INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS (NON-ADOPTED)

1. Purpose and Scope

   
   

   To provide procedures for the selection and acquisition of instructional materials which are not required to be formally adopted by the Board of Education. The main objective of the selection policy is to provide students and staff with a wide range of instructional materials on all levels of difficulty and in a variety of formats, with a diversity of appeal, allowing for the presentation of many different points of view. These materials should foster knowledge, historical perspective, literary appreciation, aesthetic values, and ethical standards.

   
   

2. General

   
   

   1. In selecting and acquiring non-adopted instructional materials care must be exercised by staff to ensure that all requirements and regulations for such materials contained in state statutes and district policy have been fulfilled.

   2. Concerns or questions relating to this regulation should be directed to the site principal. Appeals of the site principal decision will be directed to the appropriate Director in the Educational Services department for consideration.

      
      

3. Philosophy of the School Library

We are living in an age of information and technology that requires an educated citizenry. The Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District is committed to providing quality educational programs for all students. Incorporated in that commitment is a guarantee that every student and staff member should have access to an effective, integrated school library program that reflects the curriculum and the needs of the school community and the world in general. The primary objectives of the library/media program are to ensure that students and staff are effective users of ideas, information, and technology; that they are critical thinkers who analyze information needs; and that they are informed, literate citizens who acquire, evaluate, and use information to pursue and generate knowledge. As an integral part of the total curriculum, the school library is the vehicle that provides opportunities for students and staff to achieve these skills and to foster a lifelong interest in both reading and knowledge.

1. Procedures

   1. Definition and Limitations

      
      

      1. Instructional materials selected and acquired under this regulation are not the primary resources of instruction regularly issued for students. Rather, they are enrichment materials, reference materials, or materials selected individually by students to facilitate or expand upon the basic program of instruction.

         
         

      2. Such instructional materials include, but are not limited to, library books, reference/research materials, audio-visual materials, charts, maps, globes, models, specimens, and technology software.

   2. Personnel

      
      

      Any staff member of a school may request the selection and acquisition of non-adopted instructional materials. Such requests will be reviewed by the library staff in collaboration with site administrators, teachers/staff, parents, and students to choose materials that meet the selection criteria.

   3. Calendar

      
      

      1. The Assistant Superintendent - Educational Services and site administrators may establish specific calendars for the selection and acquisition of non-adopted instructional materials.

      2. All elements of the district will conform to budget and purchasing calendars which may be established by the Administrative Services Division.

         
         

   4. Selection Criteria

      
      

      1. Legal Compliance

         
         

         All selected materials must meet legal compliance standards established by the State of California, including being in compliance with all applicable Education Codes including, but not limited to, Education Code 243.

      2. General Criteria

         
         

         All selected materials must 1) support the approved curriculum, content of the courses of study, and the academic content standards, 2) be accurate in content, 3) be free of bias and demonstrate fairness of presentation, 4) be age/grade/subject appropriate, 5) be motivational for students, 6) be physically capable of withstanding the rigors of school use,

         7) have a physical format and appearance suitable for their intended use, 8) meet the cultural characteristics and needs of students, 9) be user friendly to staff, 10) have literary and/or artistic merit, 11) be selected for their strengths rather than be rejected for their weaknesses, and 12) represent effective use of district funds.

      3. Specific Criteria

         
         

         Additional specific criteria may be developed by the district or sites based upon anticipated outcome of instruction and/or curricular content of specific courses of study. Reviews of proposed acquisitions will be sought in the literature of reputable professional organizations and other reviewing sources recognized for their objectivity and wide experience.

         
         

      4. Gift Materials

         
         

         Gift materials shall be judged by the selection criteria and accepted or rejected by those criteria. All gift materials must follow the process outlined in Board Policy 3280 - Gifts, Grants, and Bequests.

      5. Obsolete Material/Replacement Material

         
         

         Selection is an ongoing process that includes removal of materials no longer appropriate and replacement of lost and worn materials still of educational value.

      6. Special Criteria - Audiovisual Materials

         
         

         Age appropriateness and content/subject appropriateness will be primary criteria for the selection and acquisition of audiovisual material. Selected materials must represent acceptable community standards relating to language, sex, and violence. Due consideration must be given to the fact that students attend their classrooms under compulsory attendance laws, that all students have the right of access to the curriculum, and that all students must feel comfortable and accepted in the learning environment.

         
         

         Where commercial or industry rating standards are available, they should be applied to the selection and use process. In the case of the motion picture/television industry standards, the following shall apply to the district:

         
         

         "G"	- permitted use with all grades
         "PG"	- permitted use in grades 5-12 with prior parental notification
         "PG13"	- permitted use in grades 9-12 with prior parental notification
         "R"	- not permitted in the district
         "X"	- not permitted in the district

         
         

   5. Conflict of Interest

      
      

      All personnel are cautioned to avoid conflict of interest as specified in law and district policy. Employees recommending the selection and acquisition of non-adopted instructional materials should be free of personal, professional, or financial relationships with the publishers, producers, or vendors of such materials. Financial relationships extend to such issues as free or reduced cost samples, conferences, meals, travel expenses, and any form of gratuitous entertainment. It is in the best interest of the district not only to ensure that there is no conflict of interest but also to avoid any appearance of conflict of interest. Employees involved in the selection and acquisition of such materials may be required to complete and file disclosure statements.

      
      

   6. Requisitioning and Acquisition

      
      

      1. For district-wide collection, the Assistant Superintendent - Educational Services is the requisitioning authority. The Assistant Superintendent shall have final decision on budget allocations and acquisition.

      2. For school sites, the principal is the requisitioning authority. The principal shall have final decisions on budget allocations and acquisitions.

         
         

   7. Use of Non-district Owned Materials

      
      

      Instructional materials, as defined in this regulation, borrowed or rented from other public agencies, commercial sources, and/or other private/personal sources must meet all of the criteria of this regulation in order to be used in the instruction of students. Such usage must be approved by the principal at least three (3) days in advance of the proposed usage.

      
      

   8. Copyright Regulation

      All staff members are required to observe the requirements of law and district policy relating to copyright. This caution is particularly applicable to the duplication of both district-owned and non-district owned materials and to the use of non-district owned materials.

   9. Challenges and Requests for Reconsideration of Library Material (print and electronic)

      
      

      Patrons or members of the community who wish to request specific deletions from the collection will state the reason for their request in writing. The principal of the school site shall then make a determination regarding the material(s) in question based on the framework of existing applicable PYLUSD policies and CA Education Code(s) and will provide a written response to the requestor. Appeals of the site principal decision will be directed to the appropriate Director in the Educational Services department for consideration.

      
      

2. Reports Required

   None

   
   

3. Record Retention and Distribution

   
   

   None

   
   

4. Responsible Administrative Unit

   
   

   1. Assistant Superintendent - Educational Services

      
      

   2. Principal

5. Approved by: