ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION - 6161.1

The District shall provide a wide range of learning resources with appropriate levels of rigor and diversity of perspective, that assist students in learning content standards and developing essential capacities.

It is the responsibility of the professional staff to:

• Provide materials that will enrich and support the curriculum, while taking into consideration the varied interests, abilities, learning styles and maturity levels of the students served;

• Provide materials that will stimulate growth in factual knowledge, literary appreciation, aesthetic values, and different perspectives;

• Provide materials representing various positions on controversial issues so that young citizens may have an opportunity to develop, under guidance, the practice of critical analysis, and to make informed judgments in their daily lives;

• Provide materials representative of the many religious, ethnic, and cultural groups and their contributions to our national heritage and the world community;

• Provide materials that reflect the content standards, the curriculum frameworks, and the State Board Adopted evaluation criteria and reports.

While selection of instructional materials and learning resources involves many people (administrators, teachers, students, community persons, library/media specialists, resource center personnel), the responsibility for coordinating the selection of supplemental instructional materials and school learning resources and making recommendations for acquisition rests with the principal and certificated staff

INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS – GRADES PK-12 CORE ADOPTION MATERIALS:  A text or volume intended for use by students as a basic source of study material for the completion of a subject or course. Core texts are used to regularly provide access to standards based instruction within the classroom. (Requires Board approval.)

• For grades PK-8, core adoption materials are limited to the instructional materials identified through the state mandated and District initiated K-8 adoption process.

INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS – GRADES 9-12 SUPPLEMENTAL TEXTBOOKS: A text or volume intended to be used to regularly supplement the core adoption materials. Supplemental instructional materials are usually provided as classroom sets and may include, but are not limited to, novels, support textbooks, anthologies, etc.  (Requires Board approval.)

LEARNING RESOURCES - GRADES PK-12: Any materials intended to support instruction in a temporary or limited manner.  Learning resources are generally limited in scope or length and may include, but are not limited to blog content, articles, websites, media clips, poems, primary and secondary sources, etc. (Does NOT require Board approval.)

The Board of Education encourages the use of supplementary instructional materials and learning resources to enrich the curriculum and enhance student learning. Such materials shall be aligned with District goals, curriculum objectives, academic standards and shall supplement and not supplant the use of Board-adopted core instructional materials that serve as the primary learning resources.

Whenever a District employee proposes to use a learning resource which is not Board approved, the employee and relevant school team should read and discuss the proposed instructional materials as well as review the materials with site administration (and department chair if applicable).

Criteria for Selection and Adoption of Instructional Materials:

In recommending textbooks or other instructional materials for adoption by the Board of Education, the Superintendent or designee shall ensure that such materials:

1. Are aligned to any applicable academic content standards adopted by the State Board of Education (SBE). (Education Code 60605 and 60605.8)

For grades K-8, the Superintendent or designee shall select instructional materials from among the list of materials adopted by the SBE and/or other materials that have not been adopted by the SBE but are aligned with the state academic content standards. (Education Code 60200, 60210)

For grades 9-12, the Superintendent or designee shall review instructional materials in history-social science, mathematics, English/language arts, and science using a standards map in order to determine the extent to which the materials are aligned to state academic content standards.

