Frequently Asked Questions

Using Our Programs

Who uses TCI in my area?

Educators in over 1,000 school districts across the nation use TCI in their classrooms. Urban districts, like Long Beach Unified and New York City Schools, and suburban and rural districts have had success with TCI in their K–12 classrooms. Contact Customer Service to find out more about districts and schools in your area that are getting results with TCI.

Why do TCI materials do a better job of teaching historical concepts than other educational materials?

• TCI materials have interactive activities that allow students to discover information and concepts for themselves, helping them better remember important details about history.
• The Curriculum Developers at TCI have incorporated recent scholarship not readily available to all teachers.
• All of TCI’s programs are integrated, allowing students to see connections between classroom activities, history, and their lives today.
• TCI materials maintain chronological order while grouping by content area for ease of understanding.
• Our technology products challenge students to read critically and check for understanding of content while allowing teachers to present classroom activities through state-of-the-art presentations.

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 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.

How much time will I need to teach each lesson?

The amount of time spent on a lesson depends on many factors, including class size, length of class period, and teacher background. The lessons are designed to “stand alone,” so that teachers can choose which activities are most appropriate to their classrooms. Teachers do not need to teach every lesson in a program.

With our new Classroom Presenter feature of TeachTCI, teachers can easily conduct lessons using a step-by-step presentation, minimizing prep time and making it easier than ever to use TCI.

How does TCI choose which historical content and concepts to cover in a program?

We make our decisions based primarily on four criteria:

• Input from teachers
• Guidance from state and national frameworks
• In-house content expertise
• Recent scholarship

What system does TCI use to determine reading level?

TCI uses the Flesch-Kincaid system as the basis for determining reading levels.

Placing Your Order

How do I place an order?

You may place an order for TCI products by phone, fax, e-mail, mail, or online. We require a form of payment before we process your order. For TeachTCI subscriptions, we require a contact name and e-mail address, as these items are fulfilled electronically.

Credit Card Orders

TCI accepts Visa, MasterCard, or American Express credit cards either online or over the phone, 800-497-6138, ext. 0

Purchase Orders

TCI accepts purchase orders via fax (800-343-6828), e-mail, or mail:
TCI
P.O. Box 1327
Rancho Cordova, CA 95741
Purchase orders are not accepted via our Web site or over the phone.

Check or Money Orders

TCI accepts checks and money orders via mail:
TCI
P.O. Box 1327
Rancho Cordova, CA 95741

What do I need to know about ordering TeachTCI subscriptions?

TeachTCI is a web-based product. You won’t receive a physical product; rather, you’ll receive a unique activation code via e-mail for each TeachTCI subscription ordered.

For orders placed online, activation codes will be e-mailed to the person placing the order.

For all other methods of payment, including district or school purchase orders, you must indicate on the purchase order the contact name and e-mail address to whom we should send the activation codes.

For multiple TeachTCI subscriptions, please provide contact names and e-mail addresses for each subscription ordered.

If you do not provide us with a contact name, we will attempt to find one at your district and will indicate on the invoice to whom the activation codes were e-mailed. If we are unable to locate a contact, we will supply the activation codes on the invoice.

What do I need to know about ordering LearnTCI subscriptions?

LearnTCI is a web-based product. You won’t receive a physical product; rather, you’ll receive a unique activation code via e-mail for each LearnTCI subscription ordered:

A subscription to TeachTCI is needed to make use of LearnTCI. TeachTCI allows teachers to create classes, see student scores, and more. For more information about TCI Technology, please visit the TCI Technology page.

What if I have tax-exempt status 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 considered 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 with a school/district billing address, and the school/district has sales tax-exempt status, you will need to fax (800-343-6828) a copy of the tax-exempt certificate referencing your order number within 24 hours of placing the order. The tax will be adjusted when the order is processed. Failure to fax the certificate within 24 hours may result in sales tax being added to your order.

