Maxwell High School of Technology

Gwinnett County Public Schools

Dear parents,

At Maxwell High School, we place a strong focus on providing our students with a well-rounded education that will prepare them for their future educational or professional endeavors.

Our Media Center is a state-of-the-art facility that serves as a resource for students to pursue their research and interests, both academic and extra-curricular. With over 15,000 books, a comprehensive network of databases, and a helpful staff, we strive to meet the many needs of the students and faculty.

Attached, you will find the selection policy for Maxwell High School’s Media Center. This policy will outline information that you need to know regarding the selection of media materials, the school’s policy on internet access and intellectual freedom and the procedures for weeding materials that are outdated or no longer needed. In addition, you will find the media center philosophy and mission statement outlined.

We hope that your students will utilize our Media Center and realize the many ways that they can benefit from it. We also invite you to visit us and see if we can assist you in any way. The Media Center is open from 7 am to 3 pm, everyday.

Thank you for taking a moment to get to know the Media Center at Maxwell High School.

Sincerely,

Sandra Wise & Heather Abner

Media Specialists

Philosophy

Maxwell High School Media Center supports school education by providing media resources, accessible facilities, and services to the instructional staff and students. Resources are available in a variety of formats to meet various learning styles and emerging technologies. Flexible scheduling of Maxwell’s media centers allow students and classroom groups to use the center whenever needed.

Maxwell High School Media Center provides instructional support, maximum accessibility, and optimal informational service to its students and staff. The Media staff is committed to creating an inviting, stimulating environment and collaborative planning with the faculty to provide effective educational experiences for students. Formal and informal instruction, use of media resources, and equipment promotes the development of skills and technical expertise. School media specialists should plan and work with instructors to identify, select, and provide the best resources and activities to meet student needs.

Teachers often assume that high school students have acquired adequate training in research skills. Therefore, teacher modeling and guided practice in the research process are overlooked. Information Literacy is not a natural activity; it must be constantly taught, modeled, and practiced in every curriculum area. It is still important at the high school level for teachers to plan with the media specialist in a team effort to maximize the success of the research process.

Mission Statement

The mission of Maxwell High School of Technology is to provide a quality media program, state of the art technology, and current information services in order to enhance learning and ensure access to curriculum based information and resource materials to its students and staff.

Selection Objectives

The objective of the Media Center is to provide a variety of resources and materials that will enrich the school curriculum and effectively supplement the school’s education program. Media Center materials are defined as all electronic, print, and non-print resources, excluding textbooks, which students and teachers use for their education programs (Van Orden & Bishop 2001, 100).

In selecting materials for the Media Center, the following objectives should be considered:

Resources and materials should enhance the curriculum map and provide supplement to the education plan and AKS requirements for the school’s education program.
The resources should be accessible and understandable to students with various interests and learning abilities.
A variety of resources should be chosen, taking into consideration the wide range of teaching and learning styles that are present in the school.
Materials should provide students with varying levels of difficulty and a presentation of different points of view.
Materials chosen should help students develop critical thinking skills.

(Adapted from Van Orden & Bishop 2001, 99-100).

In addition, the following objectives should be met when selecting any instructional materials:

Materials shall support and be consistent with the system’s mission, vision, and goals and the Academic Knowledge and Skills (AKS) curriculum for specific courses.
Materials shall meet high standards of quality in factual content and presentation.
Materials shall be appropriate for the subject area and for the age, emotional development, ability level, and social development of the students for whom the materials are selected.
Materials shall have aesthetic, literary, or social value.
Materials chosen shall be written/produced by competent and qualified authors and producers.
Materials shall be chosen that avoid gender, role, age ethnic and other stereotyping.
Physical format, medium, and appearance of materials shall be suitable for their intended use.
The materials selected shall be purchased and used in compliance with current copyright laws.

(Gwinnett County Public Schools, 2002)

Focus of current year selection policy outlined in Appendix C.

Responsibility for Selection

The responsibility for recommending selection of media materials is placed upon the professionally trained and certified staff employed by the school system. The term “media materials” describe print and non-print materials of any medium including educational software, Internet sites, electronic databases, periodicals, and curricula supplemental materials that are selected, processed, circulated, maintained, and inventoried through the school media center.

The School Media Committee is appointed each year by the principal with the advice of the media specialist and school advisory committee. The committee will consist of following:

1. School principal

2. Assistant Principal for Curriculum and Instruction

3. Media Specialist

4. Teacher Representative from each department or grade level

5. Student(s)

6. Parents/community representatives

The School Media Committee holds regular meetings throughout the year to review the media materials selection, review department budgets, inventories, and serves on challenge hearings. The responsibility of coordinating the selection and making recommendation of purchases rests with certified media personnel.

Core curriculum, sex/AIDS instructional materials, networked software, county maintained Internet sites are selected through system committees and are not the responsibility of the local school media specialist or media committee. (Adapted from Gwinnett County School System Instructional Materials Selection, 2002)
Criteria for Selection

Maxwell High School of Technology will use the criteria outlined to evaluate, recommend, select, and purchase materials for the media center. This includes all print, non-print, and donated media materials.

Media materials will be in accordance with the school’s vision and goals
Media materials will support the media center’s philosophy and mission
Media materials will be reviewed annually
School Media Committee will evaluate the existing collection and make media materials recommendations
Media Committee will recommend selection based on curriculum needs and school’s focus of improvement/enrichment
Media Specialist will consult professional and reputable selection aids for evaluating media material reviews
Media Specialist will consider recommendations for purchase of medial materials from faculty, students, parents, and community
Media materials will be selected to support AKS objectives of course curricula
Media materials will be evaluated for its aesthetic, literary, and social value
Media materials shall be age, content, and subject appropriate
Media materials shall be factual in content, unbiased, and appealing to a wide range of students

(Adapted from American Library Association, 1998)

Process for Challenges/Appeals of Library Media

and Supplementary Materials

To be considered in the event that media and locally adopted supplementary materials and instructional software are challenged/appealed according to guidelines outlined in GCPS Media Handbook procedure/IFAA. (Gwinnett County Public Schools, 2002).

I. Request for Appeal

a. Objections may be raised to media and locally adopted supplementary materials and instructional software used in the system's educational program despite the fact that the individuals making the selection of such material were qualified to make the selection, followed proper procedure and observed the criteria for selecting such material.

b. To initiate a complaint or intervene in the appeal process, a person must be a citizen of Gwinnett County. The Gwinnett County Public Schools’ Appeal Form must be completed by the complainant (see Appendix A).

c. There are three levels for appeal of media and supplementary materials not adopted by the Board of Education: 1) school media committee, 2) system media committee, and 3) Gwinnett County Public Schools Board of Education. (Gwinnett County Public Schools, 2002)

II. Procedure

a. The school official or staff member receiving a complaint should explain the process for selecting the material and the procedure required to appeal the material. He/she shall refrain from voicing or responding with a personal opinion of the material or the appeal.

1. Written documentation of the initial challenge contact should be filed with the school principal.

2. The material in question shall remain in use unless removed by a complete appeal/challenge process.

b. If the complainant is not satisfied by the above procedure/contact or explanation, he/she shall be referred to the school principal or designee who shall explain the selection and reconsideration process.

1. If complainant wishes to file a formal complaint, a copy of the Gwinnett County Public Schools’ Appeal Form shall be given to the complainant by the school principal or designee.

2. The Appeal Form shall be completed and signed by the complainant. The form shall be filed with the school Principal and forwarded to the Gwinnett County Public Schools Director of Media and Information Services.

c. Any action taken related to challenged materials must be taken by the appropriate Media Committee and not by an individual.

1. A meeting will be scheduled and all committee members and the complainant notified. The complainant shall be notified in writing and invited to attend and present the Appeal Form.

2. Each committee member shall read, view or listen to the material in question in its entirety, and read available professional evaluations pertaining to the material. The Media Specialist and/or Director of Media and Information Services shall compile necessary professional evaluations of the material in question.

3. The deliberations and balloting of the Media Committees shall be in private.

4. The Media Committee shall meet to:

1. Hear the concerns expressed by the complainant.

2. Discuss the materials relative to appropriateness to grade level, appropriateness to curriculum, etc.

3. In a meeting with a quorum present, render a majority decision relative to requested actions. In determining the suitability and value of the material, the appeal committee may consider the following:

a. Relevance

b. Pervasive vulgarity

c. Quality, content and manner of presentation, appropriateness to age, and the sophistication of students and grade level

d. Space limitations

d. The committee's decision may be to:

1. Take no removal action;

2. Remove the challenged material from the local school where the complaint was initiated. Action to remove shall be based on evidence that the material is pervasively vulgar and/or lacking in educational value throughout,

3. Restrict the use by students,

4. Place the material at another school level.

e. Within five (5) working days of the Media Committee meeting, the principal shall

1. Officially notify the complainant in writing of the decision reached and advise of the right to appeal.

2. File a copy of the Appeal Form and all communications including the committee decision with the appropriate system personnel.

f. The Principal or Superintendent may call a special meeting to consider temporary removal of materials in unusual circumstances. Temporary removal shall require a majority vote by the appropriate Media Committee. (Gwinnett County Public Schools, 2002)

III. Guidelines to be followed if decision is made to proceed with an appeal:

a. Appeals from the Media Committee must be made within ten (10) working days after formal notification of the decision to the Director of Media and Information Services who will convene the System Media Committee. The final decision on any item challenged to the System Media Committee is binding only at the school where the complaint was initiated.

1. The complainant shall address a written request for appeal to the Director of Media and Information Services.

2. The Director of Media and Information Services shall notify other Principals and Associate Superintendents of the appeal and of the Media Committee action on it for their information.

b. Appeals from the System Media Committee shall be directed in writing to the Superintendent and Board of Education through the Director of Media and Information Services.

1. Appeals must be made within ten (10) working days after formal notification of the decision by the System Media Committee.

2. The proceedings before the Board will be governed by the procedures for board hearings set out under "APPEAL HEARING BEFORE BOARD OF EDUCATION" as detailed below. The hearing may be conducted by the Board or the Board may designate a panel presided over by a hearing officer or may designate a hearing officer sitting along to conduct the hearing.

3. The Director of Media and Information Services shall notify the Principals of the action taken by the Board.

c. Implementation of a decision rendered by the School or System Media Committee shall be held in abeyance until the appeal process is exhausted. (Gwinnett County Public Schools, 2002)

IV. The review of selection and appeal procedures shall occur annually as follows:

a. The Principals shall review the selection and reconsideration procedures with all staff at least annually.

b. The staff shall be reminded that the right to object to material is one granted by policies enacted by the Board of Education. They shall also be reminded of ethical and practical considerations in attempting to handle complaints with courtesy and integrity.

c. The System Media Committee shall annually review the selection and appeal procedures to determine if revisions are needed. (Gwinnett County Public Schools, 2002)

Weeding

Weeding is a continuous evaluative process to discard obsolete and worn out materials. To maintain the quality of the collection, it is essential to apply weeding principles. Carefully planned weeding will ensure that the collection in the school library media center contains accurate, current and relevant materials to support the curriculum and meet the needs and interests of the students. Weeding should be completed once a year during the school’s inventory process. In addition, the faculty should be included in the weeding process to avoid removing materials that may be useful to the teachers and students.

Materials to be removed:

Worn and damaged titles – those which have damaged or missing pages, cover or binding; scratched or torn AV materials; damaged or torn study prints.
Superseded titles – previous editions of almanacs, directories or yearbooks; encyclopedias should be considered for weeding at least every 5 years.
Duplicate titles – unnecessary duplicates that are not circulating

Other materials to consider in weeding:

Outdated or inaccurate materials
Poorly written or improved editions
Materials no longer in demand
Materials that no longer support the curriculum
Materials that have not circulated in 3-5 years

Materials to retain during weeding process:

“Classics,” award winners and titles in standard bibliographies
Out of print materials that continue to support the curriculum or are of special interest
Materials which are needed to balance a specific subject area.

(Adapted from Gwinnett County Public Schools, 2002)

Process for weeded materials to be discarded

When materials are chosen for discard, all identification marks must be obliterated, the barcode and/or record removed from the CATALOG database, and inventory adjusted by printing the record for the item to be weeded and deleting the record. You should also keep a tally of the number of print and A/V discards. You will need to refer to this when you conduct inventory. (Gwinnett County Public Schools, 2002).
When your weeding process is complete, please contact the county office to have the discarded items removed.

Intellectual Freedom

Maxwell High School understands the importance of providing student unlimited accessibility to reliable, uncensored media materials, whether in print or non-print formats. ALA has developed a comprehensive Library Bill of Rights that addresses the Intellectual Freedom of all students (See Appendix D).

Local School Position on Intellectual Freedom

"Intellectual Freedom is the right of every individual to both seek and receive information from all points of view without restriction. It provides for free access to all expressions of ideas through which any and all sides of a question, cause or movement may be explored. Intellectual freedom encompasses the freedom to hold, receive and disseminate ideas." (Intellectual Freedom and Censorship Q & A)

FILTERING OF MEDIA MATERIALS

Special care and continual monitoring of Internet sites and electronic databases are necessary to assure the delivery of media material is age related, content appropriate, and unbiased. Gwinnett County Public Schools upholds the Children Internet Protection Act through its countywide filtering system. Local schools provide Internet access to its students, staff, and the community through its Acceptable Use Policy (see Appendix C).

(Appendix A)

GWINNETT COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
APPEAL FORM FOR INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS
(MEDIA, SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS, CORE MATERIALS AND SOFTWARE)

TYPE OF MATERIAL (book, software, videotape) _______________________________________
AUTHOR/PRODUCER _____________________________________________________________
TITLE ___________________________________________________________________________
PUBLISHER/DISTRIBUTOR __________________________ COPYRIGHT DATE ____________
GRADE LEVEL CURRENTLY BEING USED __________________________________________
APPEAL INITIATED BY ____________________________________________________________
ADDRESS ________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
TELEPHONE: HOME _______________________________ WORK _________________________
Does the person making this request represent him/herself personally or a group or organization?

