FILE: IFA
INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS
The Plaquemines Parish Board strongly encourages the utilization of a wide variety of materials and equipment in the instructional program. The selection of media shall be determined by the objectives of the course and the experiences and activities to be provided to meet such objectives. Instructional personnel shall keep abreast of the types of materials and equipment which can contribute toward meeting the goals and objectives of courses. Instructional personnel shall also assist the administration in the selection and purchase of such materials and equipment for the school.
The School Board believes that appropriate personnel and materials must be available for each student. It shall be the policy of the School Board that available system resources and materials be allocated in a manner to ensure equivalence among schools of a similar type and enrollment in: (1) teachers, administrators and auxiliary personnel; and (2) curriculum materials and instructional supplies.
PARENTAL ACCESS TO INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS
A parent of a child attending a public elementary or secondary school shall be entitled to access to instructional materials as provided by law. A parent shall be entitled to:
Review instructional materials used by or administered to the parent's child.
Review any survey before the survey is administered or distributed by a school to a student.
The Superintendent and/or his/her designee shall develop and maintain pertinent administrative regulations and procedures governing parental access to instructional materials. At a minimum, such regulations and procedures shall specify reasonable hours for review, that instructional materials shall be provided upon reasonable request of the parent, and reasonable and customary fees for copying of material(s) requested. Nothing shall prohibit or interfere with the parent making his/her own copies on school premises using any mobile or other device.
For the purpose of this policy:
Instructional materials means content that conveys the knowledge or skills of a subject in the school curriculum through a medium or a combination of media for conveying information to a student. It also includes any nonsecure test, nonsecure assessment, or survey administered to a student. The term also includes books, supplementary materials, teaching aids, computer software, magnetic media, DVD, CD-ROM, computer courseware, online material, information, or services, or an electronic medium or other means of conveying information to the student or otherwise contributing to the learning process.
Parent means the parent or legal guardian of a child.
Survey means any evaluative instrument or questionnaire that is not an assessment of academic knowledge, skills, or abilities, administered as part of a state, national, or international assessment or by itself.
RESPONSIBILITY FOR SELECTION
The School Board shall be responsible for adopting materials selected. The responsibility for the selection of instructional materials shall be delegated to the professionally trained personnel who have some knowledge of the area, the methods of teaching and the individual differences of the students. The responsibility of coordinating the selection of instructional materials and making the recommendation for purchase rests with the Superintendent or designee.
Selection of instructional materials should be based on the knowledge of the curriculum and needs as indicated by the Louisiana Department of Education and accrediting bodies. All materials shall have these elements of quality:
Relevancy or permanent value
Accuracy
Authoritativeness
Clear presentation and/or readability
Format and price
PROCEDURE FOR HANDLING CRITICISM OF MATERIAL
Criticism of specific materials should be handled by the building principal whenever possible. If the criticism cannot be resolved by the principal to the satisfaction of the complainant, then the following procedures shall be followed.
Within five (5) working days, the criticism shall be presented in writing and directed to the Superintendent for review by his designated committee and shall include specific information as to author, title, publisher, and the reason for the criticism, giving specific references to those aspects or sections of the book objected to.
The statement must be signed and identified so that a reply may be given.
The material shall be reviewed in the light of the objections by a committee appointed by the Superintendent or his/her designee.
The report of the special committee shall be forwarded to the Superintendent for action within two (2) weeks after receipt of the written complaint.
If an oral hearing has been requested, the Superintendent shall set a date for said hearing to occur at a regular meeting of the School Board. The request for an oral hearing shall be in writing to the Superintendent.
The Superintendent shall make a final recommendation concerning the matter to the School Board. The person who submitted the complaint of materials or books shall be informed in writing regarding the decision of the School Board.
Adopted: November 1, 2010
Revised: November 4, 2013
Revised: November 10, 2014
Ref: Constitution of Louisiana, Art. VIII, §13
La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§17:81, 17:355
Board minutes, 11-4-13, 11-10-14
Plaquemines Parish School Board