108. ADOPTION OF TEXTBOOKS - Pg. 1

108. ADOPTION OF TEXTBOOKS
1.Purpose
SC 508, 803 / It is the responsibility of the Board to adopt all textbooks used as part of the educational program of this district.
2.Definition / For purposes of this policy, textbooks shall be defined as those books which are to be used as the basic source of any information in any class.
3.Delegation of Responsibility
SC 803 / The Superintendent or designee shall be responsible for facilitating the selection and recommendation of textbooks for Board consideration. No adoption or change of textbook shall be made without his/her recommendation except by a two-thirds vote of the Board.
Selection Guidelines
The Superintendent or designee shall develop a plan for the selection of textbooks according to the following guidelines:
  1. Professional staff members selected by the principals shall participate in the selection process.

  1. Textbooks with copyright dates more than five (5) years old shall be reviewed annually for their continuing suitability.

  1. The staff shall continually research new sources of textbooks.

  1. Textbooks currently in use shall be periodically evaluated for their continuing usefulness and relevance.

Standards For Approval
In considering the approval of any proposed textbook, the Board will evaluate its:
  1. Suitability for the maturity level and educational accomplishment of the students who will be using the book.

  1. Freedom from bias.

  1. Relationship to the curriculum and academic standards.

  1. Relationship to a continuous multigrade program.

  1. Manner of selection.

  1. Appearance and durability.

  1. Cost.

Record
A list of all approved textbooks shall be prepared and maintained. It shall be reviewed periodically by the Director of Curriculum and Instruction and made available for the use of the professional staff and for the information of the Board.
4.Guidelines / PROCEDURE FOR HANDLING CHALLENGED MATERIALS
The suitability of a particular book or instructional material may be questioned.
The review of challenged material will be treated objectively and as an important matter. Every effort will be made to consider objections, keeping in mind the best interest of the students, the school, the curriculum, and the community. Since differences of opinion do exist in our democratic, pluralistic society, the following procedure will be observed to recognize those differences in an impartial and factual manner:
SC 508, 801, 803 /
  1. A complaint about a book or other instructional material will be given consideration if the complainant is either a resident or an employee of the school district. Such complaint will be referred to the building principal. The building principal will then contact the complainant and the appropriate school staff to meet together as a group to discuss the complaint, attempting to resolve it by explaining the philosophy and goals of the instructional program and the selection policy and procedure.

2.If the complaint is not resolved at step one, a standard questionnaire (Request for Reconsideration of Instructional Material) and a cover letter will be sent to the complainant with a request that s/he return the completed questionnaire to the building principal. The principal will send a duplicate of the completed questionnaire to the Superintendent, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, and the appropriate school staff.
3.Upon receipt of the completed questionnaire, the principal will convene an ad hoc review committee consisting of any building teacher(s) involved in whose class(es) the challenged material has been used, the librarian serving the building involved, the building principal, two (2) lay persons interested in school affairs, and the Director of Curriculum and Instruction, who will serve as chairperson and moderator.
Each review committee must have six or more members including the Director of Curriculum and Instruction. If a designated person cannot attend the meetings in the event of illness or other emergency, meetings should be rescheduled by the Director of Curriculum and Instruction or a permanent alternate chosen by the building principal.
  1. It is the committee's responsibility to (1) evaluate the material, using the criteria stated in this policy and (2) make a recommendation as to whether the material will continue to be used. The committee will determine how much time is needed to read, view, or listen to the entire work to evaluate it.

5.The Director of Curriculum and Instruction, acting as a chairperson and moderator, will (1) listen to all discussion to determine the committee's consensus concerning the material and (2) inform the complainant, in writing, of the committee's evaluation and its recommendation regarding continued use. (Copies of this letter will be sent to all committee members and to the Superintendent.)
In the event that a consensus of committee members' opinions concerning the material's evaluation and/or a recommendation for future use cannot be determined, the Director of Curriculum and Instruction will make the recommendation regarding continued use.
6.The recommendation of the committee as announced by the Director of Curriculum and Instruction will be considered final unless the complainant chooses to appeal to the Superintendent and the School Board, in that order.
No materials shall be removed or restricted from use until the ad hoc committee has made a final recommendation.
Every opportunity shall be afforded those person or groups questioning school materials to meet with the committee and to present their opinions. The teacher and any other persons involved in the selection of the questioned material shall have the same opportunity.

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