The Board believes that field trips may be designed to stimulate student interest, to motivate inquiry and to provide information and opportunity not available in the classroom. Field trips can be used to reveal the real world to students as opposed to the vicarious world of books, audio visual materials, and computers. Field trips can provide experiential learning wherein the student can touch, see or hear what cannot be made available in the classroom. To the extent that field trips enhance curriculum objectives, they may be authorized by the principal.
Written parental permission must be obtained for field trips. Notification will be sent to parents prior to each field trip. Parents may deny participation in field trips at any time.
To be educationally beneficial, a field trip requires thoughtful selection, careful advance preparation, and opportunities for students to assimilate the experience during and after the trip. Teachers and principals are expected to consider the following factors in selection of field trips:
1. Value of the trip that exceeds classroom experience;
2. Relationship of the trip to the instructional unit under study;
3. Suitability of the trip and distance to be traveled in relation to the age of the students;
4. Value to be gained in relation to the cost;
5. Uniqueness of the opportunity provided by the trip.
Field trips authorized by the building principal are limited to the boundaries of Oregon. Requests for trips beyond this boundary should be carefully reviewed by the building administration and receive approval by the superintendent prior to involving students and developing final travel plans.
END OF POLICY