ACADEMIC STANDARDS AND PLANNING
§ 4.11. Purpose of public education.
(a) This section and § 4.12 (relating to academic standards) describe the purpose of public education and its relationship with the academic standards.
(b) Public education prepares students for adult life by attending to their intellectual and developmental needs and challenging them to achieve at their highest level possible. In conjunction with families and other community institutions, public education prepares students to become self-directed, life-long learners and responsible, involved citizens.
(c) Together with parents, families and community institutions, public education provides opportunities for students to:
(1) Acquire knowledge and skills.
(2) Develop integrity.
(3) Process information.
(4) Think critically.
(5) Work independently.
(6) Collaborate with others.
(7) Adapt to change.
(d) The academic standards describe the knowledge and skills that students will be expected to demonstrate before graduating from a public school.
(e) Achievement of high academic standards in public education is dependent upon the quality of instruction in schools and student effort supported by the involvement of family and community.
(f) Assessment in public education is designed to determine student attainment of State and local academic standards.
(g) Public schools provide instruction throughout the curriculum so that students may develop knowledge and skills in the following areas:
(1) English language arts.
(2) Mathematics.
(3) Science and environment and ecology.
(4) Technology and engineering.
(5) Social studies (civics and government, geography, economics and history).
(6) Arts and humanities.
(7) Career education and work.
(8) Health, safety and physical education.
(9) Family and consumer science.
(h) Public education provides planned instruction to enable students to attain academic standards under § 4.12. Planned instruction consists of at least the following elements:
(1) Objectives of a planned course, instructional unit or interdisciplinary studies to be achieved by all students.
(2) Content, including materials and activities, and estimated instructional time to be devoted to achieving the academic standards. Courses, instructional units or interdisciplinary studies of varying lengths of time may be taught.
(3) The relationship between the objectives of a planned course, instructional unit or interdisciplinary studies and academic standards specified under § 4.12 and any additional academic standards as determined by the school entity.
(4) Procedures for measurement of the objectives of a planned course, instructional unit or interdisciplinary studies.
Authority The provisions of this § 4.11 amended under the Public School Code of 1949 (24 P.S. § § 1-101—27-2702).
Source The provisions of this § 4.11 amended February 15, 2008, effective February 16, 2008, 38 Pa.B. 872; amended October 15, 2010, effective October 16, 2010, 40 Pa.B. 5903; amended February 28, 2014, effective March 1, 2014, 44 Pa.B. 1131; amended June 15, 2022, effective July 16, 2022, 52 Pa.B. 3946. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (371075) to (371076).
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