Embedded Files
Selection and Reconsideration Policy and Guidelines
The following policies and guidelines outline the procedures for evaluation and selection of instructional resources for purchase and distribution through the CESA 5 Instructional Technology Media Center collections. These collections include media, print and digital resources, and equipment distributed through the Instructional Materials Center (IMC), Special Education Instructional Materials Center (SEIMC), and the Instructional Technology Support Service (ITSS), and any other collections or libraries available for checkout to CESA 5 educators or students.
1. Purpose of the CESA 5 Instructional Technology Media Center Collections
The purpose of the CESA 5 Instructional Technology Media Center collections is to equalize educational media and technology opportunities for students in CESA 5 school districts, to support the learning process by providing supplemental materials to support the curriculum, and to provide teachers with opportunities for preview of instructional resources.
The CESA 5 ITMC collections are intended to supplement existing instructional media and technology collections within individual schools. Media purchased for the CESA 5 Instructional Technology Media center is often more expensive than is purchased by individual districts or is material that has limited use within one district. These materials are then accessible to all member districts for specified loan periods. This provides school personnel with a wide selection of media in various curricular areas, in addition to professional resources.
2. Statement of Policy
a. Objectives of selection:
Instructional materials shall support and be consistent with the general educational goals of CESA 5 school districts. All materials should be selected on the basis of an identified need for the materials and the general suitability of the materials to the needs and abilities of those who will use them.
It is expected that each school district will select materials from the CESA 5 Instructional Technology Media Center collections which coincide with their own instructional goals as set by their local board policies and that all materials be previewed before use with students. Since each district’s educational philosophy and goals reflect the uniqueness of the community, it is not expected that all materials housed in the Instructional Technology Media Center are appropriate for use in all districts. If a CESA 5 school district decides to restrict certain materials, it will be that district’s responsibility to administer such restriction.
While objections to media or specific topics presented should be addressed to the teachers and districts using the material, reconsideration and review will be given to any materials in the CESA 5 Instructional Technology Media Center collections when asked to do so.
b. Responsibility for selection:
Media purchased for inclusion in the CESA 5 Instructional Technology Media Center collections is recommended by member school district media specialists, teaching staff, and CESA 5 advisory committees. Recommendations for the purchase of materials with grant funding are requested from those districts participating in the grant and from the CESA 5 coordinators of those grants. Final selection is made by the Instructional Technology Media Center director, CESA 5 professional staff, and by the Instructional Materials Center (IMC) Advisory Committee.
Media and resources purchased by special programs is selected under the policies of those programs and is evaluated by ITMC standards before being placed in a media center collection for checkout to school districts.
3. Principles of Selection:
All materials selected shall be consistent with the following principles. Materials are to be selected that shall:
a. Provide for the support and enrichment of the K-12 curriculum of schools, taking into consideration the varied interests, abilities, and maturity levels of the pupils served.
b. Provide materials that will stimulate growth in factual knowledge, literary appreciation, aesthetic values, and ethical standards.
c. Provide a background of information which will enable pupils to make intelligent judgments in their daily lives.
d. Provide materials representing the many sides of contemporary issues so that young citizens may develop the practice of critical reading and thinking.
e. Provide materials that present the sexual, racial, religious, and ethnic groups in our community and our society in such a way as to build positive images, with mutual understanding and respect.
f. Place the principle of freedom to read and view above personal opinion and reason above prejudice in the selection of materials of the highest quality.
4. Criteria for Selection
All acquisitions, whether purchased or donated, are judged in terms of objective standards. An item need not meet all criteria to be acceptable. Several standards and combinations of standards may be used, as some materials should be judged primarily on their artistic merit, scholarship, value as a document of culture, or other individual qualities.
