Regulation IFA-R: Instructional Materials and Content

INSTRUCTIONAL MEDIA AND EQUIPMENT

1. Selection of Instructional Media and Equipment

2. Textbook Adoption

Textbooks shall be selected and adopted from materials submitted by the various publishers through the following procedure:

1. For an adoption in a subject area, a selection committee composed of Teachers shall be appointed by the Superintendent. This committee shall be responsible for reviewing the books submitted by the publishers and making recommendations for local adoption. Division of Instruction staff members shall serve as consultants to the committee.

2. Copies of all books on the state adopted list for the subject area under Consideration shall be placed in the hands of the selection committee members.

3. Members of the selection committee shall examine and rate the sample texts for content, organization, durability and utility, and make recommendations for adoption to the superintendent. Parents and patrons shall be encouraged to review texts and support materials under consideration by the committee(s) and to provide input into the decision-making process. Committee members may request consultation with their own faculty members, members of other faculties, supervisors, publishers’ representatives, and others; but the names of committee members shall not be furnished to publishers. All contacts with publishers’ representatives shall be with the committee as a whole and only at the request of the committee.

4. Recommendations of the committee shall be reviewed by the superintendent. The superintendent shall recommend the adoption of textbooks to the DeKalb County Board of Education for final approval.

5. Instructional materials, including basic and supplementary textbooks, films, and filmstrips, may be reviewed and recommended at the time textbooks are chosen.

6. Selection of Media Center Materials & Equipment

A local school media committee, including the principal, lead teacher and/or department head, media specialist(s), representatives from the faculty, students, and parents, shall be established. The committee shall establish goals and priorities, preview materials, discuss requests for materials and equipment, make recommendations for purchase, and review and evaluate challenged materials. Final selection of instructional media and equipment for the media center shall be the responsibility of the media specialist(s) and the principal.

System-level media coordinators shall seek and consider suggestions for materials to be purchased for the Learning Resources Center. Teachers, administrative staff, and building-level media committees shall be encouraged to provide input into the selection process. Final selection of materials shall be the responsibility of the system-level media coordinators.

Coordinators and other personnel in system-level specialized departments are available to provide guidance in the selection of instructional media and equipment to local staff and building-level media committees. The Department of Educational Media also provides professional expertise and assistance to all departments and their personnel upon request.

1. Challenged Materials

Objection and challenge may arise concerning instructional media used in the school system. In such an event, the procedures listed below shall be followed:

1. Media Center Materials

2. The principal of his/her appointee shall listen to the parent’s or patrons objection and make reasonable efforts to resolve the issue. (Note: Challenged material may not be removed without adhering to the procedure that follows.)

3. If this attempt is not successful, the principal or his/her appointee shall explain the DeKalb County procedure for reconsideration of instructional media to the parent or patron.

4. If the parent or patron wishes to make a formal challenge, he/she shall be given the designated DeKalb County form entitled “Request for Reconsideration of Instructional Media.”

5. The completed form shall be submitted to the principal within ten (10) school days. The principal must then submit copies to the chairperson of the local school media committee and the director of Educational Media. No action shall be taken unless the official form is completed submitted to the principal.

6. The challenged material shall remain in circulation until the request for reconsideration is processed and a final decision is reached by the local school media committee. However, sufficient copies may be recalled by the media specialist as needed for review by members of the media committee.

7. After the reconsideration form has been received, the principal shall meet with the local school media committee as soon as possible to consider the request and evaluate the material.

8. The local school media committee shall examine the challenged material in its entirety. The following items shall be considered by the committee in the evaluation process:

9. Professional reviews

10. Age and maturity levels of students

11. Theme of the material

12. Intended use of the material

13. Literary merit

14. Contribution of the material in presenting different points of view within the collection

15. Material as a whole rather than passages out of context

16. Other considerations applicable to the situation

17. The local school media committee shall then meet to discuss the challenged material and its relationship to the goals and objectives for the school and the curriculum. The parent or patron may appear before the committee to make an oral presentation in support of his/her request for reconsideration of library media center materials. The presentation shall be limited to a maximum of ten (10) minutes. Upon completion of the presentation the parent or patron shall leave in order to permit the committee to deliberate in private.

18. During the meeting, all materials shall be examined, all points of view presented, and the views of all committee members considered. After careful deliberation, the committee shall make a decision by individual printed and signed ballots. The ballots shall be tallied immediately in the presence of the committee.

19. The local school media committee shall prepare a written report concerning the decision of the committee. This report is to be filed in the office of the principal with a copy sent to the director of Educational Media.

20. The principal shall notify the complainant of the decision of the committee letter with a copy to the director of Educational Media. If the complainant is not satisfied with the decision of the local school committee, he/she may appeal within ten (10) school days to the system wide media committee.

A letter requesting the appeal and a copy of the DeKalb County “Request for Reconsideration of Instructional Media” completed by the complainant shall be sent to the director of Educational Media for review by the system wide Media committee.

1. If the decision of the system wide media committee is not acceptable to the Complainant, an appeal may be made to the superintendent and then to the DeKalb County Board of Education.

2. Textbooks/Supplementary Materials and Items from the Learning Resources Center

3. The Principal or his/her appointee shall listen to the parent’s or patron’s objection and make reasonable efforts to resolve the issues. (Note: Challenged textbooks/supplementary materials and items from the Learning Resources Center may not be removed without adhering to the procedure that follows.

4. If this attempt is not successful, the principal or his/her appointee shall explain the DeKalb County procedure for reconsideration of instructional media to the parent or patron.

5. If a parent or patron wishes to make a formal challenge, he/she shall be given the designated DeKalb County form entitled “Request for Reconsideration of Instructional Media.” The completed form shall be returned to the principal within ten (10) school days.

6. The challenged material shall remain in circulation until a decision is reached by the appropriate system-level committee.

7. The completed form for reconsideration of textbooks/supplementary materials and items from the Learning Resources center shall be forwarded immediately to the associate superintendent for Instruction. The associate superintendent and the appropriate system-level committee shall evaluate the material.

8. The parent or patron may appear before the committee to make an oral presentation in support of his/her request for reconsideration. The presentation shall be limited to a maximum of ten (10) minutes. Upon completion of the presentation, the parent or patron shall leave in order to permit the committee to deliberate in private.

9. During the meeting, all material shall be examined, all points of view presented, and the views of all committee members considered. After careful deliberation, the committee shall make a decision by individual secret ballot. The ballots shall be tallied immediately in the presence of the committee and the complainant shall be notified by letter of the decision.

10. If the decision of the system wide committee is not acceptable to the complaint, and appeal may be made to the superintendent and then to the DeKalb County Board of Education.

11. Implementation of Statement

This procedural statement shall be implemented by the personnel of the DeKalb School System with final responsibility resting with the DeKalb County Board of Education. The coordinated efforts of personnel identified in the procedures shall be required for full implementation.

The complete Procedures for the Implementation of the Instructional Media and Equipment Policy are in the Handbook for Library Media Specialist.

1. Instructional Manuals

A teacher’s manual and/or a teacher’s edition of the textbook shall be provided free of charge for every set of 35 textbooks ordered.

A teacher’s edition may be ordered by a teacher through the usual textbook requisition procedure.