652 Procedure: Instructional and Library Materials Reevaluation

III. PROCESS AND CRITERIA FOR REEVALUATION OF INSTRUCTIONAL AND LIBRARY MATERIALS WHICH HAVE COME UNDER CHALLENGE

The following process for reevaluation of instructional materials is provided for use by District students, parents or guardians of a student, employees or residents.

a. Reevaluation committee

1) The Coordinator of Digital Learning and Instructional Media, the Director of Learning and Achievement and the Director of Educational Equity will jointly identify a reevaluation committee and a chairperson of that committee. That committee will address any challenges received that year.
2) Committee composition

a) One building Principal or Assistant Principal appointed by the representative principals' organization.
b) One teacher, at the level (elementary or secondary) the challenge was raised, appointed by the representative teachers' organization.
c) One Coordinator appointed jointly by the Director of Learning and Achievement and the Director of Educational Equity.
d) One Library Media Specialist appointed jointly by the Coordinator of Digital Learning and Instructional Media, the Director of Learning and Achievement and the Director of Educational Equity.
e) One student from each high school appointed by the Principal.
f) Four district parents/guardians of a student or residents who are members of formal district committees. The Coordinator of Digital Learning and Instructional Media, the Director of Learning and Achievement and the Director of Equity will jointly appoint one of the resident/parent/guardian members to serve as chairperson of the reevaluation committee.

b. Temporary Replacement of Reevaluation Committee Member

1) If a member of a reevaluation committee:

a) Is the initiator of the challenge being addressed, or
b) Is the Principal of the building where the challenge is initiated from, or
c)  Is the teacher or Library Media Specialist, whichever applies, involved in the challenge, or
d) Is the Coordinator for the area addressed in a challenge to core/supplementary instructional materials, or
e) Is unable to attend the reevaluation meeting, then that member must be replaced on the reevaluation committee while the committee is addressing that challenge.

2)    Replacement Procedure
If a committee member must be replaced in accordance with b.1, above, then the replacement procedure must be as neutral as possible, involving random drawing if applicable.

c. Meeting structure

1)  Reevaluation committees may set procedural rules such as a time limit on presentations, order of presentations, and number of presentations.
2)   In the event a reevaluation committee receives multiple challenges, either simultaneously or overlapping, the Committee will determine the order in which they will be addressed, providing priority to student and parent/guardian challenges. While the Committee needs to address the challenges in as timely a manner as possible, the committee may extend the four-week timeline requirements listed under the formal procedures of this Procedure 652 – Instructional and Library Materials Reevaluation. The District may not establish additional committees.

d.    Authority and Voting

1)    The reevaluation committee:

a)    Makes decisions in response to challenges. 
b)    The decisions of the reevaluation committee are binding on all elementary or secondary schools, as applicable, in the District.

2)    Reevaluation committee decisions are rendered by a majority vote. A tie vote maintains the status quo.  Voting is by closed ballot.

e. Formal procedures

1) District staff shall respond to communication from the person initiating the challenge within two business days.

2) The Coordinator will distribute copies of the submitted Request for Reevaluation Form to:

a) The chairperson of the reevaluation committee,

b) The Assistant Superintendents,

c) The Director of Learning and Achievement.

3) Use of challenged core/supplementary instructional materials must continue during the formal reevaluation process.

4) Availability of library materials must continue during the formal reevaluation process.

5) The chairperson of the reevaluation committee:

a) Will notify committee members of the challenge and set up a meeting within four weeks of the formal challenge.

b) Will invite the building Principal, the teacher(s) and/or Library Media Specialist to the meeting.

c) Will invite the person initiating the challenge to the meeting.

d) Will, in the case of district-level core/supplementary instructional materials, invite the appropriate Curriculum Specialist or Program Coordinator to the meeting.

e) Will provide an opportunity for the committee to hear the views of the person bringing the challenge, as well as the rationale for use from the building Principal, licensed teacher(s) and/or Library Media Specialist, and/or Curriculum Specialist/ Program Coordinator. The person bringing the challenge will be provided the option to speak first or last.

f) May ask that reviews of the materials be provided by the licensed staff.

g) May arrange for testimony from experts/ authorities on the subject.

6) The reevaluation committee:

a)  Will meet to receive and review the challenged materials for examination.

b) Will review the purposes set in Policy 652 – Instructional and Library Materials Selection, and its accompanying procedures, identify the objection, and hear testimony, if necessary.

c) Will examine the materials in their entirety.

d) May check general acceptance of the materials. Will judge relative values and faults of the challenged materials and form opinions.

e) Will make a decision within four weeks in an open meeting (a majority of committee members, including the chairperson, must be present for a final decision).

f) A notetaker will be assigned for the meeting, and such notes will be used to prepare a report of the committee's decision immediately upon a decision.

g) Will send a copy of the report to the person initiating the challenge, including instructions as to how to appeal if the initiator is dissatisfied with the district-level committee's decision.

h) Will send a copy of the report to the Assistant Superintendents, the Coordinator, and the Director of Learning and Achievement,

i)  Will maintain a file including the Request for Reevaluation, any written documentation presented or examined, and the report of the committee's decision.

j) Will forward the file maintained to the Superintendent if the decision of the reevaluation committee is appealed.

7) Instructional and library materials may not be subject to additional requests for reevaluation for three years following the date of the final resolution of the initial Request for Reevaluation.

8) If either the challenger or the person or committee that originally selected the material is not satisfied with the decision of the reevaluation committee, the decision rendered may be appealed to the School Board by submitting the Procedure 652 Request for Reevaluation Form to the Superintendent within five business days of the reevaluation committee decision.

a)  If the challenge is properly appealed, the School Board will consider the merits of the appeal at the next regular school board meeting if that meeting is at least three weeks away.

b) At the option of the School Board, a committee or representative(s) of the Board may be designated by the Board to hear the appeal at this level and report its findings and recommendations in writing to the full Board.

c) If a committee is formed or if the full Board hears the merits of the appeal at its regular meeting, then the committee or Board must review the documentation collected as part of the district-level deliberation. They may hear oral statements by the challenging party and a representative of the district-level reevaluation committee.

Created/Revised
Revised: 10/22/24

Revised: 1/15/19
Created:  12/2/03 (formerly Procedure 6410)
Revised:  5/17/94    
Revised:  10/15/85    
Created:  9/1/8

Legal References
Public Law 94-553:  copyright

Minn. Stat. §134.51