Long-range needs assessment enables the school district to analyze assessment data, get feedback from the community about its expectations of students and determines how well students are meeting student learning goals.  The board shall conduct ongoing and in-depth needs assessment, soliciting information from business, labor, industry, higher education and community members, regarding their expectations for adequate student preparation as responsible citizens and successful wage earners.  Long-range needs assessment will include collecting, analyzing and reporting information from local, state, and national sources.  This information will include state and local indicators, and student learning goals.

 

In conjunction with the in-depth needs assessment of the school district, the board shall authorize the appointment of a committee, representing administrators, employees, parents, students and community members, to make recommendations and assist the board in determining the priorities of the school district in addition to the basic skills areas of the education program.  This School Improvement Advisory Committee will be coordinated with the staff committees that produce a Comprehensive School Improvement Plan that describes the process to develop, implement, and assess student achievement.  The complete School Improvement Advisory Committee will meet annually to analyze achievement information and to prepare recommendations for the Board of Education.

 

It shall be the responsibility of the superintendent to ensure the Board of Education and school district community is informed of students’ progress on state and locally determined indicators.  The superintendent shall report annually to the board of progress in this matter.

 

As a result of the Board and committee work, the Board shall determine major educational needs and rank them in priority order; develop long-range goals and plans to meet the needs; establish and implement short-range and intermediate-range plans to meet the goals and to attain the desired levels of student performance; evaluate progress toward meeting the goals and maintain a record of progress under the plan that includes reports of student performance and results of school improvement projects; and annually report the school district’s progress made under the plan to the committee, community and Iowa Department of Education.

 

(May 15, 2000; July 7, 2003; January 17, 2011; July 9, 2012; January 19, 2015; <October 21, 2019)

 

The school district offers an education program for grades Kindergarten through twelve.  The school district may offer an education program for preschool and/or Alternative Kindergarten (AK).  The levels of instruction are organized by the following levels:

• Grades preschool through fourth shall be considered the Elementary School students;
• Grades fifth through eighth shall be considered the Middle School students;
• Grades nine through twelve shall be considered High School students.

Students may attend different attendance centers to meet individual learning needs such as accelerated learning or alternative education.

 

 

(April 20, 1981; April 17, 1989; May, 2002; July 7, 2003; September 20, 2010; January 17, 2011, July 9, 2012, August 18, 2014; January 19, 2015; October 21, 2019)

 

 

Policy 601.01: School Calendar 

 

The school calendar will accommodate the education program of the school district. The school calendar is for a minimum of [180 days or 1080 hours] and includes, but is not limited to, the days for student instruction, staff development, in-service days and teacher conferences.  Each year the minimum school calendar may include up to 5 days or 30 hours of instruction delivered primarily over the internet.

The academic school year for students shall begin no sooner than August 23. Employees may be required to report to work at the school district prior to this date. 

Special education students may attend school on a school calendar different from that of the regular education program consistent with their Individualized Education Program. 

The board, in its discretion, may excuse graduating seniors from up to five days or 30 hours of instruction after the school district requirements for graduation have been met. The board may also excuse graduating seniors from making up days missed due to inclement weather if the student has met the school district's graduation requirements. 

It is the responsibility of the superintendent to develop the school calendar for recommendation, approval, and adoption by the board annually. 

The board may amend the official school calendar when the board considers the change to be in the best interests of the school district's education program. The board shall hold a public hearing on any proposed school calendar prior to adopting the school calendar. 

 

Legal Reference: Iowa Code §§ 20.9; 279.10, 280.3; 299.1 (2).

281 I.A.C. 12.1(7); 41.106.  

I.C. Iowa Code References Description 

Iowa Code § 20.9 Collective Bargaining - Scope of Negotiations 

Iowa Code § 279.10 Directors- Powers and Duties - School Year Begin Date 

Iowa Code § 280.3 Education Program - Attendance Center Requirements 

Iowa Code § 299.1 Compulsory Education - Attendance Requirements 

I.A.C. Iowa Administrative Code References Description

281 I.A.C. 12.1 General Standards 

Cross References Description

214 Public Hearings 

409.01 Employee Vacation - Holidays (I, II) 

 

Approved: March 21, 2022; September 5, 2023

Reviewed: April 3, 2023; September 5, 2023

Revised: September 5, 2023

 

 

 

 

 

 

Policy 601.2: School Day

 

The student school day for grades one through twelve will consist of a minimum of six hours, not including the lunch period. The school day consists of the schedule of class instruction and class activities as established and sponsored by the school district. Time during which students are released from school for parent/teacher conferences may be counted as part of students’ instructional time. The minimum school day will meet the requirements as established for the operation of accredited schools.

The board may define the number of days kindergarten will be held and the length of each school day for the students attending kindergarten. The school day will consist of a schedule as recommended by the superintendent and approved by the board. 

The school district may also record a day of school with less than the minimum instructional hours if the total hours of instructional time for grades one through twelve in any five consecutive school days equals a minimum of thirty hours, even though any one day of school is less than the minimum instructional hours because of a staff development opportunity provided for the instructional staff or parent-teacher conferences have been scheduled beyond the regular school day. If the total hours of instructional time for the first four consecutive days equal at least thirty hours because parent-teacher conferences have been scheduled beyond the regular school day, the school district may record zero hours of instructional time on the fifth consecutive school day as a school day. Schedule revisions and changes in time allotments will be made by the superintendent. 

 

When the school is forced to close due to weather or other emergencies, the part of the day during which school was in session will constitute a school day. The [superintendent/building principal] will create administrative regulations necessary to utilize any remote learning opportunities that are available and permitted by law during the period of closure. The provision of special education and accommodations for students who have individualized education programs (IEPs) or Section 504 plans during periods of closure will be determined by each respective IEP or Section 504 team.

 

It is the responsibility of the superintendent to inform the board annually of the length of the school day.

 

Legal Reference: 34 C.F.R. sec. 300

28 C.F.R. pt. 35

Iowa Code § 256.7 (3) (21) (32), 279.8, .10. 

281 I.A.C. 12.1(1), .1(7-10).

 

I.C. Iowa Code References Description

Iowa Code § 256.7 DE - Duties of State Board -

Iowa Code § 279.10 Directors- Powers and Duties - School Year Begin Date 

Iowa Code § 279.8 Directors - General Rules - Bonds of Employees 

I.A.C. Iowa Administrative  

281 I.A.C. 12.1 General Standards 

C.F.R. - Code of Federal Regulations References Description

28 C.F.R. 35 Judicial - Disability - Nondiscrimination - 

 

 

Approved: April 17, 1989

Reviewed: July 15, 1991; June 16, 1997; July 7, 2003; January 17, 2011; July 9, 2012; August 18, 2014; January 19, 2015; March 9, 2015; October 21, 2019

Revised: February 21, 2023

 

It is within the sole discretion of the board to determine the size of classes and to determine whether class grouping will take place.  The size of each class shall depend upon the type of instruction needed to assist each student to develop academic and occupational capacities to the utmost.  Effective staff utilization shall also be considered in organizing and scheduling classroom instruction.

The superintendent of schools with the administrative staff is instructed and directed to investigate new approaches and techniques in organizing and scheduling classroom instruction.

 

(April 20, 1981; July 7, 2003: January 17, 2011; July 9, 2012; January 19, 2015; <October 21, 2019)

 

A.        Building Placement

It is the responsibility of the South Tama County School District to enroll students in the closest appropriate attendance center. The only exceptions to this placement will be as follows:

1. An emergency where the building cannot be used and the children need to be assigned to another building.
2. An overcrowding of a building that requires students to be transported to another building that would have adequate space.
3. A program is offered only at one site and in order for the child to be involved in that program they would have to attend that building.
4. Any form of court ordered placement or change in student numbers.
5. Board approved programs for voluntary transfer between centers.

B.        Room (Teacher) Assignment

It is the philosophy of the South Tama County School District to leave room (teacher) assignment up to the individual building principal.

Some of the guiding principles that will be used in student placement are as follows:

1. Needs of the child.  Both social and academic.
2. Recommendation from the previous years teacher.
3. Other students assigned to a classroom therein dividing up problem groups and drawing from the strengths of each child.
4. Parent Input – This will be sought as often as possible but the needs of all children will be considered when developing a class list.

 

 

(December 15, 1986; June 20, 1994; July 7, 2003; July 9, 2012; January 19, 2015; October 21, 2019)

 

The basic instruction program will include the courses required for each grade level by the State Department of Education.  The instructional approach will be gender fair and multicultural.

The basic instruction program of students enrolled in kindergarten is designed to develop healthy emotional and social habits, language arts and communication skills, the capacity to complete individual tasks, character education, and the ability to protect and increase physical well-being with attention given to experiences relating to the development of life skills and human growth and development.

The basic instruction program of students enrolled in grades one through six will include English-language arts, reading, social studies, mathematics, science, health, human growth and development, physical education, traffic safety, music, character education, and visual art.

The basic instruction program of students enrolled in grades seven and eight will include English-language arts, social studies, mathematics, science, health, human growth and development, family and consumer, career, technology education, physical education, music, and visual art.

The basic instruction program of students enrolled in grades nine through twelve will include English‑language arts (6 units), social studies (5 units), mathematics (6 units), science (5 units), health (1 unit), physical education (1 unit), fine arts (3 units), world language (4 units), and vocational education (12 units).  Specific courses shall include instruction in the subjects for college preparatory, comprehensive, and vocational training approved annually by the board.

The curriculum established for each grade level shall meet or exceed the educational requirements as established by state statute and the State Department of Education.  The board may, in its discretion, offer additional courses in the instruction program for any grade level.

Each instruction program is carefully planned for optimal benefit taking into consideration the financial condition of the school district and other factors deemed relevant by the board or superintendent.  Each instruction program’s plan should describe the program, its goals, the effective materials, the activities and the method for student evaluation.

It is the responsibility of the superintendent to provide information regarding the required courses and optional courses for kindergarten, grades one through six, grades seven and eight, and grades nine through twelve.

 

 

(April 17, 1989; July 15, 1991; June 20,1994; June 17, 1995; July 7, 2003; February 21, 2011; July 9, 2012; January 19, 2015; October 21, 2019)

 

The education program of the South Tama County Community School District revolves around a philosophy of equal educational opportunities and non-discrimination in educational programs and activities.  Students will have an equal opportunity for a quality education without discrimination, regardless of their sex, race, color, national origin, religion, creed, age (except for permitting/prohibiting students to engage in certain activities), marital/parental status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, disability or socioeconomic status.  The education program is free of discrimination and provides equal opportunity for the students. 

The education program will foster knowledge of and respect and appreciation for the historical and contemporary contributions of diverse cultural groups, as well as men and women, to society.  Special emphasis is placed on Asian-Americans, African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, American Indians, European Americans, and persons with disabilities.  It will also reflect the wide variety of roles open to both men and women and provide equal opportunity to both sexes. 

 

 

(April 17, 1989; June 15, 1992; July 7, 2003; February 21, 2011; July 9, 2012; January 19, 2015; October 21, 2019)

 

Because of our growing interdependence with other nations in the world, global education is incorporated into the education program for grades kindergarten through twelve so that students have the opportunity to acquire a perspective on world issues, problems, and prospects for an awareness of the relationship between an individual’s self-interest and the concerns of people elsewhere in the world.  Global education, in the education program, focuses on the lifelong growth in understanding through the study and participation of the world community and the interdependency of its people and systems - social, cultural, racial, economic, linguistic, technological, and ecological.

 

 

(June 15, 1992; May 15, 2000; July 7, 2003; February 21, 2011; July 9, 2012; January 19, 2015; October 21, 2019)

 

Preparing students for careers is one goal of the education program.  Career education will be written into the education program for grades kindergarten through twelve.  This education will include, but not be limited to, awareness of self in relation to others and the needs of society, exploration of employment opportunities, experiences in personal decision-making, and experiences of integrating work values and work skills into their lives.

It is the responsibility of the superintendent to assist licensed employees in finding ways to provide career education in the education program.  Special attention should be given to courses of vocational education nature.  The board, in its review of the curriculum, will review the means in which career education is combined with other instructional programs.

 

 

 (June 15, 1992; May 15, 2000; July 7, 2003; February 21, 2011; July 9, 2012; January 19, 2015; October 21, 2019)

 

Educating students for responsible citizenship is a role of public schools.  As part of the education program, students will have an opportunity to learn about significant components of responsible citizenship including, but not limited to, the following:

• the history of the United States of America;
• the democratic principles of freedom, justice, and equality;
• the development of our democratic form of government;
• the necessity of citizen participation in political process to maintain a democratic form of government;
• our heritage – including customs, traditions, rituals, and symbols of allegiance to our country (including proper etiquette);
• our nation’s responsibilities in a global society.