If a group or organization, please identify ________________________________________________
PLEASE ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS. If you need more space, please attach additional sheets.

1. Have you read, viewed or listened to the material in its entirety?

2. To what in the material do you object? Please be specific.

3. What do you identify as the theme of this material?

4. What good features do you identify?

5. For what age group would you recommend this material?

6. In the place of this material, please recommend other material that you consider of equal or superior quality for the educational purpose intended.

7. Do you wish to make an oral presentation to an appeal Committee?

8. What request do you make for this material?

Media Material or Supplementary Material

Form returned to Director of Media and Information Services

Core Instructional Materials of Systemwide Networked Instructional Software

Form returned to Executive Director of Educational Programs

___Remove material from the school

___Restrict use by students

___Place material at another school level

___Other __________________________

___Remove from school(s)

___Place at another school level

___Other____________________

School where appeal is being filed_______________________________________________

Signature of person initiating the appeal __________________________________________

Principal’s Name____________________________________________________________

Date____________________

Adapted from (Gwinnett County Public Schools, 2002)
(Appendix B)

ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY

Maxwell High School of Technology is committed to providing its students a wide range of instructional technology including access to electronic resources to enhance student educational opportunities. A variety of electronic equipment (i.e., digital cameras, LCD projectors, scanners, etc.) and instructional multimedia resources are available.

User Responsibilities and Consequences

The Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) is provided so that all users know their role and responsibilities to gain access to the school’s electronic resources. Maxwell High School firmly believes that the value of its resources far outweighs any possible misuse not consistent with its educational goals. All users of school computers, network, Internet, and all other electronic equipment and instructional resources must maintain strict compliance with all rules and regulations.

The use of any electronic resources, computer network, or Internet access is a privilege that can be temporarily or permanently revoked at any time for user misconduct.

Such misconduct includes, but is not limited, to any of the following:

Ø Inappropriate use of electronic resources and lab equipment

Ø Uploading or downloading unacceptable or unlawful information

Ø Unauthorized use of computer and/or Internet access

Ø Objectionable language or graphics in either public or personal documents

Ø Acts of sabotage may result in the loss of computer files or network access

Ø Misuse or damage of electronic equipment and instructional resources

Violation of Maxwell High School Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) will result in disciplinary action per GCPS Conduct Behavior Policy codes #2, 8, & 11.

(Appendix C)

Selection Policy Focus

for 2004-2005 School Year

Focus of selection objectives are in accordance to Maxwell High School Local School Plan for Improvement for 2004-2005:

· Purchase supplementary materials to promote enrichment for students acquiring additional instructional support to successfully pass the Gateway Assessment, Georgia High School Graduation Tests, and Maxwell High School Work Keys Assessments.

· Purchase media and professional materials to assist in curriculum enrichment for class instructional delivery and technology integration

· Purchase appropriate supplemental materials to support the Graphics Arts, Cosmetology, and Early Childhood Education programs at Maxwell High School.

(Appendix D)

Library Bill of Rights

The American Library Association affirms that all libraries are forums for information and ideas, and that the following basic policies should guide their services.

Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.
Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.
Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment.
Libraries should cooperate with all persons and groups concerned with resisting abridgment of free expression and free access to ideas.
A person’s right to use a library should not be denied or abridged because of origin, age, background, or views.
Libraries which make exhibit spaces and meeting rooms available to the public they serve should make such facilities available on an equitable basis, regardless of the beliefs or affiliations of individuals or groups requesting their use.

Adopted June 18, 1948.
Amended February 2, 1961, and January 23, 1980,
inclusion of “age” reaffirmed January 23, 1996,
by the ALA Council.

References

ALA & the Association for Educational Communications and Technology. (1998). Information power: Building partnerships for learning. Chicago & London: ALA & AECT

American Library Association. (1998, October). Workbook for selection policy

writing. Retrieved February 29, 2004, from: http://www.ala.org/alaorg/oif/workbook_selection.html

"Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA)." American Library Association, 2003.
Retrieved March 3, 2004 from: http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/iftoolkits/litoolkit/childrensinternet.htm

Gwinnett County Media Center Handbook, Gwinnett County, GA. 2002.

Intellectual Freedom and Censorship Q & A. Retrieved February 28, 2004 from:

http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/ifissues/intellectual.htm

"Library Bill of Rights." American Library Association. 2003. Retrieved March 1, 2004 from: http://www.ala.org/work/freedom/lbr.html

Van Orden, P.J. & Bishop, K. (2001). The collection program in schools:

Concepts, practices, and information sources. (3^rd ed). Englewood, CO:

Libraries Unlimited.

Wasman, A.M. (1998). New steps to service: Common-sense advice for the school library media specialist. Chicago: American Library Association

Selection Policy