Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

The statute was passed in 1994.

• Goal 3, Standard 10 - Florida students appreciate their own culture and the culture of others, understand the concerns and perspectives of members of other ethnic and gender groups, reject the stereotyping of themselves and others, and seek out and utilize the views of persons from diverse ethnic, social. and educational backgrounds while completing individual and group projects.
• Goal 5, Standard 2 - Local, state, and federal laws, rules and regulations related to health, safety and civil rights are enforced. Schools ensure that students and staff are protected from and are not subjected to any and all forms of discrimination and harassment. All programs, activities, and services are inclusive and free of boas.
• Goal 6, Standards 1 and 3 - All teachers and staff demonstrate professional skills in using...appropriate strategies for teaching students from diverse cultural backgrounds, with different learning styles, and with special needs. The state and district schools attract and retain an appropriate number of high performing, professional teachers and staff, which reflects racial and ethnic diversity and included persons with disabilities.

(Overview) The 1994 Florida Legislature amended Section 233.061 (currently 1003.42) of the Florida Statutes, enacting into law a requirement that all teachers, across subject area disciplines and at each grade level (K- 12), provide instruction in African and African American History. Such instruction must include the history of African peoples before the conflicts that led to the development of slavery, the passage to America, the enslavement experience, abolition, and the contributions of African Americans to society. Excerpts of CS/HB 2665, highlighting the amended portion of the legislation sponsored by Senator James Hargrett of Tampa and State Representative Rudy Bradley of St. Petersburg, will be presented in this document.

Subsequent to the enactment of the new law, then  Commissioner of Education Doug Jamerson, impaneled a 25-member task force to assist in facilitating the implementation of the legislation as mandated. Composed of community volunteers and educational professionals from throughout the state, the Commissioner's Task Force on Teaching African and African American History (TFTAAH) was charged with proposing strategies for curriculum development; teacher training and staff development; evaluative criteria for assessing instruction and instructional materials; and making recommendations as related to the following:

• Direction and timelines for incorporating African and African American History into districts, schools, and at the classroom level.
• Instructional guidelines, standardized frameworks, supplemental materials/resources, and curriculum infusion.
• Utilization of current Florida Department of Education (DOE) initiatives and resources which support the mandate; and
• Pre-service and  certification programs to assist districts in implementing the law. In 1994, with the enactment of Senate Bill 660 during the same session, lawmakers also amended the Florida Statute 233.061 requiring the teaching of both the African and African American History, Holocaust Education, and in 1998 the amendment to 223.061 requires contributions of women and Hispanics/Latinos to the United States. The passage of these Bills validates that "African American History is American History and demonstrates the importance of the contributions of African Americans and Jewish Americans, Hispanics and Women, not only in Florida but in America." Instruction in Holocaust Education and African American History and culture is essential in promoting mutual understanding, sensitivity, respect and appreciation for diversity in our increasingly global society.

The TFTAAH proposed action plan outlines standards for infusing African and African American History into the state's required core curriculum through identifiable lessons and social studies skills. The recommended statewide framework included in the plan also provides for the instruction of African and African American History and culture in all other disciplines, subjects, or content areas for students K-12. Since monitoring and accountability measures are imperative, it is the recommendation of the Task Force that the greatest emphasis  placed on grades 3, 8, and 11. Appropriate test items on statewide assessment tests can also readily assist in evaluating the degree to which the mandate is met.

In the spirit of Blueprint 2000, full implementation of the African and African American History mandate will be phased in by the year 2000. TFTAAH recommends the implementation of the mandate as a benchmark for inclusion in the Commissioner's 5-year Plan for Florida schools.

• Promote public awareness and community support through a public relations campaign.
• Conduct an African and African American History statewide survey.
• Research,  and catalog resource materials for dissemination.
• Develop strategies to assist in the appropriate selection of textbooks, library books, and other instructional resources by the Instructional Materials Adoption Committee.
• Develop and disseminate a technical assistance document (statewide framework) for teaching African and African American History and culture.
• In K-12, use the Social Studies and Language Arts curriculum as the primary vehicle.
• Identify and facilitate the services of scholars and consultants with expertise in the area of content, curriculum writing, or methodology to develop  framework.
• Impanel a cadre of selected elementary, secondary, and post-secondary teachers from across the state, representatives from the DOE Regional Social Studies Support Team, District Social Studies contact persons, and other appropriate individuals to assist in the development of the African and African American History framework.
• Conduct focus groups/workshops to facilitate dialogue and provide assistance in  of the mandate.
• Convene Training of Trainers (TOT)/Summer Institute - Part II.
• Schedule meetings of the full task force (at least one) and steering committee (at least four).
• Submit a preliminary status report to Commissioner of Education.

FY 1996-97

• Conduct training seminars for superintendents and workshops for district contact persons for implementing the legislation.
• Implement mandatory in-service training.