This knowledge is reinforced by appropriate ceremonies and observances which aid students in the development of their interpretations of patriotism and citizenship.  The opportunity to participate in patriotic ceremonies should be available on a regular basis to all students. 

 

 

(December 18, 1989; July 7, 2003, January 17, 2011; July 9, 2012; January 19, 2015; October 21, 2019)

 

Students in grades one through twelve are required to participate in physical education courses unless they are excused by the principal or school nurse of their attendance center.  Students may be excused from physical education courses if the student presents a written statement from a doctor stating that such activities could be injurious to the health of the student or the student has been exempted because of a conflict with the student’s religious beliefs.

Students in grades 9-12 may also be excused from physical education courses if:

• the student is enrolled in academic courses not otherwise available, or
• the student has obtained a physical education waiver for a semester because the student is actively involved in an athletic program.

Twelfth grade students may also be excused from physical education courses if the student is enrolled in a cooperative, work study, or other educational program authorized by the school which requires the student’s absence from school.

Students who will not participate in physical education must have a written request or statement from their parents.

 

 

(April 17, 1989; July 7, 2003; February 21, 2011; July 9, 2012; January 19, 2015; October 21, 2019)

 

It is the policy of the South Tama County Community School District to offer a course in Driver Education.  A Driver Education fee will be charged to students for the course, but the fee will not exceed the actual cost to provide the program.  The Board of Education will designate the amount of the fee and review the amount on a regular basis.

Students will be given priority to enroll in Driver Education sessions based upon age within grade level.  Grade level status will be determined at the beginning of the most recent fall or winter (January) terms.  A student with priority may be bypassed if they fail to sign up for, or are not readily available to accept, an opening in a particular session.

Students recently completing grade eight are the lowest eligible grade level and may be registered by age priority within grade for summer registration.

 

 

(November 17, 1997; July 7, 2003; January 17, 2011; July 9, 2012; January 19, 2015; October 21, 2019)

 

The board shall provide guidance and counseling programs for the students enrolled by a guidance counselor licensed with the State of Iowa and holding the qualifications required by the board.  The guidance counseling services will serve grades kindergarten through twelve. The program will assist students with their personal, educational, and career development. The program shall be designed to coordinate with the education program and to involve school district personnel.

 

 

(April 17, 1989; May 15, 2000; July 7, 2003, January 17, 2011; July 9, 2012; January 19, 2015; October 21, 2019)

 

The board recognizes some students require qualitative differentiated programming beyond the regular education program. The board shall identify programming beyond the regular education program.  The board shall identify students with special abilities and provide educational programming.

It shall be the responsibility of the principal to develop a talented and gifted program.  It shall be the responsibility of the principal to develop procedures for identifying students, for program evaluation, and for in-service of school district personnel on their building TAG program.

 

 

(April 17, 1989; July 7, 2003; January 17, 2011; July 9, 2012; January 19, 2015; October 21, 2019)

 

Alternative education is a perspective not a procedure or a program and is based upon a belief that there are many ways to become educated, as well as many types of environments and structures within which this may occur.  Alternative education programs could include a class or environment established within the regular educational program and designed to accommodate specific student educational needs such as, but not limited to, work-related training; reading, mathematics or science skills; communication skills; social skills; physical skills; employability skills; study skills; or life skills.

 A decision to place a student in an alternative education program will be based on a review of all student records and a meeting of the parent or guardian with appropriate school representative to review the records fully and to discuss the matter.

The district will require students in alternative education programs to meet requirements established by a written personal education program (PEP).  The district will maintain evidence of student accomplishments and progress in the programs.  Students who attend an alternative high school in another school district may elect to receive a high school diploma from the South Tama County Community School District instead of from that school district, provided that they meet all South Tama County High School requirements for graduation.

 

 

(March 21, 1988; July 7, 2003; January 17, 2011; July 9, 2012; January 19, 2015; October 21, 2019)

 

The board recognizes some students require additional assistance in order to graduate from the regular education program.  The board shall provide a program to encourage and provide an opportunity for students at risk to achieve their potential and obtain their high school diploma.

It shall be the responsibility of the superintendent and principal to develop a program for students at risk, which shall identify students, for program evaluation, and for the training of school district personnel. 

 

 

(April 17, 1989; July 7, 2003; January 17, 2011; July 9, 2012; January 19, 2015; October 21, 2019)

 

The district will provide instruction for English Learners (EL) students whose primary home language is other than English and who have not yet become proficient in English.  The district program for EL will include identification of students, assessment of proficiency and needs of students, provision of appropriate instruction, employment of staff to provide needed services, provisions for students to exit the program according to identified criteria, periodic review and evaluation of the program, provisions for parental notice, and provisions for proper identification and services for special education programs.  It shall be the responsibility of the superintendent to make such assignments as necessary for administrative support and coordination of the English Learner program. 

 

 

(June 17, 1996; July 7, 2003; January 17, 2011; July 9, 2012; January 19, 2015, October 21, 2019)

 

Summer school may be conducted in such buildings, on such grade levels, for such length of time, as the Board, upon the recommendation of the superintendent of schools, may determine is appropriate.

The program offered during the summer school shall be designed so that the following purposes or objectives may be met:

1.   Remedial for those students who need and can profit from further work in the basic subject matter areas, and
2.   Enrichment experiences that would add educational benefits for each student may be provided.

 

 

(April 20, 1981; July 7, 2003; January 17, 2011, July 9, 2012; January 19, 2015; October 21, 2019)

 

The board recognizes some students have different educational needs than other students.  The board shall provide a free appropriate public education program and related services to students identified in need of special education.  The special education services will be provided from birth until the appropriate education is completed, age twenty-one or to maximum age allowable in accordance with the law.

Students requiring special education shall attend general education classes, participate in nonacademic and extracurricular services and activities, and receive services in a general education setting to the maximum extent appropriate to the needs of each individual student.  The appropriate education for each student shall be written in the student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP).

Special education students shall be required to meet the requirements stated in board policy or in their IEPs for graduation.  It shall be the responsibility of the superintendent and the area education agency director of special education to provide or make provisions for appropriate special education and related services.

Children from birth through age 2 and children age 3 through age 5 shall be provided comprehensive special education services within the public education system.  The school district shall work in conjunction with the area education agency to provide services, at the earliest appropriate time, to children with disabilities from birth through age 2.  This shall be done to ensure a smooth transition of children entitled to early childhood special education services.

 

 

(June 15, 1992; October 16, 2000; January 17, 2011, July 9, 2012; January 19, 2015; October  21, 2019)

 

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits discrimination against persons with a disability in any program receiving federal financial assistance.  The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and its subsequent amendments, also require that program services and activities provided by the South Tama County Community School District may not discriminate on the basis of disability for students in the educational program.

A person with a disability is defined as anyone who:

1. has a mental or physical impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities such as caring for one’s self, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, and working;
2. has a record of such impairment; or
3. is regarded as having such an impairment.

The South Tama County Community School District acknowledges its responsibility under Section 504 and the ADA to avoid discrimination in policies and practices regarding its programs, activities, students, and personnel.  Therefore, the South Tama County Community School District prohibits discrimination against any person with a disability because of that person’s disability in any program, activity, or other educational benefit.  This prohibition applies to all students, employees, volunteers, and others contractors with the school district.

Under Section 504, the school district has the responsibility to identify, evaluate, and, if the student is determined to be eligible under Section 504, to afford access to appropriate educational services.  If the parent or person in parental relationship disagrees with the determination made by the professional staff of the school district, he/she has a right to a hearing with an impartial hearing officer.

The superintendent of schools shall serve as the STC District Section 504 and the ADA Coordinator.  The superintendent shall have authority to make regulations and procedures to implement the intent of this policy.

 

 

(April 18, 1994; July 7, 2003; January 17, 2011, July 9, 2012; January 19, 2015; October 21, 2019)

 

The curriculum of South Tama County Community School District shall be sufficiently broad to serve both the general and specialized needs of its students.  Provisions shall be made for students of different talents, economic and cultural backgrounds, intellectual, emotional and physical capacities and future interests. 

 

 

(April 20, 1981; July 21, 1986; June 15, 1992; July 7, 2003; January 17, 2011; July 9, 2012; January 19, 2015; October 21, 2019)

 

All course offerings and curriculum included in the instructional program of the school district must be approved by the Board of Education.  The Board will approve only those course offerings that have been reviewed and recommended by the superintendent and that conform to the standards established by the State Department of Education.

The Board of Education establishes the following minimum criteria to be used in adopting a new course offering:

1. It must be relevant to the goals established by the Board of Education.
2. It must contain a list of objectives that the course is designed to achieve and methods by which progress, towards these, objectives can be evaluated.
3. It must incorporate techniques and technology that has been demonstrated to be effective.
4. If the proposed course offering is to replace an existing course, it must describe sound reasons as to why it should result in improvement.
5. The proposed course offering must contain a list of curricular materials that are available for student and teacher usage.
6. The recommended course offering must indicate what student population it is intended to serve.

A copy of each course offering approved will be placed in the central Board file.

 

 

(July 13, 1987; July 7, 2003; January 17, 2011, July 9, 2012; January 19, 2015; October 21, 2019)

 

The following is a recommended reference for the school district to consider curriculum development and adoption:

Year One

• Review standards/benchmarks, along with level I and II
• Review research, current trends and practices
• Review trend line assessment data
• Bring in speakers, attend conferences – if money is available
• Develop and carry out action plan
• Identify needs of students, department, and materials
• Review assessments and revise as needed
• Work on action plan and annual goals

Year Two

• Preview materials that meets the needs of students and teachers
• Selects materials
• Administer assessments and analyze data
• Work on action plan and annual goals

Year Three

• Implement material and monitor usage
• Review current research
• Administer and analyze assessments
• Set action plan and annual goals
• Review MCGF Infusions

Year Four

• Implement material and monitor usage
• Modify materials as needed
• Review current research
• Administer assessment and collect data
• Set action plan and annual goals

Year Five

• Evaluate assessment procedure
• Review current research
• Review philosophy
• Reevaluate departmental needs
• Continue to monitor materials use
• Administer and analyze assessments
• Set action plan and annual goals

Year Six

• Monitor materials use
• Administer and analyze assessments
• Set action plan annual goals
• Prepare for year one

 

 

(October 1, 1984; April 17, 1989; July 15, 1991; June 20, 1994; May 17, 1999; July 7, 2003; July 16, 2007; July 9, 2012; January 19, 2015; October 21, 2019)

 

603.05 Health Education

 

Students in grade levels one through twelve will receive, as part of their health education, instruction about personal health; food and nutrition; environmental health; safety and survival skills; consumer health; family life; human growth and development; substance abuse and non-use, including the effects of alcohol, tobacco, drugs and poisons on the human body; human sexuality; self-esteem; stress management; interpersonal relationships; emotional and social health; health resources; prevention and control of disease; and communicable diseases. The purpose of the health education program is to help each student protect, improve and maintain physical, emotional and social well- being. 

The areas stated above are included in health education and the instructions are adapted at each grade level to aid understanding by the students. 

Parents who object to health education instruction in human growth and development may file a written request that the student be excused from the instruction. The written request will include a proposed alternate activity or study acceptable to the superintendent. The superintendent will have the final authority to determine the alternate activity or study.

 

Legal Reference: Iowa Code §§ 256.11; 279.8; 80; 280.3-.14.

 

Approved: April 17, 1989; June 15, 1992; July 7, 2003; January 17, 2011; July 9, 2012; January 19, 2015; October 21, 2019; October 2, 2023

Reviewed: October 2, 2023

Revised: October 2, 2023

 

 

 

 

The board has sole discretion to approve instructional materials for the school district.  This authority is delegated to certified personnel to determine which instructional materials, other than textbooks, will be utilized by and purchased by the school district.  The certified personnel shall work closely together to ensure vertical and horizontal articulation of materials and textbooks in the education program.

In reviewing current instructional materials for continued use and in selecting additional instructional materials, certified personnel shall consider the current and future needs of the school district as well as the changes and the trends in education and society.  Additionally, licensed employees are to select instructional materials that are free from discrimination, regardless of sex, race and color, national origin, religion and creed, age, marital/parental status, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical attributes, physical or mental ability or disability, ancestry, political party preference, political belief, or socioeconomic status or familial status.  It shall be the responsibility of the superintendent to report to the board the action taken by certified personnel.

