MEDT646 Instructional Order Justification Amanda Fox

In order to better understand different strategies and resources used to make purchasing
decisions, I started by speaking to the media specialist at the school in which I teach, Ammee
Robbins. I wanted to know how purchasing decisions were currently being made in our media
center. An interesting resource she showed me, was a collection analysis that was completed by
Bound to Stay Bound Books, one of her vendors. She requested it and it contained a lot of very
useful information. The analysis examined the current collection and gave a genre overview. It
also provided a recommendation of the number of titles we should carry for each genre
compared to what we currently have.
Based on the report, Benefield was very close to meeting the recommended numbers in
each genre. The two genres with the biggest difference between recommendation and actuality
was the Religion section, and Literature and Rhetoric. I took that into consideration when
creating my order. The analysis also included a detailed list of titles they believe will help bridge
identified gaps. This seems to be a stellar sales move, which benefits both the media specialist
and the vendor. I did choose several books form that list based on identified needs.
Another factor that played a role in my selections was the identification of content
standards that did not have enough resources available. I focused on fourth and fifth. I chose to
focus on fifth because they are beginning their first year of testing where students have to take
the Georgia Milestones Assessment in all four content areas. I chose to focus on fourth because
they will have a very content heavy year next year in Social Studies as they bridge the gap
between standard changes across grade levels. I did not focus this order on younger grades, in
part because I noticed in the analysis that the Easy section was well stocked and was by far the
largest section of the media center. I chose books covering the new standards fourth grade will
pick up next year in order to help with the transition. I chose several e-Books in this category as
well, so that they would be more readily available in different classrooms.
A third factor that influenced my purchasing decisions was the ethnic and cultural
diversity represented in the school. We have a large English Language Learner population, with
over 40% of our school population identifying as Hispanic. Our collection does not reflect that.
We have a limited collection of texts in Spanish or dual language. We also do not have many
titles with main characters who are Hispanic. I choose bi-lingual books across all grade levels to
help support those students.
Another factor that influenced my decisions were gaps identified by my classroom
students. Several books weve read, lessons, and examples weve heard have referenced classical
titles. When my students went to find them in the media center, I found that we did not carry
several classical childrens titles. Some examples of this include Alice in Wonderland,
Adventures of Robin Hood, and The Just So Stories.
Looking at the School Improvement Plan also inspired several selections. Our school
goal is to have 100% of students make expected or high growth on the English-Language Arts,
Social Studies, and Science District Assessments. Additionally, all students in K-5 will increase
their reading and writing academic achievement. Our data from last school year showed solid
gains in this area for K-2. They also showed that gains for 3-5 were minimal, which illustrated
MEDT646 Instructional Order Justification Amanda Fox

the need for more challenging texts for our older readers. With a strong Reading Recovery
program and a well-stocked leveled reader collection, I felt that our younger readers were getting
the needed support, which added to their higher ELA scores on standardized tests. For older
students, 3-5, and younger students with higher reading levels, there are not as many options.
A final contributing factor to my instructional order purchase was the weeding process. I
pulled texts from the 900 section. While the books I went through were in good enough shape,
and the content was accurate, several books lacked visual appeal and relevancy. They were also
superseded by newer and more visually engaging books that contained the needed content. I tried
to find books in this area that were more engaging in order to attract older readers.
Lastly, I chose several books because they were new and had excellent reviews. I wanted
to make sure to select several new titles that would spark the interest of readers and provide
excitement about the media center. Overall, all of these factors will reflect back on student
achievement. While their reasons for choosing different books vary, the end result is the same.
Children reading leads to children succeeding!