Parents/guardians will receive an Annual Notice of Rights and Responsibilities at the beginning of each school year, in accordance with California Education Code 48980. This notice includes information related to instructional programs, curriculum, student progress and grading, assessments, and available supports for students.
Parents have the right to review curriculum and instructional materials used in their child’s classes and to be informed of their child’s academic progress. The school provides ongoing communication regarding student learning, instructional expectations, and available academic supports.
All instructional materials and educational programs are provided in a manner that is free from discrimination, bias, and stereotyping, in accordance with California Education Code 220 and 244. The school ensures that all students have equitable access to standards-aligned curriculum and instructional resources.
Parents/guardians have the right to review instructional materials used in their child’s classes and may request additional information regarding curriculum and instructional practices.
The school is committed to providing an inclusive educational environment where all students have access to high-quality instruction and the opportunity to succeed.
The school administers state and local assessments to monitor student progress and inform instruction. Parents/guardians are notified annually of required state assessments, including the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) and the English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC), as applicable.
In accordance with California law, parents/guardians are informed of screening and assessment practices, including early literacy screening in primary grades. Assessment results are shared with families and used to guide instructional decisions and targeted supports through the school’s Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS).
Parents have the right to request information regarding their child’s participation in assessments and to receive results in a timely manner.
The rights of students, including multilingual learners, are established under federal law. The Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States (1868) provides that no state shall deny any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 further establishes that no person in the United States shall, on the basis of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. The Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974 requires educational agencies to take appropriate action to overcome language barriers that impede equal participation by students in instructional programs.
Judicial decisions have further clarified these obligations. In Lau v. Nichols (1974), the United States Supreme Court held that the failure to provide supplemental English language instruction to students who do not understand English effectively denies them a meaningful opportunity to participate in the educational program, in violation of Title VI. In Castañeda v. Pickard (1981), the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals established a three-part standard for compliance with the Equal Educational Opportunities Act: (1) programs must be based on sound educational theory; (2) programs must be implemented effectively with adequate resources and personnel; and (3) programs must be evaluated and modified if they do not produce results.
California law further supports the education of multilingual learners. The California Education for a Global Economy (CA Ed.G.E.) Initiative (Proposition 58) authorizes school districts to establish language acquisition programs for both native and non-native English speakers and requires that parents and community members be consulted in the development of such programs. This initiative affirms the state’s commitment to ensuring that all students have access to high-quality educational programs that support English language development and multilingualism.
Enforcement of these requirements is conducted at both the federal and state levels. The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) of the U.S. Department of Education monitors compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and requires that educational agencies properly identify students in need of language services, implement effective instructional programs, provide adequate resources, evaluate student progress, and revise programs as necessary. The California Department of Education conducts regular reviews through Federal Program Monitoring to ensure that local educational agencies comply with all applicable state and federal laws governing services for multilingual learners.
The California Healthy Youth Act (CHYA) took effect January 1, 2016, and requires school districts to provide students with integrated, comprehensive, accurate, and inclusive comprehensive sexual health education and HIV prevention education, at least once in middle school and once in high school. The CA Healthy Youth Act updated the previous Education Code (EC) requirements for both comprehensive sexual health and HIV prevention education.
The California Healthy Youth Act has five primary purposes:
To provide pupils with the knowledge and skills necessary to protect their sexual and reproductive health from HIV and other sexually transmitted infections and from unintended pregnancy;
To provide pupils with the knowledge and skills they need to develop healthy attitudes concerning adolescent growth and development, body image, gender, sexual orientation, relationships, marriage, and family;
To promote an understanding of sexuality as a normal part of human development;
To ensure pupils receive integrated, comprehensive, accurate, and unbiased sexual health and HIV prevention instruction and provide educators with clear tools and guidance to accomplish that end;
To provide pupils with the knowledge and skills necessary to have healthy, positive, and safe relationships and behaviors
The summary of FAQ for Sexual Health Education, HIV/AIDS, and STDs can be found here.
https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/he/se/faq.asp
AB 329 (2015): California Healthy Youth Act (CHYA) – Comprehensive Sexual Health
Education and HIV Prevention Education (Education Code 51390-51939) – https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201520160AB329
Prior to providing instruction in comprehensive sexual health education or HIV prevention education, Education Code (EC) 51938 requires school districts to notify parents of the instruction and to make materials available for parents to review. School districts may notify parents/guardians at the beginning of the school year or at least 14 days prior to instruction. Districts shall allow parents to withdraw their child from class upon receiving a signed, written request, using a passive consent or "opt-out" policy for required comprehensive sexual health education and HIV prevention instruction. Districts shall not adopt an active consent or "opt-in" policy for parental consent for required comprehensive sexual health education and HIV prevention instruction.
For information on the California Healthy Youth Act, Notice and Parental Excuse, Education Code section 51938, please visit the California Legislative Information web page.