HINCKLEY-FINLAYSON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
SELECTION POLICY (Media)
I. Policy
A. The District 2165 pledge states: The place where every student is known, valued, and challenged to succeed.
As one of the means to support this pledge, instructional materials are selected and adopted to support the curriculum. This policy is intended to set the understanding of how the materials are selected.
B. It is the responsibility of school personnel who select resources to provide materials that support and enrich the curriculum, taking into consideration the varied interests, abilities, learning styles and maturity levels of students served.
&
It is the responsibility of school personnel who select resources to provide resources that will stimulate growth in factual knowledge, critical analysis of differing sides of issues, literary appreciation, aesthetic values, and recognition of various societal values.
C. The Board of Education of District 2165 supports the principles of intellectual freedom inherent in the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States as expressed in official statements of professional associations. Copies of the following documents are appended and form a part of this policy: Library Bill of Rights (American Library Association), the Freedom to Read (American Library Association), Statements of Intellectual Freedom (Association for Educational Communications and Technology), Freedom to View (American Film and Video Association), and Freedom to Teach, to Learn and Express Ideas in the Public Schools (Minnesota State Department of Education).
D. The responsibility for all instructional materials is legally in the Board of Education which delegates to the professionals the responsibility to develop final recommendations for acquisitions. Moreover, the actual selection is left to the professionals whose responsibility it is to know the curriculum, the students, and the philosophy of the school system.
II. Selection Procedures
A. Instructional resource is defined as those items, which are read, listened to, manipulated, observed or experienced by students as part of the instructional process. They may be consumable or non-consumable and may vary greatly in the kind of student response they stimulate. Instructional resources include but are not limited to: websites, apps, electronic documents, textbooks, teachers’ manuals, kits, games, computer software, apps, media collections of library books, records, tapes, slides, microfilms, DVD’s, CD’s and internet sources and other print and non-print materials, and community resource people.
B. In selecting resources, professional personnel shall evaluate the available resources and curriculum needs and shall consult reputable, professionally prepared aides for selection and other appropriate sources. The actual item shall be examined when deemed appropriate.
Administrators, teachers, students, and other school district personnel and community person may make recommendations for purchase.
Gift resources shall be judged by the same criteria and shall be accepted or rejected based on those criteria.
Selection is an ongoing process, which includes the removal of resources, which are no longer appropriate, and replacement of resources that are lost or damaged.
C. Educational suitability is the major criterion for the selection of resources. Professional staff uses the following criteria.
Resources shall:
1. Be consistent with the educational goals of the district and the objectives of individual schools and specific courses.
2. Be appropriate for the age, social development, and maturity of the users.
3. Meet the interests, abilities, learning styles, and information needs of the users.
4. Shall be considered for qualities of stimulating presentation, imagination, vision, creativeness, styles appropriate to the idea, vitality, and distinction.
5. Shall meet standards of quality in factual content and presentation.
6. Represent the diversity of religious, ethnic, political and cultural values held in a pluralistic society.
7. Illustrate the contributions made by various groups to our national heritage and the world.
8. Illustrate the historical and contemporary forces in society.
9. Provide various points of view, including those considered by some to be controversial.
10. Represent various theories about the physical environment and the universe.
11. Shall be selected for their strengths rather than rejected for their weaknesses, and shall be judged as a whole.
D. Administrators, teachers, students, district personnel, and community persons may make recommendations for purchase. Decisions to purchase shall be made by media specialists and classroom teachers and approved by administrators.
III. Re-evaluation Procedures
A. Despite the care taken to select materials for student use, occasional objections to learning resources may be made by members of the community. If materials are challenged, the principles and procedures for the reconsideration process described below will be followed.
B. The following principles of intellectual freedom shall guide the Hinckley-Finlayson School District staff involved in the reconsideration process:
1. No parent has the right to determine reading, viewing or listening matter for students other than his/her own child.
2. The major consideration in the reconsideration process is the appropriateness of the material for its intended educational use.
