POLICY NUMBER:
600.02
ADOPTED:
6.6.2023
Board Policy
- The Board of Education recognizes the need for and value of a coherent instructional program consisting of common instructional materials, targeted instructional priorities, and assessments to effectively teach the Utah Core Standards.
- The design and implementation of the instructional program will be consistent with the Board’s adopted mission and applicable goals, state laws, and State Board of Education rules.
- The Board deems it essential that the District regularly develop and update Instructional Guides to provide a common direction of action and to meet changing needs of students and educators.
- Instructional materials are a critical component of a coherent instructional program and should be:
- Aligned to the Utah Core Standards or specified course standards and CSD Board Policy
- Supported by generally accepted standards of evidence
- Accurate and factual
- Age appropriate
- Reflective of contributions from authors, artists, or appropriate experts in the field that represent diverse viewpoints, ethnic and cultural backgrounds and experiences
- Representative of diverse cultures
- Free of biases or stereotypes related to sex, race, religion, sexual orientation, or gender identity
- Contributes to a balanced perspective
- Aligned to support personalized competency-based learning (PCBL)
- Compatible with District technology systems
- In compliance with Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)
- Accessible to all students with scaffolding
- Free of sensitive materials
- While instructional scaffolding is expected to occur to address the unique needs of individual students, that instruction and intervention will be derived in alignment with the Utah Core standards.
- The Board authorizes the Superintendent and District Administration to establish administrative regulations consistent with this policy.
ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION:
600.02-1
APPROVED:
6.6.2023
Definitions - 600.02-1
- Utah Core Standards are established by the Utah State Board of Education in accordance with Title 53E-4-202 to identify the basic knowledge, skills, and competencies each student is expected to acquire or master as the student advances through the public education system.
- Print Resources include textbooks, consumable workbooks, fiction and nonfiction books, and any other print resources which students are required to have, use, or access during instruction.
- Digital Resources include digital textbooks, electronic documents, digital tools, online applications or programs, software, video clips, websites, learning management systems, instruction and assessment platforms and any other digital resources which students are required to have, use, or access during instruction. Videos that are rated will be subject to CSD Standards for Video Use in Schools (Exhibit 7).
- Districtwide Primary Curriculum Materials are instructional materials intended for use by all CSD educators in all schools as the primary source of information for teaching the core standards in a given course. Materials include print and digital resources for educator and student use. Specific resources within the curriculum are mapped to a specific scope and sequence in the Instructional Guide for the course.
- Course-level Primary Instructional Materials are the materials used to teach specific elective, Advanced Placement (AP), concurrent enrollment, International Baccalaureate (IB) and Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses.
- Supplemental Materials are instructional materials that enhance primary curriculum materials or are used in combination with other supplemental materials for teaching Utah core standards or course specified standards. Supplemental materials may include print and digital resources for educator or student use. Supplemental materials and requirements for use are outlined in the Instructional Guide for the course.
- Intervention Materials are materials intended to build specific skills with students who are below benchmark in reading, language, writing, and/or mathematics.
- Teacher-Selected Materials are specific instructional materials selected by teachers or licensed educators to enhance a lesson(s). Teacher-selected materials are not intended for extended use.
- Age Appropriate means generally suitable for students of the same age or level of social, emotional, and cognitive development. The context and prevalence of violence, sex, language, and illegal substances as well as the social and cultural factors of the learning communities must be considered when selecting instructional materials.
- School setting: means, for a public school, in a classroom, in a school library, or on school property. School setting includes the following activities that an organization or individual or organization outside of a public school conducts, if a public school or the District sponsors the activity:
- an assembly;
- a guest lecture;
- a live presentation; or
- an event.
- Sensitive Material: means an instructional material that is pornographic or indecent material as the term is defined in Utah Code Section 76-10-1235.
- Sensitive material does not include an instructional material: the district selected under 53G-10-402 (Health Curriculum Requirements) ; for medical courses; for family and consumer courses; or for another course the state board exempts in board rule.
ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION:
600.02-2
APPROVED:
6.6.2023
Instructional Guides - 600.02-2
- Under the direction of the Director of Instructional Supports Department (ISD), Instructional Guides will be developed to reflect a coherent instructional program for required core courses and select elective courses. Instructional Guides will include: scope and sequence of Utah Core Standards or specified course standards, approved instructional materials or District-adopted curriculum mapped to standards, District instructional priorities and content-specific instructional frameworks, and instructional resources.
