2023                      8320

Instruction

 

SUBJECT:  TEXTBOOKS, LIBRARY MATERIALS, AND OTHER INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS

The District’s instructional program is enriched and supported by the selection of quality print and non-print instructional materials. Selected instructional materials will align with New York State learning standards, reflect different viewpoints, and meet the varied needs and interests of staff and students.

Definitions

For purposes of this policy, the following definitions apply:

1. “Instructional material” means any print or non-print material with instructional content or an instructional function that is used to facilitate formal or informal learning either in the classroom, library media center, or elsewhere in the District. Examples of instructional materials include, but are not limited to: textbooks; workbooks; hardcover and paperback books; ebooks; online databases; DVDs; streaming videos; sound recordings; magazines;
   newspapers; pamphlets; pictures; charts; games; kits; maps; models; microforms; slides; specimens; and transparencies.
2. “Library material”means any print or non-print material which is catalogued and processed as part of the library media center for use by students and staff. Examples of library materials include, but are not limited to: hardcover and paperback books; ebooks; online databases; DVDs; streaming videos; sound recordings; magazines; newspapers; pamphlets; pictures; charts; games; kits; maps; models; microforms; slides; specimens; and transparencies.
3. “Textbook” means a text, or a text-substitute, that a student is required to use in a particular class or program of the District. Textbooks include:

1. Books, or book substitutes, including hardcover or paperback books, workbooks, or manuals; and
2. Courseware or other content-based instructional materials in an electronic format.

Overview of Instructional Materials

Textbooks

The Superintendent will work with District administrators and instructional staff to determine what textbooks should be used as part of the District’s instructional program. Upon the recommendation of the Superintendent, the Board will designate the textbooks to be used. Textbooks, once designated, cannot be superseded within a period of five years except by a 3/4 vote of the Board.

The District will ensure that students who require alternative formats of instructional materials receive those materials at the same time as those instructional materials are available to their peers.

The Board will make provision for funds to be budgeted for the purchase of textbooks. Students may be required to pay for lost or excessively damaged textbooks.

 

Calculators

The New York State Education Department (NYSED) requires the use of calculators for intermediate and high school level mathematics and science assessments. Students are not required to purchase their own calculators. To the extent that calculators are a necessary part of the instructional program, the District will provide them.

Calculators must be considered a classroom teaching material for which the District is authorized to levy a tax. Even if operating under a contingent budget, the District must purchase and provide calculators if required for participation in an instructional program. Students may be required to pay for lost calculators.

Library Materials

The District will establish and maintain a library media center in each school which will contain library materials. The library media center in each District school will meet the needs of students and staff, and provide an adequate complement to the instructional program in the various areas of the curriculum. The District will employ certified school library media specialists in accordance with specific standards contained in regulation, unless equivalent service is provided by an alternative arrangement approved by the Commissioner.

The Board delegates its authority to designate library materials to be used in the District to the school library media specialist(s). When appropriate, the school library media specialist(s) will work cooperatively with the Superintendent, other District administrators, instructional staff, the Board,
students, and/or District community members to identify, order, and organize library materials.

When appropriate, the school library media specialist(s) will utilize shared services such as Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) to improve programs and services, build collections, utilize new technologies, and maximize funding.

The Board will make provision for funds to be budgeted for the purchase of library materials. Students may be required to pay for library materials that are lost, excessively damaged, or overdue.

 

Objectives in the Selection of Library and Instructional Materials

 

The broad range and varying suitability of all forms of library and instructional materials which are available for purchase demand careful evaluation before they are selected for use in the District’s classrooms and library media centers. In order to select quality print and non-print library and instructional materials to enrich and support the District’s instructional program, the Board endorses and supports the selection of library and instructional materials that:

1. Align with New York State learning standards;
2. Implement, enrich, and support the District’s curriculum and instructional program, taking into consideration the varied interests, abilities, and learning styles of students;
3. Meet the varied needs and interests of staff and students;
4. Present various sides of controversial issues so that students may develop critical thinking and reading skills resulting in the ability to make informed decisions;
5. Offer global perspectives and promote diversity by including materials by authors and illustrators of all cultures — materials will not be excluded because of the race, nationality, religion, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, political views, or social views of the author;
6. Provide staff and students with a wide range of up-to-date instructional materials of all levels of difficulty in a variety of physical and digital formats including print and non-print such as electronic and multimedia (including subscription databases and other online products, ebooks, educational games, and other forms of emerging technologies);
7. Afford students the opportunity to explore a diverse range of literature to develop and strengthen a lifelong love of reading.

 

 

• 20 USC §§ 1412, 1474, and 6311
• 34 CFR § 300.172
• 34 CFR Part 300, Appendix C
• Education Law §§ 701, 702, 711, 1604, 1709, 1804, 1950, 2503, and 3602
• 8 NYCRR §§ 91.1, 91.2, 100.1, and 200.2

NOTE: Refer also to Policies

• #5412 — Alternative Formats for Instructional Materials
• #8110 — Curriculum Development, Resources, and Evaluation
• #8330 — Objection to Instructional Materials and Controversial

 

Adopted:  8/24/11
Revised:  9/22/20; 7/25/23