2510A - SELECTION OF BASIC TEXT MATERIALS
New basic text materials and revisions to same will be recommended to the Superintendent by the Curriculum Office. Appropriate staff members will comprise the review committees in accordance with Indiana statute 20-10.1-9.
Each committee will be responsible for establishing selection standards.
The following are guideline questions:
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?
Necessity
If replacement text, how does it improve upon existing text?
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?
Format
What kind of binding? paper? type?
Will the format help or inhibit student interest and ease of use?
Expense
What is the cost and probable life?
Moral Tone
How does the text handle controversial subjects in terms of the maturity level of the students and objectivity?
Past Experience
How successfully has the text been used in other Corporations?
Bias
How free is the text of religious, gender, racial, and national origin bias?
Diversity
Does the text support the goals of the Corporation’s diversity plan?
NIMAS
Is the text NIMAS compliant?
Review committees should use the following procedures for the selection and recommendation of basic textbooks:
A written evaluation of the text material by all teachers should be submitted to the chairpersons of the textbook adoption committee. A form is used by Teachers to assist committee members in their evaluation.
The committee chairpersons will also read and examine the basic text material and/or supplementary materials requested.
The chairpersons of the textbook adoption committee will be responsible for facilitating the consensus of the recommendations and submitting the recommendations to the Curriculum Office who will submit it to the Board for adoption.