West Clermont Local School District
Administrative Guidelines
 

2510 - SELECTION OF BASIC TEXT MATERIALS

New basic text materials and revisions to same will be recommended to the Superintendent by the Assistant Superintendent. Appropriate staff members and instructional supervisors will comprise the selection (review) committees.

Each committee will be responsible for establishing selection standards for each criterion in the following categories:

 A.Publisher and Author
  What is the reputation of the author(s) for scholarship?
  What is the reliability of the publisher?
 B.Content
  In terms of achieving course goals. 
  How effective is the organizational plan?
  How relevant is the information?
  How complete is the information?
  How accurate and unbiased is the information?
  How appropriate is the illustrative material?
  How sufficient is the illustrative material?
  If students accomplished all the objectives called for in the material, how well would they be able to achieve the goals of the course?
 C.Necessity
  If replacement text, how does it improve upon existing text?
 D.Instructional Aids
  Does the book contain: an index? graphic materials? references? a bibliography? glossaries? appendices? Are there any software or other resources provided with the books?
  How appropriate is each of these?
 E.Format
  What kind of binding?  paper?  type?  Electronic?
  Will the format help or inhibit student interest and ease of use?
 F.Expense
  What is the cost and probable life?
 G.Moral Tone
  How does the text handle controversial subjects in terms of the maturity level of the students and objectivity?
 H.Past Experience
  How successfully has the text been used in other districts?
 I.Bias
  How free is the text of religious, gender, racial, and national origin bias?

Selection committees should use the following procedures for the selection and recommendation of basic textbooks:

 A.The text materials should be examined by each one of the committee members. The committee members should also examine, whenever possible, other text materials similar in nature to the one being considered for adoption.
 B.A written evaluation of the text material by each one of the committee members should be submitted to the chairperson of the selection committee or to the person initiating the request. A suggested form is available to assist committee members in their evaluation.
 C.The committee chairperson will also read and examine the basic text material and/or supplementary materials requested.
 D.The chairperson of the selection committee will be responsible for submitting the recommendations to the Assistant Superintendent who will submit it to the Board of Education for adoption.

© Neola 2003