Who
uses the TCI program in my area?
Educators in over 1,000 school districts across the nation use TCI programs in
their classrooms. Both urban districts, like Long Beach Unified and New York
City Schools, and suburban and rural districts have had success with the
program in their middle schools and high schools. Contact
Customer Support to find out more about districts and schools in your
area that are getting results by using TCI products.
Why do
TCI materials do a better job of teaching historical concepts than
other educational materials?
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TCI materials have interactive activities that
allow students to learn historical concepts and remember important details
about history.
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The Curriculum Developers at TCI have incorporated recent
scholarship not readily available to all teachers.
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The History Alive!, Social Studies Alive!, and Geography Alive!
programs are integrated, allowing students to see connections between classroom
activities, the history, and their lives today.
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TCI materials maintain a chronological order while grouping
by content area for ease of understanding.
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How are TCI programs tailored to specific grade levels? Can they be used at grade
levels other than those for which they were originally designed?
TCI programs are tailored to specific grade levels by the reading level of
student materials and the degree of spiraling, or incremental learning steps,
that are used in the activities. For example, activities for middle school
include more steps to understanding a concept than do activities for high
school.
However, because TCI programs are based on high-level concepts and historical
information, they can be used for most grade levels with the appropriate
modifications. For example, to use middle school lessons at the high school
level, a teacher might include more reading and require longer and more complex
written responses.
To use high school lessons at the middle school level, teachers might simplify
reading materials and teach new or difficult concepts and content in smaller
increments.
What
length of time will I need to teach each lesson?
The amount of time spent on a lesson depends on many factors, which include
class size, length of class period, and teacher background. The lessons are
designed, however, so that each lesson "stands alone" so teachers can choose
which activities to do. Teachers do not need to teach every lesson in a
program.
How
does TCI choose what historical content and concepts to cover in a program?
We make our decisions based primarily on four criteria:
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input from teachers
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guidance from state and national frameworks
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in-house content expertise |
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recent scholarship
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What
system does TCI use to determine reading level?
TCI uses the Flesch-Kincaid system as the basis for determining reading levels.
How do I place an order?
You may place an order for TCI products online or by phone, fax, or mail.
We must have a form of payment before we process your order.
Order with a credit card:
TCI accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover credit cards either online or over the phone,
800-497-6138, ext. 0
Order with a purchase order:
TCI accepts Purchase Orders via fax (800-343-6828) or mail:
TCI
P.O. Box 1327
Rancho Cordova, CA 95741
Purchase Orders are not accepted via our website or over the phone.
Order with a check or money order:
TCI accepts checks and money orders via mail:
TCI
P.O. Box 1327
Rancho Cordova, CA 95741
What if I am tax exempt and sales tax is being added to my order
If you are using a personal credit card to make a purchase for use at your school, sales tax will be charged because you
as an individual are not tax exempt. By law, TCI cannot extend your school's/district's sales tax exempt status to a personal sale.
If you are using a school credit card and the billing address is for your school/district and the school/district is sales tax exempt,
you will need to fax (800-343-6828) a copy of the school's/district's tax exempt certificate referencing your order number within 24 hours of placing the order.
The tax will then be adjusted when the order is processed. Failure to fax in the tax exempt certificate within 24 hours may result in sales tax being added to your order.
Please note taxable states: CA, FL, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, MI, NC, NV, NY, OH, PA, TN, TX, VA, WA.
Can I order individual components of my Teacher Resources?
Individual components, such as Interactive Student Notebooks, Lesson Guides, and Placard Sets,
are available for individual purchase. Go to the program you are interested in and select "View and Order Individual Components."
Do I need to add shipping and handling?
Yes. TCI ships all in-stock items for regular domestic orders by ground service at a rate of 8%
of the order subtotal or $5.00 minimum.
