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IIAE Use of Movies and Other Resources Created Primarily
for Entertainment The Board recognizes the value of
varied instructional approaches, including the use of multi-media resources
and movies, for maintaining high student interest in learning. However, care is required to assure that
such resources are used in an appropriate manner to enhance curriculum and
instruction. Use of movies or other
materials created primarily for entertainment purposes, that are related to
the curriculum only loosely or not at all, should not reduce the amount of
class time devoted to instruction and learning. Further, the Board recognizes and
supports the right of parents to determine the nature of materials to which
their children are exposed. To this end, the Board establishes the
following guidelines for the use of movies and similar resources in the
classroom: 1.
The Rochester School Department
prohibits violation of any and all copyright laws, national and
international, governing the use of copyrighted materials by staff members
within the scope of their employment.
This includes group presentations of video materials licensed only for
home viewing. 2.
School personnel will adhere to
the intent of the ratings of the Motion Picture Association of America ( 3.
The principles described in
Item 2, above, for 4.
Before a movie or other
resource intended primarily for entertainment is used as part of classroom
instruction, the teacher should make a reasonable attempt to secure other
resources that may be more appropriate and effective for instruction and more
closely tied to instructional objectives. 5.
If a movie or other resource
intended primarily for entertainment is determined to be the best and most
effective resource for instruction, the teacher may use portions of the
resource as permitted by fair use doctrine of the U.S. copyright law (17 USC §107), and, for selections of up to thirty
minutes in length, approved by the building principal. While guidelines governing fair use are
vague, it is generally permissible, for instructional purposes, to show a
selection that is less than a "performable unit". For purposes of this policy, fair use will
be defined as up to thirty minutes a full length motion picture, or thirty
percent of a resource for which thirty minutes would constitute a performable
unit. 6.
If a
teacher or other instructional staff member determines that it is necessary
to show more than a thirty minute selection from a resource for instructional
purposes, the staff member shall first provide evidence to the Superintendent
or designee that this will substantially increase the effectiveness of
instruction, that it is directly related to a curriculum objective, and that
other resources and avenues have been examined and found to be less effective
for instructional purposes. 7.
Use of movies and other
materials specifically designed for instruction and intentionally geared
toward K-12 curriculum by reputable vendors may be exempt from this approval
requirement at the discretion of the principal and/or superintendent and are
subject to other policies governing the selection of instructional materials. 8.
If a portion of a movie rated
PG-13 or R (or equivalent for other resources) is to be used under the
provisions of paragraphs 5 and/or 6, parents shall be afforded the rights
granted under paragraph 2, even though the selection presented to students
may not contain materials that led to the rating. 9.
For purposes of a class
celebration, teachers in the elementary and middle schools may be permitted
to use no more than one movie per year, during regular class time, that is
not related to the curriculum. For
purposes of this provision, no movies with a rating of R will be shown in any
school in the district, and movies with a rating of PG-13, while strongly
discouraged for use in any class, will not be shown in classes with students
under the age of 13. Performance of
movies with a rating of PG-13 in classes that have no students under the age
of 13 will require parental notification and permission for all students,
regardless of age, unless such student is an emancipated minor or has reached
the age of 18 and indicated that he/she is independent from his/her
parents. Use of such movies or other
resources will be permitted only with copies duly licensed for public
performance in conformance with copyright laws. 10. Exceptions
to this policy related to special learning needs (e.g. behavior modification
plans in special education classes, etc.) will require approval of the
Superintendent or designee based on the individual circumstances of the
class, program, or individual students. Adoption Date: September
13, 2001 Board
Review/Approved: June 10, 2010 |