Policies » Section K: School/Community - Home Relations » KEC/KEC-R: Policy On Reconsideration Of Instructional Materials

Policy Date: 10/12/2010

ASD File: KEC
AUBURN SCHOOL DISTRICT
POLICY ON RECONSIDERATION OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS
Statement of Policy:

Any resident or employee of the Auburn School District may formally challenge learning resources used in
the district’s educational program on the basis of appropriateness. This procedure is for the purpose of
considering the opinions of those persons in the schools and the community who are not directly involved
in the selection process.

Request for Informal Reconsideration:
1. The school receiving a complaint regarding a learning resource shall try to resolve the issue
informally.
2. The principal or other appropriate staff shall explain to the questioner the school’s selection
procedure, criteria, and qualifications of those persons selecting the resource.
3. The principal or other appropriate staff shall explain the particular place the questioned resource
occupies in the education program, its intended educational usefulness, and additional information
regarding its use, or include someone who can identify and explain the use of the resource.
4. If the questioner wishes to file a formal challenge, a copy of the district Selection of Learning
Resources policy and a Request for Reconsideration of Learning Resources form shall be handed or
mailed to the party concerned by the principal.
Request for Formal Reconsideration:

Preliminary Procedures –
1. The Principal who receives the complaint will keep on hand and make available Request for
Reconsideration of Learning Resources forms. All formal objections to learning resources must be
made on these forms.
2. The Request for Reconsideration of Learning Resources form shall be signed by the questioner and
filed with the principal or someone so designated by the principal.
3. The superintendent (or designee) and the media director shall be informed of the formal complaint
received.
4. The request for reconsideration shall be referred to a reconsideration committee at the school level
for reevaluation of the resource.
5. Requests for reconsideration of materials in district collections shall be referred to the content area
curriculum committee for reevaluation of the resource. This committee may involve additional
personnel as appropriate.

The Reconsideration Committee:
Upon receipt of a request for formal reconsideration of a learning resource, the principal shall:
1. Appoint a reconsideration committee including the following membership as appropriate:
a. One member of the administrative staff chosen by the superintendent (or designee);
b. One member of the school teaching staff chosen by the school staff;
c. One member of the content area curriculum committee chosen by superintendent (or designee);
d. One member of the parent community chosen by PTA.
2. Name a convener of the reconsideration committee.
3. Arrange for a reconsideration committee meeting within 10 working days after the complaint is
received.
4. The reconsideration committee may choose to consult district support staff and/or community
persons with related professional knowledge.
5. The reconsideration committee shall review the challenged resource and judge whether it conforms
to the principles of selection outlined in the district’s Selection of Learning Resources policy.

Resolution:
The reconsideration committee shall:
1. Examine the challenged resource;
2. Determine professional acceptance by reading critical reviews of the resource;
3. Weigh values and faults and form opinions based on the material as a whole rather than
on passages or sections taken out of context;
4. Discuss the challenged resource in the context of the educational program;
5. Discuss the challenged item with the individual questioner if it is deemed
necessary;
6. Prepare a written report.
a. The written report shall be provided to the individual questioner if requested.
b. The written report shall be retained by the school principal, with copies forwarded to
the superintendent (or designee). A minority report also may be filed.
c. Written reports, once filed, are available for examination upon approval of the Principal.
The decision of the reconsideration committee is binding for the individual school.
Notwithstanding any procedure outlined in this policy, the questioner shall have the right to appeal any
decision of the reconsideration committee to the Auburn School Board as the final review panel.

Guiding Principles:
1. Any resident or employee of the school district may raise objection to learning resources used in a
school’s educational program, despite the fact that the individuals selecting such resources were duly
qualified to make the selection, followed the proper procedure, and observed the criteria for selecting
learning resources.
2. The principal should review the selection and objection rules with the teaching staff at least annually.
The staff should be reminded that the right to object to learning resources is one granted by policies
enacted by the School Board.
3. No parent has the right to determine reading, viewing, or listening matter for students other than his
or her own children.
4. Access to challenged material shall not be restricted during the reconsideration process.
5. The major criterion for the final decision is the appropriateness of the material for its intended
educational use.
6. A decision to sustain a challenge shall not necessarily be interpreted as a judgment of
irresponsibility by the professionals involved in the original selection or use of the material.

Adopted: January 15, 2002 See Appendix KEC-R
Revised: October 12, 2010

ASD File: KEC-R
AUBURN SCHOOL DISTRICT
REQUEST FOR RECONSIDERATION OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS

The Auburn School Board has delegated the responsibility for selection and evaluation of
library/educational resources to the school library media specialist/curriculum committee, and has
established reconsideration procedures to address concerns about those resources. Completion of this
form is the first step in those procedures. If you wish to request reconsideration of school or library
resources, please return the completed form to the Principal.
Name __________________________________________
Date ___________________________________________
Address _________________________________________
City ____________________________________________
State ___________________________
Zip _____________________________
Phone ____________________________________________
Do you represent self? ____ Organization? ____
Received by: _____________________________________
Date: ____________________________________________

ASD File: KEC-R
REQUEST FOR RECONSIDERATION OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS

Date: _____________________
The questioner is encouraged to attach additional information.
Resource on which you are commenting:
____ Book ____ Textbook ____ Video ____ Display ____ Magazine ____ Library Program
____ Audio Recording ____ Newspaper ____ Electronic Information/Network (please specify):
___________________________________________________________________________
____ Other
___________________________________________________________________
Title
________________________________________________________________________
Author/Producer
What brought this resource to your attention?
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Have you examined the entire resource?___________________________________________________
What concerns you about the resource? (use other side or additional pages if necessary)
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Are there resource(s) you suggest to provide additional information and/or other
viewpoints on this topic?
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Note: A copy of the cover page will not be provided to the reconsideration committee.

Adopted: January 15, 2002
Revised: October 12, 2010