3. Access to challenged material shall not be restricted during the reconsideration process.
4. A decision to sustain a challenge shall not be interpreted as an indication of irresponsibility on the part of the professionals involved in the original selection and/or use of the material.
5. The principle of the freedom to read/listen/view shall be defended.
C. The following procedures for reconsideration of challenged materials shall guide the Hinckley-Finlayson School District staff:
1. The school or district person receiving a complaint regarding a learning resource shall try to resolve the issue informally.
The principal or appropriate staff member shall explain to the complainant the school’s selection procedure, criteria, and the qualifications of those persons selecting the resource.
The principal or other appropriate staff member shall explain the particular place the questioned resource occupies in the educational program and its intended educational use or shall refer the complainant to someone who can identify and explain the use of the resource.
2. Should the complainant not be satisfied, the complainant will be invited to file objections in writing. Complaints must be submitted on Request for Reconsideration of Learning Resources form.
The Request for Reconsideration of Learning Resources form shall be signed by the complainant and filed with the principal or the principal’s designee.
The principal or the principal’s designee will inform the superintendent in writing immediately upon receipt of a formal complaint on the form entitled Request for Reconsideration of Learning Resources.
The Request for Reconsideration shall be referred to the District Reconsideration Committee for re-evaluation of the resource.
3. The District Reconsideration Committee is a committee appointed by the superintendent, which shall consist of a school administrator, a library media specialist, two teachers, two parents and may include one high school student. The purpose of the committee will be to re-evaluate learning resources, which, have been formally challenged.
4. The reconsideration committee shall proceed as follows:
A. Examine the challenged resource. All members will read/listen to/or view the resource in it’s entirety.
B. Determine professional acceptance by reading critical reviews of the resource.
C. Weigh values and faults and form opinions based on the material as a whole rather than on passages or sections taken out of context.
D. Discuss the challenged resource in the context of the educational program.
E. Consult with the school district staff members and/or community persons with professional knowledge of the material or its subject matter.
F. Invite the complainant to discuss the challenged item with the committee.
G. Make a decision as to the disposition of the challenged material.
H. Prepare a written report and submit it to the superintendent and subsequently to the complainant.
Re-approved 2/12/2018
Re-Approved 5/9/2022
CITIZEN’S REQUEST FOR RECONSIDERATION OF LIBRARY MATERIALS
Request initiated by: _________________________________________________________
Telephone _________________Address___________________________________________
Complainant represents:
_____ Him/herself
_____ Organization (name)____________________________________________________
_____ Other group (identify)___________________________________________________
A. BOOK OR OTHER PRINTED MATERIAL
Author _____________________________ Hardcover ________ Paperback ________
Title________________________________________________________________________
Publisher (if known) ___________________________________________________________
B. FILM, WEBSITE, ELECTRONIC DOCUMENT, RECORDING, OR OTHER NON-PRINT MATERIAL
Producer (if known) ___________________________________________________________
Title________________________________________________________________________
PLEASE ANSWER THE FOLLOWING AS COMPLETELY AS POSSIBLE:
1. To what in the book (film, etc.) do you object? Please be specific; cite pages for books. ____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
2. What do you feel might be the result of reading this book (viewing this film, etc.)? ____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
3. For what age group would you recommend this book (film, etc.)?
________________________________
4. Is there anything good about this book (or other material)? ____________________________
5. Did you read the entire book (view the entire film, etc.)? _______ What parts?
___________________________________________________________________________
6. Are you aware of the judgment of this library material by literary and educational critics?
___________________________________________________________________________
7. What do you believe is the theme of this book (film, etc.)?
____________________________________________________________________________
8. What would you like your school to do about this book (film, etc.)?
_____ Do not assign it to my child. _____ Withdraw it from all students.
_____ Send it to the Faculty Library Committee for reconsideration.
9. In its place, what book of other material would you recommend, of equal quality, that would convey as valuable a picture and perspective of our civilization? ____________________________________________________________________________
Signature of Complainant
Received by Principal _____ (initials) ______ (date)
Received by Superintendent ______ (initials) ______ (date)
HINCKLEY-FINLAYSON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
SELECTION POLICY (Media)
I. Policy
A. The District 2165 pledge states: The place where every student is known, valued, and challenged to succeed.
As one of the means to support this pledge, instructional materials are selected and adopted to support the curriculum. This policy is intended to set the understanding of how the materials are selected.