2. For grades 9-12, instructional materials are provided by publishers that comply with the requirements of Education Code 60040-60052,60060-60062, and 60226 (Education Code 60400)
3. Do not reflect adversely upon persons because of their race or ethnicity, gender, religion, disability, nationality, sexual orientation, occupation, or other characteristic listed in Education Code 220, nor contain any sectarian or denominational doctrine or propaganda contrary to law (Education Code 51501, 60044) (cf. 0410 - Nondiscrimination in District Programs and Activities)
4. To the satisfaction of the Board, are accurate, objective, current, and suited to the needs and comprehension of District students at their respective grade levels (Education Code 60045)
5. With the exception of literature and trade books, use proper grammar and spelling (Education Code 60045)
6. Do not expose students to a commercial brand name, product, or corporate or company logo unless the Board makes a specific finding that the use is appropriate based on one of the following: (Education Code 60048, 60200)
   1. The commercial brand name, product, or corporate or company logo is used in text for an educational purpose as defined in guidelines or frameworks adopted by the SBE. 
   2. The appearance of a commercial brand name, product, or corporate or company logo in an illustration is incidental to the general nature of the illustration.
7. Technology-based materials shall:  (Education Code 60052)
   1. Be both available and comparable to other, equivalent instructional materials 
   2. Be accessible to all students, including economically disadvantaged students, students with disabilities, and English learners 
   3. Protect the privacy of student data
8. Meet the requirements of Education Code 60040-60043 for specific subject content, including, but not limited to:
   1. Accurately portraying society's cultural and racial diversity, including:
      1. The contributions of all genders in all types of roles, including professional, vocational, and executive roles
      2. The role and contributions of Native Americans, African Americans, Latino Americans, Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, European Americans, LGBTQ+ Americans, persons with disabilities, and members of other ethnic, cultural, religious, and socioeconomic groups to the total development of California and the United States
      3. The role and contributions of the entrepreneur and labor in the total development of California and the United States
   2. Accurately portraying humanity's place in ecological systems and the necessity for the protection of the environment
   3. Accurately portraying the effects on the human system of the use of tobacco, alcohol, and narcotics, and restricted dangerous drugs as defined in Health and Safety Code 11032, and other dangerous substances
   4. Encouraging thrift, fire prevention, and the humane treatment of animals and people
   5. Requiring, when appropriate to the comprehension of students, that textbooks for social science, history, or civics classes contain the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution
9. Support the Districts adopted courses of study and curricular goals, including the District's Local Control and Accountability Plan
10. Contribute to a comprehensive, balanced curriculum
11. Demonstrate reliable quality of scholarship as evidenced by:
    1. Accurate, up-to-date, and well-documented information
    2. Objective presentation of diverse viewpoints
    3. Clear, concise writing and appropriate vocabulary
    4. Thorough treatment of subject matter
12. Provide for a wide range of materials at all levels of difficulty, with appeal to students of varied interests, abilities, and developmental levels
13. Stimulate discussion of contemporary issues, exploration of ideas, and intellectual exchanges, and improve students' thinking and decision-making skills
14. As appropriate, have corresponding versions available in languages other than English
15. Include high-quality teacher's guides
16. When available, include options for lighter weight materials, including materials in digital format, in order to help minimize any injury to students by the combined weight of instructional materials

Conflict of Interest

To ensure integrity in the evaluation and selection of instructional materials, individuals who are participating in the evaluation of instructional materials and are not otherwise designated in the District's conflict of interest code shall not have a conflict of interest as defined below:

1. Will not accept any emolument, money, or other valuable thing or inducement to directly or indirectly introduce, recommend, vote for, or otherwise influence the adoption or purchase of any instructional material  (Education Code 60072)

Sample copies of instructional materials are excepted from this prohibition  (Education Code 60075)

2. Are not employed by nor receive compensation from the publisher or supplier of the instructional materials or any person, firm, organization, subsidiary, or controlling entity representing it
3. Do not have an interest as a contributor, author, editor, or consultant in any textbook or other instructional material submitted to the District

Instructional Materials and Learning Resource Complaint Procedure

The Board of Education uses a comprehensive process to adopt District instructional materials that is based on selection criteria established by law and Board policy and includes opportunities for the involvement of District staff, parents/guardians, and community members. Complaints concerning the content or use of instructional materials, including textbooks, supplementary instructional materials, library materials, or other instructional materials and equipment, shall be properly and fairly considered using established complaint procedures.

The District shall accept complaints concerning instructional materials only from staff, District residents, or the parents/guardians of children enrolled in a District school on the basis of appropriateness. The purpose of the complaint procedure is to consider the opinions of those persons in the schools and the community who are not directly involved in the selection process.

Notwithstanding a sincere approach to expressed concerns, no parent has the right to determine reading, viewing, or listening matter for students other than their own children. Further, it should be understood that the major criterion for the final decision in the case of a learning resource in the Districtis the appropriateness of the material for its intended educational use.

However, a complaint related to the use or prohibited use of any existing textbook, instructional material, supplemental instructional material, or other curriculum for classroom instruction, or any book or other resource in a school library that alleges unlawful discrimination based on a violation of Education Code 243 shall be filed, investigated, and resolved in accordance with Board Policy 1312.3 - Uniform Complaint Procedures.

