Authority. Definitions

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Book Policy Manual

Section 100 Programs

Title Review of Instructional Materials by Parents/Guardians and Students

Code 105.1

Status Active

Legal 1. 22 PA Code 4.4

2. 20 U.S.C. 1232h 3. Pol. 102

4. Pol. 105 5. Pol. 127 22 PA Code 403.1 Pol. 235

Adopted September 20, 2010

Last Revised October 20, 2014

Authority

The Board adopts this policy to ensure that parents/guardians and students have an opportunity to review instructional materials used in the district and have access to information about the

curriculum, including academic standards to be achieved, instructional materials and assessment techniques.[1][2]

Definitions

Instructional material means instructional content that is provided to a student, regardless of its format, including printed or representational materials, audiovisual materials, and materials in electronic or digital formats (such as materials accessible through the Internet). For purposes of this policy, the term does not include academic tests or academic assessments.[2]

Guidelines

The rights granted by this policy are granted to parents/guardians of students enrolled in this school district where the students are under the age of eighteen (18) and to the students themselves when the student is age eighteen (18) or over.[2][3][4][5]

Upon request by a parent/guardian or student, the district will make available existing information about the curriculum, including academic standards to be achieved, instructional materials and

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assessment techniques.

The following conditions shall apply to any request:

1. No more than one (1) request per semester may be made by any parent/guardian or student for each enrolled child.

2. To assist the school district in providing the correct records to meet the needs of the requesting party, the request must be in writing, setting forth the specific material being sought for

review.

3. Written requests to review curriculum, instructional materials, and resources used in the district shall be submitted to the building principal; in the case of state assessments and assessment techniques, requests shall be submitted to the Assistant Superintendent.[4]

4. The district will respond to the parent/guardian or student within ten (10) school days by designating the time and location for the review.

5. The district may take necessary action to protect its materials from loss, damage or alteration and to ensure the integrity of the files, including the provision of a designated employee to monitor the review of the materials.

6. No parent/guardian or student shall be permitted to remove the material provided for review or photocopy the contents of such file. The taking of notes by parents/guardians and students is permitted.

Under federal law, the rights provided to parents/guardians to inspect any instructional materials used as part of the student’s educational curriculum transfer to the student when the student turns eighteen (18) years old or is an emancipated minor. These rights do not transfer under state law;

therefore, parents/guardians retain their rights to access information about the curriculum and to review instructional materials.[1][2]

Delegation of Responsibility

The Superintendent or designee shall notify parents/guardians and students of this policy and its availability. This notification shall be given at least annually, at the beginning of each school year, and within a reasonable time after any substantive changes regarding the contents of this policy and their rights.[2]

AR 105.1 Curriculum Review by...pdf (278 KB)

AR 105.4 Handling of Challenged Material.pdf (296 KB)

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CENTRAL YORK SCHOOL DISTRICT ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION 105.1 CURRICULUM REVIEW BY PARENTS/GUARDIANS AND STUDENTS

CREATED 11/11

Upon request by a parent/guardian or student, the district will make available existing

information about the curriculum, including academic standards to be achieved, instructional materials and assessment techniques.

The following conditions shall apply to any request:

1. Any parent/guardian or student for each enrolled child may make no more than one (1) request per semester.

2. To assist the school district in providing the correct records to meet the needs of the requesting party, the request must be in writing, setting forth the specific material being sought for review.

3. Written requests to review curriculum, instructional materials, and resources used in the district shall be submitted to the building principal; in the case of state assessments and assessment techniques, requests shall be submitted to the Assistant Superintendent.

4. The district will respond to the parent/guardian or student within ten (10) school days by designating the time and location for the review.

5. The district may take necessary action to protect its materials from loss, damage or alteration and to ensure the integrity of the files, including the provision of a designated employee to monitor the review of the materials.

6. No parent/guardian or student shall be permitted to remove the material provided for review or photocopy the contents of such file. The taking of notes by parents/guardians and students is permitted.

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CENTRAL YORK SCHOOL DISTRICT ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION 105.4

HANDLING OF CHALLENGED MATERIAL

CREATED 12/11; modified 8/2017 (moved under Policy 105)

Despite the care exercised in selecting materials, occasional objections to items may be made.

When an objection does occur, the approved procedures for processing the objection will be followed. Challenged materials shall not be restricted during the reconsideration process but parents/guardians may request alternate materials for their child.

In the event that a selection meets with objection by the public the procedures shall be:

A. The complainant will file his or her objection in writing using the Citizen’s Request for Reconsideration of Material form.

B. The written complaint shall be submitted to the building Principal and the Assistant Superintendent, who in turn will give duplicate copies to the teacher responsible for the material, the department head or committee chairperson, and the Superintendent.

C. A meeting with the complainant, the Assistant Superintendent, the principal, the teacher, and the department or committee chairperson will then be held for the purpose of reviewing the materials in question and attempting to justify their use. Within five school days of this meeting, the complainant will notify the appropriate administrator as to his/her intentions, by letter or telephone. If the complainant is satisfied with the responses given by the school officials, he/she may decide to drop the matter. If he/she intends to pursue the matter, the letter or telephone call will trigger the next step in the process.

