manager for the Round Rock Independent School District, was on the hunt for a new spelling program for teachers in the district, she settled on a book series called Words Your Way.

But Words Your Way was not on the state-adopted list of materials approved by the State Board of Education, according to state curriculum standards.

A year ago, the school district wouldn't have been allowed to use state money to purchase those books. But today, that has changed. Satisfied that the program was appropriate for what was being taught in Round Rock ...

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