Educational materials given to the school district must meet the criteria for selection of instructional materials.

 

 

(April 20, 1981; April 17, 1989; July 7, 2003: January 17, 2011; July 9, 2012; January 19, 2015; October 21, 2019)

 

In order for students to experience a diverse curriculum, the board encourages employees to supplement their regular curricular materials with other resources.  In so doing, the board recognizes that federal law makes it illegal to duplicate copyrighted materials without authorization of the holder of the copyright, except for certain exempt purposes.  Severe penalties may be imposed for plagiarism, unauthorized copying or using of media, including, but not limited to, print, electronic and web-based materials, unless the copying or using conforms to the “fair use” doctrine.  Under the “fair use” doctrine, unauthorized reproduction of copyrighted materials is permissible for such purposes as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship or research providing that all fair use guidelines are met. 

While the school district encourages employees to enrich the learning programs by making proper use of supplementary materials, it is the responsibility of employees to abide by the school district’s copying procedures and obey the requirements of the law.  In no circumstances shall it be necessary for school district staff to violate copyright requirements in order to perform their duties properly.  The school district will not be responsible for any violations of the copyright law by employees or students.  Violation of the copyright law by employees may result in discipline up to, and including, termination.  Violation of the copyright law by students may result in discipline, up to and including, suspension or expulsion.

Parents or others who wish to record, by any means, school programs or other activities need to realize that even though the school district received permission to perform a copyrighted work does not mean outsiders can copy it and re-play it.  Those who wish to do so should contact the employee in charge of the activity to determine what the process is to ensure the copyright law is followed.  The school district is not responsible for outsiders violating the copyright law or this policy.

Any employee or student who is uncertain as to whether reproducing or using copyrighted material complies with the school district’s procedures or is permissible under the law should contact the principal and teacher librarian who will also assist employees and students in obtaining proper authorization to copy or use protected material when such authorization is required.

Any employee or student who is uncertain as to whether reproducing or using copyrighted material complies with the school district’s procedures or is permissible under the law should contact the principal, teacher or media specialist who will also assist employees and students in obtaining proper authorization to copy or use protected material when such authorization is required.

 

 

(February 21, 2011; January 19, 2015; October 21, 2019)

 

Employees and students may make copies of copyrighted materials that fall within the following guidelines.  Where there is reason to believe the material to be copied does not fall within these guidelines, prior permission shall be obtained from the publisher or producer with the assistance of the librarian.  Employees and students who fail to follow this procedure may be held personally liable for copyright infringement and may be subject to discipline by the board.

Under the “fair use” doctrine, unauthorized reproduction of copyrighted materials is permissible for such purposes as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship or research. Under the fair use doctrine, each of the following four standards must be met in order to use the copyrighted document:

• Purpose and Character of the Use - The use must be for such purposes as teaching or scholarship.
• Nature of the Copyrighted Work - The type of work to be copied.
• Amount and Substantiality of the Portion Used - Copying the whole of a work cannot be considered fair use; copying a small portion may be if these guidelines are followed.
• Effect of the Use Upon the Potential Market for or value of the Copyrighted Work - If resulting economic loss to the copyright holder can be shown, even making a single copy of certain materials may be an infringement, and making multiple copies presents the danger of greater penalties.

Authorized Reproduction and Use of Copyrighted Material Reminders

• Materials on the internet should be used with caution since they may, and likely are, copyrighted.
• Proper attribution (author, title, publisher, place and date of publication) should always be given.
• Notice should be taken of any alterations to copyrighted works, and such alterations should only be made for specific instructional objectives.
• Care should be taken in circumventing any technological protection measures. While materials copied pursuant to fair use may be copied after circumventing technological protections against unauthorized copying, technological protection measures to block access to materials may not be circumvented.

In preparing for instruction, a teacher may make or have made a single copy of:

• A chapter from a book;
• An article from a newspaper or periodical;
• A short story, short essay or short poem; or,
• A chart, graph, diagram, drawing, cartoon or picture from a book, periodical or newspaper.

A teacher may make multiple copies not exceeding more than one per pupil, for classroom use or discussion, if the copying meets the tests of “brevity, spontaneity and cumulative effect” set by the following guidelines. Each copy must include a notice of copyright.

•  Brevity
  • A complete poem, if less than 250 words and two pages long, may be copied: excerpts from longer poems cannot exceed 250 words;
  • Complete articles, stories or essays of less than 2500 words or excerpts from prose works less than 1000 words or 10% of the work, whichever is less may be copied; in any event, the minimum is 500 words;
  • Each numerical limit may be expanded to permit the completion of an unfinished line of a poem or prose paragraph;
  • One chart, graph, diagram, drawing, cartoon or picture per book or periodical issue may be copied. "Special" works cannot be reproduced in full; this includes children's books combining poetry, prose or poetic prose. Short special works may be copied up to two published pages containing not more than 10 percent of the work.
• Spontaneity - Should be at the "instance and inspiration" of the individual teacher when there is not a reasonable length of time to request and receive permission to copy.
• Cumulative Effect - Teachers are limited to using copied material for only one course for which copies are made. No more than one short poem, article, story or two excerpts from the same author may be copied, and no more than three works can be copied from a collective work or periodical column during one class term. Teachers are limited to nine instances of multiple copying for one course during one class term. Limitations do not apply to current news periodicals, newspapers and current news sections of other periodicals.

Copying Limitations

Circumstances will arise when employees are uncertain whether or not copying is prohibited. In those circumstances, the librarian should be contacted. The following prohibitions have been expressly stated in federal guidelines:

• Reproduction of copyrighted material shall not be used to create or substitute for anthologies, compilations or collective works.
• Unless expressly permitted by agreement with the publisher and authorized by school district action, there shall be no copying from copyrighted consumable materials such as workbooks, exercises, test booklets, answer sheets and the like.
• Employees shall not:
  • Use copies to substitute for the purchase of books, periodicals, music recordings, consumable works such as workbooks, computer software or other copyrighted material. Copy or use the same item from term to term without the copyright owner's permission;
  • Copy or use more than nine instances of multiple copying of protected material in anyone term;
  • Copy or use more than one short work or two excerpts from works of the same author in any one term;
  • Copy or use protected material without including a notice of copyright. The following is a satisfactory notice: NOTICE: THIS MATERIAL MAY BE PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT LAW.
  • Reproduce or use copyrighted material at the direction of someone in higher authority or copy or use such material in emulation of some other teacher's use of copyrighted material without permission of the copyright owner.
  • Require other employees or students to violate the copyright law or fair use guidelines.

Authorized Reproduction and Use of Copyrighted Materials in the Library

A library may make a single copy or three digital copies of:

• An unpublished work in its collection;
• A published work in order to replace it because it is damaged, deteriorated, lost or stolen, provided that an unused replacement cannot be obtained at a fair price.
• A work that is being considered for acquisition, although use is strictly limited to that decision. Technological protection measures may be circumvented for purposes of copying materials in order to make an acquisition decision.

A library may provide a single copy of copyrighted material to a student or employee at no more than the actual cost of photocopying.  The copy must be limited to one article of a periodical issue or a small part of other material, unless the library finds that the copyrighted work cannot be obtained elsewhere at a fair price.  In the latter circumstance, the entire work may be copied.  In any case, the copy shall contain the notice of copyright and the student or employee shall be notified that the copy is to be used only for private study, scholarship or research.  Any other use may subject the person to liability for copyright infringement.

Authorized Reproduction and Use of Copyrighted Music or Dramatic Works

Teachers may:

• Make a single copy of a song, movement, or short section from a printed musical or dramatic work that is unavailable except in a larger work for purposes of preparing for instruction;
• Make multiple copies for classroom use of an excerpt of not more than 10% of a printed musical work if it is to be used for academic purposes other than performance, provided that the excerpt does not comprise a part of the whole musical work which would constitute a performable unit such as a complete section, movement, or song;
• In an emergency, a teacher may make and use replacement copies of printed music for an imminent musical performance when the purchased copies have been lost, destroyed or are otherwise not available,
• Make and retain a single recording of student performances of copyrighted material when it is made for purposes of evaluation or rehearsal;
• Make and retain a single copy of excerpts from recordings of copyrighted musical works for use as aural exercises or examination questions; and,
• Edit or simplify purchased copies of music or plays provided that the fundamental character of the work is not distorted. Lyrics shall not be altered or added if none exist.

Performance by teachers or students of copyrighted musical or dramatic works is permitted without the authorization of the copyright owner as part of a teaching activity in a classroom or instructional setting.  The purpose shall be instructional rather than for entertainment.

Performances of non-dramatic musical works that are copyrighted are permitted without the authorization of the copyright owner, provided that:

• The performance is not for a commercial purpose;
• None of the performers, promoters or organizers are compensated; and,
• Admission fees are used for educational or charitable purposes only.

All other musical and dramatic performances require permission from the copyright owner.  Parents or others wishing to record a performance should check with the sponsor to ensure compliance with copyright.

Recording of Copyrighted Programs

Television programs, excluding news programs, transmitted by commercial and non-commercial television stations for reception by the general public without charge may be recorded off-air simultaneously with broadcast transmission (including simultaneous cable retransmission) and retained by a school for a period not to exceed the first forty-five (45) consecutive calendar days after date of recording.  Upon conclusion of this retention period, all off-air recordings must be erased or destroyed immediately.  Certain programming such as that provided on public television may be exempt from this provision; check with the librarian or the subscription database, e.g. unitedstreaming.

Off-air recording may be used once by individual teachers in the course of instructional activities, and repeated once only when reinforcement is necessary, within a building, during the first 10 consecutive school days, excluding scheduled interruptions, in the 45 calendar day retention period.  Off-air recordings may be made only at the request of and used by individual teachers and may not be regularly recorded in anticipation of requests.  No broadcast program may be recorded off-air more than once at the request of the same teacher, regardless of the number of times the program may be broadcast.  A limited number of copies may be reproduced from each off-air recording to meet the legitimate needs of teachers.  Each additional copy shall be subject to all provisions governing the original recording.

After the first ten (10) consecutive school days, off-air recordings may be used up to the end of the 45 calendar day retention period only for evaluation purposes, i.e., to determine whether or not to include the broadcast program in the teaching curriculum.  Permission must be secured from the publisher before the recording can be used for instructional purposes after the ten day period.

Off-air recordings need not be used in their entirety, but the recorded programs may not be altered from their original content.  Off-air recordings may not be physically or electronically combined or merged to constitute teaching anthologies or compilations.  All copies of off-air recordings must include the copyright notice on the broadcast program as recorded.

Authorized Reproduction and Use of Copyrighted Computer Software

Schools have a valid need for high-quality software at reasonable prices.  To assure a fair return to the authors of software programs, the school district shall support the legal and ethical issues involved in copyright laws and any usage agreements that are incorporated into the acquisition of software programs.  To this end, the following guidelines shall be in effect:

• All copyright laws and publisher license agreements between the vendor and the school district shall be observed;
• Employees shall take reasonable precautions to prevent copying or the use of unauthorized copies on school equipment;
• A back-up copy shall be purchased, for use as a replacement when a program is lost or damaged. If the vendor is not able to supply a replacement, the school district shall make a back-up copy that will be used for replacement purposes only;
• A copy of the software license agreement shall be retained by the technology director or librarian; and,
• A computer program may be adapted by adding to the content or changing the language. The adapted program may not be distributed.

Fair Use Guidelines for Educational Multimedia

Students may incorporate portions of copyrighted materials in producing educational multimedia projects such as videos, Power Points, podcasts and web sites for a specific course, and may perform, display or retain the projects.

Educators may perform or display their own multimedia ­based instructional activities. These projects may be used:

• In face-to-face instruction;
• In demonstrations and presentations, including conferences;
• In assignments to students;
• For remote instruction if distribution of the signal is limited;
• Over a network that cannot prevent duplication for fifteen days, after fifteen days a copy may be saved on-site only: or,
• In their personal portfolios.

Educators may use copyrighted materials in a multimedia project for two years, after that permission must be requested and received.