FY 1997-1998

• Establish multiple regional Training of Trainers (TOT) institutes in the district for all personnel.
• Schedule meetings of the full task force (two) and steering committee (six).
• Establish speakers' bureau and human resource bank.
• Create a demonstration model that integrates African and African American History Curriculum materials into existing subject area courses to include, but not limited to Language Arts, Mathematics, Sciences, Art and Music.
• Convene dialogue with Deans and Directors of Teacher Education and African Studies
• Directors in Florida Universities and Colleges, aimed at implementing required courses in African and African American History for pre-service teachers.
• Conduct focus groups/community forums to raise the consciousness level of school district officials and the community-at-large on the African and African American History legislation.
• Explore additional funding and resources.

FY 1998-99

• Conduct site visits/focus groups to assess activities.
• Conduct  of districts on the status of implementation.

FY 1999-2000

• Full implementation of the mandate across subject area disciplines at each grade level (K-12).

The teaching of African and African American History and culture will emphasize the contributions, roles, and influences of Africans and African Americans in shaping the world. In addition, this instruction will accurately explain the causes of racial divisions in society, including prejudice, discrimination and stereotyping, and will describe the systematic oppression of Africans and African Americans and the various means by which repression has been challenged and successfully opposed.

This instruction is essential in promoting the appreciation of diversity and in nurturing the practice of democratic values and institutions in a pluralistic society while helping young people build a sense of self-esteem so necessary for success in our world.

The purpose of the African and African American History Infusion "Units" is to provide teachers and administrators with a framework and usable content, which will enhance the teaching of the content in a systematic and focused manner. The content will reflect Ancient African History, the history of African Americans, the Slavery and Abolition Era, the Civil Rights Movement and the contributions of Africans and African Americans to the U.S. and the world.

Teaching the African and African American History Infusion Curriculum will be seen by some teachers as a perilous venture fraught with fear and misconception. Others will view it as an exciting opportunity to teach in subject areas that have been ignored for too long.

Many teachers, however, do not like to teach unfamiliar material or subjects that may be perceived as controversial and/or radical. Many teachers have expressed concern over the potential hostile reactions that some of their students may have towards the introduction of curricula that presents past and present filled with discrimination, race, violence, gender discrimination, and economic, and political disenfranchisement. However, teachers should not be overly concerned about the students' reactions if the material is properly contextualized in the world and U.S. histories.

The success or failure of Palm Beach County School District's legally required infusion of African and African American Curricula lies primarily with District and school administrators. Administrators must require, evaluate and reward teachers, as well as District and school support staff that infuse African and African American curricula with enthusiasm and innovation.

Teacher support, tutor and mentor groups should be established as a liaison with the Multicultural Task Force Curricula development and with the Multicultural Education Department. Administrators should stay current on new innovations, resources, and learning aids to better support their teaching staffs' efforts to infuse this curriculum.

Continuous District mandated and requested in-service training and evaluation must be ongoing in order to meet the District's legal obligation. Likewise, in order for administrators to be competent in their ability to lead their staff into the implementation process of curricula infusion, they need to routinely participate in the in-service training offered by the School District.

Finally, administrators must develop support mechanisms to enable their staff to navigate the potentially troubled waters of infusing large portions of history into the curricula. Teachers cannot teach what they do not know. Therefore, administrators must do everything in their power to facilitate this new learning opportunity for all teachers, staff, and students.

Since the infusion of African American curricula, some school districts are reporting a heightened sense of interest in student activities, along with an increase in parent visitations to the classroom. Some parents come to learn, some to ask questions, and some to make anecdotal contributions regarding their personal knowledge and experiences.

Parents should be encouraged to review and support the implementation of the curricula. They should feel free to comment on the subject material and to visit the classroom. Parents should consider themselves as an asset and/or contributor to the learning process. They should be encouraged to contribute artifacts, personal and family histories, literature, and critiques of subject content to the learning process. Remember, many parental histories are intimately connected to the infusion curricula.

Parents are encouraged to be engaged in the critical thinking process with their children on the themes and issues presented in the infusion curricula. Enlightening parent/child conversations can be held because of the issues and concerns raised by the infusion curricula.

As students begin to inquire into their own ethnic, cultural and local histories, they will also be inspired to inquire into other areas of interest such as gender, social class, environmental issues, art, literature, and science.

Many American educators and scholars have long discussed the relevance of culture to education. Culture is not, however, simply a compilation of ethnic heroes and holidays, nor is it only the awareness of other people's music and dance. Technically, culture is the vast structure of behaviors, ideas, attitudes, values, habits, beliefs, customs, language, rituals, ceremonies and practices peculiar to a certain group of people providing them with a general design for living and patterns for interpreting reality. Culture gives meaning to reality. Culture is the invisible medium through which all human functioning occurs. It is important to note, in fact, that all human behavior happens through the influence of one's culture.

All of our training and education are bound by customs. These customs are nothing more than cultural traits or rituals. Often times educators, unfortunately, see culture as the ingredient which "enriches" their standard educational presentation. The question, then, becomes, can we use cultural differences of people to inspire or to create a better method for accessing children into the core curriculum? An examination of the notion of culture will raise questions of how children access the educational curriculum.

