Guidance for Selecting Instructional Materials

Phase I: Instructional Materials Selection

Establish Your District Wide Lens

Establish a district-wide instructional vision for arts education (media arts, visual arts, dance, music, and theatre).

How do the artistic processes of create, perform/present/produce, respond, and connect help students gain the knowledge and skills that lead to artistic literacy and connect us all to the human experience? (Paraphrased from National Arts Standards: A Conceptual Framework for Arts Learning (p. 2) and Nebraska’s Fine Arts Education Standards).

Consider the philosophical foundations and lifelong goal of arts education (pp.10).

Instructional Shifts

Do educators and others have knowledge of the instructional shifts for arts education?

“Art standards exist throughout the world….While the language used in different nations may vary, most standards for arts education seem to be grouped in three broad areas” (National Arts Standards: A Conceptual Framework for Arts Learning, p. 5). These areas are:

1. Generating/problem solving. Identified in the national and Nebraska standards as “creating.”
2. Expressing/Realizing. Identified in the national and Nebraska standards as “performing,” “presenting,” or “producing.”
3. Responding/appreciating. Identified in the national and Nebraska standards as “responding.”

Purposes of Arts Education

Consider the seven purposes of arts education, (Harvard Project Zero’s Qualities of Quality): 

1. Think creatively and make connections.
2. Develop artistic skills and techniques.
3. Develop aesthetic awareness.
4. Develop an understanding of the world.
5. Engage with community, civic, and societal issues.
6. Self expression.
7. Develop as individuals.

Enduring Understandings and Essential Questions

What enduring understandings and essential questions for media arts, visual arts, dance, music or theater ground arts education in your district?

Current Research

What has current research in arts education told us? Does your vision incorporate research in arts education such as Eight Artistic Habits of Mind from Harvard Project Zero for visual arts and media arts education or “From Selection to the Stage” by S.L. Atchison shared by the National Federation of High Schools for music.

Vision

How does the vision support strong instruction, productive struggle where students are engaged in the academic lift, access to grade level content, and teachers who believe students can learn? These are the four findings of TNTP’s The Opportunity Myth, which are foundational for Nebraska’s work with high quality instructional materials.

Backwards Design

Consider a backwards design approach when creating the district’s curriculum. Curriculum is determined locally and reflects “how” teachers help students learn the content with content area standards. A curriculum outlines the intended outcomes, content experiences, assessments, and resources, for measuring student learning. Curriculum also includes the scope and sequence of what is taught in grades K-12. Rather than a series of individual student learning events, look at the processes, skills, and knowledge that will contribute to successful learning in arts education. Instructional materials are the tools and resources that are used as part of a locally-determined curriculum.

Communication and Professional Learning

How will the vision be communicated to educators and stakeholders?

What kinds of professional learning will be necessary to align curriculum, materials, and instruction with the vision?

Reviewing and Selecting Materials

Identify Local Needs and Priorities

Develop a plan for reviewing and selecting materials.

Collect Data to Inform Decision Making

What kind of data will be collected to analyze student learning needs (e.g., NCAS Summative Assessments, MAP or other standardized assessments, Nebraska’s Arts Education Data Project, interim and/or formative assessments)?

Reviewing and Selecting Materials

How will new arts education materials support school-level and district-wide goals and initiatives?

What are the criteria for high-quality instructional materials to ensure alignment with Nebraska’s Arts Education Standards?

Here are some things to keep in mind when using the review guide.

• The NDE Arts Education Materials Selection Review Guide was developed in response to requests from arts educators, curriculum developers, and arts supervisors in Nebraska. Requests were due to a wide variety of instructional materials that have recently become available. A group of Nebraska arts educators, representing the five arts subjects, various types and sizes of schools, and located in different parts of the state, contributed to this work.
• The review guide is for the body of materials for an entire course or program of study. There is also a supplemental checklist for individual supplemental materials.
• Important Note: At the time of development of the review guide, the educators involved were not aware of any single instructional material that would meet all of the criteria. It is suggested, then, that this instrument be used to evaluate a body of materials for an entire course, group of courses, or program of study. There is a checklist for individual supplemental materials.
• Terminology: For the purposes of the review guide, visual art medium/media are the physical materials used to create art such as a drawing, watercolor or using clay, oils, chalks, gelli plates etc. The term materials refers to the instructional materials. It was decided to separate these two terms to avoid confusion, but noted that visual art and media arts teachers sometimes use the terms interchangeably.

Key features of the NDE Arts Education Materials Selection Review Guide include:

• An excel sheet containing usability features.
• The first sheet in the workbook contains an introduction, directions for use, and key features. The second sheet in the workbook contains the review guide.
• The “criteria” (column D) is more clearly explained with the questions and “look-fors” in each subject area: media arts (column F), visual arts (column G), dance (column H), music (column I), and theatre (column J).
• If desired, users can “hide” any column if it is not the subject being evaluated.
• Reviewers can record evidence of the criteria in “Evidence” (column E). If desired, additional columns can be added for various sets of materials.
• Districts may choose to either numerically rate the materials (column B) or simply check to see if the criteria is present (column C). If using numerical ratings, it is suggested to use 0 – 1- 2, with 0 = does not meet, 1 = partially meets, and 2 = meets expectations. It is possible to hide the column not used. The review guide will total ratings and/or count the check marks for each step.