The following limitations restrict the portion of any given work that may be used pursuant to fair use in an educational multimedia project:

• Motion media: ten percent or three minutes, whichever is less;
• Text materials: ten percent or 1,000 words, whichever is less:
• Poetry: an entire poem of fewer than 250 words, but no more than three poems from one author or five poems from an anthology. For poems of greater than 250 words, excerpts of up to 250 words may be used, but no more than three excerpts from one poet or five excerpts from an anthology:
• Music, lyrics and music video: Up to ten percent, but no more than thirty seconds. No alterations that change the basic melody or fundamental character of the work;
• Illustrations, cartoons and photographs: No more than five images by an artist, and no more than ten percent or fifteen images whichever is less from a collective work;
• Numerical data sets: Up to ten percent or 2,500 field or cell entries, whichever is less;

Fair use does not include posting a student or teacher's work on the internet if it includes portions of copyrighted materials. Permission to copy shall be obtained from the original copyright holder(s) before such projects are placed online. The opening screen of such presentations shall include notice that permission was granted and materials are restricted from further use.

 

 

(October 21, 2019)

 

605.01-R(1): Instructional Materials Selection (I,II) - Selection of Instructional Materials Regulation

 

I. Responsibility for Selection of Instructional Materials

          A. The board is responsible for matters relating to the operation of the District. 

          B. The responsibility for the selection of instructional materials is delegated to the professionally trained and licensed employees of the school system. 

          C. While selection of materials may involve many people including principals, teacher-librarian, students, parents and community members, the responsibility for coordinating the selection of most instructional materials and making the recommendation for the purchase rests with licensed employees. 

          D. Responsibility for coordinating the selection of instructional materials for distribution to classes will rest with the licensed employees, principal and superintendent. 

          E. If the board appoints an ad hoc committee to make recommendations on the selection of instructional materials, the ad hoc committee is formed and appointed in compliance with the board policy on Ad Hoc Committees. 

                1. The superintendent will inform the committee as to their role and responsibility in the process. 

                2. The following statement is given to the ad hoc committee members: 

Bear in mind the principles of the freedom to learn and to read and base your decision on these broad principles rather than on defense of individual materials. Freedom of inquiry is vital to education in a democracy.

Study thoroughly all materials referred to you and read available reviews. The general acceptance of the materials should be checked by consulting standard evaluation aids and local holdings in other schools. 

Passages or parts should not be pulled out of context. The values and faults should be weighed against each other and the opinions based on the material as a whole.

In the event material is challenged, your report, presenting both majority and minority opinions, will be presented by the principal to the complainant at the conclusion of our discussion of the questioned material.

 

II. Material selected for use in libraries and classrooms will meet the following guidelines:

          A. Religion - Material will represent any religion in a factual, unbiased manner. The primary source material of religions is considered appropriate, but material which advocates rather than informs, or is designed to sway reader judgment regarding religion, will not be included in the school libraries or classrooms. 

          B. Racism - Material will present a diversity of race, custom, culture, and belief as a positive aspect of the nation's heritage and give candid treatment to unresolved intercultural problems, including those which involve prejudice, discrimination, and the undesirable consequences of withholding rights, freedom, or respect of an individual. Required material will comply with all applicable laws. 

          C. Sexism - Material will reflect sensitivity to the needs, rights, traits and aspirations of individuals without preference or bias. Required materials will comply with all applicable laws. 

          D. Age - Material will recognize the diverse contributions of various age groups and portray the continuing contributions of maturing members of society. 

          E. Ideology - Material will present basic primary and factual information on an ideology or philosophy of government which exerts or has exerted a strong force, either favorably or unfavorably, over civilization or society, past or present. This material will not be selected with the intention to sway reader judgment and is related to the maturity level of the intended audience. 

          F. Profanity and Sex - Material complies with all applicable laws and is subjected to a test of literary merit and reality by the teacher-librarians and licensed staff who will take into consideration their reading of public and community standards of morality. 

          G. Controversial issues materials will be directed toward maintaining a balanced collection representing various views. 

The selection decision should be made on the basis of whether the material presents an accurate representation of society and culture, whether the circumstances depicted are realistically portrayed, or whether the material has literary or social value when the material is viewed as a whole. 

These guidelines will not be construed in such a manner as to preclude materials which accurately represent the customs, morals, manners, culture, or society of a different time or a different place.

 

III. Procedure for Selection

          A. Material purchased for libraries and classrooms is recommended for purchase by licensed employees, in consultation with administrative staff, school library staff, students or an ad hoc committee as appointed by the board. The material recommended for purchase is approved by the appropriate building administrator. 

                1. The materials selected will support stated objectives and goals of the school district. Specifically, the goals are:

                    a. To acquire materials and provide service consistent with the demands of the curriculum;

                    b. To develop students' skills and resourcefulness in the use of libraries and learning resources;

                    c. To effectively guide and counsel students in the selection and use of materials and libraries;

                    d. To foster in students a wide range of significant interests;

                    e. To provide opportunities for aesthetic experiences and development of an appreciation of the fine arts;

                    f. To provide materials to motivate students to examine their own attitudes and behaviors and to comprehend their own duties and responsibilities as citizens in a pluralistic democracy;

                   g. To encourage life-long education through the use of the library; and, 

                   h. To work cooperatively and constructively with the instructional and administrative staff in the school. 

          2. Materials selected are consistent with stated principles of selection. These principles are:

                    a. To select material, within established standards, which will meet the goals and objectives of the school district;

                    b. To consider the educational characteristics of the community in the selection of materials within a given category;

                    c. To present the racial, religious and ethnic groups in the community by:

                            1. Portraying people, adults and children, whatever their ethnic, religious or social class identity, as human and recognizable, displaying a familiar range of emotions, both negative and positive. 

                           2. Placing no constraints on individual aspirations and opportunity.

                           3. Giving comprehensive, accurate, and balanced representation to minority groups and women - in art and science, history and literature, and in all other fields of life and culture. 

                           4. Providing abundant recognition of minority groups and women by showing them frequently in positions of leadership and authority. 

                  d. To intelligently, quickly, and effectively anticipate and meet needs through awareness of subjects of local, national and international interest and significance; and, 

                  e. To strive for impartiality in the selection process. 

        3. The materials selected will meet stated selection criteria. These criteria are:

                  a. Authority-Author's qualifications - education, experience, and previously published works;

                  b. Reliability:

                             1. Accuracy-meaningful organization and emphasis on content, meets the material's goals and objectives, and presents authoritative and realistic factual material. 

                             2. Current-presentation of content which is consistent with the finding of recent and authoritative research. 

                  c. Treatment of subject-shows an objective reflection for the multi-ethnic character and cultural diversity of society.

                 d. Language:

                            1. Vocabulary:

                                      a. Does not indicate bias by the use of words which may result in negative value judgments about groups of people;

                                      b. Does not use "man" or similar limiting word usage in generalization or ambiguities which may cause others to feel excluded or dehumanized. 

                           2. Compatible to the reading level of the student for whom it is intended. 

                e. Format:

                         1. Book

                                a. Adequate and accurate index;

                                b. Paper of good quality and color;

                                c. Print adequate and well spaced;

                                d. Adequate margins;

                                e. Firmly bound; and, 

                                 f. Cost. 

                          2. Nonbook

                                a. Flexibility, adaptability;

                                b. Curricular orientation of significant interest to students;

                                c. Appropriate for audience;

                                d. Accurate authoritative presentation;

                                e. Good production qualities (fidelity, aesthetically adequate);

                                f. Durability; and, 

                                g. Cost. 

                         3. Illustrations of book and nonbook materials should:

                                a. Depict instances of fully integrated grouping and settings to indicate equal status and nonsegregated social relationships. 

                                b. Make clearly apparent the identity of minorities;

                                c. Contain pertinent and effective illustrations;

                                d. Flexible to enable the teacher to use parts at a time and not follow a comprehensive instructional program on a rigid frame of reference. 

                f. Special Features:

                     1. Bibliographies. 

                     2. Glossary. 

                     3. Current charts, maps, etc. 

                     4. Visual aids. 

                     5. Index. 

                     6. Special activities to stimulate and challenge students. 

                     7. Provide a variety of learning skills. 

              g. Potential use:

                     1. Will it meet the requirement of reference work?

                     2. Will it help students with personal problems and adjustments?

                     3. Will it serve as a source of information for teachers and librarians?

                     4. Does it offer an understanding of cultures other than the student's own and is it free of racial, religious, age, disability, ethnic, gender identity and sexual stereotypes?

                     5. Will it expand students' sphere of understanding and help them to understand the ideas and beliefs of others?

                     6. Will it help students and teachers keep abreast of and understand current events?

                     7. Will it foster and develop hobbies and special interests?

                     8. Will it help develop aesthetic tastes and appreciation?

                     9. Will it serve the needs of students with special needs?

                   10. Does it inspire learning?

                   11. Is it relevant to the subject?

                   12. Will it stimulate a student's interest?

        4. Gifts of library or instructional materials may be accepted if the gift meets existing criteria for library and instructional materials. The acceptance and placement of such gifts is within the discretion of the board. 

       5. In order to provide a current, highly usable collection of materials, teacher-librarians will ensure constant and continuing renewal of the collection, not only the addition of up-to-date materials, but by the judicious elimination of materials which no longer meet school district needs or find use. The process of weeding instructional materials will be done according to established and accepted standards for determining the relevance and value of materials in a given context.

 

Approved: 10/2/23

Reviewed: 10/2/23

Revised: 10/2/23

 

605.01: Instructional Materials Selection (I, II)

 

Option I

The board has sole discretion to approve instructional materials for the school district. The board delegates this authority to licensed employees to determine which instructional materials, other than textbooks, will be utilized by the school district. The Superintendent will provide licensed employees necessary training to ensure selected instructional materials comply with applicable laws. All instructional materials are available for review upon request and subject to all applicable laws.

In reviewing current instructional materials for continued use and in selecting additional instructional materials, licensed employees will consider the current and future needs of the school district as well as the changes and the trends in education and society. It is the responsibility of the superintendent to report to the board the action taken by licensed employees.

In the case of textbooks, the board will make the final decision after receiving a recommendation from the superintendent. The criteria stated above for selection of other instructional materials will apply to the selection of textbooks. The superintendent may develop another means for the selection of textbooks. Textbooks are reviewed on a 6 year cycle. 

Education materials gifted to the school district must meet the criteria established above. The gift must be received in compliance with board policy. 

The superintendent will establish additional criteria to guide the selection of instructional materials through administrative regulation, ensuring alignment with educational goals and compliance with laws. 

Legal Reference: Iowa Code §§ 279.8; .74; 280.3, .14; 301. 281 I.A.C. 12.3(12).

 

Option II

The board has sole discretion to approve instructional materials for the school district. The board delegates this authority to licensed employees to determine which instructional materials will be utilized and purchased by the school district to licensed employees. The licensed employees will work closely together to ensure vertical and horizontal articulation of textbooks in the education program. 

The board may appoint an ad hoc committee to assist the licensed employees in selecting instructional materials. The committee may be composed of any of the following groups of stakeholders: school district employees, parents, community members or representatives of community groups.

In reviewing current instructional materials for continued use and in selecting additional instructional materials, the licensed employees will consider the current and future needs of the school district as well as the changes and the trends in education and society. It is the responsibility of the superintendent to report to the board the action taken by the selection committee.

In making its recommendations to the superintendent, the licensed employees will select materials which:

• support the educational philosophy, goals and objectives of the school district;

• consider the needs, age, and maturity of students;

• are within the school district's budget;

• foster respect and appreciation for cultural diversity and difference of opinion;

• stimulate growth in factual knowledge and literary appreciation;

• encourage students to become decision-makers, to exercise freedom of thought and to make independent judgment through the examination and evaluation of relevant information, evidence and differing viewpoints;

• portray the variety of careers, roles, and lifestyles open to all people ; and,

• increase an awareness of the rights, duties, and responsibilities of each member of a multicultural society.

In the case of textbooks, the board will make the final decision after a recommendation from the superintendent. The criteria stated above for selection of instructional materials will also apply to the selection of textbooks. The superintendent may appoint licensed employees to assist in the selection of textbooks. 

Gifts of instructional materials must meet these criteria stated above for the selection of instructional materials. The gift must be received in compliance with board policy 704.04, "Gifts - Grants - Bequests." 

The superintendent will establish additional criteria to guide the selection of instructional materials through administrative regulation, ensuring alignment with educational goals and compliance with laws.

