The term “instructional materials” shall include printed materials, audio-visual materials, and computer-based materials, and shall include materials used in the classroom and available in the media centers.
The selection of instructional materials shall be delegated to the instructional staff, under the supervision of the administrative staff. Responsibility for coordinating the selection of text materials will rest with the Curriculum Study and Review Committee. Material purchased for school media centers shall be recommended for purchase by the professional personnel of the media center in consultation with administrative staff and instructional staff.
In selecting instructional materials, the following criteria should be considered:
1. Instructional materials should support the goals of the District and the standards and benchmarks of the curricular offering in which the materials will be used.
2. Instructional materials should be appropriate for the age, emotional and social development, and ability level of the students for whom the materials are selected.
3. Instructional materials should be diverse with respect to levels of difficulty, reader appeal, and should present a variety of points of view.
4. Instructional materials should meet high standards of quality in factual content and presentation.
5. Instructional materials should have aesthetic, cultural, literary, or social value. The value and impact of any literary work will be judged as a whole, taking into account the author’s intent rather than individual words, phrases or incidents.
6. Instructional materials should foster respect for men, women, the disabled, and minority groups and should portray a variety of roles and life styles open to people in today’s world.
7. Instructional materials should be designed to motivate students to examine their own attitudes and behaviors and to comprehend their own duties, responsibilities, rights and privileges as participating citizens in a pluralistic society. Instructional materials should be selected taking into account instructional materials already available in the District in order to meet the above criteria and in order to replace materials worn, obsolete or no longer appropriate. Professional staff shall provide for constant and continuing renewal of the collection not only by the addition of up-to-date
8. material, but by the judicious elimination of materials which no longer meet needs or find use.
9. Other criteria as developed by the licensed staff under the supervision of the administrative staff.
The District shall provide a process for the regular “weeding” and elimination of instructional materials (both classroom and media center materials). The media specialist may remove materials which are no longer important for meeting District goals and curriculum objectives. The advice of instructional personnel, students and community members may be sought. No materials shall be withdrawn or discarded merely because they contain controversial opinions. Infrequently used materials should be retained if they contribute to the excellence of the collection as a whole. Classroom instructional materials may be removed from inventory when they are no longer important to the instructional program, following general selection and replacement guidelines.
- First Adoption:
- 2000-01-01
- Revision Adoption:
- October 9, 2005/ January 6, 2022
- Reviewed Dates:
- April 9, 2017/ May 8, 2022
- Legal Reference:
-
Iowa Code §§ 279.8; .74; 280.3, .14; 301.
281 I.A.C. 12.3(12).