Classroom+Libraries

As many of the schools in Anaheim Union High School District began implementing classroom library programs, a committee met to determine some guidelines for these small libraries. Of primary concern were keeping track of the books so that materials would not be lost, and demonstrating student achievement gains. As a result of the committee meeting, all classroom libraries in the district are to be established using the guidelines determined in January 2002 by The Classroom Library Task Force and Educational Staff:

//__PROCESS: __// 1. Site Library Media Teacher
 * Assist in training to access the computer for acquiring background information on any particular selection

2. Accountability and record keeping
 * Records will be maintained for the accounting of all books purchased, to whom they are checked out and means for fiscal accountability (fines levied, etc.).
 * Records will be maintained to validate that students have improved their reading, writing and grammar skills due to the acquisition of a classroom library.
 * A Mission Statement for each site regarding their classroom libraries will be established.

3. Approval sign-off
 * The site administrator will decide whether or not to approve the expenditure of funds and the titles listed
 * It is a site decision as to whether or not each department chairperson is to sign each purchase requisition.

4. Number of the same book
 * A maximum of 2 identical books per classroom
 * Magazine subscriptions follow the existing board adopted selection policy

5. Donations
 * Follow the existing board adopted policy
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Place titles on a list to be approved by the administration and cataloged.

//__<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">SELECTION CRITERIA: __// <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Books chosen for the classroom library will be:
 * 1) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">1. Suitable for the age and maturity of the students in the class.
 * 2) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">2. Priority focused to raise the reading, writing and grammar skills of the students.
 * 3) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">3. Differentiated in reading levels of students in the class
 * 4) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">4. Interesting in subject matter difficulty of text, from picture books to “hard” reads.
 * 5) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">5. Balanced in varied genres, e.g. skill building (reading, writing, grammar), comedy, drama, fiction, nonfiction, biographies, poetry, speeches, etc.
 * 6) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">6. Appropriate in the treatment of race, gender, religion, cultural, and other sensitive issues.
 * 7) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">7. Sensitive and controversial subjects within the established board adopted policy and with the site administration approval.
 * 8) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">8. Within the basic guidelines as they presently exist in the board-adopted policy.


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Western’s staff has determined the following policies in accordance to the guidelines outlined by the Classroom Library Task Force: **


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Classroom Library Justification: **
 * 1) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">1. Site Library Media Teacher assisted in identifying items needing reviews and provided supplemental information as necessary.
 * 2) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">2. Accountability and Record keeping:
 * 3) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">a. Teachers will keep a list of the classroom library books in their room, and keep track of checkouts using the card system, or an electronic database (i.e. Access, MsWorks, etc.).
 * 4) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">b. Each teacher’s books will be identified with his or her name, so the books can be returned to the proper teacher if found.
 * 5) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">c. Overdue fines will not be charged. Replacement cost will be charged for all lost books. Charge slips for lost books may be turned in to the Library Media Center for collection (before the last school day in May).
 * 6) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">d. Success of the classroom library can be measured through a pre and post survey that demonstrates a change in students’ attitudes about reading. Other measures may include students tracking their reading speed in words per minute, and student reading logs indicating numbers of books/pages read. Increased achievement on the Reading portion of the Stanford 9 test may also be attributed to increased access to reading materials.
 * 7) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">e. Mission Statement:

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">The Mission of Western High School is to develop lifelong readers. In developing classroom libraries, we will strive to generate readers of academic, recreational, and functional texts and assist all students in reading at least one million words a year. By providing all students access to high-interest reading materials of multiple genres, we will foster an appreciation of reading and prepare our students to lead lives in which reading matters.
 * 1) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">Approval sign-off: The purchase request is signed by the department chair and site administrator.
 * 2) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Books in this order are being distributed to 10 different teachers. No titles on this list exceed the 2 per classroom rule. No teacher will receive more than two copies of the same title.
 * 3) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Teachers who receive donations will add them to their classroom library list, which will be approved by the department chair and the site administrator.


 * __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Selection Criteria __**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">: Classroom Library Books will meet the board approved selection criteria.