The Board of Education has tentatively approved a revised policy (IPD) on travel study programs and field trips. Interested individuals or groups are encouraged to submit comments to the Board during the public comment period ending December 8, 2003.

The revised Policy IPD, Travel Study Programs, Field Trips and Student Organization Trips, affirms the Board of Education’s position that classroom instruction is the foundation of the educational process and that maximizing instructional time is a primary goal of the Board of Education. The policy provides guidance for planning, approving, implementing, and evaluating various types of schools trips, and the revisions reflect a strengthened emphasis on the relationship between the purpose of the proposed trip and instruction.

Public response to the revised policy should be in writing and sent by December 8, 2003, to the Office of the Superintendent of Schools, 850 Hungerford Drive, Rockville, Maryland 20850. All responses will be shared with the Board of Education. The text of the policy is available at the link below.