- Instructional Guides will be reviewed annually by Instructional Supports specialists and educators and adjusted as needed based on student data, implementation feedback, updated standards, updated instructional materials, changes to state rule and District policy, innovations in education, and/or advances in research.
- Instructional Guides will be made public for all stakeholders to view on the District website.
ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION:
600.02-3
APPROVED:
6.6.2023
Instructional Materials Selection - 600.02-3
- Instructional materials are the resources used by educators to promote student learning. These materials may be commercially available or District-created and include digital resources and print resources. Approved instructional materials are outlined in Instructional Guides. Courses that do not have an Instructional Guide will have approved instructional materials listed in the course disclosure. All instructional materials must be selected in accordance with this section.
- District-wide Primary Curriculum Materials are selected by a District Curriculum Committee and approved by the Board of Education. Under the direction of the Director of Instructional Supports Department (ISD), the District Curriculum Committee will follow the Districtwide Primary Curriculum Materials Adoption procedures (Exhibit 1).
- The members of the District Curriculum Committee will be selected from and in representation of principals, teachers, instructional support specialists, and other school and district personnel as appropriate according to assignment and subject matter expertise.
- Course-Level Primary Instructional Materials are selected at the school level for elective, Advanced Placement (AP), concurrent enrollment, International Baccalaureate (IB) and Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses. The school principal will follow the Course-Level Primary Instructional Materials Selection Procedures (Exhibit 2). Final approval is granted by the Director of Instructional Supports or designee.
- Supplemental Instructional Materials are approved by the Director of Instructional Supports or designee.
- Supplemental instructional materials are selected by ISD and teachers during the annual review of the Instructional Guides.
- Schools may request approval for use of supplemental instructional materials by submitting a Supplemental Instructional Materials Request Form (Exhibit 3).
- Supplemental instructional materials will be evaluated using the Instructional Materials Selection Criteria (Exhibit 4).
- Fiction and nonfiction books used as supplemental instructional materials must be approved through the Fiction and Nonfiction Book Approval Process (Exhibit 5).
- Intervention materials are approved by the Director of Instructional Supports, or designee.
- Intervention materials are selected by District departments as needed.
- Schools may request approval for use of intervention materials by submitting an Intervention Materials form.
- Intervention materials will be evaluated using the Instructional Materials Selection Criteria (Exhibit 4).
- Teacher-selected materials are selected by individual teachers for use as part of a particular lesson or lessons. Materials selected should be evaluated using the Instructional Materials Selection Criteria (Exhibit 3). It is recommended that teachers have a colleague or administrator review materials to ensure appropriateness for student use in the classroom.
- If materials are part of a planned lesson that involve a controversial issue, teachers must adhere to Policy 600.16—Study of Controversial Issues.
- Presentations from individual classroom guest speakers should adhere to the Instructional materials selection criteria.
- Instructional material deemed inconsistent with the CSD Instructional Materials Selection Criteria may be removed by the Principal or Superintendent for review by the Department of Instructional Supports.
- School assemblies or events utilizing guest lecturers or live presentations for the student-body or District community shall be reviewed and approved by the School Assembly and Guest Presenter Approval Committee.
- Student-led, teacher-led, and principal-led assemblies during the school day will adhere to applicable instructional materials selection criteria.
- Sex Education Materials are selected and approved in accordance with Policy 600.05—Sex Education Instruction.
ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION:
600.02-4
APPROVED:
6.6.2023
Review of Instructional Materials for Sensitive Material - 600.02-4
- Sensitive material is prohibited in the school setting. A school may not adopt, distribute, provide a student access to, or maintain in the school setting sensitive materials, or permit a speaker or presenter in the school setting to display or distribute sensitive materials.
- If a parent/legal guardian of a student believes instructional materials meet the definition of a “sensitive material,” the parent/legal guardian will contact the principal to complete a Review of Sensitive Materials Form. The completed form will be provided to the Director of Instructional Supports.
- For concerns regarding school library materials please refer to Policy—600.06—School Library Materials Selection and Review.
- The Director of instructional Supports or designee will form a Committee to review the Instructional Materials for sensitive material.
- The Committee will include the following:
- A school administrator;
- A teacher at the school level;
- The content specialist selected by the Director of ISD or designee;
- Two parent/legal guardians reflective of the school community.
- The Committee will read, view or listen to the instructional materials and determine if the instructional material is sensitive material as that term is defined in Utah Code 76-10-1235. The Committee is allotted ten (10) school days to organize and review the material.
- The District will take reasonable steps to protect the confidentiality of the sensitive material review process and committee members (i.e., names and other personally identifiable information).