B. It is the responsibility of school personnel who select resources to provide materials that support and enrich the curriculum, taking into consideration the varied interests, abilities, learning styles and maturity levels of students served.
&
It is the responsibility of school personnel who select resources to provide resources that will stimulate growth in factual knowledge, critical analysis of differing sides of issues, literary appreciation, aesthetic values, and recognition of various societal values.
C. The Board of Education of District 2165 supports the principles of intellectual freedom inherent in the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States as expressed in official statements of professional associations. Copies of the following documents are appended and form a part of this policy: Library Bill of Rights (American Library Association), the Freedom to Read (American Library Association), Statements of Intellectual Freedom (Association for Educational Communications and Technology), Freedom to View (American Film and Video Association), and Freedom to Teach, to Learn and Express Ideas in the Public Schools (Minnesota State Department of Education).
D. The responsibility for all instructional materials is legally in the Board of Education which delegates to the professionals the responsibility to develop final recommendations for acquisitions. Moreover, the actual selection is left to the professionals whose responsibility it is to know the curriculum, the students, and the philosophy of the school system.
II. Selection Procedures
A. Instructional resource is defined as those items, which are read, listened to, manipulated, observed or experienced by students as part of the instructional process. They may be consumable or non-consumable and may vary greatly in the kind of student response they stimulate. Instructional resources include but are not limited to: websites, apps, electronic documents, textbooks, teachers’ manuals, kits, games, computer software, apps, media collections of library books, records, tapes, slides, microfilms, DVD’s, CD’s and internet sources and other print and non-print materials, and community resource people.
B. In selecting resources, professional personnel shall evaluate the available resources and curriculum needs and shall consult reputable, professionally prepared aides for selection and other appropriate sources. The actual item shall be examined when deemed appropriate.
Administrators, teachers, students, and other school district personnel and community person may make recommendations for purchase.
Gift resources shall be judged by the same criteria and shall be accepted or rejected based on those criteria.
Selection is an ongoing process, which includes the removal of resources, which are no longer appropriate, and replacement of resources that are lost or damaged.
C. Educational suitability is the major criterion for the selection of resources. Professional staff uses the following criteria.
Resources shall:
1. Be consistent with the educational goals of the district and the objectives of individual schools and specific courses.
2. Be appropriate for the age, social development, and maturity of the users.
3. Meet the interests, abilities, learning styles, and information needs of the users.
4. Shall be considered for qualities of stimulating presentation, imagination, vision, creativeness, styles appropriate to the idea, vitality, and distinction.
5. Shall meet standards of quality in factual content and presentation.
6. Represent the diversity of religious, ethnic, political and cultural values held in a pluralistic society.
7. Illustrate the contributions made by various groups to our national heritage and the world.
8. Illustrate the historical and contemporary forces in society.
9. Provide various points of view, including those considered by some to be controversial.
10. Represent various theories about the physical environment and the universe.
11. Shall be selected for their strengths rather than rejected for their weaknesses, and shall be judged as a whole.
D. Administrators, teachers, students, district personnel, and community persons may make recommendations for purchase. Decisions to purchase shall be made by media specialists and classroom teachers and approved by administrators.
III. Re-evaluation Procedures
A. Despite the care taken to select materials for student use, occasional objections to learning resources may be made by members of the community. If materials are challenged, the principles and procedures for the reconsideration process described below will be followed.
B. The following principles of intellectual freedom shall guide the Hinckley-Finlayson School District staff involved in the reconsideration process:
1. No parent has the right to determine reading, viewing or listening matter for students other than his/her own child.
2. The major consideration in the reconsideration process is the appropriateness of the material for its intended educational use.