a. General Criteria:
• items too expensive for individual schools to purchase
• items worthwhile, but of limited use
• duplicates of high-use items
• specialized equipment and teaching materials
• suitability of physical form for school use and transportation
• suitability of subject and style for intended audience
• appropriateness and effectiveness of medium to content
• importance as a document of the times
• evaluation of critics, reviewers, and the public (CESA 5 media specialists and faculty)
• relation to existing collection
• availability of diverse points of view
• be of acceptable technical quality
b. Specific Criteria for Works of Information and Opinion:
• authority
• comprehensiveness and depth of treatment
• clarity and accuracy of presentation
• statement of challenging or original point of view
• timeliness
5. Procedures for Selection
Instructional Materials Center: The IMC Advisory Committee is composed of one educator, appointed by the district administrator, from each IMC-member school district. The IMC Advisory Committee sets annual priorities for IMC media purchase by curricular area and grade level. Advisory Committee members forward preview and purchase requests from teachers to the CESA 5 IMC director, coordinate preview within their districts, and make final selection decisions at Advisory Committee meetings. Other requests for specific materials are either previewed, checked against recommended selection tools, or recommended by two or more persons or districts. All acquisitions are made based on the selection principles and criteria listed above.
Special Education Instructional Materials Center, the Instructional Technology Support Service, the Staff Development Resource Center, and any other collections or libraries: Materials purchased for these collections are selected under the direction of professional staff in the projects, using recommendations from member-school districts and the selection criteria listed above.
Gifts to any of the above collections will be evaluated using the selection criteria identified in this policy and will be accepted or rejected based on these standards.
6. Procedures for Reconsideration of Challenged Materials:
The CESA 5 Board of Control supports the principles of intellectual freedom inherent in the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States and expressed in the Library Bill of Rights of the American Library Association and Students’ Right to Read of the National Council of Teachers of English. In the event that materials are questioned, the principles of intellectual freedom, the right to access of materials and the integrity of the media center professionals must be defended, rather than the materials.
The established procedure for processing and responding to criticism of approved materials shall be as follows:
a. Citizens of the school community shall register criticism of the use of CESA 5 Instructional Technology Media Center materials with the school district in question in accordance with the district’s Policies and Procedures for Selection of Instructional Materials.
b. If a complaint is filed with the Director of the CESA 5 Instructional Technology Media Center by a school administrator, school board, or other party, the following procedure will be followed:
1. The initial complaint may be made orally and discussed at that time with the ITMC director.
2. Following that meeting, all criticism shall be in writing and the complainant may obtain the Request for Reconsideration of Educational Materials form.
3. The Request for Reconsideration shall be signed and identification given which will allow a proper reply to be made.
4. The person or persons registering a complaint will be given a copy of the CESA 5 Selection Policy and Guidelines as adopted by the CESA 5 Board of Control.
5. The Request for Reconsideration shall be forwarded to the CESA 5 Administrator.
6. Within two weeks of the receipt of the Request for Reconsideration, the CESA 5 Administrator shall appoint a special review committee consisting of the following:
a) the ITMC Director;
b) the program director, if the item in question was purchased by another program area;
c) teachers from the appropriate grade level and subject area;
d) two members of the IMC, SEIMC, or ITSS advisory committee;
e) community members who might bring particular knowledge and competencies to bear on the specific complaint.
7. The review committee shall:
a) Read /view and examine the materials in question.
b) Check general acceptance of the materials by reading reviews and consulting with the Cooperative Children’s Book Center.
c) Weight values and faults against each other and form opinions based on the materials as a whole and not on passages, photos, etc. pulled out of context.
d) Meet to discuss the material.
e) Prepare a written statement and recommendation to be submitted to the CESA 5 Administrator. This shall be done within two months of the filing of the written Request for Reconsideration.
f) Upon request, the committee may meet with the citizen to discuss the challenged material and the stated decision regarding it.
8. After reviewing the written statement of the committee, the CESA 5 administrator shall notify the complainant of the committee’s decision.
9. A complainant who is not satisfied with this decision may appeal the decision to the CESA 5 Board of Control within ten days of the receipt of the decision. The Board of Control will review the facts and finding of the committee and will render a final decision.
7. Weeding of the ITMC Collections
In order to provide a current, highly usable collection of materials, CESA 5 professional staff shall be given the authority to determine which materials shall be weeded. Informal weeding shall occur as damaged or dated materials are brought to the attention of the media center staff. Formal weeding is a planned part of collection development. Criteria on the weeding process includes copyright date, content, physical condition, number of circulations, and last circulation date, if available. Items weeded from the collection may be replaced by current or new editions or items may be replaced by materials addressing current collection needs and focus.
Adopted 4/4/2013
Page updated
Report abuse