San Francisco Unified School District and County Office of Education
Administrative Regulation 6161.11
Supplementary Instructional Materials
This Regulation applies to the San Francisco Unified School District and the County Office of Education.
Criteria for Selection of Supplementary Instructional Materials:
Board Policy 6161.11 requires that Supplementary Instructional Materials shall meet the following criteria:
- Be aligned with District goals, curriculum objectives, and academic standards;
- Supplement and not supplant the use of Board-adopted, or District pilot, basic instructional materials that serve as the primary learning resources;
- As appropriate, supplementary instructional materials shall meet the criteria developed for the selection and evaluation of basic instructional materials as described in AR 6161.1;
- Be directly related to the course of study in which they are being used;
- Shall be appropriate for the age and maturity level of the students.
Preview of Proposed Supplementary Materials:
Within the bounds of Board policies and administrative regulations, as well as District piloted curriculum, adopted state and district curriculums, teachers shall have the opportunity to utilize best practices in employing their teaching methodologies that address students’ different learning styles. Teachers shall also have the discretion to use supplemental materials and develop supplementary lessons aligned with California content standards and district adopted core curriculum.
Board Policy 6161.11 provides that whenever a District employee proposes to use a supplementary resource which is not included in the approved learning resources of the District, the employee shall preview the material to determine whether, in their professional judgment, it is appropriate for the grade level taught and is consistent with District criteria for the selection of supplementary instructional materials (outlined above).
Superintendent or Designee* Review: As required by BP 6161.11, teachers shall confer with the Superintendent or designee* as necessary to determine the compliance of supplementary material with Board Policy/District criteria, with the primary considerations being:
- Educational value,
- Appropriateness,
- Relevance of the materials,
- Ages and maturity of the students.
If a teacher is unsure of whether supplementary materials meet the District criteria, they should seek an advance review with the Superintendent or designee*.
Feedback and Review Process:
1. Parents/guardians are encouraged to discuss any feedback or concerns regarding supplementary curriculum materials with their student’s teacher and/or the school principal.
2. If the situation remains unresolved, feedback/concerns may be submitted to the Superintendent or designee* on a form developed for this purpose. Such forms shall be provided to school principals to share with the parent/guardian in the event that their feedback/concern is not resolved at the site level. In order for the District to respond appropriately and collect necessary information, the form should include: (i) the name of the parent/guardian submitting the form; (ii) the name of the course and teacher where supplementary materials are being used; (iii) title or specific description of the supplemental materials; (iv) approximate date when materials were taught; and (v) specific description of concerns or feedback regarding the supplemental materials. This form shall include a statement that it is a public record under Government Code § 7920.000 et seq.
3. The Superintendent or designee* may require a review of Supplementary Instructional Materials, in any stage of development or use, as needed in response to feedback from teachers, administrators or parents/guardians; based on student assessment results; new research on program effectiveness; or changing student needs.
- Supplementary Instructional Materials that are under review shall not be used until the Superintendent or designee* has made a determination on whether such materials meet the requirements of Board Policy and District criteria as outlined above.
- The Superintendent/designee* shall consult with the District employee who developed/adopted the supplementary material to give them the opportunity to share the basis of their determination that the material, in their professional judgment, is appropriate for the grade level taught and is consistent with District criteria for the selection of supplementary instructional materials.
- All feedback will not necessarily result in Superintendent or designee* review. Feedback that provides evidence that materials do not meet district supplemental materials criteria will be considered for review, and evidence of supplementary materials that create an unsafe learning environment or that negatively affect a student’s civil rights shall be prioritized for review. Review will not occur solely based on a dislike of the ideas contained in the materials.
- Supplementary materials that are anonymous (not attributed to an identified District employee who has previewed and approved the materials as required by BP 6161.11) shall not be reviewed or used with students.
- The Superintendent/designee* may develop a worksheet to guide the evaluation of the supplementary resource.
4. Complaints alleging that the Board has approved or adopted textbooks, instructional materials, supplemental instructional material or curriculum that subject student(s) to unlawful discrimination pursuant to Education Code 220; or that allege any other unlawful discrimination in district programs and activities, shall be processed and resolved using the procedure outlined in BP 1312.3 (Uniform Complaints). Uniform Complaints may be filed by any member of the public, including anyone filing anonymously, if the complaint provides evidence or information leading to evidence to support an allegation of unlawful discrimination under this section. (Education Code section 244).
*The Superintendent’s designee could include, but is not limited to, the following staff: Department Chair/Lead; Assistant Principal; Principal; or members of the Central Office. A designee must be identified by the Superintendent prior to review of the materials.