3. Access to challenged material shall not be restricted during the reconsideration process.
4. A decision to sustain a challenge shall not be interpreted as an indication of irresponsibility on the part of the professionals involved in the original selection and/or use of the material.
5. The principle of the freedom to read/listen/view shall be defended.
C. The following procedures for reconsideration of challenged materials shall guide the Hinckley-Finlayson School District staff:
1. The school or district person receiving a complaint regarding a learning resource shall try to resolve the issue informally.
The principal or appropriate staff member shall explain to the complainant the school’s selection procedure, criteria, and the qualifications of those persons selecting the resource.
The principal or other appropriate staff member shall explain the particular place the questioned resource occupies in the educational program and its intended educational use or shall refer the complainant to someone who can identify and explain the use of the resource.
2. Should the complainant not be satisfied, the complainant will be invited to file objections in writing. Complaints must be submitted on Request for Reconsideration of Learning Resources form.
The Request for Reconsideration of Learning Resources form shall be signed by the complainant and filed with the principal or the principal’s designee.
The principal or the principal’s designee will inform the superintendent in writing immediately upon receipt of a formal complaint on the form entitled Request for Reconsideration of Learning Resources.
The Request for Reconsideration shall be referred to the District Reconsideration Committee for re-evaluation of the resource.
3. The District Reconsideration Committee is a committee appointed by the superintendent, which shall consist of a school administrator, a library media specialist, two teachers, two parents and may include one high school student. The purpose of the committee will be to re-evaluate learning resources, which, have been formally challenged.
4. The reconsideration committee shall proceed as follows:
A. Examine the challenged resource. All members will read/listen to/or view the resource in it’s entirety.
B. Determine professional acceptance by reading critical reviews of the resource.
C. Weigh values and faults and form opinions based on the material as a whole rather than on passages or sections taken out of context.
D. Discuss the challenged resource in the context of the educational program.
E. Consult with the school district staff members and/or community persons with professional knowledge of the material or its subject matter.
F. Invite the complainant to discuss the challenged item with the committee.
G. Make a decision as to the disposition of the challenged material.
H. Prepare a written report and submit it to the superintendent and subsequently to the complainant.
Re-approved 2/12/2018
Re-Approved 5/9/2022
CITIZEN’S REQUEST FOR RECONSIDERATION OF LIBRARY MATERIALS
Request initiated by: _________________________________________________________
Telephone _________________Address___________________________________________
Complainant represents:
_____ Him/herself
_____ Organization (name)____________________________________________________
_____ Other group (identify)___________________________________________________
A. BOOK OR OTHER PRINTED MATERIAL
Author _____________________________ Hardcover ________ Paperback ________
Title________________________________________________________________________
Publisher (if known) ___________________________________________________________
B. FILM, WEBSITE, ELECTRONIC DOCUMENT, RECORDING, OR OTHER NON-PRINT MATERIAL
Producer (if known) ___________________________________________________________
Title________________________________________________________________________
PLEASE ANSWER THE FOLLOWING AS COMPLETELY AS POSSIBLE:
1. To what in the book (film, etc.) do you object? Please be specific; cite pages for books. ____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
2. What do you feel might be the result of reading this book (viewing this film, etc.)? ____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
3. For what age group would you recommend this book (film, etc.)?
________________________________
4. Is there anything good about this book (or other material)? ____________________________
5. Did you read the entire book (view the entire film, etc.)? _______ What parts?
___________________________________________________________________________
6. Are you aware of the judgment of this library material by literary and educational critics?
___________________________________________________________________________
7. What do you believe is the theme of this book (film, etc.)?
____________________________________________________________________________
8. What would you like your school to do about this book (film, etc.)?
_____ Do not assign it to my child. _____ Withdraw it from all students.
_____ Send it to the Faculty Library Committee for reconsideration.
9. In its place, what book of other material would you recommend, of equal quality, that would convey as valuable a picture and perspective of our civilization? ____________________________________________________________________________
Signature of Complainant
Received by Principal _____ (initials) ______ (date)
Received by Superintendent ______ (initials) ______ (date)