Mansfield ISD 220908 EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY AE (LEGAL) Vision Statement and Goals A board shall adopt a vision statement and comprehensive goals for the district and the superintendent. Education Code 11.1511(b)(2) Public Education Mission, Goals, and Objectives The mission of the Texas public education system is to ensure that all Texas children have access to a quality education that enables them to achieve their full potential and fully participate now and in the future in the social, economic, and educational opportunities in our state and nation. That mission is grounded on the conviction that a general diffusion of knowledge is essential for the welfare of Texas and for the preservation of the liberties and rights of Texas citizens. It is further grounded on the conviction that a successful public education system is directly related to a strong, dedicated, and supportive family and that parental involvement in the school is essential for the maximum educational achievement of a child. Objectives The objectives of public education are: Objective 1: Parents will be full partners with educators in the education of their children. Objective 2: Students will be encouraged and challenged to meet their full educational potential. Objective 3: Through enhanced dropout prevention efforts, all students will remain in school until they obtain a diploma. Objective 4: A well-balanced and appropriate curriculum will be provided to all students. Through that curriculum, students will be prepared to succeed in a variety of postsecondary activities, including employment and enrollment in institutions of higher education. Objective 5: Educators will prepare students to be thoughtful, active citizens who have an appreciation for the basic values of our state and national heritage and who can understand and productively function in a free enterprise society. Objective 6: Qualified and highly effective personnel will be recruited, developed, and retained. Objective 7: Texas students will demonstrate exemplary performance in comparison to national and international standards. Objective 8: School campuses will maintain a safe and disciplined environment conducive to student learning. Objective 9: Educators will keep abreast of the development of creative and innovative techniques in instruction and administration using those techniques as appropriate to improve student learning. DATE ISSUED: 11/11/2017 UPDATE 109 AE(LEGAL)-P 1 of 2 Mansfield ISD 220908 EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY AE (LEGAL) Objective 10: Technology will be implemented and used to increase the effectiveness of student learning, instructional management, staff development, and administration. Objective 11: The State Board of Education, TEA, and the commissioner shall assist school districts and charter schools in providing career and technology education to students. Goals The academic goals of public education are to serve as a foundation for a well-balanced and appropriate education. The students in the public education system will demonstrate exemplary performance in: Goal 1: The reading and writing of the English language. Goal 2: The understanding of mathematics. Goal 3: The understanding of science. Goal 4: The understanding of social studies. Education Code 4.001, .002 DATE ISSUED: 11/11/2017 UPDATE 109 AE(LEGAL)-P 2 of 2 Mansfield ISD 220908 INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES School Library Removal of Library Materials EF (LEGAL) A district possesses significant discretion to determine the content of its school libraries. A district must, however, exercise its discretion in a manner consistent with the First Amendment. Students' First Amendment rights are implicated by the removal of books from the shelves of a school library. A district shall not remove materials from a library for the purpose of denying students access to ideas with which the district disagrees. A district may remove materials because they are pervasively vulgar or based solely upon the educational suitability of the books in question. Bd. of Educ. v. Pico, 457 U.S. 853 (1982) Instructional Materials Parental Access Instructional materials selected for use in the public schools shall be furnished without cost to students attending those schools. Except as provided by Education Code 31.104(d), a district may not charge a student for instructional material or technological equipment purchased by the district with the district's technology and instructional materials allotment [see CMD]. Education Code 31.001 A parent is entitled to review all teaching materials, instructional materials, and other teaching aids used in the classroom of the parent's child and to review each test administered to the child after the test is administered. A district shall make teaching materials and tests readily available for parental review and may specify reasonable hours for such review. A student's parent is entitled to request that a district allow the student to take home any instructional materials used by the student. Subject to the availability of the instructional materials, a district or school shall honor the request. A student who takes home instructional materials must return the instructional materials to school at the beginning of the next school day if requested to do so by the student's teacher. Education Code 26.006 Information Collection and Access U.S. DOE-Funded Surveys Consent Required No student shall be required, as part of any program funded in whole or in part by the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), to submit to a survey, analysis, or evaluation that reveals information concerning the topics listed at Protected Information, below, without the prior consent of the student (if the student is an adult or emancipated minor), or, in the case of an unemancipated minor, without the prior written consent of the parent. 20 U.S.C. 1232h(b) Parental Inspection All instructional materials, including teacher's manuals, films, tapes, or other supplementary material, that will be used in connection with any survey, analysis, or evaluation as part of any program DATE ISSUED: 11/11/2017 UPDATE 109 EF(LEGAL)-P 1 of 4 Mansfield ISD 220908 INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES EF (LEGAL) funded in whole or in part by the U.S. DOE shall be available for inspection by the parents or guardians of the children. 20 U.S.C. 1232h(a) Information Collection Funded by Other Sources Policies Except as provided by 20 U.S.C. 1232h(a) or (b) [see U.S. DOE Funded Surveys, above], as a condition of receiving funds for a program funded in whole or in part by the U.S. DOE, a district shall develop and adopt policies, in consultation with parents, pursuant to 20 U.S.C. 1232h(c)(1), regarding the following: 1. The parent's right to inspect a survey created by a third party before the survey is administered or distributed by a school to the student and any applicable procedures for granting a request by a parent for reasonable access to such survey within a reasonable period of time after the request is received. 