 

Legal Reference: Iowa Code §§ 279.8, 74;

 

Approved: 10/2/23

Reviewed: 10/2/23

Revised: 10/2/23

605.02: Instructional and Library Materials Inspection and Display

Parents and other members of the school district community may view the instructional and library materials used by the students. All instructional materials, including teacher's manuals, films, tapes or other supplementary material which will be used in connection with any survey, analysis, or evaluation as part of any federally funded programs must be available for inspection by parents.

Instructional and library materials may be viewed on school district premises. The district will publish on the district’s website a comprehensive list of all books available to students in libraries operated by the school district.

It is the responsibility of the superintendent to develop administrative regulations regarding the inspection of instructional materials.

Legal Reference: Goals 2000: Educate America Act, Pub. L. No. 103-227, 108 Stat. 125 (1994).

 

Approved: 10/2/23

Reviewed: 10/2/23

Revised: 10/2/23

605.03: Objection to Instructional and Library Materials

 

Members of the school district community may object to the instructional and library materials utilized in the school district and ask for their use to be reconsidered.

It is the responsibility of the superintendent, in conjunction with the principals, to develop administrative regulations for reconsideration of instructional materials. Information related to the process for reconsideration of instructional and library materials will be made available on the district’s website. 

Parents or guardians of students enrolled in the district have the ability to request that their student not be able to access certain instructional material or check out certain library materials. For purposes of prohibiting access to instructional materials, Iowa law has defined instructional materials to mean either printed or electronic textbooks and related core materials that are written and published primarily for use in elementary school and secondary school instruction and are required by a state educational agency or district for use by students in the student’s classes by the teacher of record. Instructional materials does not include lesson plans.

 

Legal Reference: Iowa Code §§ 279.8; 74; 77; 280.3, .14; 301. 281 I.A.C. 12.3(12).

 

Approved: 10/2/2023

Reviewed: 10/2/2023

Revised: 10/2/2023

 

The board recognizes the existence of various religious beliefs and acknowledges the American tradition of separation of church and state.  Parents who wish to have their child excluded from a school program because of religious beliefs must inform the principal.  The principal shall determine an alternative activity or study for the students. 

 

 

(April 17, 1989; July 7, 2003: January 17, 2011; July 9, 2012; January 19, 2015; October 21, 2019)

 

Exhibit 605.03-E(3): Objection to Instructional and Library Materials - Sample Letter to Individual Challenging Instructional Materials

 

SAMPLE LETTER TO INDIVIDUAL CHALLENGING INSTRUCTIONAL OR LIBRARY MATERIALS

 

Dear:

 

We recognize your concern about the use of _____________________________in our school district. The school district has developed procedures for selection of instructional materials but realizes that not everyone will agree with every selection made.

 

To help you understand the selection process, we are sending copies of the school district's:

 

1. Related instructional goals and objectives,

2. Instructional and library materials selection policy statement, and

3. Procedure for reconsideration of instructional and library materials.

 

If you are still concerned after you review this material, please complete the Reconsideration Request Form and return it to me. You may be assured of prompt attention to your request. If I have not heard from you within one week, we will assume you no longer wish to file a formal complaint.

 

Sincerely,

 

Approved: November 25, 2024

Reviewed: November 25, 2024

Revised: November 25, 2024

605.03-E(5): Objection to Instructional and Library Materials - Request to Prohibit a Student from Accessing Specific Instructional Material

Request to prohibit a student from checking out certain instructional materials to be submitted to the building administrator. Please complete one form per student.

 

REQUEST INITIATED BY ________________________________DATE _________________

 

Name ____________________________________________________________________________

 

Address ____________________________________________________________________________

 

City/State________________________ Zip Code __________Telephone__________________

 

Name of affected Student _______________________________________________________________

 

Requester’s Relationship to Student (must be parent/legal guardian)______________________

 

BOOK OR OTHER PRINTED MATERIAL TO PROHIBIT STUDENT FROM ACCESSING:

 

Author___________________________ Hardcover_____ Paperback_____ Other_____

Title___________________________________________________________________

Publisher (if known)_______________________________________________________

Date of Publication________________________________________________________

 

MULTIMEDIA MATERIAL TO PROHIBIT STUDENT FROM ACCESSING:

Title___________________________________________________________________

Producer (if known)_______________________________________________________

Type of material (filmstrip, motion picture, etc.)__________________________________

 

__________________ _______________________________________________

Dated Signature

 

Approved: 10/2/23

Reviewed: 10/2/23

Revised: 10/2/23

605.03-R(1): Objection to Instructional and Library Materials - Reconsideration of Instructional Materials Regulation

 

A. A member of the school district community may raise an objection to instructional materials used in the school district's education program. While the individuals recommending the selection of such material were duly qualified to make the selection and followed the proper procedure and observed the criteria for selecting such material; the district must be ready to acknowledge that an error in selection may have been made despite this process. School employees regularly read great numbers of reviews in the selection process, and occasional errors are possible. 

  1. The complainant will address the complaint at the lowest organizational level of licensed staff. Often this will be the classroom teacher. 

  2. The school official or employee receiving a complaint regarding instructional or library materials will try to resolve the issue at the lowest organizational level. The materials generally will remain in use pending the outcome of the reconsideration procedure.

       a. The school official or employee initially receiving a complaint will explain to the individual the district's selection procedure, criteria to be met by the instructional materials, and qualifications of those persons selecting the material. 

       b. The school official or employee initially receiving a complaint will explain to the individual the role of the objected material in the education program, its intended educational purpose, and additional information regarding its use. In the alternative, the employee may refer the individual to the teacher-librarian who can identify and explain the use of the material. 

       c. The school official or employee receiving the initial complaint will direct the complainant to complete the Request for Reconsideration of Instructional and Library Materials Form, and notify the building level principal of receipt of the complaint within two school days after the reconsideration form is received. School officials may offer to assist the complainant in completing the form, but if a complainant refuses to complete the form, the complaint will be deemed invalid and no further action will be taken. 

 

B. Request for Reconsideration

  1. A member of the school district community may formally challenge instructional and library materials on the basis of appropriateness used in the school district's education program. This procedure is for the purpose of considering the opinions of those persons in the school district and the community who are not directly involved in the selection process. 

  2. Each attendance center and the school district's central administrative office will keep on hand and make available Requests for Reconsideration of Instructional and Library Materials Forms. 

  3. The individual will state the specific reason the instructional or library material is being challenged. The Request for Reconsideration of Instructional and Library Materials Form is signed by the individual and filed with the building-level principal. 

  4. The building-level principal will promptly file the objection with the Superintendent for re-evaluation.

  5. The Superintendent will convene a reconsideration committee within two weeks of receipt of the Reconsideration Form. 

  6. The committee will make their recommendation to the Superintendent within five school days of meeting. 

  7. The Superintendent will issue a decision related to the Reconsideration Request Form within 5 school days of receipt of the committee’s recommendation. A copy of the Superintendent’s decision will be provided to the complainant. 

  8. An appeal of the Superintendent’s decision may be filed with the board secretary within five days of the Superintendent’s decision. The board will determine whether to hear the appeal at the next regular meeting or within 30 days of the Superintendent’s decision, whichever is later. If the board elects to hear the appeal, the board will act to affirm, modify or reverse the decision of the Superintendent. The board’s decision will be communicated to the complainant. The board’s decision will be deemed final. 

  9. Generally, access to challenged instructional material will not be restricted during the reconsideration process. However, in unusual circumstances, the instructional material may be removed temporarily by following the provisions of Section B.10.d. of this rule. 

  10. The Reconsideration Committee

         a. The reconsideration committee is made up of eight members.

               (1) One licensed employee designated annually, as needed, by the superintendent.

               (2) One teacher-librarian designated annually by the superintendent.

               (3) One member of the administrative team designated annually by the superintendent.

               (4) Three members of the community are appointed annually, as needed, by the board.

        b. The committee will select their chairperson and secretary.

        c. The committee will meet at the request of the superintendent. 

        d. Special meetings may be called by the board to consider temporary removal of materials in unusual circumstances. A recommendation for temporary removal will require a two-thirds vote of the committee.

        e. The committee may be subject to applicable open meetings and public records laws. Notice of the committee meeting is made public through appropriate communication methods as required by law.

        f. The committee will receive the completed Reconsideration Request Form from the superintendent.

       g. The committee will determine its agenda for the meeting which may include the following:

(1) Distribution of copies of the completed Reconsideration Request Form.

(2) An opportunity for the individual or a group spokesperson to talk about or expand on the Reconsideration Request Form.

(3) Distribution of reputable, professionally prepared reviews of the challenged instructional material if available.

(4) Distribution of copies of the challenged instructional material as available. 

     h. The Committee will determine whether interested persons, including the individual filing the challenge, may have the opportunity to share their views. The committee may request that individuals with special knowledge be present to give information to the committee.

       i. The committee's final recommendation may be to take no removal action, to remove the challenged material from the school environment, or to limit the educational use of the challenged material. The sole criterion for the final recommendation is the appropriateness of the material for its intended educational use. The written final recommendation and its justification are forwarded to the superintendent, the complainant and the appropriate attendance centers.

      j. The individual filing the challenge is kept informed by the Superintendent of the status of the reconsideration request throughout the reconsideration process. The individual filing the challenge and known interested parties are given appropriate notice of meetings as required by law.

      k. Following the superintendent’s decision with respect to the committee's recommendation, the individual may appeal the decision to the board for review.

       l. A recommendation to sustain a challenge will not be interpreted as a judgment of irresponsibility on the part of the individuals involved in the original selection or use of the material. 

      m. Requests to reconsider materials which have previously been reconsidered by the committee must receive approval of two-thirds of the committee members before the materials will again be reconsidered. 

      n. If necessary or appropriate in the judgment of the committee, the committee may consolidate related challenges, or decline to hear multiple challenges to the same materials. Generally, the committee will not hear subsequent challenges to the same materials within the same school year.

 

Approved: 10/2/23

Reviewed: 10/2/23

Revised: 10/2/23

The Board of Directors recognizes that one of the greatest resources of the school system is to be found in the people of community who have special knowledge and particular talents to contribute to the school program.  The Board of Directors, therefore, encourages the use of community resources and citizens to assist in furthering the educational program.  Use of outside personnel and resources shall be approved by the building principal.

If a teacher wishes to schedule a resource person he/she should make arrangements with the building principal prior to contacting the resource person.  Note that administrative regulations on recruitment and selection of personnel requires that a criminal records check may be required of individual volunteers under selected circumstances.

 

 

(April 20, 1981; May 17, 1999; July 7, 2003: January 17, 2011; July 9, 2012; January 19, 2015; October 21, 2019)

 

605.04 - Technology and Instructional Materials
 

The board supports the use of innovative methods and the use of technology in the delivery of the educational program.  The board encourages school district personnel to investigate efficient and effective ways to utilize instructional television, audiovisual materials, computers, and other technological advances as a part of the curriculum.

It shall be the responsibility of the principal to develop a plan for the use of technology in the curriculum and to evaluate it annually.  The superintendent shall report the results of the principals’ evaluation and make a recommendation to the board regarding the use of technology in the curriculum.

Approved:

Reviewed:

Revised:

The board supports the use of innovative methods and the use of technology in the delivery of the educational program.  The board encourages school district personnel to investigate efficient and effective ways to utilize instructional television, audiovisual materials, computers, and other technological advances as a part of the curriculum.

It shall be the responsibility of the principal to develop a plan for the use of technology in the curriculum and to evaluate it annually.  The superintendent shall report the results of the principals’ evaluation and make a recommendation to the board regarding the use of technology in the curriculum.

 

 

(April 17, 1989; July 7, 2003: January 17, 2011; July 9, 2012; January 19, 2015; October 21, 2019)

 

Policy 605.05: School Library 

The school district will maintain a school library in each building for use by employees and by students during the school day. 

Materials for the libraries will be acquired consistent with all applicable laws and board policy, "Instructional Materials Selection." The district shall provide access to all parents and guardians of students enrolled in the district an online catalog of all books available to students in the school libraries. This access will be displayed on the school district’s website. Any challenges to library materials will be handled following the process for handling challenges to instructional and library materials as established in board policy.

It is the responsibility of the principal of the building in which the school library is located to oversee the use of materials in the library. 

It is the responsibility of the superintendent to develop procedures for the selection and replacement of both library and instructional materials, for the acceptance of gifts, and for the weeding of library and instructional materials.

Leal Reference: Iowa Code §§ 256.7(24); 279.8; 280.14; 301. 

