Inside School Law Update - Winter 2003
View other resources under School Law Issues: Curriculum
Curriculum and Instructional Materials
No Child Left Behind Act
Texts of the statute, regulations, guidance, and other resources are here on the Council of School Attorneys (COSA) Web site. For the text of the statute, click on the “Copy of NCLB Statute” link. Title X, Part F, Section 1061 sets forth new federal requirements for local policies giving parents the right to inspect instructional materials.
American Association of School Librarians
www.ala.org/aasl/resources/freedom.html
AASL is an association of K-12 school librarians with the mission of advocating excellence, facilitating change, and developing leaders in the school library media field. AASL’s Intellectual Freedom Web site page provides many resources concerning intellectual freedom, book challenges, Internet filters, etc.
Parents Against Bad Books in Schools
pabbis.com/
PABBIS is a Virginia organization that identifies books it says parents may consider objectionable and advocates a requirement for “up front informed parental consent” for use of a book in school.
Evolution
Good Science, Bad Science: Teaching Evolution in the States
www.fordhamfoundation.org/library/lerner/gsbsteits.html#Summary
This study published by the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation discusses the teaching of evolution and evaluates science standards in each of the states.
Intelligent—Design.com
www.intelligent--design.com/
This site provides scientific arguments supportive of intelligent design theory and other scientific critiques of scientific theories.
National Center for Science Education
www.ncseweb.org/
The Center is dedicated to defend the teaching of evolution “against sectarian attack” and tracks legal and political developments on this issue across the country.
Ohio Science Standards
Ohio’s new 10th grade science standards are on pages 26-28 of this document. The standards require that students explore how scientists continue to investigate and critically analyze evolutionary biology, but do not require the teaching of “intelligent design theory.”
Sex education
NSBA’s School Health Programs Department
www.nsba.org/schoolhealth/
NSBA’s Health Programs Department can assist you with resources on health programs. Click the “Database” link for free publications and resources relating to sex education, teen pregnancy prevention, and HIV/AIDS prevention.
The Sexuality Information and Education Council of the U.S. (SIECUS)
www.siecus.org/school/index.html
SIECUS is a national, non-profit organization that develops, collects, and disseminates information, promotes comprehensive education about sexuality, and advocates the right of individuals to make responsible sexual choices. It advocates “comprehensive” sexuality education.
Coalition for Adolescent Sexual Health
www.whatparentsthink.com/
The Coalition comprises the Christian Coalition of America, Concerned Women for America, Eagle Forum, Family Research Council, Focus on the Family, National Abstinence Clearinghouse, and Traditional Values Coalition. It advocates “abstinence-only” sexuality education.
No Child Left Behind Act
Texts of the statute, regulations, guidance, and other resources are here on the Council of School Attorneys (COSA) Web site. For the text of the statute, click on the “Copy of NCLB Statute” link. Title IX, Part E, Section 9526 sets forth new federal requirements regarding sex education.
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National Education Policy Network(NEPN)
This link will take you back to the National Affiliate NEPN page, which provides members with a searchable database of sample local policies and contact information for NSBA’s helpful NEPN staff.