Pasco School District No. 1

Board of Directors Policy

INSTRUCTION

Instructional Resources

Each school shall be provided with a variety of textbooks and other learning resource materials to meet the unique needs of the students. Materials purchased to meet the unique needs of students include materials written in languages other than English. A library/media center will be used to support and extend the classroom program of instruction. Print and non-print materials, audio-visual equipment and supplies, and other instructional aids will be catalogued in a manner that will enable such materials, equipment, and supplies to be accessible to students and teachers throughout the school year. Each center will be appropriately staffed to assist teachers and students in the use of the collection as well as in the production of teacher and/or student developed materials and shall be so arranged as to encourage individualized and group learning through a wide variety of experiences. Library/media staff will assist students and teachers in securing materials from other sources.

The superintendent shall establish procedures for the selection of materials. Citizens who wish to express a concern about specific material included in the collection may do so according to district policy.

Cross Reference: Board Policy 2311P Selection of Adoption of Instructional Materials

Legal References: WAC 180-46, 392-190-055

Adoption Date: April 26, 1994

INSTRUCTION

Instructional Resources

Textbooks will be selected in the manner describe in policy and procedure 2311. Materials to be included in a library/media center shall be selected as outlined.

Suggestions for Acquisition. Suggestions may originate from students and teachers. Those suggestions are considered by the library/media staff member who weighs requests, evaluates materials and selects those which fulfill the needs of the instructional program.

Criteria for Selection. Selection of materials is a continuous process. New materials become available daily. The factors to be employed in selection are:

A.     Needs of the school, curriculum and/or individual student. (The program should provide for a wide range of materials on appropriate levels of difficulty with a diversity of appeal and presentation of a variety of viewpoints);

B.     Artistic and literary quality;

C.     Reliability and breadth of information with particular concern for the contributions (current and historical) of both sexes and members of the several specific religious, ethnic, political and cultural groups;

D.     Accents on sex, profanity, obscenity subjected to a stern test of literary merit and reality; and

E.      Professional review. The library/media staff member employs professional reviewing materials, the judgments of other professions—teachers and librarians—to aid in the selection process. Professional reviewing materials include:

a.       Current reviews—Library Journal and School Library Journal, Booklist, Hornbook, English Journal, Choice and other professional and commercial periodicals which review materials objectively.

b.      Published lists of appropriate materials. H.W. Wilson’s Children’s Catalog, ALA Basic Cook Collection series, Bowker’s Best Books for Children, AAAS Science Book List for Young Adults; materials suggested by the National Councils of Teachers of English and Social Studies; plus Washington superintendent of public instruction Books for School Libraries; and other professional publications which evaluate material.

Complaints or Concerns about Materials. Complaints and/or concerns about the use and/or availability of specific materials should be directed to the principal. The complainant wishing to protest the use and/or availability of specific materials shall use the form requesting reconsideration of instructional materials. (See Form 2311F.)

INSTRUCTION

Selection, Adoption and Deletion of Instructional Materials

The board is legally responsible for the selection of all instructional materials used in the district. When instructional materials are recommended though curriculum committees, board approval is required before materials may be purchased for use in the district. The responsibility for preparing all student reading lists and for examining, evaluating and selecting all supplementary materials is examining, evaluating and selecting all supplementary materials is delegated to the professional staff of the district. Textbooks shall be adopted by the board prior to their use in schools except for trial-use texts of a pilot nature, which may be authorized by the superintendent for use for a period of no more than one school year prior to board adoption. Materials approved for trial use shall be restricted to classes specified.

The success of the Pasco School District in meeting the needs of students and teachers depends to a great extent upon the quantity, range, and quality of the instructional materials available for use.

Every effort shall be made to provide textbooks, library books, periodicals, audiovisual materials, and other instructional resources essential to an effective instructional program on all levels of difficulty.

The students of the district shall have the right to consider controversial issues, to have free access to information, to study under educators in situations as free from prejudice as possible, and to form, hold, and express their own opinions without jeopardy of school relationships, Educators shall recognize responsibility to guide discussions and class procedures with thoroughness and objectivity, to acquaint students with the need to recognize opposing viewpoints, the importance of fact, the value of tentative judgment, and the virtue of respect for conflicting opinions.

All educators who have properly followed the process outlines in this policy and procedures for selection and adoption of instructional materials shall have the protection of acting within adopted school board policy.

Criteria for the Selection of Instructional Materials

The primary objective in selecting instructional materials is to implement, enrich and support the educational program of the schools. All instructional materials shall be selected in conformance with:

A.     Applicable state and federal laws, and

B.     The stated goals and objectives of the district

Deletion of Instructional Materials

When a citizen objects to the use of instructional materials and wishes to have those materials deleted from use, the complainant must complete Form 2311, Citizen’s Request for Reconsideration of Instructional Materials. The superintendent will convene the Instructional Materials Committee to consider the complaint and provide a written response to the complainant. The complainant may appeal the superintendent’s decision to the board of directors. (See 2311P, Page 4 or 4).