Complaints alleging discrimination based on a violation of Education Code 243 may be brought under the District's Uniform Complaint Policy or may be filed directly with the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI). Complaints that are filed directly with the SPI are required to identify the basis for doing so, and present evidence that supports the basis for the direct filing. In such cases, the SPI may directly intervene without waiting for an investigation by the District. 

Parents/guardians are encouraged to discuss any concerns regarding instructional materials with their child's teacher and/or the school principal. If the situation remains unresolved, a complaint may be filed.

When deliberating upon challenged materials, the Superintendent and/or designee shall consider the educational philosophy of the District, the professional opinions of teachers of the subject and of other competent authorities, reviews of the materials by reputable bodies, the teacher's stated objectives in using the materials, community standards, and the allegations in  the complaint, including the extent to which the objections are based on the dislike of ideas contained in the materials; and the impact that keeping or removing the materials would have on student well-being.

The Superintendent, their designee, or committee established by the Superintendent to review the materials, shall not prohibit the continued use of an appropriately adopted textbook, instructional material, supplemental instructional material, or other curriculum for classroom instruction, or any book or other resource in a school library on the basis that it contains inclusive and/or diverse perspectives, as specified in Education Code 243.

When any challenged instructional material is reviewed by the District, it shall not be subject to further reconsideration for 12 months, unless the Superintendent determines that reconsideration is warranted.

Step 1: Informal Complaint

If a staff member, District resident, or parent/guardian of a student enrolled in a District school has a complaint regarding the content or use of any specific instructional material, they shall informally discuss the material in question first with the teacher.

If the complaint is not resolved through a one-to-one informal discussion, the principal shall arrange an informal meeting which will usually involve the school’s media specialist or librarian, a department chair, and/or teacher.

The topics of informal discussion (with written back up if available) typically include:

• an explanation of the school’s selection procedure 

• an explanation of the philosophy and goals of the District and/or the media center, and/or a specific course or program 

• the particular place the questioned material occupies in the educational program and its educational usefulness

Step 2: Formal Complaint

If the complaint is not resolved informally, the complainant shall be supplied with the Request for Reconsideration of Instructional Materials and Learning Resources form which shall be completed and returned to the principal before further consideration will be given to the complaint.

Complainants shall sign all complaints and provide identifying information so that the District is able to make a proper reply. Anonymous complaints will not be accepted.

During the investigation of the complaint, the challenged material may remain in use until a final decision has been reached. In accordance with the procedure for handling complaints, no questioned materials shall be removed from the school pending a final decision. However, pending the outcome of the Request for Reconsideration of Instructional Materials and Learning Resources, access to questioned materials will be denied to the child (or children) of the parents making the complaint, if the parents so desire. Based on a review of the standards to be addressed and the length of time related to instruction using the materials, the teacher shall assign the student an alternate material of equal merit as appropriate.

Upon receipt of a completed Request for Reconsideration of Instructional Materials and Learning Resources form, the principal of the school involved will reach out to District office administrators to collaboratively address any remaining concerns.

Step 3: District Determination

The Superintendent or designee shall determine whether a review committee should be convened to review the complaint. If the Superintendent or designee determines that a review committee is not necessary, they shall issue a decision regarding the complaint. When deliberating upon challenged materials, the Superintendent and/or review committee shall consider the educational philosophy of the District, the professional opinions of teachers of the subject and of other competent authorities, reviews of the materials by reputable bodies, the teacher's stated objectives in using the materials, community standards, and the objections of the complainant.  The District's decision shall be based on educational suitability of the materials and the criteria established in Board Policy and Administrative Regulation.

Legal Reference:

EDUCATION CODE

243 Approval or prohibition of textbooks and instructional materials 
18111  Exclusion of books by governing board
51510  Prohibited study or supplemental materials
51511  Religious matters properly included
51933  Sex education materials
60010 Definitions
60050  Social content review of instructional materials
60060-60062  Requirements of publishers
60200.7  Suspension of state instructional materials adoptions
60226  Learner verification of instructional materials
60400  Adoption of high school instructional materials
60605.86-60605.88 Supplemental instructional materials aligned with Common Core Standards

Adopted: April 9, 1973
Revised: October 2010
Revised: February 20, 2013
Revised: February 7, 2017
​​​​Revised: December 11, 2023
Revised: February 11, 2025

Request for Reconsideration of Instructional Materials and Learning Resources form