- The committee may consult with the District’s Legal Services Office and shall refer to trainings and guidance issued from USBE and the Utah Attorney General’s Office.
- The committee’s determination will be communicated to the Superintendent and Director of Instructional Supports for proper recording.
- The parent/legal guardian will be notified of the determination within a reasonable time period, within three (3) school days after a decision is reached.
- The same instructional material cannot be resubmitted for review for a period of (three) 3 years.
- An administrative record of the Committee decision will be maintained in the Instructional Supports Department.
- A decision made by the Committee is the final decision.
- Following the Committee decision there is no further administrative action.
- The Committee will include the following:
ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION:
600.02-5
APPROVED:
6.6.2023
Religious Belief or Right of Conscience - 600.02-5
- A school may not in any aspect of school:
- require or incentivize a student to affirm or deny the student’s or
student’s parent’s religious belief or right of conscience; - engage a student in a practice that violates or is contrary the
student’s or parent’s religious belief or right of conscience; or - penalize or discriminate against a student for refraining from
participation due to the student’s or the student’s parent’s religious
belief or right of conscience.
- require or incentivize a student to affirm or deny the student’s or
- Request for Alternative Curriculum:
- If a student refrains from participating in any aspect of school that violates the student’s or the student’s parent’s religious belief or right of conscience, the school shall promptly notify student’s parent if the secondary student makes a request may offer an alternative that does not violate the student’s or the student’s parent’s religious belief or right of conscience.
- A school may not require the student or the student’s parent to
explain, defend, or justify the student’s or the student’s parent’s
religious belief or right of conscience.
- A student’s parent may waive the student’s participation in any aspect of school that violates the student’s or the student’s parent’s religious belief or right of conscience.
- A student’s academic or citizenship performance may not be penalized if the secondary student or the student’s parent chooses to exercise a religious right or right of conscience in accordance with the provisions of this section.
Exhibits
- Exhibit-1—Districtwide Primary Curriculum Materials Adoption Procedures
- Exhibit-2—Course-level Primary Instructional Materials Selection Procedures
- Exhibit-3—Supplemental Instructional Materials Request Form
- Exhibit-4—Instructional Materials Selection Criteria
- Exhibit-5—Fiction and Nonfiction Book Selection Process
- Exhibit-6—Waiver of Participation Form
- Exhibit-7—CSD Standards for Video Use in Schools
Forms
None
Document History
Revised – 6.6.2023. Policy—600.02—Instructional Materials was updated to include language to align with H.B. 348 – Participation Waiver Amendments (2023) for when a student or student’s parent expressed a religious belief or right of conscience. Policy 600.02 was updated to include language that school may offer an alternative provided the alternative does not violate the student’s or the student’s parent’s right of conscience. An Exhibit was updated to process a request for a waiver.
Revised – 12.13.2022. Policy—600.02—Instructional Materials was updated to comply with H.B. 374 Sensitive Materials in Schools (2022) which requires a District to include parents reflective of a school’s community when determining whether an instructional material is sensitive. A sensitive material as outlined in H.B. 374, “means an instructional material that is pornographic or indecent material as that term is defined in Section 76-10-1235. Sensitive material does not include an instructional material: the district selected under 53G-10-402 (Health Curriculum Requirements); for medical courses; for family and consumer courses; or for another course the state board exempts in board rule.”
The policy update includes statutory definitions of school setting and sensitive material to the policy. The policy update adds to the District’s instructional materials selection criteria that instructional materials selected will be free from sensitive materials. A new administrative regulation outlines the District’s process for review of sensitive materials, which establishes a committee for review of sensitive materials that includes parents reflective of the school community. Language was also added to protect the confidentiality of the review committee members.
Revised – 1.4.2022. Policy – 600.02 – Curriculum Adoption required substantive revisions to outline the District’s curriculum adoption process. The policy was retitled Instructional Materials and revised as follows:
- A new Board Policy Statement
- A comprehensive Instructional Material adoption criteria
- Definitions of the following: Utah Core Standards; Districtwide Primary Curriculum Materials; Print and Digital Resources; Course Level Primary Instructional Materials: Supplemental Materials; Intervention Materials; and Teacher-Selected Materials
- The policy outlines a process for adoption of each level of Instructional Materials with specific Exhibits to describe instructional materials adoption.
- The policy includes a Waiver of Participation, where a parent/legal guardian may request a waiver for participation in a portion of the curriculum or activity as outlined in state statute. (See, Utah Code 53G-10-205 (4)).
Adopted – 1.3.2012.
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.