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Alaska and Hawaii: All orders to Alaska and Hawaii are shipped by 2-day air service at a rate
of 12% of the order subtotal or $10.00 minimum. |
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2-Day Air Service: Orders can be shipped to any domestic location by 2-day air service at a rate
of 12% of the order subtotal or $10.00 minimum. |
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International: TCI can ship internationally. All international orders must be prepaid, and TCI
is not responsible for preparing any international paperwork. Please call Customer Service at 800-497-6138, ext. 0
or e-mail us at info@teachtci.com for more details. |
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F.O.B. Destination: If your school or district policy is F.O.B. destination, we will invoice 8%
of the order subtotal or $5.00 minimum.
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I'm ordering from a bookstore, why isn't my trade discount reflected?
Trade discounts cannot be calculated via our online ordering system. If you hold a current Trade Agreement with us,
when the credit card order is processed the discount will be applied and you will receive an invoice with the
discounted prices and the correct shipping and handling.
If there are any questions about the Trade Agreement status you will be contacted before the order is processed.
What does my order status mean?
There are four different types of order status: confirmed, in process, backordered, and shipped.
Confirmed: Your order placed online has been received and confirmed with our Order department.
Once your order has been processed and your credit card charged you will receive a confirmation email
at the email address on record.
In Process: Your order has been charged and is waiting to be shipped out normally within 24 hours.
Backordered: Your order (or part of your order) has been backordered. If you have time sensitive needs,
please contact TCI Customer Service at 800-497-6138, ext. 0.
Shipped: Your order has been shipped and you should receive your materials within 1-2 weeks.
How long will it take for my order to be delivered?
It will take approximately 10 to 15 days from the time we receive your order until your
materials are delivered. If you choose to pay the additional fee for 2-day air service,
your order will ship in 2 days after our standard 2 to 3 day processing time.
What
if I want to return or exchange my order?
Our first priority is customer satisfaction. That's why you may return or exchange
any unused product in saleable condition within 60 days of the invoice date of your order.
Contact Customer Service 800-497-6138, ext. 0 for assistance. Please have your invoice
number and date available when you call. If you wish to exchange an item, we must receive
payment for shipping (see Shipping Rates)
and any difference in price before processing your exchange. See the back of the packing slip
that was sent with your order for instructions. Unfortunately, we cannot accept the following
for returns or exchanges:
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Bent, torn, soiled, marked, or stamped items. |
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Opened shrink-wrapped items. |
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Items damaged due to insufficient packaging when returned.
Please be sure to carefully and securely package all items you are returning. |
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Products received at events or conferences. |
If
my packing slip indicates that an item has been backordered, what do I do?
If your packing slip indicates that an item has been backordered, we will ship that item as soon as it is available.
If you have a time sensitive order and need additional information, please call
Customer Service at 800-497-6138, ext. 0 or e-mail us at
info@teachtci.com. Note that you will not be charged until your item is shipped.
Do you have a trade policy for college bookstores or resellers?
Bring Learning Alive! The TCI Approach to Middle and High School Studies
and Social Studies Alive! Engaging Diverse Learners in the Classroom
are available to college bookstores and other vendors for resale. For information on our trade policies,
procedures, and discounts, please call Customer Service at 800-497-6138, ext. 0 or e-mail us
at info@teachtci.com.
What do I do if TCI made an error in processing my order?
Please open and review your order as soon as you receive it.
If you feel that TCI made an error in processing your order,
please call Customer Service at 800-497-6138, ext. 0 or e-mail us
at info@teachtci.com.
If your order was shipped correctly but you wish to return or exchange materials,
please see our frequently asked question on returns and exchanges.
Why would I need a quote?
A quote may be needed to submit to your district office as part of a requisition request.
You may also need a quote if you are mailing a check as a form of payment and need to determine
the approximate total for the items you wish to purchase. Please note that the quotes generated
online though our website are not stored or available for TCI employees to access and/or view.
What if I have a question that is not included on this page?
If you have any questions we are happy to help you. Please contact Customer Service by one of the methods below:
Phone: (800) 497-6138, ext. 0
Fax: (800) 343-6828
Email: info@teachtci.com