281 I.A.C. 12.3(11), (12). 

 

Approved: 10/2/23

Reviewed: 10/2/23

Revised: 10/2/23

605.06: Internet - Appropriate Use

 

Because technology is a vital part of the school district curriculum, the Internet will be made available to employees and students. Appropriate and equitable use of the Internet will allow employees and students to access resources unavailable through traditional means. 

Students will be able to access the Internet through their teachers. Individual student accounts and electronic mail addresses may be issued to students. If a student already has an electronic mail address, the student may, with the permission of the supervising teacher,) be permitted to use the address to send and receive mail at school. 

The Internet can provide a vast collection of educational resources for students and employees. It is a global network which makes it impossible to control all available information. Because information appears, disappears and changes constantly, it is not possible to predict or control what students may locate. The school district makes no guarantees as to the accuracy of information received on the Internet. Although students will be under teacher supervision while on the network, it is not possible to constantly monitor individual students and what they are accessing on the network. Some students might encounter information which may not be of educational value. Student Internet records and access records are confidential records treated like other student records. Students’ Internet activities will be monitored by the school district to ensure students are not accessing inappropriate sites that have visual depictions that include obscenity, child pornography or are harmful to minors. 

The school district will use technology protection measures to protect students from inappropriate access, including sites that include obscenity, child pornography or are harmful to minors. The school district will monitor the online activities of students and will educate students about appropriate online behavior, including interacting on social networking sites and chat rooms. Students will also be educated on cyberbullying, including awareness and response. Employees will provide age appropriate training for students who use the Internet. The training provided will be designed to promote the school district’s commitment to:

• The standards and acceptable use of Internet services as set forth in the Internet Safety Policy;

• Student safety with regard to:

  • safety on the Internet;

  • appropriate behavior while online, on social networking Web sites, and

  • in chat rooms; and

  • cyberbullying awareness and response. Compliance with the E-rate requirements of the Children’s Internet Protection Act

Employees and students will be instructed on the appropriate use of the Internet. Parents will be required to sign a permission form to allow their students to access the Internet. Students will sign a form acknowledging they have read and understand the STC Technology Loan Agreement/Internet Acceptable Use policy and regulations, that they will comply with the policy and regulations, and that they understand the consequences for violation of the policy or regulations.

In compliance with federal law, this policy will be maintained at least five years beyond the termination of funding under the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) or E-rate. 

 

Legal Reference: 47 C.F.R 54.520

Iowa Code § 279.8

 

Approved: November 20, 2023

Reviewed: November 20, 2023

Revised: November 20, 2023

 

605.06 R1: Internet - Appropriate Use - Regulation

 

I. Responsibility for Internet Appropriate Use. 

      A. The authority for appropriate use of electronic Internet resources is delegated to the licensed employees. 

      B. Instruction in the proper use of the Internet will be available to employees who will then provide similar instruction to their students. 

      C. Employees are expected to practice appropriate use of the Internet, and violations may result in discipline up to, and including, discharge.

 

II. Internet Access.

      A. Access to the Internet is available to teachers and students as a source of information and a vehicle of communication. 

     B. Students will be able to access the Internet through their teachers. Individual student accounts and electronic mail addresses (will not /may) be issued to students at this time. 

 

1. Making Internet access available to students carries with it the potential that some students might encounter information that may not be appropriate for students. However, on a global network, it is impossible to control all materials. Because information on the Internet appears, disappears and changes, it is not possible to predict or control what students may locate. 

2. It is a goal to allow teachers and students access to the rich opportunities on the Internet, while we protect the rights of students and parents who choose not to risk exposure to questionable material. 

3. The smooth operation of the network relies upon the proper conduct of the end users who must adhere to strict guidelines which require efficient, ethical and legal utilization of network resources. 

4. To reduce unnecessary system traffic, users may use real-time conference features such as talk/chat/Internet relay chat only as approved by the supervising teacher.

5. Transmission of material, information or software in violation of any board policy or regulation is prohibited. 

6. System users will perform a virus check on downloaded files to avoid spreading computer viruses.

 7. The school district makes no guarantees as to the accuracy of information received on the Internet.

 

III. Permission to Use Internet - Annually, parents will grant permission for their student to use the Internet using the prescribed form.

IV. Student Use of Internet. 

     A. Equal Opportunity - The Internet is available to all students within the school district through teacher access. The amount of time available for each student may be limited by the number of available terminals and the demands for each terminal. 

     B. On-line Etiquette. 

1. The use of the network is a privilege and may be taken away for violation of board policy or regulations. As a user of the Internet, students may be allowed access to other networks. Each network may have its own set of policies and procedures. It is the user's responsibility to abide by the policies and procedures of these other networks. 

2. Students should adhere to on-line protocol:

     a. Respect all copyright and license agreements. 

     b. Cite all quotes, references and sources. 

     c. Remain on the system long enough to get needed information, then exit the system. 

     d. Apply the same privacy, ethical and educational considerations utilized in other forms of communication. 

3. Student access for electronic mail will be through (the supervising teacher's account/their own account). Students should adhere to the following guidelines:

     a. Others may be able to read or access the mail so private messages should not be sent.

     b. Delete unwanted messages immediately. 

     c. Use of objectionable language is prohibited. 

     d. Always sign messages. 

     e. Always acknowledge receipt of a document or file. 

C. Restricted Material - Students will not intentionally access or download any text file or picture or engage in any conference that includes material which is obscene, libelous, indecent, vulgar, profane or lewd; advertises any product or service not permitted to minors by law; constitutes insulting or fighting words, the very expression of which injures or harasses others; or presents a clear and present likelihood that, either because of its content or the manner of distribution, it will cause a material and substantial disruption of the proper and orderly operation and discipline of the school or school activities, will cause the commission of unlawful acts or the violation of lawful school regulations. 

D. Unauthorized Costs - If a student gains access to any service via the Internet which has a cost involved or if a student incurs other types of costs, the student accessing such a service will be responsible for those costs. 

 

V. Student Violations--Consequences and Notifications. 

 

Students who access restricted items on the Internet are subject to the appropriate action described in board policy or regulations or the following consequences:

1. First Violation - A verbal and written "Warning" notice will be issued to the student. The student may lose Internet access for a period of  time at the discretion of the building principal. A copy of the notice will be mailed to the student's parent and a copy provided to the building principal. 

2. Second Violation - A verbal and written "Second Violation" notice will be issued to the student. A copy of the notice will be sent to the student's parent and a copy provided to the building principal. The student will forfeit all Internet privileges for a minimum of 2 weeks. 

3. Third Violation - A verbal and written "Third Violation" notice will be issued to the student. A copy of the notice will be sent to the student's parent and a copy provided to the building principal. The student will forfeit all Internet privileges for the quarter or for the balance of the school year. This will also be at principal discretion depending on the nature of the infraction.

 

Approved: November 20, 2023

Reviewed: November 20, 2023

Revised: November 20, 2023

605.07 - R1: Use of Information Resources - Regulation

 

Employees and students may make copies of copyrighted materials that fall within the following guidelines. Where there is reason to believe the material to be copied does not fall within these guidelines, prior permission shall be obtained from the publisher or producer with the assistance of the teacher-librarian and principal. Employees and students who fail to follow this procedure may be held personally liable for copyright infringement and may be subject to discipline by the board. 

Under the "fair use" doctrine, unauthorized reproduction of copyrighted materials is permissible for such purposes as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship or research. Under the fair use doctrine, each of the following four standards must be met in order to use the copyrighted document:

• Purpose and Character of the Use – The use must be for such purposes as teaching or scholarship. 

• Nature of the Copyrighted Work – The type of work to be copied. 

• Amount and Substantiality of the Portion Used – Copying the whole of a work cannot be considered fair use;

• copying a small portion may be if these guidelines are followed. 

• Effect of the Use Upon the Potential Market for or value of the Copyrighted Work – If resulting economic loss to the copyright holder can be shown, even making a single copy of certain materials may be an infringement, and making multiple copies presents the danger of greater penalties.

 

Authorized Reproduction and Use of Copyrighted Material Reminders:

• Materials on the Internet should be used with caution since they may, and likely are, copyrighted. 

• Proper attribution (author, title, publisher, place and date of publication) should always be given. 

• Notice should be taken of any alterations to copyrighted works, and such alterations should only be made for specific instructional objectives. 

• Care should be taken in circumventing any technological protection measures. While materials copied pursuant to fair use may be copied after circumventing technological protections against unauthorized copying, technological protection measures to block access to materials may not be circumvented.

 

In preparing for instruction, a teacher may make or have made a single copy of:

• A chapter from a book;

• An article from a newspaper or periodical;

• A short story, short essay or short poem; or, 

• A chart, graph, diagram, drawing, cartoon or picture from a book, periodical or newspaper. 

 

A teacher may make multiple copies not exceeding more than one per pupil, for classroom use or discussion, if the copying meets the tests of “brevity, spontaneity and cumulative effect” set by the following guidelines. Each copy must include a notice of copyright. 

• Brevity

  • A complete poem, if less than 250 words and two pages long, may be copied; excerpts from longer poems cannot exceed 250 words;

  • Complete articles, stories or essays of less than 2500 words or excerpts from prose works less than 1000 words or 10% of the work, whichever is less may be copied; in any event, the minimum is 500 words;

  • Each numerical limit may be expanded to permit the completion of an unfinished line of a poem or prose paragraph;

  • One chart, graph, diagram, drawing, cartoon or picture per book or periodical issue may be copied. “Special” works cannot be reproduced in full; this includes children's books combining poetry, prose or poetic prose. Short special works may be copied up to two published pages containing not more than 10 percent of the work. 

 

• Spontaneity – Should be at the “instance and inspiration” of the individual teacher when there is not a reasonable length of time to request and receive permission to copy. 

 

• Cumulative Effect – Teachers are limited to using copied material for only one course for which copies are made. No more than one short poem, article, story or two excerpts from the same author may be copied, and no more than three works can be copied from a collective work or periodical column during one class term. Teachers are limited to nine instances of multiple copying for one course during one class term. Limitations do not apply to current news periodicals, newspapers and current news sections of other periodicals. 

 

Copying Limitations

Circumstances will arise when employees are uncertain whether or not copying is prohibited. In those circumstances, the teacher-librarian and principal should be contacted. The following prohibitions have been expressly stated in federal guidelines:

• Reproduction of copyrighted material shall not be used to create or substitute for anthologies, compilations or collective works. 

• Unless expressly permitted by agreement with the publisher and authorized by school district action, there shall be no copying from copyrighted consumable materials such as workbooks, exercises, test booklets, answer sheets and the like. 

• Employees shall not:

  • Use copies to substitute for the purchase of books, periodicals, music recordings, consumable works such as workbooks, computer software or other copyrighted material. Copy or use the same item from term to term without the copyright owner's permission;

  • Copy or use more than nine instances of multiple copying of protected material in any one term;

  • Copy or use more than one short work or two excerpts from works of the same author in any one term;

  • Copy or use protected material without including a notice of copyright. The following is a satisfactory notice: NOTICE: THIS MATERIAL MAY BE PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT LAW. 

  • Reproduce or use copyrighted material at the direction of someone in higher authority or copy or use such material in emulation of some other teacher's use of copyrighted material without permission of the copyright owner. 

  • Require other employees or students to violate the copyright law or fair use guidelines. 

 

Authorized Reproduction and Use of Copyrighted Materials in the Library

 

A library may make a single copy or three digital copies of:

• An unpublished work in its collection;

• A published work in order to replace it because it is damaged, deteriorated, lost or stolen, provided that an unused replacement cannot be obtained at a fair price. 

• A work that is being considered for acquisition, although use is strictly limited to that decision. Technological protection measures may be circumvented for purposes of copying materials in order to make an acquisition decision. 

A library may provide a single copy of copyrighted material to a student or employee at no more than the actual cost of photocopying. The copy must be limited to one article of a periodical issue or a small part of other material, unless the library finds that the copyrighted work cannot be obtained elsewhere at a fair price. In the latter circumstance, the entire work may be copied. In any case, the copy shall contain the notice of copyright and the student or staff member shall be notified that the copy is to be used only for private study, scholarship or research. Any other use may subject the person to liability for copyright infringement.

Authorized Reproduction and Use of Copyrighted Music or Dramatic Works

Teachers may:

• Make a single copy of a song, movement, or short section from a printed musical or dramatic work that is unavailable except in a larger work for purposes of preparing for instruction;

• Make multiple copies for classroom use of an excerpt of not more than 10% of a printed musical work if it is to be used for academic purposes other than performance, provided that the excerpt does not comprise a part of the whole musical work which would constitute a performable unit such as a complete section, movement, or song;

• In an emergency, a teacher may make and use replacement copies of printed music for an imminent musical performance when the purchased copies have been lost, destroyed or are otherwise not available.