Taxable states: CA, FL, IL, IN, KY, MA, MI, NC, NY, OH, PA, TN, TX, VA, WA.

Can I order individual components of Teacher Resources?

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 print items for regular domestic orders by ground service at a rate of 9% of the order subtotal or $5.00 minimum. Technology items do not require a shipping or handling fee.

• Alaska and Hawaii: All orders to Alaska and Hawaii are shipped by 2-day air service at a rate of 13% of the order subtotal or $10.00 minimum.
• 2-Day Air Service: Orders can be shipped to any domestic location by 2-day air service at a rate of 13% of the order subtotal or $10.00 minimum.
• 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.
• F.O.B. Destination: If your school or district policy is F.O.B. destination, we will invoice 9% of the order subtotal or $5.00 minimum.

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. You will receive an invoice reflecting 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.

Receiving Your Order

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 e-mail at the e-mail address on record.

In Process: Your order has been charged and is waiting to be fulfilled, 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 fulfilled. You should receive any print materials you ordered within 1-2 weeks. For TeachTCI subscriptions, you should receive activation codes within 3-5 business days via e-mail.

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 print 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. For TeachTCI subscription orders, you should receive your activation codes via e-mail within 3-5 business days of placing your order.

Permissions

Can I scan your book and make it available to my students with disabilities?

TCI’s publications include certain independent contributions, which are used by TCI under license from the copyright owner and generally are identified on the page where the material appears or in the credits at the back of the book. TCI does not have the authority to grant permissions with respect to these materials, and therefore we cannot grant your permissions request as written. Under appropriate circumstances, we can grant permission to use the TCI-owned text only. Download our Permissions and Accessibility Request Form to place your request (DOC, 76KB).

Can I use your RTF in text-to-speech software to make it available to my struggling readers?

TCI’s publications include certain independent contributions, which are used by TCI under license from the copyright owner and generally are identified on the page where the material appears or in the credits at the back of the book. These contributions include text excerpts, for which TCI does not have the authority to grant permissions. However, we do have an RTF file of TCI-owned text only, marked where the removed quotes appear to let you know where you’ll need to reference the textbook. Download our Permissions and Accessibility Request Form to place your request (DOC, 76KB).

Can I post the RTF on my password-protected classroom or district website?

No. We recognize an increasing need to supply online versions of our student materials, and are working to create an online tool for students that integrates the TCI Approach, ensuring the best digital learning experience for all learners.

Can I upload TCI Teacher Resource materials into a password-protected online content management/curriculum sharing system?

No. TCI’s publications include certain independent contributions, which are used by TCI under license from the copyright owner and generally are identified on the page where the material appears or in the credits at the back of the book. These contributions include images, art, text, and music, for which TCI does not have the authority to grant permissions, including requests to upload any TCI content to the Web in any form or system. For programs that include Digital Teacher Resources, you can find electronic versions of the teacher resource materials, which can be used with projectors and smartboards. We also have discussion groups on our Web site designed to bring teachers from across the nation together for a professional exchange of ideas. We strongly believe that these technology resources are the best tools currently available for the most successful implementation of the TCI Approach.

Returns, Exchanges, and Backorders

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. Please download and complete the Return/Exchange form. You may contact Customer Service 800-497-6138, ext. 0 for assistance. Please have your packing slip or purchase number 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. Please refer to the Return/Exchange form (PDF, 424KB) for instructions. Unfortunately, we cannot accept the following for returns or exchanges:

• Bent, torn, soiled, marked, or stamped items.
• Opened shrink-wrapped items.
• Items damaged due to insufficient packaging when returned. Please be sure to carefully and securely package all items you are returning.
• 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 for credit card orders you will not be charged until your item is shipped.

Do you have a trade policy for college bookstores or resellers?

Bring Learning Alive! Methods to Transform Middle and High School Social Studies Instruction and Social Studies Alive! Methods to Transform Elementary Instruction 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.

Creating Quotes

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. The quotes generated online though our Web site are not stored or available for TCI employees to access or view.