Choosing the Curriculum

Criteria for Materials That Can Be Purchased with Instructional Funds  

Definition: 

ADA funding is received for the purpose of supporting new learning for a student and some minimal practice of those newly learned skills. Therefore, ADA funding may be spent for basic educational items that support new student learning and that fall into the categories below.

Materials must be used to meet school and state standards for the student that the materials are being purchased for.

The following purchases are acceptable:

• Educational curriculum appropriate for the student’s courses.
• Reading (library type) books that correlate to the student’s English and History curriculum and are to be used in that study, as long as they are not sectarian, are allowed.  (For example, A reading book with a study guide, phonics reader set, etc).
• Basic school and office supplies adequate for learning basic course skills (paper, pencils, etc).
• Enough basic raw materials (not top-of-the-line) for learning basic course skills in one learning record documented educational project:  fabric, wood, yarn enough for one project (Exception: no food purchases allowed.)  ESs are responsible for monitoring the quantities of items purchased.)
• Basic equipment (not top-of-the-line) for documented learning as needed by student: sewing machine, VCR, cassette players, manipulatives, cameras, tools (not power tools), musical instruments (basic school models), computers (only from school’s computer options, printers, scanners.
• The following types of items can only be ordered for a high school student (and the grade level must be noted on the PO):  bunsen burners.
• The following types of items can only be ordered in small quantities for a student with the educational usage noted on the PO:  chemicals.

The following types of purchases are unacceptable:

• Generic library books intended for free reading and not a part of the student’s curriculum study.  Please use your local public library.
• Furniture, storage, organizational items (large and small items), picture frames, and other non-educational household items.
• Computer parts, equipment, and software upgrades for non school-owned computers (exceptions made only for printers, scanners, and other external parts needed for courses).
• Ready-made clothes
• Ready-made jewelry
• Toys
• Personal hygiene items
• Personal PE items:  skis, bicycles, tricycles
• Musical instrument rentals or exchanges
• Home and office equipment:  faxes, copiers, phones, dictation equipment, TV’s (we assume that the student’s home is equipped with basic home and office supplies), DVD and VCR players, power tools.
• Kitchen equipment:  popcorn poppers, trays, plates, silverware (we assume that the student’s home is equipped with basic kitchen supplies).
• Yard equipment:  grass watering kits, garden ponds, swimming pools.
• Materials must not be sectarian or denominational:  When ordering from vendors that sell both non-sectarian and sectarian materials, the items must be carefully screened before and through out the ordering and receiving process.  Should an inappropriate item accidentally be ordered and shipped to an ES, that item must not be delivered to the family and must be returned to the vendor by going through the Vendor Relations Department.

• All types of religious materials are unacceptable:  books, DVDs, CD-ROMs, videos, cassette tapes, posters, etc.
• Materials must not expose the ES/student/family to dangerous or serious injury.  Thus the following types of items are listed as unacceptable:        

Poisons
Knives
Bows and arrows
Darts with sharp points
Trampolines
Swimming pools
Rocket engines
Weapons
Power tools
Welding equipment
Large or heavy items must be limited to those items which the ES can transport.

• No materials can be ordered by an ES that violates the school’s Conflict of Interest policies.