NORTH OLDHAM HIGH SCHOOL
SCHOOL-BASED DECISION MAKING COUNCIL POLICY
USE OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS WITH MATURE CONTENT
2001
TOPIC |
STATEMENT |
---|---|
a. Instructional Purpose |
Mature content, regardless of the source, should not be used unless it has a compelling instructional connection to what is being learned in the classroom. All educational resources must be content appropriate. |
b. Communication with Parents |
Teachers of courses with curricula that lends itself to using supplemental books, movies, audio-visuals, and other related instructional materials that may be considered to have mature content such as profanity, violence, sexual connotations, etc. are expected to communicate with parents through the course syllabus and /or other reasonable forms of communication the specifics of why, when, and how the questionable materials will be used. |
c. Permission form | Teachers shall provide parents with a permission form for which to sign that grants the student permission to interact with the mature content materials or the request for an alternate assignment. |
d. Alternate Assignment | If the parent/student objects to the mature content, the student should ask the teacher in a timely manner for an alternate assignment. The alternate assignment shall be equitable to the assignment of which the student is opting out. The teacher will specify the due date for the alternate assignment. |
e. Grading/Assessment | The student’s grade on the alternate assignment shall align closely with what the other students are doing. No student who chooses an alternate assignment shall be penalized academically or behaviorally. |
f. Excerpts | Where possible, teachers shall use excerpts of the questionable content to avoid the mature content if this does not diminish the overall meaning and context of the instructional material and its purpose in the instruction. |