The review guide is organized in three steps:

• Step #1: Focus and Coherence
• Step #2: Rigor and Practice and Content Connections
• Step #3: Teacher Supports, Assessments, Student Supports, and Intentional Design

The steps on the review guide provide points where districts may consider stopping.

• In Step #1: Focus and Coherence, reviewers evaluate materials to determine if materials meet or mostly meet the criteria and align with the standards. If materials meet the criteria, reviewers continue to Step #2: Rigor and Practice and Content Connections. If not, reviewers stop and move to another set of materials.
• Do the same with Step #2: Rigor and Practice and Content Connections. If the materials meet or mostly meet the criteria, move to step #3: Teacher Supports, Assessments, Student Supports, and Intentional Design. If not, stop and move to another review.
• Finally review the materials for Step #3: Teacher Supports, Assessments, Student Supports, and Intentional Design.

Look at the ratings or checks, along with the evidence collected when discussing if these materials should be considered high-quality and one for selection.

Supplemental Materials

Will supplemental materials be required to achieve the learning goals of the district’s curriculum?

There are many instructional considerations in arts education. The educators involved in creation of the vetting instrument above recognize that there is a limited number of materials on the market for an entire course, group of courses, or program of study. Instruction may also look different year over year due to access, enrollment and participation. Thus, school districts and arts educators may choose to use a variety of instructional materials and supplemental materials.

To assist with the selection of supplemental materials, a condensed version of the instrument was created. It is arranged by subject area and captures the essence of the full instrument.

Educators may also want to consider cultivating or commissioning new works to help meet their vision of quality instruction in the arts.

Establish district process and parameters

Review district and state policies and practices regarding selection processes and implementation. District and school leaders develop a plan for reviewing and selecting materials.

How will reviews of materials be conducted? Define the role of committee members in the selection process (i.e., advisory or decision making or representatives).

1. Identify selection process committee membership that includes individuals well-versed in the content area standards and instructional shifts.
   • What steps will be taken to ensure the selection committee is representative of all of the students within the district?
2. Create a school or district-established timeline.
3. Set budget parameters.
4. How will the reviewers document evidence of their review of materials? Will they use column E on the review guide or another method? Will they consider materials for entire courses or programs of study? Will they also consider supplemental materials?
5. What process will be in place to compare the strengths and shortcomings of the instructional materials considered?
6. Establish a decision-making process such as building consensus.
7. What are the technology needs required to support instruction with the potential materials?
8. Will updates be needed to scheduling, infrastructure, and/or equipment that supports the implementation of new materials?

Additional Considerations

How will stakeholder feedback from other colleagues who are not involved in the materials selection be collected and considered?

Outline a communication plan with key stakeholders. Who will create and communicate an adoption timeline and schedule?

How will the various stakeholders be involved? Determine how and when to collect community input. Delineate priorities or non-negotiables which may include specific instructional practices that are part of district plans or material requirements set forth in board policies.

Know and Winnow Your Choices

• Collect key research/resources.
• Gather information on the current state of instruction and materials use. Who will conduct and communicate the initial research materials that are available?
• Are the materials being considered in use by other Nebraska schools? If so, how will you gather additional information?
• Lead a discussion with the instructional materials selection committee in order to choose materials that your committee will analyze to see how well they meet local priorities.
• Consider what types of professional learning or capacity building will be necessary for the review committee.
• Don’t be afraid to look beyond large publishers to smaller or independent publishers, Open Education Resource (OER) in Nebraska, OER materials nationally, or contact individual artists, composers, etc., for new works.
• Consider how NCAS%20Vol%20II%20Issue%201%20Exceptional%20Students.pdf”>students of all abilities will be able to access and participate in arts education.

Throughout the process, keep in mind the importance of ensuring that materials align with the standards. Ask, “How well do these materials align with the standards and support high quality instruction in arts education?”

Examine Materials from a Variety of Lenses

1. Collate local data that will be used in consideration of the materials.
2. Collate student data – state assessments, district/school assessments, demographic, etc.
3. Collate teacher demographic data as well as current instructional practices and use of materials.
4. How will local priorities and the vision for arts education be applied to preliminary reviews of available materials?
5. How will stakeholder input of materials under consideration be reviewed?

Things to Consider when Reviewing Materials

Consider that there may need to be a variety of instructional materials which are used for a single course or program of study.

1. How will these materials support your team’s vision of delivering high quality instruction?
2. What are the pedagogical implications and related supports that are necessary for implementing these materials well?
3. What steps would be needed to fill any identified gaps?

Consider how the materials will be able to reach all learners. Do the materials meet the needs of Nebraska’s diverse student population? Consider abilities, backgrounds of students, teachers, and communities, prior knowledge and learning experiences, as well as any additional unique local insights.