1500: Challenges to Curriculum, Instructional Material and Activities

District Policy 1500                        

CHALLENGES TO CURRICULUM, INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS AND ACTIVITIES

1.0       Scope. Challenges submitted by the parents/guardians of District students enrolled in a District school, District employees, or District residents (Complainant) to the use of materials, methods, curriculum, instructional activities and/or presentations shall be resolved according to this policy.

2.0       Challenge Standing Committee. At its first meeting of each year, Policy Council shall select individuals who shall serve on the Policy Council Challenge Standing Committee (the Challenge Standing Committee).

2.1       Committee members shall include one elementary and one secondary administrator; one elementary and one secondary teacher; one student; one classified employee; one parent; and the Chairperson of the District Policy Council.

2.2       Committee members shall be appointed for one year.

2.3       The committee shall be chaired by the Superintendent’s designee.

3.0       Materials, methods, curriculum, instructional activities and/or presentations used at only one school.

3.1       The complainant shall meet with the individual(s) responsible for the selection of the materials, methods, curriculum, instructional activities, and/or presentation. If this individual is someone other than the classroom teacher, a school administrator will facilitate this meeting.

3.2       If the Complaint is not resolved during this initial meeting, the school administrator shall hold a conference with the Complainant. At such conference, the focus of the discussion shall be the specific materials, methods, curriculum, instructional activities, and/or presentations to which the Complainant objects, and the reasons for such objection.  Administrators shall maintain a written record of this meeting and any ensuing meetings.

3.3       If the Complainant is dissatisfied with the results of the conference(s), the Complainant may initiate the challenge process by completing challenge form 1 or 2. The Chief Academic Officer (CAO) shall review the challenge and gather information from the school responding to concerns raised in the challenge and shall issue a written decision regarding the challenge within 90 days following receipt. If the Complainant wishes to appeal the CAO’s decision, the appeal shall be presented to the Board of Education (Board) pursuant to the timeline and procedure in Section 5.0.

4.0       Materials, methods, curriculum, instructional activities and/or presentations used at more than one school.

4.1       The complainant may initiate the challenge process by completing challenge form 1 or 2 and filing it with an administrator. Within ten (10) school days of receiving the completed challenge form, the administrator shall forward it to the chairperson of the District Policy Council. The chairperson shall send copies of the challenge to the Superintendent, Deputy Superintendent, General Counsel, and the members of the Challenge Standing Committee.

4.2       The Superintendent's designee shall provide all available, pertinent materials to the Challenge Standing Committee.

4.3       A hearing shall be conducted at which the CAO and the Complainant shall be given the opportunity to offer information and opinions, utilizing supporting evidence, related to the issues before the Challenge Standing Committee. The hearing shall be conducted in accordance with procedures set forth in the attached Exhibit.

4.4       The challenge shall be handled as expeditiously as possible. Within ninety (90) school days from receiving the completed and signed challenge form 1 or 2, the written recommendation of the Challenge Standing Committee shall be forwarded to the Superintendent and all parties in interest.

4.5       The Superintendent shall review the recommendation of the Challenge Standing Committee and render a decision. The Superintendent may approve, modify or reject such recommendation. In the event the Superintendent rejects the recommendation, the matter shall be referred to the CAO for further study. The Superintendent's decision shall be in writing and shall be sent to all parties in interest. If the complainant wishes to appeal the Superintendent’s decision, the appeal shall be presented to the Board pursuant to the timeline and procedure in section 5.0.

5.0       Appeals.

5.1       If the Complainant wishes to appeal the CAO’s decision under section 3.3 or the Superintendent’s decision under section 4.5 to the Board, the Complainant shall file a written request for appeal with the Board within 15 days following the Complainant’s receipt of the decision.

5.2       An appeal to the Board shall follow the procedure for appeals to the Board set forth in District Policy 1550.

5.3       If the same material is challenged at a future date, a copy of any final written decision, and any Board action in the previous challenge shall be sent to the Complainant with an explanation that the issues raised have been resolved by a previous challenge.

5.3.1    If the Complainant believes the challenge is different from the previous one, or, that significant new evidence exists, the Complainant may appeal this decision to the CAO within one (1) calendar month of the decision under section 5.3. If the Complainant is not satisfied with the CAO’s decision, the Complainant may appeal to the Board within one (1) calendar month of the CAO’s decision.

6.0       Any party may be represented by counsel at any step of the procedure.

7.0       This policy is in addition to all other policies/procedures of the District.

CROSS REFERENCE:
Code: 6220

Adams 12 Five Star Schools
Most Current Adoption: June 13, 2022