A.  Instructional Time

The primary focus of the school's staff and programs is maximization of student learning. While learning occurs as a result of extracurricular activities and as a result of non-structured interaction between students and between students and staff, most learning occurs as a result of planned learning activities during class time. Therefore, every effort will be made to minimize disruptions in instructional time. Public address announcements and pull out programs will be planned to avoid loss of critical instruction time.

B.  Reporting Student Progress

The organization believes parents are an integral part in their child’s education. To keep parents informed, students’ progress will be formally reported eight times per year. Midway through each marking period a progress report will be sent home with students. At the end of each quarter report cards will be distributed documenting student progress.

Additionally, the organization will utilize an online grading system. Using this system, teachers will update student grades at least weekly onto the Internet so that parents can stay up-to-date about the progress of their children.

C.  Textbook Adoption Policies

The Head of School will establish curriculum textbooks from the list provided by Hillsdale College Barney Charter School Initiative.

Standards Alignment
The organization shall ensure that all textbook and curricular materials utilized by the school will align with Florida Standards.

Challenged Materials
The governing board has the ultimate responsibility for establishing the curriculum and for purchasing instructional and/or media materials to be used in the school, in accordance with Hillsdale College's K-12 Bill of Materials and K-12 Program Guide. 

Instructional or media materials used in the school's educational program consist of various types of print and non-print materials. Despite the care taken to select those materials deemed to be educationally useful, occasional objections to the selection of instructional materials may be made by the public. 

Objections to Instructional Materials
A. Any parent, as defined in F.S. 1000.21(5), of a student currently enrolled in the School, or a Collier County resident, as defined in F.S. 1006.28(1)(b), may file a petition contesting specific content items within instructional materials already in use, or to be used in any of the student’s classes (see, too, Subsection B of this section). In accordance with F.S. 1006.28, the parent must file a petition on a form provided by the Board and made available for the public and posted on the School’s website.

B. Any parent, legal guardian or person exercising supervisory authority in place of a parent, of a student currently enrolled in the school may file a petition for review with the office of the Head of School. The petitioner may object only to the instructional materials used in the class in which his/her child, or the student of which he/she is legal guardian or exercising supervisory authority, is a student. 
Within ten (10) calendar days of receipt of the petition, the Head of School and/or a designee who has knowledge of the school’s curriculum, shall meet with the parent to try to resolve the matter informally by explaining the criteria for the selection of the challenged material and the usage and application of such material in the curriculum, the individual classroom. If multiple parents have challenged the same materials, the Head of School may consolidate the group and meet with them collectively.
 If the matter is not resolved at the informal level, the petition shall proceed to a formal review thereafter before the School’s governing board of directors at the next regularly scheduled meeting. The board shall issue a formal response during the meeting or at the next regularly scheduled meeting.

Adopted: May 5, 2020
Amended: December 5, 2023
Rule 6A-7.0714