The core curriculum itself should be culturally sensitive. The teaching methodology utilized in teaching the core information should also be culturally sensitive. The leadership styles, guidance and counseling techniques, the instructional strategies, and the school climate should also be culturally sensitive to the needs and perspectives of all children.

If we understand the real issue of culture as an integral part of the educational process, we see that it is not a social product (i.e., something we can add to what we are doing). Rather, it is the sum total of the human processes and experiences of the individual or group to make people "culturally sensitive" to the fact that some people like to dance or that some people like to sing. When we do this, we fool ourselves into believing that we have addressed the question of culture in terms of educational practice or experience. References used for the preparation of each unit are provided at the front of each unit. Each resource was carefully selected and based on the writing team's propensity for truth, balance  accuracy.

The African and African American History Infusion Curriculum Units are preceded by a very detailed curricula matrix that provides the following information:

Theme(s) - indicates the focus of the overall content of the unit.

• Curricula Content Infusion Points
• The matrix shows what information from the African American Curricula Units can be infused in the subject areas of Social Studies, Humanities/Art, Language Arts, Science, and Math. Teachers should view the suggested infusion content as only examples of content. You are encouraged to add more content, based on your curriculum/lesson plans and the needs of students.
• Research skills and thinking skills are emphasized as instructional strategies to create an environment that increases the ability of students to conduct research, using appropriate resources and technologies; including the Internet and other computer-based systems. Additionally, students will receive instructional methodologies, which challenge their critical thinking skills through print and non-print media including role-playing, debates, and written and oral critiques.

There are countless ways of organizing and teaching an African and African American Infusion Unit. We do not pretend that the suggestions offered in this manual are the best ways, only possible ways. Your own organizational preference, instructional objectives, and teaching style are the best guides for preparing a quality infusion and lesson plans. This manual will be helpful for teachers who are teaching African and African American History for the first time, as well as the experienced teacher. Each unit in the manual is discussed separately and divided into the following subsections: themes, goals, objectives, cultural concepts/information, linkages, key terms, activities, evaluations, and resources.

Themes help you in this preparation, each unit of the manual begins with a header that provides the teacher with an overall theme (subject matter or focus) of the unit.
Goals: Specific goals are illustrated which serve as the organizational frameworks; informing the teacher of the intent of the material presented in the unit.
Objectives: Behavioral objectives have been provided for each unit to assist the teacher in establishing goals for student learning. While these objectives are meant to serve as a guide for structuring the unit, they are not inflexible. The teacher should feel free to adapt or elaborate on the objectives as needed. Cultural Concepts and Information: This section of the units provides the teacher with a short narrative (the facts) on a particular issue, topic, or person in African and African American History.

The teacher is provided with a timeline in order to visually place the information contained in the narrative with the historical events that occurred in Florida and throughout the United States during a particular time period.

Key Terms: General key terms/concepts have been identified to promote student understanding of the central ideas in each unit. These terms/concepts may be used for testing student vocabulary or be incorporated into the daily discussions so that student understanding can be monitored.

Activities: The activities included for each unit are designed to provide an opportunity for students to demonstrate knowledge and application of the information presented in the narratives. Activities  role-playing, workshops, quizzes, small group interactions, class discussions, individual writing or performance/ task assignments, and experiential activities. It is our hope that the activities will serve as an illustrative catalyst for discussion sessions, whereby students will move toward to a new understanding and appreciation of a particular issue, topic, or person in African and African American History.

Evaluation: In this section, we provide the teacher with helpful suggestions and criteria for evaluating student performance.

Resources: The teacher can utilize the list of sources in African and African American History. In addition, you may want to gather supplemental material. Specifically, we encourage you to collect audio and videotapes, television programs, films, and popular literature, which will provide a variety of information about African and African American History.

Assistance is readily available through Palm Beach County School District's Equity Opportunity team. You should request staff development in this area and attend the announced training programs.

The District will continue to give points for participants trained in African and African American History. Principals, Staff Development committees, and School Advisory Committees (SAC) at the school site should consider using Professional Development Days to provide teachers and staff with specific information on the content of the infusion units on African and African American History.

The African and African American History Infusion Manual is a collection of helpful teaching aids designed to help you teach African and African American History. It is designed to assist you in making your classes more effective, more interesting, more enjoyable, and more rewarding to both you and your students.

The goal is to provide you with an easy-to-use, easy-to-follow, and easy-to-apply teacher's manual that supports both a theoretical and practical approach to teaching African and African American History. "Themes", which identify the focus or target of each unit, are listed at the beginning of every unit to help you to plan and organize your daily lessons.

In addition, every unit provides you with a variety of information, suggestions, and resources that will help you to decide how to approach the teaching of the content.

This information cannot be limited to one month since this will result in the perception that reinforces one group's cultural importance over all other groups. There is a need to go beyond the traditional celebration of African American History month to a more balanced approach that teaches and infuses African American History, during the school year.

The limited time given to African American History and culture helps to explain why students believe, erroneously, that the history of African Americans began with slavery. Since Africa marks the location of the birth of humankind and the beginning of civilization, it is critical that students become aware of and respect its connection to other cultures and world events.