Affirmative Action Program for School and Classroom Practices
2260 AFFIRMATIVE ACTION PROGRAM FOR SCHOOL AND CLASSROOM PRACTICES (M)
The Board of Education shall provide equal and bias-free access for all students to all school facilities, courses, programs, activities, and services, regardless of race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, religion, disability, or socioeconomic status, by:
1. Ensuring equal and barrier-free access to all school and classroom facilities;
2. Attaining minority representation within each school, which approximates the district's overall minority representation. Exact apportionment is not required, however, the ultimate goal is a reasonable plan achieving the greatest degree of racial balance, which is feasible and consistent with sound educational values and procedures;
3. Utilizing a State-approved English language proficiency measure on an annual basis for determining the special needs of English language learners and their progress in learning English pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:15-1.3(b);
4. Utilizing bias-free multiple measures for determining the special needs of students with disabilities, pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:14-3.4;
5. Ensuring that support services, including intervention and referral services and school health services pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:16, are available to all students; and
6. Ensuring that a student is not discriminated against because of a medical condition. A student shall not be excluded from any education program or activity because of a long-term medical condition unless a physician certifies that such exclusion is necessary. If excluded, the student shall be provided with equivalent and timely instruction that may include home instruction, without prejudice or penalty.
The Board of Education shall ensure that the district's curriculum and instruction are aligned to the State's Core Curriculum Content Standards and address the elimination of discrimination by narrowing the achievement gap, by providing equity in educational programs and by providing opportunities for students to interact positively with others regardless of race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, religion, disability, or socioeconomic status, by:
1. Ensuring there are no differential requirements for completion of course offerings or programs of study solely on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, religion, disability, or socioeconomic status;
2. Ensuring courses shall not be offered separately on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, religion, disability, or socioeconomic status;
A. Portions of classes which deal exclusively with human sexuality may be conducted in separate developmentally
appropriate sessions for male and female students, provided that the course content for such separately conducted sessions is the same.
3. Reducing or preventing the underrepresentation of minority, female, and male students in all classes and programs including gifted and talented, accelerated, and advanced classes;
4. Ensuring that schools demonstrate the inclusion of a multicultural curriculum in its instructional content, materials and methods, and that students understand the basic tenet of multiculturalism;
5. Ensuring that African American history, as well as the history of other cultures, is infused into the curriculum and taught as part of the history of the United States, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:35-1 and the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards; and
6. Ensuring that instruction on the Holocaust and other acts of genocide is included in the curriculum of all elementary and secondary schools, as developmentally appropriate, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:35-28.
The Board of Education shall ensure all students have access to adequate and appropriate counseling services. When informing students about possible careers, professional or vocational opportunities, the Board shall not restrict or limit the options presented to students on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, religion, disability, or socioeconomic status. The district will not use tests, guidance, or counseling materials which are biased or stereotyped on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, religion, disability, or socioeconomic status.
The Board of Education shall ensure that the district's physical education program and its athletic programs are equitable, co-educational, and do not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, religion, disability, or socioeconomic status, as follows:
1. The district shall provide separate restroom, locker room, and shower facilities on the basis of gender, but such facilities provided for students of each gender shall be comparable;
2. A school within the school district may choose to operate separate teams for both genders in one or more sports or single teams open competitively to members of both genders, so long as the athletic program as a whole provides equal opportunities for students of both genders to participate in sports at comparable levels of difficulty and competency; and
3. The activities comprising such athletic programs shall receive equitable treatment, including, but not limited to, staff salaries, purchase and maintenance of equipment, quality and availability of facilities, scheduling of practice and game time, length of season, and all other related areas or matters.
N.J.S.A. 18A:36-20
N.J.A.C. 6A:7-1.7
Adopted: 26 July 2005
Revised: 27 January 2011
Revised: 29 September 2016