2. A district's arrangements to protect student privacy in the event a survey containing one or more of the items listed under Protected Information, below, is administered or distributed to a student. 3. The parent's right to inspect any instructional material used in the educational curriculum for the student and any applicable procedures for granting a request by a parent for reasonable access to instructional material within a reasonable period of time after the request is received. 4. The administration of physical examinations or screenings that a district may administer to the student. 5. The collection, disclosure, or use of personal information collected from students for the purpose of marketing or selling that information. This provision does not apply to use of personal information collected from students for the exclusive purpose of developing, evaluating, or providing educational products or services for or to students or educational institutions, such as recruiters, book clubs, curriculum and instructional materials used by schools, sale by students of products or services to raise funds for school-related or educationrelated activities, or student recognition programs. 6. The parent's right to inspect any instrument used in collection of personal information in item 5 above, before the instrument is administered and any applicable procedures for granting a request by a parent for reasonable access to such instrument within a reasonable period of time after the request is received. A district need not develop and adopt new policies if TEA or the district had in place, on January 8, 2002, policies covering the reDATE ISSUED: 11/11/2017 UPDATE 109 EF(LEGAL)-P 2 of 4 Mansfield ISD 220908 INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES EF (LEGAL) quirements of 20 U.S.C. 1232h(c)(1). [See CRD, FFAA, FL, and FNG] Parental Notification A district shall provide for reasonable notice of the adoption or continued use of such policies directly to the parents of the students enrolled in schools served by the district. At a minimum, a district shall: 1. Provide notice at least annually, at the beginning of the school year and within a reasonable time after any substantive change in the policies; and 2. Offer an opportunity for the parent to opt the student out of participation in an activity described below. A district shall directly notify the parent of a student, at least annually at the beginning of the school year, of the specific or approximate dates during the school year when activities, described below, are scheduled or expected to be scheduled. The following activities require notification under this section: 1. Activities involving the collection, disclosure, or use of personal information collected from students for the purpose of marketing or for selling that information. 2. The administration of any survey containing one or more items described at Protected Information, below. 3. Any nonemergency, invasive physical examination or screening that is required as a condition of attendance, administered and scheduled by the school in advance, and not necessary to protect the immediate health and safety of the student or of other students. 20 U.S.C. 1232h(c)(1)-(4) [See FFAA] Protected Information Protected information addressed by 20 U.S.C. 1232h includes: 1. Political affiliations or beliefs of the student or the student's parents. 2. Mental and psychological problems of the student or the student's family. 3. Sex behavior and attitudes. 4. Illegal, anti-social, self-incriminating, and demeaning behavior. 5. Critical appraisals of other individuals with whom respondents have close family relationships. DATE ISSUED: 11/11/2017 UPDATE 109 EF(LEGAL)-P 3 of 4 Mansfield ISD 220908 INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES EF (LEGAL) 6. Legally recognized privileged or analogous relationships, such as those of lawyers, physicians, and ministers. 7. Religious practices, affiliations, or beliefs of the student or student's parent. 8. Income (other than that required by law to determine eligibility for participation in a program or for receiving financial assistance under such program). 20 U.S.C. 1232h(b), (c)(1)(B) "Personal Information" Defined The term "personal information" means individually identifiable information, including a student's: 1. First and last name; 2. Home or physical address, including street name and city or town; 3. Telephone number; or 4. Social security identification number. 20 U.S.C. 1232h(c)(6)(E) DATE ISSUED: 11/11/2017 UPDATE 109 EF(LEGAL)-P 4 of 4 Mansfield ISD 220908 MISCELLANEOUS INSTRUCTIONAL POLICIES TEACHING ABOUT CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES EMB (LOCAL) The District shall address controversial topics in an impartial and objective manner. Teachers shall not use the classroom to transmit personal beliefs regarding political or sectarian issues. Students and educators shall ensure that, to the extent possible, discussions are conducted fairly and courteously. Selection of Topics A teacher selecting topics for discussion in the classroom shall be adequately informed about the issue and capable of providing instruction on the subject, free from personal bias. In addition, the teacher shall be certain that: 1. The issue in question is within the range, knowledge, maturity, and comprehension of the students. 2. The issue is current and educationally significant. 3. The consideration of the issue does not interfere with required instruction. 4. Sufficient relevant information on all aspects of the issue is provided. If a teacher is unsure about a topic of discussion or about the methods to employ, the teacher may discuss the issue with the principal. Classroom Discussion Student or Parent Concerns DATE ISSUED: 7/1/2002 UPDATE 68 EMB(LOCAL)-A In guiding classroom discussion of controversial issues, teachers shall: 1. Foster students' critical thinking skills. 2. Encourage discussion based on rational analysis. 3. Create an atmosphere in which students learn to respect others' opinions and disagree courteously. 4. Ensure that multiple viewpoints about the issue are presented by introducing an unexpressed viewpoint when necessary. 5. Avoid any attempt to coerce or persuade students to adopt the teacher's point of view. A student or parent with concerns regarding instruction about controversial issues shall be directed to the complaint policy at FNG. ADOPTED: 1 of 1