• Make and retain a single recording of student performances of copyrighted material when it is made for purposes of evaluation or rehearsal;

• Make and retain a single copy of excerpts from recordings of copyrighted musical works for use as aural exercises or examination questions; and, 

• Edit or simplify purchased copies of music or plays provided that the fundamental character of the work is not distorted. Lyrics shall not be altered or added if none exist.

 

Performance by teachers or students of copyrighted musical or dramatic works is permitted without the authorization of the copyright owner as part of a teaching activity in a classroom or instructional setting. The purpose shall be instructional rather than for entertainment. 

Performances of nondramatic musical works that are copyrighted are permitted without the authorization of the copyright owner, provided that:

• The performance is not for a commercial purpose;

• None of the performers, promoters or organizers are compensated; and, 

• Admission fees are used for educational or charitable purposes only. 

All other musical and dramatic performances require permission from the copyright owner. Parents or others wishing to record a performance should check with the sponsor to ensure compliance with copyright. 

 

Recording of Copyrighted Programs

Television programs, excluding news programs, transmitted by commercial and non-commercial television stations for reception by the general public without charge may be recorded off-air simultaneously with broadcast transmission (including simultaneous cable retransmission) and retained by a school for a period not to exceed the first forty-five (45) consecutive calendar days after date of recording. Upon conclusion of this retention period, all off-air recordings must be erased or destroyed immediately. Certain programming such as that provided on public

television may be exempt from this provision; check with the teacher-librarian and principal or the subscription database, e.g. unitedstreaming. 

Off-air recording may be used once by individual teachers in the course of instructional activities, and repeated once only when reinforcement is necessary, within a building, during the first 10 consecutive school days, excluding scheduled interruptions, in the 45 calendar day retention period. Off-air recordings may be made only at the request of and used by individual teachers, and may not be regularly recorded in anticipation of requests. No broadcast program may be recorded off-air more than once at the request of the same teacher, regardless of the number of times the program may be broadcast. A limited number of copies may be reproduced from each off-air recording to meet the legitimate needs of teachers. Each additional copy shall be subject to all provisions governing the original recording. 

After the first ten consecutive school days, off-air recordings may be used up to the end of the 45 calendar day retention period only for evaluation purposes, i.e., to determine whether or not to include the broadcast program in the teaching curriculum. Permission must be secured from the publisher before the recording can be used for instructional purposes after the 10 day period. 

Off-air recordings need not be used in their entirety, but the recorded programs may not be altered from their original content. Off-air recordings may not be physically or electronically combined or merged to constitute teaching anthologies or compilations. All copies of off-air recordings must include the copyright notice on the broadcast program as recorded. 

 

Authorized Reproduction and Use of Copyrighted Computer Software

Schools have a valid need for high-quality software at reasonable prices. To assure a fair return to the authors of software programs, the school district shall support the legal and ethical issues involved in copyright laws and any usage agreements that are incorporated into the acquisition of software programs. To this end, the following guidelines shall be in effect:

• All copyright laws and publisher license agreements between the vendor and the school district shall be observed;

• Staff members shall take reasonable precautions to prevent copying or the use of unauthorized copies on school equipment;

• A back-up copy shall be purchased, for use as a replacement when a program is lost or damaged. If the vendor is not able to supply a replacement, the school district shall make a back-up copy that will be used for replacement purposes only;

• A copy of the software license agreement shall be retained by the technology director; and, 

• A computer program may be adapted by adding to the content or changing the language. The adapted program may not be distributed.

 

Fair Use Guidelines for Educational Multimedia

Students may incorporate portions of copyrighted materials in producing educational multimedia projects such as videos, PowerPoints, podcasts and web sites for a specific course, and may perform, display or retain the projects. 

Educators may perform or display their own multimedia projects to students in support of curriculum-based instructional activities. These projects may be used:

• In face-to-face instruction;

• In demonstrations and presentations, including conferences;

• In assignments to students;

• For remote instruction if distribution of the signal is limited;

• Over a network that cannot prevent duplication for fifteen days, after fifteen days a copy may be saved on-site only; or, 

• In their personal portfolios. 

 

Educators may use copyrighted materials in a multimedia project for two years, after that permission must be requested and received. 

The following limitations restrict the portion of any given work that may be used pursuant of fair use in an educational multimedia project:

• Motion media: ten percent or three minutes, whichever is less;

• Text materials: ten percent or 1,000 words, whichever is less;

• Poetry: an entire poem of fewer than 250 words, but no more than three poems from one author or five poems from an anthology. For poems of greater than 250 words, excerpts of up to 250 words may be used, but no more than three excerpts from one poet or five excerpts from an anthology;

• Music, lyrics and music video: Up to ten percent, but no more than thirty seconds. No alterations that change the basic melody or fundamental character of the work;

• Illustrations, cartoons and photographs: No more that five images by an artist, and no more than ten percent or fifteen images whichever is less from a collective work;

• Numerical data sets: Up to ten percent or 2,500 field or cell entries, whichever is less;

 

Fair use does not include posting a student or teacher’s work on the Internet if it includes portions of copyrighted materials. Permission to copy shall be obtained from the original copyright holder(s) before such projects are placed online. The opening screen of such presentations shall include notice that permission was granted and materials are restricted from further use.

 

Notices – Before including this section, make sure employees are ready to comply with it and notices are posted. 

The building principal is responsible for ensuring that appropriate warnings are posted. The warnings are to educate individuals using school district equipment of the copyright law. Warning notices must be posted:

• On or near copiers;

• On forms used to request copying services;

• On computers; and at other places where orders for copies of materials are accepted.

 

Approved: October 2, 2023

Reviewed: October 2, 2023

Revised: October 2, 2023

 

Materials and services produced by students at the expense of the school district are be the property of the school district.  Materials and services produced by students at the student’s expense, except for incidental expense to the school district, are be the property of the student.

Materials and services produced by employees at the expense of the school district are the property of the school district, including but not limited to, materials and services produced in the scope of the employee’s duties as an employee of the school district and materials and services produced using school district time or resources.  Materials and services produced by employees at the employee's expense, except for incidental expense to the school district, are the property of the employee.

It is the responsibility of the superintendent to determine incidental expense.

 

 

(October 21, 2019)

 

The District recognizes that families with students of compulsory attendance age may select alternative forms of education outside the traditional school setting, including private instruction.  In the event a child of compulsory attendance age, as defined by law, does not attend public school or an accredited nonpublic school, the applicable legal requirements for other forms of private instruction must be followed.

Unless otherwise exempted, the child must receive private instruction, which is instruction that uses a plan and a course of study in a setting other than a public or organized accredited nonpublic school.  Private instruction includes competent private instruction, which includes two options for delivery of instruction, and independent private instruction, which includes one option for delivery of instruction.

Competent private instruction is private instruction that is provided on a daily basis for at least one hundred forty-eight (148) days during a school year, to be met by attendance for at least thirty-seven (37) days each school quarter, and which results in the student making adequate progress.  Competent private instruction is provided by or under the supervision of a licensed practitioner or by other individuals identified in law.  Students receiving competent private instruction are eligible for dual enrollment into their resident school district.  Students receiving competent private instruction are also eligible for open enrollment into another school district.

A parent choosing competent private instruction for a student must notify the school district prior to the first day of school on forms provided by the school district.  The forms are available in the central administration office.  One copy of the completed forms will be kept by the school district and another copy will be forwarded to the area education agency.

Independent private instruction is private instruction that meets the following criteria:

1. is not accredited;
2. enrolls not more than four unrelated students;
3. does not charge tuition, fees or other remuneration for instruction;
4. provides private or religious-based instruction as its primary purpose;
5. provides enrolled students with instruction in mathematics, reading and language arts, science, and social studies;
6. provides, upon written request from the Superintendent of the school district in which the independent private instruction is provided or from the Director of the Department of Education, a report identifying the primary instructor, location, name of the authority responsible for the independent private instruction, and the names of the students enrolled;
7. is not a nonpublic school and does not provide competent private instruction as defined herein; and
8. is exempt from all state statutes and administrative rules applicable to a school, a school board or a school district, except as otherwise provided by law.

 

 

(June 22, 1981; April 17, 1989; June 15, 1992; July 7, 2003; February 21, 2011; July 9, 2012; January 19, 2015; October 21, 2019)

 

The board, recognizing alternatives to education outside the formal public school system, authorizes the establishment of a home school assistance program.  This program will assist students receiving competent private instruction by providing licensed employees of the school district to assist the parent, guardian or legal custodian in the education of the student.  Students registered for the home school assistance program will be counted in the basic enrollment.

The parent, guardian or legal custodian registering for the home school assistance program will agree to comply with the requirements established by the faculty of the program.

 

 

(February 21, 2011; July 9, 2012; January 19, 2015; October 21, 2019)

 

The parent, guardian, or custodian of a student receiving competent private instruction may also enroll the student in the school district.  The student is considered under dual enrollment. 

The parent, guardian, or custodian requesting dual enrollment for the student should notify the board secretary prior to the third Friday of September each year on forms provided by the school district.  On the form, they will indicate the extracurricular and academic activities in which the student is interested in participating.  The forms are available at the central administration office.

A dual enrollment student is eligible to participate in the school district’s extracurricular and academic activities in the same manner as other students enrolled in the school district.  The policies and administrative rules of the school district will apply to the dual enrollment students in the same manner as the other students enrolled the school district.  These policies and administrative rules will include, but not be limited to, athletic eligibility requirements, the good conduct rule, academic eligibility requirements, and payment of the fees required for participation.  After the student notifies the school district which activities in which they wish to participate, the school district will provide information regarding the specific programs.

A dual enrollment student whose parent, guardian, or custodian has chosen standardized testing as the form of the student’s annual assessment will not be responsible for the cost of the test or the administration of the test.

 

 

(February 21, 2011; July 9, 2012; January 19, 2015; October 21, 2019)

 

In accordance with this policy, students in grades nine through twelve may receive academic or career and technical education credits that count toward the graduation requirements set out by the board for courses successfully completed in post-secondary educational institutions.  Students and parents or guardians shall be made aware of the post-secondary instructional opportunities as part of the development of each student’s individual career and academic plan as required by law.  The superintendent or designee is responsible for developing the appropriate forms and procedures for implementing this policy and the following post-secondary educational opportunities.

Concurrent Enrollment

The board may, in its discretion, enter into a contractual agreement with a community college to provide courses for eligible students in grades nine through twelve when comparable courses are not offered by the school district.  Notice of the availability of the concurrent enrollment program shall be included in the school district’s registration handbook, and the handbook shall identify which courses, if successfully completed, generate post-secondary credit.  Students shall not be charged tuition for concurrent enrollment courses and shall not be required to reimburse the school district for tuition if they do not successfully complete a course. Students or their parents or guardians may be required to pay a fee consistent with the school district’s established textbook policy and other materials for the concurrent enrollment course to the extent permitted by law.  Students or their parents or guardians may also be required to provide their own transportation to and from concurrent enrollment courses to the extent permitted by law.  However, transportation shall be the responsibility of the school district for any contracted course that is used to meet school district accreditation requirements.

Students who successfully complete a concurrent enrollment course, as determined by the postsecondary institution, shall receive postsecondary credit in accordance with the institution's policies and high school credit that will be reflected on their high school transcript.  The superintendent or designee shall grant to a student who successfully completes a concurrent enrollment course a unit of high school graduation credit for every unit of high school level instruction successfully completed.

Post-Secondary Enrollment Option

Students in grades nine and ten who the school district has identified as talented and gifted students and eligible students in grades eleven and twelve may utilize the Post-Secondary Enrollment Option (“PSEO”) program.  Students are eligible to take post-secondary educational courses if they meet all of the requirements outlined in this policy and as required by the post-secondary educational institution and if the student has obtained the approval of the superintendent and/or designee.  Eligible students wishing to participate in the post-secondary educational courses shall apply to the eligible post-secondary educational institution.

To qualify, a course must be a nonsectarian, credit-bearing course that leads to a degree.  A course is not eligible for the PSEO program if a comparable course if offered by the school district.  In addition, courses at a community college with which the school district has a concurrent enrollment agreement are not eligible for the PSEO program.  Students shall not be charged for tuition, textbooks, materials or fees related to a PSEO course with the exception of equipment that becomes the property of the student.

