5550 Materials Selection
Materials selected for the Union Public School District will implement, enrich, and support the educational program of the school. This policy will govern the selection criteria and procedures for textbooks and resource materials.
RESPONSIBILITY FOR SELECTION
The Board of Education is legally responsible for the selection of materials. The authority to select is delegated to the professional personnel in the district.
A. Textbooks:
1. The Superintendent shall appoint an official local textbook committee consisting of not fewer than three members. Each committee shall have at least one lay member, with the remainder of the members being teachers employed in the district, a majority of whom shall be classroom teachers. The Superintendent or designee, who shall be a principal or curriculum specialist, shall serve as chairman of such local textbook committee.
2. Those texts used uniformly throughout the district are referred to as system-adopted texts and are selected for the subject areas by consensus of the teachers of those subjects. The majority are selected from the list approved by the State Board of Education.
B. Resource materials:
1. Materials for the library resource centers are selected by the library media specialists with the cooperation of faculty, administration, parents, and students.
2. Such selections are subject to approval by the building principal and the appropriate administrative officials prior to order and placement in the library media centers.
3. Other resources will be selected by the instructional staff in accordance with curriculum objectives.
CRITERIA FOR SELECTION
A. Principles of selection are:
1. To provide materials which are of interest and have learning value.
2. To provide materials which realistically represent our pluralistic society and reflect the contributions made to our American heritage by these groups.
3. To provide instructional resource materials for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all students the school serves. Various points of view on current and historical issues should be included in district collections without regard to the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.
4. Personal opinion and bias will not enter into the selection process.
B. Factors considered in selection are:
1. Appropriateness for the maturity level of the student.
2. Accordance with system curriculum goals.
3. Appearance of the title in standard review tools and the state textbook list.
4. Overall purpose of the materials.
5. Reputation of the author or publisher.
6. Accuracy of material.
7. Readability and reader appeal.
8. Quality of writing and illustrations.
9. Fairness of ethnic and gender role representation.
10. Format and price.
C. Procedures in specific areas:
1. Gifts: Gift materials may be accepted with the understanding that these materials must meet the same selection criteria as materials purchased with district funds and that the school will use the gift materials in accordance with the decisions of the appropriate personnel. Gift materials, once accepted, become the property of Union Public Schools.
2. Periodicals: Periodicals are purchased because of their overall reputation and are not rejected because of an occasional article which may be offensive. Subscriptions are reviewed annually and are subject to the selection process each year.
3. Non-print: All non-print materials will be subject to the same criteria as print material prior to purchase or use.
RECONSIDERATION PROCEDURES
A. Students or parents have the right to object to the use of materials which seem incompatible with their values and beliefs. The person requesting the review may register the objection in writing on a Request for Reconsideration form. This form may be obtained from the Chief Communications Officer.
B. No administrator, library media specialist, or teacher may withdraw an item without referring it to the Review Committee which determines whether the material should be withdrawn from any or all schools.
C. The reconsideration procedures shall be as follows:
1. The Request for Reconsideration form will be submitted to the principal, who will review the request and schedule a conference to discuss the matter with the student or parent. The principal may choose to invite a teacher or the library media specialist to contribute to this discussion.
2. If the complaint is not resolved during the conference, the matter will be referred to a district-level Review Committee, which shall be appointed by the Superintendent or designee. The Superintendent shall also appoint a chairperson who will be responsible for all procedures. The committee shall be composed of the following:
a. Two parents or patrons of the district.
b. Two appropriate-level library media specialists.
c. Two appropriate-level teachers.
d. An administrator from the Teaching and Learning Department.
e. Two appropriate-level students (if secondary: 6-12 grades).
f. Complainant (who shall be non-voting).
The committee shall be persons not involved in the earlier conference.
3. The Review Committee will take the following steps as preparation for the review meeting.
a. Read, view, or listen to the material in its entirety.
b. Check general acceptance of the material by reading reviews and consulting recommended lists.
c. Determine the extent to which the material supports the curriculum, obtaining documentation from the teacher or library media specialist who selected the materials in question.
d. Complete the appropriate Checklist for School Media Advisory Committee’s Reconsideration of Instructional Material, judging the material for its strengths and value as a whole and not in part.
4. During the meeting, the complainant will have the opportunity to present views or may present views in writing.
a. The committee will discuss concerns as a group and vote by secret ballot. The decision will be reached by simple majority.
b. The complainant will receive notification of the committee’s decision in writing.
5. The decision of the committee will be given to the appropriate director who will see that the implementation of the decision takes place. Documentation associated with this meeting will be on file at the Education Service Center.
6. A written appeal of the decision of the committee may be made within ten working days to the Board of Education through the Superintendent. The final decision rests with the Board of Education.
7. Material which has undergone a challenge may not be rechallenged for the same objection until one calendar year after the recommendation of the Review Committee has been made.
Revised 6/10/96
Revised 12/8/97
Revised 12/13/99
Revised 1/8/01
Revised 1/16/06
Revised 12/10/07
Revised 1/18/10
Revised 12/8/14
Revised 12/14/15
Revised 12/11/17