FTCE Media Specialist 010 cheat sheet

Mission statement drives every decision: budget lines, collection choices, scheduling, and staffing should each be traceable to a written library media mission aligned with the school improvement plan.

Annual and long-range program plans contain measurable goals, a timeline, assigned responsibilities, and an evaluation method; the Florida DOE library media program evaluation framework treats these as core evidence.

Budget categories to separate: print and nonprint materials, equipment, supplies, subscriptions and databases, and professional development; per-student collection funding is a planning benchmark, not a fixed statutory amount.

Flexible scheduling (open access) lets classes and individuals visit as instructional need arises; fixed scheduling assigns each class a weekly slot and limits collaboration and independent use.

A library media advisory committee typically includes the media specialist, administrators, teachers from multiple grade levels, students, and parents; it reviews policy and program goals but does not select individual titles.

Weeding follows CREW/MUSTIE: Misleading, Ugly, Superseded, Trivial, Irrelevant, or available Elsewhere; average copyright age of a collection and circulation data both inform deselection.

Staffing and paraprofessional duties must be distinguished: certified media specialists handle instruction, selection, and program design; clerical tasks can be delegated under district job descriptions.

Facility zones to plan: circulation desk, instruction area, independent reading, technology production, and storage; supervision sightlines and ADA access are design requirements, not preferences.

Program advocacy uses annual reports with circulation, class visits, collaboration counts, and database usage; data supports budget requests and communicates value to stakeholders.

A written selection policy states mission-linked criteria (curriculum relevance, accuracy, currency, literary merit, format, cost, and reviews) and the reconsideration procedure; it is the legal shield for challenged materials.

Selection aids include professional review journals (School Library Journal, Booklist, Kirkus, Horn Book), award lists, and vetted vendor catalogs; self-published or unreviewed items require documented justification.

Reconsideration of a challenged item proceeds through a written form, committee review of the whole work against selection criteria, and a written decision with appeal rights; challenged items stay on the shelf until the process concludes.

The ALA Library Bill of Rights and its interpretations support equitable access, oppose labeling or prejudicial exclusion, and treat library users' rights as distinct from parental rights over their own children.

Deselection criteria: worn or damaged, outdated or factually superseded, low circulation over several years, duplicate copies beyond demand, and titles no longer supporting the curriculum.

Collection mapping compares holdings by Dewey range or subject against curriculum needs and standard lists, revealing gaps and overrepresented areas before budget allocation.

Dewey Decimal classes 000 generalities, 100 philosophy/psychology, 200 religion, 300 social sciences, 400 language, 500 science, 600 technology, 700 arts, 800 literature, 900 history/geography.

Access systems include the OPAC, interlibrary loan, and district or state digital collections; Florida's statewide database suite (FIND Florida) provides no-cost licensed resources to schools and libraries.

Intellectual freedom distinctions: censorship is removal or restriction to prevent access; selection is inclusion based on criteria; a challenge is a formal request for reconsideration.

AASL National School Library Standards organize around six Shared Foundations: Inquire, Include, Collaborate, Curate, Explore, and Engage; each has learner competencies and librarian dispositions.

Inquiry models to recognize: Guided Inquiry Design (Open, Immerse, Explore, Identify, Gather, Create, Share, Evaluate), Big6, and the AASL inquiry process; the media specialist co-plans rather than delivers isolated library lessons.

Co-teaching roles include modeling, team teaching, station support, and assessment design; the strongest collaboration embeds research skills inside a content unit with shared learning objectives.

Information literacy skill sequence: define the question, locate and access sources, evaluate authority and bias, extract and organize notes, synthesize, cite, and present ethically.

Evaluation criteria for sources: authority, accuracy, currency, objectivity or purpose, and coverage (the CRAAP test uses currency, relevance, authority, accuracy, purpose).

Citation instruction should match the style adopted by the school or district (commonly MLA or APA); teach the why of attribution and academic honesty, not only formatting.

Assessment of library instruction uses authentic products such as research papers, presentations, and process portfolios plus rubrics shared with the classroom teacher.

Reading promotion strategies with evidence: booktalks, book clubs, displays, reading challenges, and reader advisory matched to interest and reading level; free voluntary reading correlates with reading achievement.

Differentiation in the library includes leveled and hi-lo materials, audio and large print, visual supports, and flexible pacing within inquiry units.

The Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) conditions E-rate funding on an internet safety policy with technology protection measures, plus monitoring of minors' online activity; schools must also address cyberbullying and unauthorized disclosure of personal information.

The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) requires verifiable parental consent before collecting personal information online from children under 13; school consent can apply in limited educational contexts.

FERPA protects education records, gives parents rights until the student turns 18, and generally requires consent before disclosure, with exceptions such as school officials with legitimate educational interest.

Copyright: fair use is judged by purpose, nature, amount, and market effect; classroom use is not automatically fair, and educators may show a legally acquired video for face-to-face instruction.

Digital citizenship topics: digital footprint, privacy and security, cyberbullying, copyright and plagiarism, media literacy, and responsible online communication.

Acceptable use policy (AUP) and district social media guidelines govern student and staff online conduct; staff personal accounts should not be used to communicate with students.

Professional development for media specialists includes AASL/ISTE standards, Florida's certification renewal requirements (renewal every five years with documented inservice), and National Board certification options.

Ethical practice: protect patron privacy and circulation records, avoid endorsing commercial products, disclose conflicts, and model academic honesty including proper attribution of reused media.

Assistive and emerging technology roles: ensure equitable access to devices and accessible digital content (WCAG), curate vetted apps and OER, and evaluate tools for privacy and pedagogy before adoption.