INSTRUCTION

Selection and Adoption of Instructional Materials

Instructional Materials: Definitions

The term instructional materials refers to all classroom sets of textbooks, instructional kits, other books, software and audiovisual materials used by teachers and students to implement the educational program, including those purchased or rented with district monies or donated to the district for its possession and use.

Regularly adopted materials are those formally reviewed by a district curricular committee and approved by the board of directors.

Supplemental instructional materials refers to library books, periodicals, other books, kits, software, audio visual, and other materials used to supplement the regularly adopted materials.

Initial Selection

Textbooks (regularly adopted materials) shall be formally reviewed by a district curricular committee. (See Form 2311, Criteria for Evaluating Textual Materials)

Supplementary materials shall be selected by certificated staff using such materials with the understanding that while such materials do not require item-by-item approval of the committee, they must be selected under the criteria detailed below and are subject to normal reconsideration procedures.

Approval

Texts and regularly adopted materials shall be approved by the curricular committee and the instructional materials committee.

Supplementary materials shall not require committee approval.

Adoption

Texts shall be adopted by the board prior to their use in classrooms. Texts selected previously are exempt from this requirement.

Supplementary materials shall not require board adoption.

Criteria for Selection of Instructional Material

Staff are expected to place principle above personal opinion and reason above prejudice in the selection of materials of the highest quality in order to assure a comprehensive collection appropriate for the instructional program. Instructional materials selected shall include, but are not limited to, those which:

A.     Enrich and support the curriculum, taking into consideration the varied instructional needs, abilities, interests, and maturity levels of the students served.

B.     Stimulate student growth in conceptual thinking, factual knowledge, physical fitness and literary and ethical standards.

C.     Provide sufficient variety so as to present opposing views of controversial issues in order that young citizens may develop the skills of critical analysis and informed decision making.

D.     Contribute to the development of an understanding of the ethnic, cultural, and occupational diversity of American life.

E.      Present objectively the concerns of and build upon the contributions, current and historical, of both sexes, and members of the several specific religious, ethnic and cultural groups. The district recognizes that under certain conditions biased materials may represent appropriate resources in presenting contrasting and differing points of view.

F.      Provide models which may be used as a vehicle for the development of self-respect, ethnic pride and appreciation of cultural differences, based on respect for the worth, dignity, and personal values of every individual.

The following checklist is provided to help text selectors follow the above criteria. In order to select materials which are free from bias, the following are suggested areas for consideration. The materials under review should:

1.      Present more than one viewpoint of controversial issues;

2.      Present minorities realistically;

3.      Include contributions of minority authors;

4.      Present non-stereotypic models;

5.      Facilitate the sharing of cultural differences;

6.      Promote the positive nature of differences;

7.      Include the contributions, inventions, or discoveries of minorities;

8.      Include the contributions, inventions, or discoveries of women,

9.      Present minorities in a manner that promotes ethnic pride;

10.  Facilitate an environment open to discovery and experimentation;

11.  Provide information which is current and up to date; and

12.  Provide for the recreational reading needs of students as well as the subject matter content areas.

Library Acquisitions

The library media specialist is responsible for developing a balanced collection of materials which meet the needs of students and teachers. Factors to be considered include:

·        Projected size of the collection

·        Systematic review of each category of materials

·        Renewal rates for different categories of material in the collection

·        Identification of areas of specialization to meet curricular emphasis and unusual needs

·        Criteria for selection of materials

·        Criteria to identify materials to be replaces or discarded

·        Compilation of a future acquisition list

Citizen Complaints Regarding Instructional Materials

The following procedures are established for consideration of objections by citizens to any print or non-print materials used with the school district:

1.      When a complaint is received in a school, the teacher or librarian and the principal must know of the complaint and its source

2.      The principal or his or her designee shall contact the complainant and , if possible, resolve any misunderstanding. If the complainant requests withdrawal of a book or item from use, a copy of the Pasco Public Schools Request for Reconsideration of Instructional Materials Form shall be presented to the complainant with an explanation of the procedure for registering the complaint.

3.      If the citizen files the Request for Reconsideration Form, it shall be reviewed by the principal with the teacher or librarian. The principal shall immediately acknowledge receipt of the Request and forward it to the superintendent or designee.

4.      When appropriate, the superintendent may convene the instructional materials committee who will consider the complaint and provide a written response within sixty (60) days.

5.      The complainant may, after notification of the decision, refer the matter to the board of directors. The matter must be referred in writing through the office of the superintendent within two (2) weeks of notification of the decision. The board may review the entire file pertinent to the complaint and render its judgment which shall be final. Once the board has reached a decision, a written copy of the decision must be sent to the parent(s) or guardian(s) within five (5) working days.