D. If the challenge to the materials is not satisfied by Step C, the notification within five school days of the conference by the complainant will ensure the formation of a Special Review Committee by the Superintendent. This Committee shall be made up of administrators and faculty members whose areas of expertise would have a direct bearing on the issue. This Committee will reevaluate the material in question in an objective manner by reading existing reviews, weighing values and faults against each other, and forming opinions based on the materials as a whole and not on passages taken out of context. The best interest of the student, the school and the curriculum shall be given utmost consideration. A report of the findings shall be submitted in writing to the Superintendent by the appropriate administrator within five school days of the adjournment of the Special Review Committee meeting. This report shall consist of the Guide For Material Review by the Special Review Committee and a letter from the chairperson of the Review Committee indicating the findings and

recommendations.

E. If the citizen or group remains dissatisfied, the person or persons may request a conference with the District Superintendent.

F. Final appeal may be made to the Board of School Directors.

Updating of the Collection Development Procedure This procedure will be reviewed and revised as necessary.

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Citizen’s Request For Reconsideration of Material

To be submitted by all citizens requesting reexamination of library/instructional materials - print or non-print.

Author______________________________ Type of Material __________________________

Title_________________________________________________________________________

Publisher (if known) ____________________________________________________________

Request initiated by _____________________________________________________________

Telephone_____________________

Address_______________________________________________________________________

Citizen represents: Self_________ Organization_________

1. To what material do you object? (Please be specific: cite pages, etc.)

___________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

2. Why do you find this material objectionable?

___________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

3. Did you examine all the material? ___________________

4. Could you recommend this material for any age group? _________

5. Is there anything in the content of this material that you do like?

__________________________________________________________________________

6. Are you aware of the judgment of this material by literary critics?

__________________________________________________________________________

7. What do you believe is the theme of this material?

___________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

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8. What would you like the school to do about this material?

_________ Withdraw it from all students.

_________ Do not assign it to my child.

_________ Use under teacher direction only (on reserve).

_________ Other action.

9. In its place, what material of equal literary quality would you recommend that would convey as valuable a picture and perspective of the subject treated?

_______________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________ ___________________

Signature of Citizen Date

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Guide for Material Review by the Special Review Committee A letter from the Chairman of the Review Committee, including the findings and recommendations, shall be attached to this Guide and sent to the complainant and the Superintendent.

TYPE OF MATERIAL IN QUESTION: Textbook ____ Library Book____

A-V Material_______ Curriculum Program/System______

Other (_______________________________)

TITLE__________________________________________________________________

AUTHOR _______________________ PUBLISHER____________________________

Questions 1 -11 are to be completed by appropriate School Official(s).

1. Please provide a brief descriptive synopsis of questioned material.

___________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

2. Intended grade level of material________ At what grade level is material actually being used or taught locally? _________________

3. Name of school(s) using (or intending to use) questionable.

__________________________________________________________________________

4. Name and title of person(s) responsible for selection of material.

__________________________________________________________________________

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5. Who was involved in the review and selection of this material?

__________________________________________________________________________

6. Were the teachers using this material given ample opportunity and time to review and evaluate entire material before approval or adoption for local classroom use?

(Yes or No)___________

If so, please list all teachers who review materials.

__________________________________________________________________________

7. Content

A. Is the basic purpose of this material academic or sociological? (Circle the appropriate designation.)

B. What are the positive aspects of this material? (Please attach to this form: citations - page, paragraph, lines, and/or other references.)

C. What are the negative aspects of this material that are critical of (1) Individuals? (2) Ethnic, racial, or religious groups? (3) Institutions? (4) Cultural, social, political, and/or economic beliefs, practices, or traditions? (5) Our own American national heritage?

(Please attach to this form citations - page, paragraph, lines and/or other references.) D. Academic skills

1. How specifically does this material improve students’ basic academic skills? (Please attach to this form a detailed explanation of how this material will improve students’

skills.)

2. Is this particular material superior to other available material in teaching basic academic skills? (Yes or No)_______________

If so, according to what authorities?________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

If not, why was this material selected for use in this school district?

_____________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

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E. Violence

1. Please list instances where violence is included in the material. (Please attach to this form detailed citations - page, paragraph, line, and/or other references.)

2. Is violence treated in the context of cause and consequence? (Yes or No) ________

If so, please specify page, paragraph, lines and/or other references to document that this is the case on the attached listing.

F. Profanity and Immoral Conduct

1. Please list instances where profanity and immoral conduct are included in the

material. (Please attach to this form detailed citations - page, paragraph, lines, and/or other references.)

2. Are profanity and immoral conduct treated in the context of cause and consequence?

(Yes or No)___________

If so, please cite examples in context on the attached listing to document that this is the case.

8. Teaching Methods and Outcomes

A. Could any content, exercise, questions or other aspect of the material in question be used to change attitudes, values, or religious or political beliefs of students? (Yes or No)____

B. Are psychological techniques such as personality or attitude profiles, questions or

interviews in areas of social, emotional, mental, or personal problems used in connection with this questioned material? (Yes or No)______

9. What specific action does the school take to protect students from feeling odd, peculiar, or isolated from their peers when a parent or guardian refuses to allow a student to participate in programs using material they feel is objectionable?

___________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

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_______________________________ __________________ ________________

(Special Review Committee Member) Title Date

_______________________________ __________________ _________________

_______________________________ ___________________ _________________

_______________________________ ___________________ ________________

________________________________ ________________

Superintendent Date