Regulation 6440-1

Curriculum Decisions

Criteria for Selection of Curriculum Materials and Supplies

Reviewed and affirmed by the Board: 
Last Revision: 
Original publish date: 08/25/2015
Related policies & regulations:  
Legal references:  

 

Criteria for Selection of Curriculum Materials and Resources

Curriculum materials shall be selected in accordance with District procedures and criteria noted in 6420.1. Further, curriculum materials presented via a software platform shall be selected in accordance with District procedures and criteria noted in 3550.1.

 

Selection shall be based upon personal inspection and/or preview of new materials and on information obtained from standard selection catalogs, book and nonprint reviews and/or selected bibliographies.

 

Selection is a cooperative process involving, as much as feasible, those who will use the materials. When basic textbooks or other major items are to be chosen, representative committees usually are established to review and evaluate available materials.

Preview of Curriculum Materials

The Department of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment or Early Childhood Department is responsible for the review of textbooks and related classroom materials for their respective areas that are purchased with district funds or used as part of district curriculum.

 

The Library Services Department previews print and nonprint library media and supplementary classroom materials.

Instructional Considerations

  1. Reliability. The author/artist/composer/editor is reputable, qualified and experienced, and the publisher responsible.
  2. Currency. Content should be up-to-date and reflect the most recent information available on the topic.
  3. Appropriateness. Media, subject matter, vocabulary, and approach should be suitable for experience and maturity of the intended learners and for intended use of the materials.  There should be balanced treatment of controversial matters.
  4. Correlation of Curriculum Objectives. The material should support curriculum objectives for instructional purposes, including personal reading needs.
  5. Style. Style of presentation should be clear, understandable, creative and stimulating.
  6. Accuracy. Facts should be distinguished from opinions and accurately presented. 
  7. Organization. Presentation should be well-organized, logical and easy to follow. Illustrations, charts and graphs should be used to present data where needed.  Index, footnotes, glossary and references should be adequate.
  8. Teaching strategy. Educational philosophy should be acceptable.  Objectives should be clearly defined and consistent with local goals.  Learning activities should be interesting, challenging and productive.  Materials should be suitable for individualization.
  9. Teaching/learning styles. Materials should represent a variety of teaching and learning styles in order to meet the needs of diverse learners.
  10. Effectiveness. Evaluation reports should provide evidence of effectiveness or professional reviews should be positive.
  11. Teaching aids. Teachers’ manuals and supplementary materials should be of high quality.
  12. Provisions for student evaluation. Tests and other provisions to evaluate student learning should be adequate.
  13. Literary value. Materials should foster appreciation of literature and aesthetic values.
  14. Creativity. Material should encourage self-instruction and provide a stimulus to creativity.

Technical Considerations

  1. Printing, production, manufacturing, construction, design, format and presentation should be high quality and cost-effective.
  2. Format should be appealing.
  3. Design should be appropriate and easy to use.
  4. Should have single sign-on. 

Social and Equity Considerations

  1. Illustrations, ideas and content in books and supplementary materials should be representative of the cultural/racial diversity as well as the traditional and nontraditional roles open to all genders in today’s society.
  2. Persons with disabilities should be represented.
  3. Diverse cultural/racial groups, genders and persons with disabilities should be in both active and passive roles.
  4. Books and supplementary materials should be free of ethnocentric, sexist language or stereotypes which may make implications about persons or groups solely based upon their culture, race, gender, religion, sexual orientation or disability.
  5. Books and supplementary materials should include units/activities which explore the importance of curriculum skills in broadening career opportunities and enhancing future earning capacity.
  6. Examples, word problems and stories should be representative of cultural/racial diversity in society.