Skip To Main Content

2001 - Use of Instructional Materials with Mature Content

 

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.

Adopted: December 13, 2005

Revised:  June 21, 2011