Pennsylvania Code › Title 22 - EDUCATION › Part I - State Board of Education › Subpart A - Miscellaneous Provisions › Chapter 4 - ACADEMIC STANDARDS AND ASSESSMENT › GENERAL PROVISIONS › Section 4.4 - General policies

Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 28, July 13, 2024
(a) It
					 is the policy of the Board that the local curriculum be designed by school
					 entities to achieve the academic standards under §
											4.12 (relating to academic
					 standards) and any additional academic standards as determined by the school
					 entity.
(b) It is the policy of the
					 Board that local school entities have the greatest possible flexibility in
					 curriculum planning consistent with providing quality education and in
					 compliance with the School Code, including requirements for courses to be
					 taught (24 P. S. §§
												15-1501 and
					 16-1605); subjects to be
					 taught in the English language (24 P. S. §
												15-1511); courses adapted to the age,
					 development and needs of the pupils (24 P. S. §
												15-1512); minimum school year of 180 days and
					 minimum of 900 hours of instruction at the elementary level and 990 hours of
					 instruction at the secondary level (24 P. S. §§
												15-1501 and
					 15-1504); employment of
					 sufficient numbers of qualified professional employees (24 P. S. §
												11-1106) and superintendents to enforce the
					 curriculum requirements of State law (24 P. S. §
												10-1005); and this part.
(c) Access to educational programs shall be
					 provided without discrimination on the basis of a student's race, sex, color,
					 religion, disability, sexual orientation or national origin.
(d) School entities shall adopt policies to
					 assure that parents or guardians have the following:
(1) Access to information about the
					 curriculum, including academic standards to be achieved, instructional
					 materials and assessment techniques.
(2) A process for the review of instructional
					 materials.
(3) The right to have
					 their children excused from specific instruction that conflicts with their
					 religious beliefs, upon receipt by the school entity of a written request from
					 the parent or guardians.
(4) The
					 right to review a State assessment in the school entity during convenient hours
					 for parents and guardians, at least 2 weeks prior to their administration, to
					 determine whether a State assessment conflicts with their religious belief. To
					 protect the validity and integrity of the State assessments, each school entity
					 shall have in place procedures to be followed when parents or guardians request
					 to view any State assessment. Procedures must be consistent with guidance
					 provided by the Department in its assessment administration instructions. If
					 upon inspection of a State assessment parents or guardians find the assessment
					 to be in conflict with their religious belief and wish their students to be
					 excused from the assessment, the right of the parents or guardians will not be
					 denied upon written request that states the objection to the applicable school
					 district superintendent, charter school chief executive officer or AVTS
					 director.
(5) The right to have
					 their children excluded from research studies or surveys conducted by entities
					 other than a school entity unless prior written consent has been
					 obtained.