The school district shall reimburse the post-secondary institution for tuition and other expenses for each PSEO course up to $250.  Students who successfully complete a PSEO course, as determined by the post-secondary institution, shall receive post-secondary credit and high school credit.  The superintendent or designee shall grant to a student who successfully completes a PSEO course a unit of high school graduation credit for every unit of high school level instruction successfully completed.  Students may not enroll on a full-time basis to any post-secondary institution through the PSEO program.

Transportation to and from the post-secondary institution is the responsibility of the student or parent or legal guardian of the student enrolled in a PSEO course.  Eligible students may take up to seven hours of post-secondary credit during the summer months and receive high school credit upon successful completion of a post-secondary course.  However, the student or student’s parent or legal guardian is responsible for all costs associated with courses taken during the summer.

Students who fail a PSEO course and fail to receive credit are required to reimburse the school district for all costs directly related to the course up to the $250 reimbursement maximum.  Prior to registering, students under the age of eighteen are required to have a parent or guardian sign a form indicating that the parent is responsible for the costs of the course should the student fail the course and fail to receive credit.  Reimbursement waivers may be granted by the board if sufficient verification is provided to show that the student was unable to complete the course for reasons outside the student’s control, including but not limited to, physical incapacity, a death in the student’s immediate family or a move out of the school district.

If a student is unable to demonstrate proficiency or the school district or accredited nonpublic school determines that the course unit completed by the student does not meet the school district’s standards, the superintendent shall provide in writing to the student’s parent or guardian the reason for the denial of credit.

 

 

(February 21, 2011; July 9, 2012; January 19, 2015; October 21, 2019)

 

The Board of Directors recognizes the following objectives or purposes of a system of student reporting practices:

1. To inform parents of the progress made by their children.
2. To bring parents into closer understanding of the work of the school and to bring the school into closer understanding of the parent’s perception.
3. To record for students their growth of achievement.
4. To assist students in evaluating their growth or achievement.
5. To assist the student, their parents, and the school in working cooperatively for the welfare of the student.

Students and parents shall receive a periodic progress report outlining the student’s current grade in each class.  Students who are at risk of receiving a failing grade or whose achievement has declined and their parents shall be notified prior to the end of the semester in order to have an opportunity to improve their grade.  The board encourages the notification of students who have made marked improvement prior to the end of the semester.

The Superintendent of Schools, with assistance of the professional staff, may develop a manual related to procedures for evaluating and reporting pupil progress to parents.

 

 

(April 20, 1981; June 20, 1994; July 7, 2003; July 9, 2012; January 19, 2015; October 21, 2019)

 

607.02 Student Health Services

Health services are an integral part of assisting all students to increase learning, achievement, and performance. Health services coordinate and support existing programs to assist each student in achievement of an optimal state of physical, mental and social well being. Student health services ensure continuity and create linkages between school, home, and community service providers. The school district’s needs, and resources determine the linkages.

Except in emergent care situations or child abuse assessments, the district will not administer invasive physical examinations or health screenings of a student that are not required by state or federal law without first obtaining the written consent of the student’s parent or guardian. 

• Emergent care situation means a sudden or unforeseen occurrence of onset of a medical or behavioral condition that could result in serious injury or harm to a student or others in the event immediate medical attention is not provided. Emergent care situation includes the need to screen a student or others for symptoms or exposures during an outbreak or public health event of concern as designated by the department of public health. 

• Invasive physical examination means any medical examination that involves the exposure of private body parts or any act during such examination that includes incision, insertion, or injection into the body, but does not include a hearing, vision or scoliosis screening.

• Student health screening means an intentionally planned, periodic process to identify if students may be at risk for a health concern and to determine if a referral for an in-depth assessment is needed to consider appropriate health services. Student health screening does not include an episodic, individual screening done in accordance with professional licensed practice.

The superintendent, in conjunction with the (school nurse, health advisory committee, public health nurse, school health team, etc.) will develop administrative regulations implementing this policy. The superintendent will provide a written report on the role of health services in the education program to the board annually. 

 

“The school district will annually notify parents of physical exams or screenings conducted on students except for vision, hearing or scoliosis.”

 

Legal Reference: 

42 U.S.C. §§ 12101 et seq. 34 C.F.R. pt. 99, 104, 200, 300 et seq. 29 U.S.C. § 794(a)

28 C.F.R. 35

20 U.S.C. 1232g § 1400 6301 et seq.. Iowa Code §§ 22.7, 139A.3. .8, .21; 143.1, 152, 256.7(24), .11, 279; 280.23 . 281 I.A.C. 12.3(4), (7), (11); 12.4(12); 12.8

282 I.A.C. 22. 641 I.A.C. 7. 655 I.A.C. 6

 

Approved: October 19, 1987; March 21, 2011; January 19, 2015;August 19, 2019; October 16, 2023

Reviewed: October 16, 2023

Revised: October 16, 2023

 

 

 

 

 

Close communication between home and school is an important factor in establishing a highly effective school program.  Planned conferences between parents and teachers is an important way to bring about understanding and close cooperation between the home and school.  Close communication should be maintained through conferences with all parents, not just with those where academic or other problems suggest the need for closer communication.

Conferences between parents and teachers regarding a child should be treated by the teacher as an opportunity to help the child and every effort should be made to make the conference constructive, objective, and pleasant.  Conferences should provide an opportunity for a mutual exchange of information and ideas for the welfare of the child.

Occasionally parents will call on teachers when they have responsibilities for class instruction.  Although the purpose of such a visit may be worthy, teachers should discourage the practice and suggest that the parent arrange for conferences outside of regular class time.  Teachers should be prepared to give after-school or pre-school time for conferences when desirable.

Conferences for parents will be scheduled following or during the first and third quarters.  In addition to these conferences, teachers are expected to request additional conferences with parents as the needs may indicate.

The principal or supervisor should be present at any parent-teacher conference when the principal or supervisor believes his/her presence would be necessary and/or beneficial.

 

 

(April 17, 1989; June 15, 1992; June 20, 1994; July 7, 2003; July 9, 2012; January 19, 2015; October 21, 2019)

 

607.02 R1: Student Health Services Administrative Regulations

 

I. Student Health Services - Each school building may develop a customized student health services program based on its unique needs and resources. Scientific advances, laws, and school improvement necessitate supports to students with health needs to receive their education program. 

Supports to improve student achievement include:

• qualified health personnel

• school superintendent, school nurse, and school health team working collaboratively

• family and community involvement

• optimal student health services program with commitment to its continuing improvement

Components provided within a coordinated school health program include:

• health services

• nutrition

• healthy, safe environment

• staff wellness

• health education

• physical education and activity

• counseling, psychological, and social services

• family and community involvement

 

Student health services are provided to identify health needs; facilitate access to health care; provide for health needs related to educational achievement; promote health, well-being, and safety; and plan and develop the health services program.

 

II. Student Health Services Essential Functions

    A. Identify student health needs:

       1. Provide individual initial and annual health assessments

       2. Provide needed health screenings

       3. Maintain and update confidential health records

       4. Communicate (written, oral, electronic) health needs as consistent with confidentiality laws

   B. Facilitate student access to physical and mental health services:

       1. Link students to community resources and monitor follow through

       2. Promote increased access and referral to primary health care financial resources such as Medicaid, HAWK-I, social security, and community health clinics

       3. Encourage appropriate use of healthcare

   C. Provide for student health needs related to educational achievement:

        1. Manage chronic and acute illnesses

        2. Provide special health procedures and medication including delegation, training, and supervision of qualified designated school personnel

        3. Develop, implement, evaluate, and revise individual health plans (IHPs) for all students with special health needs according to mandates in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Rehabilitation Act (Section 504), and American with Disabilities Act (ADA)

        4. Provide urgent and emergency care for individual and group illness and injury

        5. Prevent and control communicable disease and monitor immunizations

        6. Promote optimal mental health

        7. Promote a safe school facility and a safe school environment

        8. Participate in and attend team meetings as a team member and health consultant

   D. Promote student health, well-being, and safety to foster healthy living:

        1. Provide developmentally appropriate health education and health counseling for individuals and groups

        2. Encourage injury and disease prevention practices

        3. Promote personal and public health practices

        4. Provide health promotion and injury and disease prevention education

   E. Plan and develop the student health services program collaboratively with the superintendent, building administrator, school nurse, and school health team:

       1. Gather and interpret data to evaluate needs and performance

       2. Establish District wellness committee and school health team

       3. Develop health procedures and guidelines

       4. Collaborate with staff, families, and community

       5. Maintain and update confidential student school health records

       6. Coordinate program with all school health components

       7. Coordinate with school improvement

       8. Evaluate and revise the health service program to meet changing needs

       9. Organize scheduling and direct health services staff

      10. Develop student health services annual status report

      11. Coordinate information and program delivery within the school and between school and major constituents

      12. Provide health services by qualified health professionals to effectively deliver services, including multiple levels of school health expertise such as registered nurses, physicians, and advanced registered nurse practitioners

      13. Provide for professional development for school health services staff

 

III. Expanded Health Services

These additional health services address learning barriers and the lack of access to health care. Examples include school-based services in the school, school-linked services connected to the school, primary care, mental health,

 

I.C. Iowa Code References Description

Iowa Code § 139A Communicable/Infectious Diseases 

Iowa Code § 143.1 Public Health Nurses 

Iowa Code § 152 Nursing 

Iowa Code § 22.7 Confidential Records  

Iowa Code § 256.11 DE - Educational Standards  

Iowa Code § 256.7 DE - Duties of State Board  

Iowa Code § 279 Directors - Powers and Duties 

Iowa Code § 280.23 Student Health Services 

 

I.A.C. Iowa Administrative Code References Description

281 I.A.C. 12.3 Administration

281 I.A.C. 12.4 School Personnel 

281 I.A.C. 12.8 General Accreditation Standards - Student Achievement  

282 I.A.C. 22

 

Educational Examiners - Authorizations - 

641 I.A.C. 7 Public Health - Immunizations - 

 

Approved: August 19, 2019; October 16, 2023

Reviewed: October 16, 2023

Revised: October 16, 2023

 

 

The school district strives to place each student in an environment where maximum development will take place.  Students will be promoted to the next grade level at the end of each school year based on the student’s achievement, age, maturity, emotional stability, and social adjustment.

The retention of a student will be determined based upon the judgment of the licensed employee and the principal.  When it becomes evident a student in grades kindergarten through eight may be retained in a grade level for an additional year, the parents will be informed as early in the school year as possible.  It is within the sole discretion of the board to retain students in their current grade level.

Students in grades nine through twelve will be informed of the required course work necessary to be promoted each year.  When it becomes evident a student in these grades will be unable to meet the minimum credit requirements for the year, the student and parents will be informed.  It is within the sole discretion of the board to retain students in their current grade level and to deny promotion to a student.

It shall be the policy of the school district to retain children at grade level when they do not have the skills necessary to be successful in the next grade.  The district has the responsibility to assure that a child is ready for promotion to the next grade level.  When considering a child for promotion item I, II, and III below will be examined and the final decision will be based upon the best interest of the child.

I.          Academic Ability

    Determined by:

1.   Standardized Achievement Tests
2.   Classroom Tests Administered by the Classroom Teachers
3.   Intelligence Tests Administered by a Psychologist
4.   History of Grades Received.

II.        Social and Emotion Adaptability

     Determined by:

1.   Ability to get along with the peers.  (Teacher Observation)
2.   Interview with a Psychologist and/or other professional educator.
3.   Teacher Observation in the Classroom, Hallway, Lunchroom and the Playground.

III.       Physical Maturation

     Determined by:

1.   Ability to undertake the same tasks as the rest of the students in the grade when they plan to be placed in for the next year.
2.   Recommendation from the Physical Education Teacher and the School Nurse, Counselor, or Principal.

IV.       Requests and Procedure:

1.   When a parent has made a request for retention the principal shall strongly consider this request in making the final decision.
2.   Requests shall be made directly to the building principal(s) involved and must be submitted prior to May 1^st.
3.   The building principal makes the final decision.
4.   The parent will be notified not later than July 1^st as to the district’s decision.
5.   Thorough documentation will be kept in the individual’s cumulative folder.

 

V.        Appeal

The parents may request a meeting with the Superintendent of Schools to review the data if they are unhappy with the initial recommendation. 

 

 

(August 18, 1986; June 15, 1992; May 15, 2000; July 7, 2003; July 9, 2012; January 19, 2015; October 21, 2019)