R ound R ock I ndependent S chool D istrict Policy EFA Instructional Materials: Selection Criteria Reading Assignments Challenges Guiding Principles

Selection Criteria The District, through its professional staff, shall provide a wide range of learning resources… at varying levels of difficulty with diversity of appeal with different points of view that enrich the curriculum …to meet the needs of students and teachers.

Desired Results Students who can critically analyze material content Students who can make informed judgments Students who have a multi- cultural view of the world community

Selection: Criteria Learning resources should: Meet high standards of quality in the following areas: –presentation –physical format –educational significance –readability –authenticity –artistic quality and/or literary style –factual content

Selection: Criteria Learning resources should: Be evaluated as a whole and selected for their strengths rather than rejected for their weaknesses. Be appropriate for the subject area and for the age, emotional development, ability level, learning styles, and social development of the students for whom the materials are selected.

Selection: Criteria Learning resources should: Be judged by the criteria outlined and shall be accepted or rejected by those criteria. Instructional materials that are given as gifts or donated to the district must meet the criteria of the District Policy to be accepted.

Selection: Criteria Learning resources should: Be removed when they are no longer appropriate or when they are lost or worn Not be removed from a library for the purpose of denying students access to ideas with which the District disagrees.

Reading Assignments Elementary parents/guardians shall receive a parent notification statement regarding elementary reading selections for English language arts instruction in the elementary student-parent handbook. [See EFA(EXHIBIT)] Parents shall receive this information at the beginning of each school year or upon enrolling their children in a District elementary school.

Reading Assignments Secondary parents/guardians shall be sent a notification letter of possible reading selections for their students’ assignments. [See EFA(EXHIBIT)] Parents/guardians are encouraged to examine the District’s secondary reading list and decide what titles their students may read.

Challenges Any resident or employee of the District may challenge learning resources on the basis of appropriateness. Do you know what to do if a reading assignment or a library book is challenged?

RRISD Policy Requires Staff To … Listen to the complaint. Tell the complainant they would like to read/view the material (either because theyhave not read/viewed it before or it has been a while since they read/viewed it). Ask the complainant if they have read/viewed the entire work. Inform them RRISD policy requires them to do so before discussions can continue. Make sure that the complainant knows that the criteria set forth in the EFA legal and local policy is used to reconsider the resource.

RRISD Policy Requires Staff To … Meet with the complainant within five days of the first contact (informal step one) to discuss the strengths and weakness of the book. During this meeting explain why the material is being assigned as a part of the curriculum, or why it is in the library. Review the criteria and guiding principles included in EFA LOCAL.

RRISD Policy Requires Staff To … After this first meeting, if the complainant still believes that the item should not be used in the curriculum or should not be in the campus library, make an appointment for him/her to meet with the principal (informal step two), librarian and/or teacher. The discussions with the principal should focus on the Selection Criteria and guiding principles of EFA Policy. If after the second informal step is completed, the complainant still wants the item in question to be removed, explain the formal reconsideration process, and if asked, provide a copy of the reconsideration form found in EXHIBIT C of EFA Local Policy.

Formal Reconsideration Occurs If… The complainant completes and returns the reconsideration form (EXHIBIT C) to the principal within ten working days. If the complainant returns the form, the principal will form a Campus Level 1 Reconsideration Committee using the guidelines in EFA Local.

A complainant can pursue a Reconsideration through three levels: –Campus –District –Board of Trustees. An instructional material may only be removed as a result of a formal reconsideration at one of the above levels.

Why is it important to Follow Policy? It’s the law. EFA LEGAL is based on the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. It standardizes the selection of instructional materials and deals with them in a non- discriminating manner. It respects the right of any parent, student, or community member to voice his/her opinion. It strengthens the educational process and supports intellectual freedom.

To Whom Does This Policy Apply? Administrators Teachers Librarians Parents Students Community Members Everyone!

Guiding Principles What are the guiding principles? They are seven criteria that define procedures to be followed when instructional materials are challenged. Where are they? –They are on page six and seven of EFA (LOCAL) Policy.

Guiding Principles The principal or designee shall review the selection and objection rules with the teaching staff at least annually. The staff shall be reminded that the right to object to learning resources is one granted by policies enacted by the Board.

Guiding Principles No parent has the right to determine reading, viewing, or listening matter for students other than his or her own children.

Guiding Principles When learning resources are challenged, the principles of the freedom to read/listen/view must be defended as well.

Guiding Principles Access to challenged material shall not be restricted during the reconsideration process.

Guiding Principles The major criterion for the final decision is the appropriateness of the material for its intended educational use. No material shall be removed solely because of the ideas expressed therein.

Guiding Principles A decision to sustain a challenge shall not necessarily be interpreted as a judgment of irresponsibility on the part of the professional involved in the original selection and/or use of the material.

Policy EFA (Local) Review

Any resident or employee of the District may lodge a complaint about an instructional resource. Trueor False

If a parent wants a book removed from the library, and the principal agrees, he/she can remove it. Trueor False

The principal of a campus must review Policy EFA every two years. Trueor False

Policy EFA only applies to complaints made by parents and students. Trueor False

When selecting materials for the school library, it is not necessary to provide more than one point of view if the ideas expressed in the resource are correct. Trueor False

When a resource is being reconsidered, if the complainant lists all the questionable words, phrases, or sentences to which he/she objects, it is not necessary for him/her to read/view the entire resource. Trueor False

Gift materials, as long as they are free, are not required to meet the District selection criteria. Trueor False

When someone challenges a library book, a reading selection, or any curricular resource, it isn’t necessary to complete the informal reconsideration steps if the parent wants to fill out the EFA Exhibit Form C. Trueor False

Instructional materials are selected because –they enrich the curriculum –they present more than one opinion –they meet the needs of students Trueor False

EFA Policy Online Legal Local Administrative Regulation Exhibits