By involving teachers in the process of materials selection, the British Columbia Ministry of Education took into account the interests and expertise of those who would have to live with the decisions made. By providing feedback to publishers and by generating quite rigorous selection criteria, better quality materials may evolve. (RM)

Courses on French civilization and culture should begin with a presentation of essential information, including historical background, role of the state, and the weight and presence of the past. They should move on through public life--politics, commerce, industry, social structures, the media--to the experiences of day-to-day life. (Author/JR)

This booklet shows teachers and administrators how their school districts can use the Reading Authority List of the Reading Information System I (I-RIS), an analytic process for making decisions about language arts curriculum materials. Following an outline of I-RIS, pages of the Reading Authority List are accompanied by guidelines for using the…

Programs for California state-adopted social studies instructional materials are described to aid state school districts in matching instructional materials with curriculum goals and objectives. Information is provided in three sections. An annotated index gives pertinent information about each program, including title, year of copyright, and…

The intent of the learning module described here is to increase users' skills in selecting effective instructional products for their classrooms. The module familiarizes users with product selection criteria and involves the user in practical demonstration of product selection. This descriptive report provides information on the purposes and…

The Tulsa, Oklahoma, board of education has adopted as policy an academic freedom statement that was developed by a committee composed of board members, administrators, teachers, and librarians. The prelude to the statement contains six important points dealing with (1) the need for such a policy statement, (2) school responsibility, (3)…

Discusses a new Australian Academy of Science secondary chemistry textbook that provides a more interesting, enjoyable, and understandable base to a wider spread of students. Notes that rigor is maintained for use in college prep courses. Lists context for change, guiding philosophies, and the table of contents. (MVL)