INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS
All materials of instruction (texts, library books, reference materials, periodicals and audiovisual materials) to which students, citizens and teachers have access, shall assure a balanced portrayal of American culture and society, and reflect the cultural diversity and pluralistic nature of American society.
The Board of Education (Board) shall be the final authority for instructional materials purchases. However, the Board delegates the responsibility for the selection of instructional materials to the professional personnel employed by the School District of Edgerton (District). The media specialist will encourage recommendations by the staff, administrators and students. The K-12 curriculum committees shall make final selection recommendations for classroom curricular materials to the District Administrator via the building principal. The District Administrator shall make all recommendations to the Board regarding instructional materials (refer to Criteria for Selection).
The District endorses the American Library Association “Library Bill of Rights” and the American Association of School Librarians “School Library Bill of Rights” for School Library Media Programs. All instructional materials will be selected in accordance with the statements in these two documents. These documents are on file in all level library media centers.
Censorship of books shall be challenged in order to maintain the District’s responsibility to provide information and enlightenment. When citizens have concerns about particular instructional materials, the concerns should be presented to the building principal in accordance with established procedures (refer to Handling Complaints about Instructional Materials).
The District will not discriminate against any student or employee on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, creed, pregnancy, marital or parental status, sexual orientation or physical, mental, emotional, or learning disability.
Criteria for Selection
Edgerton Community Schools will comply with the Department of Public Instruction administrative rule for Wisconsin State Statute 121.02(h) which in part states: “All students shall be provided access to a current balanced collection of books, basic reference materials, texts, periodicals and audiovisual materials which depict in an accurate and unbiased way the cultural diversity and pluralistic nature of American society.”
Print and non-print materials will be evaluated by the following criteria as they apply; print and no-print materials shall:
1. Support and be consistent with the general educational goals of the District.
2. Support and be consistent with the objectives of specific courses.
3. Be relevant to today’s world.
4. Have aesthetic, literary or social value.
5. Be appropriate for the subject areas and for the age, emotional development, ability level and social development of those for whom the materials are selected.
6. Be created by competent and qualified authors and producers.
7. Be chosen to foster respect for and gain an understanding of the contributions made to our civilization by minority and ethnic groups.
8. Realistically represent our pluralistic society.
9. Provide a stimulus to creativity.
10. Represent differing viewpoints on controversial subjects with the goal of providing a balanced collection.
11. Have a physical format and appearance suitable for their intended use.
12. Be of acceptable technical quality with adequate documentation.
13. Conform to these criteria whether purchased, rented or loaned for the District.
Although the Board recognizes that any item may offend some patrons, selection of materials on controversial topics will not be made on the basis of any anticipated approval or disapproval but rather on the merits of the material and its value to the collection and to the patrons.
Procedures for Selection
1. During the selection process, the media specialist will evaluate the existing collection and assess curricular and recreational needs. Curriculum committees will evaluate and select classroom materials. Reputable, professionally prepared selection tools and other appropriate sources will be consulted.
2. Recommendations for purchase will be solicited from school personnel and students.
3. To insure proper quality in content and technical aspects, all audiovisual material items will be ordered for preview before purchase.
4. The school media program accepts gifts with the understanding that only those materials, which meet regular selection criteria, will be added to the collection.
5. Selection is an ongoing process which should include the removal of materials no longer appropriate or accurate, and the replacement of lost and worn materials still of educational value.
a. Criteria for removal of materials may include:
* Materials having inaccurate or outdated information;
* Materials depicting negative role stereotypes;
* Materials no longer useful for curricular support or recreational reading;
* Materials not circulated for a number of years; or
* Materials in poor physical condition.
b. After the weeding process is over, all withdrawn materials will be considered essentially valueless, and will be removed from the collection.
Handling Complaints About Instructional Materials
Instructional materials may be considered by some as objectionable, while others see sound educational value in them. Any District resident or District employee may request reconsideration of instructional materials through the established complaint procedures. Challenged materials however, will not be removed from circulation while the reconsideration process occurs.
The following procedures shall apply when handling complaints about instructional materials:
1. All materials will be referred to the building principal. He/she will inform the media specialist.
2. The complainant will meet with the media specialist to discuss the complaint.
3. If the complaint is not resolved through discussion, the complainant must fill out the form “Request for Reconsideration of Instructional Materials” (see IIAA-Form).
4. Upon receipt of the completed form, the principal will appoint a review committee and notify the District Administrator that a review is being done. Members of the review committee should include:
a. Principal;
b. Director of Curriculum;
c. Media Specialist;
d. Teachers;
e. Community Representatives; and
f. Students.
5. The review committee will carefully examine the material. Specifically, the committee shall:
a. Read or view the material in its entirety;
b. Locate and read professional reviews of the material;
c. Determine to what extent the materials support the curriculum and/or leisure reading;
d. Evaluate the material based on the criteria for selection (see Criteria for Selection); and
e. Present a written recommendation on the material of instruction together with a copy of the complaint form to the District Administrator within 15 days after the initial action.
6. The Principal shall inform the complainant of the report filed with the District Administrator.
7. If the report and its recommendation do not satisfy the complainant, the District Administrator shall be so informed.
8. Upon review of the complaint and recommendation of the committee, the District Administrator shall recommend disposition of the complaint to the Board. The District Administrator shall inform the complainant of the time and place of the next Board meeting at which time the District Administrator’s recommendation shall be made to the Board.
9. The Board shall review the complaint, the recommendation of the committee, the recommendation of the District Administrator and the comments of the complainant. Once reviewed, the Board shall make the final decision regarding the disposition of the complaint/grievance.
Legal References: 34 CFR §100, Implementing Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 34 CFR §104, Implementing Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 34 CFR §106, Implementing Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, 28 CFR §35, Implementing Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and Wis. Stats., §118.13 and PI-9 Wisconsin Administrative Code
Adopted by the Board of Education: 4/22/91
Revised: 10/24/05