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1110-10 | Learning Resources Regulation

Date Approved: April 11 2014
Date Reviewed/Amended: June 14 2024

This Regulation provides criteria for the purchase of learning resources necessary to meet the educational needs of all students in the schools of the district.  The responsibility for ensuring the criteria for learning resources selection is known and appropriately applied rests with the Superintendent and Principals.

CRITERIA FOR SELECTION OF LEARNING RESOURCES

  1. PREAMBLE

“The ministry no longer conducts evaluation processes to recommended learning resources.
This responsibility now rests with boards.”                                           Learning Resources Policy, July 2017

  1. Learning Resources Defined

For the purposes of this Regulation, the term "learning resources" will refer to any person(s) or material(s) (whether acquired or locally produced) with instructional content/function or opportunities that are used for formal or informal teaching/learning purposes. Learning resources include:

  1. hands on learning tools like manipulatives
  2. electronic media (e.g. computer software and programs, websites, movies and other multi-media)
  3. library resources
  4. guest speakers and presenters
  5. field trips
  6. print materials (e.g. textbooks, printed teaching materials)
  7. other teaching resources chosen to support student learning

The primary objective of learning resources is to support, enrich, and help implement an education program.

 

 

  1. RESPONSIBILITY FOR SELECTION OF LEARNING RESOURCES

It is the duty of professional staff to provide students with a wide range of materials at varying levels of difficulty, with diversity of appeal and the presentation of different points of view.  Professional staff are responsible for the selection of learning resources.

While selection of learning resources involves many people, the responsibility of coordinating recommended resources and subsequent purchase rests with school principals.

From time to time District Committees and/or Indigenous Education Department will meet, for resource selection, for reasons such as:

  1. To ensure consistent programs throughout the district.
  2. To ensure that schools with small staffs are not required to be responsible for several resource selections in one year.
  3. Ensuring culturally appropriate resources are being used.

 

  1. CRITERIA ON THE SELECTION OF LEARNING RESOURCES

The School District supports learning resources that will:

  1. Support the learning standards of the New BC curriculum or Learning Outcomes and/or locally developed curricula;
  2. Support diverse learning needs;
  3. Help students apply what they learn in school to real life; Assist students in making connections between what they learn in school & i.e. life applications;
  4. Are developmentally and age appropriate;
  5. Take into consideration students' varied interests, abilities and backgrounds;
  6. Meet the requirements set by copyright considerations; and privacy legislation;
  7. Be suitable based on social considerations such as, but not limited to: Indigenous ways of knowing, gender identity and expression, multiculturalism, religion, and ethical standards;
  8. Give priority to learning resources developed and produced in Canada and local resources, assuming they meet criteria.

 

  1. Other Considerations
  1. The selection of learning resources on controversial issues will be directed towards maintaining a balanced collection representing various views. Learning resources shall clarify historical and contemporary forces by presenting and analyzing intergroup tension and conflict objectively, placing emphasis on recognizing and understanding social and economic problems that led up to the conflict.
  2. Emphasis will be placed on the selection of Canadian learning resources and local learning resources (i.e. Indigenous content) where appropriate. These resources include book and non-book learning materials by or about a Canadian person, region or event.
  3. Care should be taken to avoid duplication of learning resources already available in the school.
  4. Gift materials shall be judged by the criteria outlined and shall be accepted or rejected by those criteria.
  5. Selection is an ongoing process which should include the removal of materials which are no longer appropriate according to the criteria for the selection of learning resources.

REFERENCES:

See Ministerial Order 333/99, the Educational Program Guide Order; section 5.

School Act, Section 168 (2) (e)

Ministry of Education Policy, Learning Resources Policy Statement, July 1, 2017

1110 Learning Resources Policy

1110-30 Review of Instructional Materials Regulation

1115-10 Board Authorized Courses Regulation

 

OTHER

 BC ERAC, Evaluating, Selecting and Acquiring, Learning Resources: A Guide https://www.bcerac.ca/resources/whitepapers/docs/ERAC_WB.pdf, 2008

REFERENCES
1110 - - Learning Resources Policy
1110-30 - - Review of Instructional Materials
1115-10 - - Board Authority Authorized Courses