POLICY NUMBER:
600.16
ADOPTED:
5.19.2026
Board Policy
- The Board of Education recognizes a fundamental purpose of education is to prepare students for civic participation, critical thinking, and informed decision-making. Schools play a critical role in helping students develop the ability to examine complex issues, evaluate information and evidence, consider multiple perspectives, and engage in respectful discourse.
- The Board also recognizes the challenges educators face when teaching about complex topics for which there may be differing perspectives. This policy establishes expectations for instruction involving controversial issues to ensure that such instruction is standards-aligned, age appropriate, academically balanced, and presented in an objective and impartial manner.
- The Board authorizes the Superintendent and District Administration to establish administrative regulations consistent with this policy.
ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION:
600.16-1
APPROVED:
5.19.2026
Definitions - 600.16-1
1. Controversial issue: A complex topic or question related to issues that lack public consensus, and for which there are differing perspectives or competing solutions. For a topic to be considered a controversial issue, it must be grounded in verifiable facts and scholarly evidence. Matters of established historical fact or proven scientific principle are not considered controversial issues, regardless of individual or group disagreement.
ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION:
600.16-2
APPROVED:
5.19.2026
Instructional Expectations - 600.16-2
Schools have an obligation to provide students with opportunities to practice civil reasoning and discourse by examining and discussing different perspectives. Instruction involving controversial issues, whether planned or in response to student inquiries and current events shall:
- Be aligned to Utah Core Standards.
- Meet District instructional materials selection criteria.
- Ensure a respectful learning environment with established norms for discussion in order to safely explore varying viewpoints.
- Be presented in an objective, impartial, and academically responsible manner.
- Distinguish between fact, opinion, and interpretation by teaching students to evaluate the credibility and reliability of sources.
- Center on analysis of evidence to inform students’ thinking.
- Seek guidance from school administration when uncertainty exists regarding appropriateness of instructional materials or learning activity.
- Be transparent about the rationale for teaching a particular issue in a particular way.
- Educators should communicate with families in advance, when practical, regarding specific learning objectives, activities, or instructional materials that may be controversial.
- Advanced communication can be in the form of course disclosures, course descriptions, class or school newsletters, or other targeted, electronic communications.
ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION:
600.16-2
APPROVED:
5.19.2026
Educator Expectations - 600.16-3
Instruction that critically examines different perspectives requires thoughtful facilitation by educators.
- Educators must maintain an impartial and unbiased role during instruction and may not disclose personal viewpoints or political affiliations.
- Educators may take various viewpoints to broaden the students’ understanding of the complexity of the issue within the bounds of this policy.
- When students raise questions about current events or unplanned topics, educators may address them if they can be tied to learning intentions. If a topic is too complex for an immediate response, educators should acknowledge the question and consider if the topic is appropriate to integrate into future lessons.
Exhibits
None
References
None
Forms
None
Document History
- “The Board recognizes a fundamental purpose of education is to prepare students for civic participation, critical thinking, and informed decision-making. Schools play a critical role in helping students develop the ability to examine complex issues, evaluate information and evidence, consider multiple perspectives, and engage in respectful discourse.”
- “The Board also recognizes the challenges educators face when teaching about complex topics for which there may be differing perspectives. This policy establishes expectations for instruction involving controversial issues to ensure that such instruction is standards-aligned, age appropriate, academically balanced, and presented in an objective and impartial manner.”
- The policy includes a new definition for controversial issue:
- Controversial issue: A complex topic or question related to issues that lack public consensus, and for which there are differing perspectives or competing solutions. For a topic to be considered a controversial issue, it must be grounded in verifiable facts and scholarly evidence. Matters of established historical fact or proven scientific principle are not considered controversial issues, regardless of individual or group disagreement.
- The policy includes instructional expectations and educators expectations.
This online presentation is an electronic representation of the Canyons School District’s currently adopted policy manual. It does not reflect updating activities in progress. The official, authoritative manual is available for inspection in the office of the Superintendent located at 9361 South 300 East Sandy, UT 84070.
