4005 - Elementary and Secondary Curriculum Development & Instructional Materials

The school district courses of study shall be designed or selected by the instructional staff and administration in accordance with local Board of Education and/or State Education Department mandates.

The staff shall be continuously involved at all levels in the updating and improving of the district's curriculum. The teaching and administrative staff should initiate research into courses of study and design or select programs which will best meet the needs of students.

The administration shall identify procedures for the development or selection and implementation of programs into appropriate curricula.

The Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction shall keep the Board of Education informed of all phases of project design and curriculum development or revision.

The Board of Education shall review new or significant revisions to the curricula. New District-wide programs of study must be adopted by the Board, and the plans for revision or expansion of program or curriculum shall be made available to all affected staff members.

Curriculum guides shall not limit the individual teacher in the approach to presentation of the required subject matter in a particular class. The individuality of a teacher's implementation, within acceptable educational parameters, is regarded as an important element in creating effective learning situations.

The Board of Education is legally responsible for the approval of instructional materials as recommended by the Superintendent of Schools. The Board of Education delegates to administration, upon recommendation from faculty, authority for the selection of ancillary instructional materials. Instructional materials are student resources utilized to implement, enrich and support the educational program, including, but not exclusive to, textbooks, workbooks, library books, and online resources.

Complaints regarding student instructional materials may be brought forward by a parent/guardian/student in a particular class to the classroom teacher. Unresolved issues will be referred to the Building Principal.

If there is no satisfactory resolution at the building level, the complainant may refer the matter in writing to the Superintendent of Schools. The Superintendent will appoint an instructional review committee of tenured staff (e.g., classroom teacher, librarian, psychologist), and an administrator who will engage in the following process within 30 school days of the Superintendent's receipt of the complaint:

1. Review the challenged materials;
2. Consider the specific written objections to the material voiced by the complainant;
3. Consider the educational intent of the material as a whole;
4. Consider other information presented to the committee, if any;
5. Where appropriate, solicit advice or opinion from outside educationally-based professional organizations and agencies (ex. American Library Association, the National Council of Teachers of English, National Council of Social Studies Teachers);
6. Issue a written report to the Superintendent of Schools containing recommendations concerning the challenged curriculum materials.

The Superintendent will review the report of the committee, make a decision, and notify the complainant, instructional review committee, appropriate building staff, and Board of Education in writing of their decision.

Should the Superintendent receive duplicate complaints concerning student instructional materials within a given school year the Superintendent will forward the complainant the outcome letter from the initial review.

Concerns sent directly to the Board of Education will be referred to the Superintendent of Schools to initiate the review process. The decision of the Superintendent of Schools may be appealed to the Board of Education within 30 days, pursuant to Policy 3005.

Adopted by the Board of Education: June 20, 1989

Revised:
    March 8, 2023
    March 6, 2024