Family and Consumer Sciences Program Overview

Introduction

This document includes several components that define Family and Consumer Sciences Education in Indiana:

(1) curriculum rationale,
(2) statement of philosophy, including vision and mission statements,
(3) summary of state rules, including approved middle level requirements, definitions for approved programs (vocational status), majors, minors, and health & safety waivers, social studies requirement for graduation, technology requirement for graduation, and teacher license requirements for FACS and O'FACS, for all FACS courses
(4) links to course titles and curriculum frameworks for the approved high school Family and Consumer Sciences courses. 

This work has been accomplished through a highly participatory process in which hundreds of Family and Consumer Sciences professionals, other education personnel, and representatives of business and industry have contributed their expertise and perspectives.

This material provides guidelines for local schools to use in evaluating, developing, and revising their own Family and Consumer Sciences programs. As a "work in progress", it is being distributed to Family and Consumer Sciences teachers across the state for their use and critique. The expectation is that as teachers use the materials, they will provide feedback for use in regular revising and up-dating so that the Family and Consumer Sciences program stays relevant as changes occur in family and society and in the educational community.

Curriculum Rationale

Family and Consumer Sciences Education has roots in both academic and career/technical (vocational) education and easily reaches beyond the education system into the community as it focuses on the needs of individuals and families. There is widespread agreement that essential preparation for success of all students includes acquisition of problem-solving, decision-making, higher order thinking, communication, literacy, and numerical skills in applied contexts. Today's students are the future members and leaders of tomorrow's families, workplaces, and communities. All students need to be able to act responsibly and productively, to synthesize knowledge from multiple sources, to work cooperatively, and to apply the highest standards in all aspects of their lives. Family and Consumer Sciences Education provides the bridges needed by all students to deal with major societal issues such as work-and-family, health care, child and elder care, family and community violence and crime, global economics and politics, and technology usage. Family and Consumer Sciences Education is a catalyst to bring these issues into action-oriented, skill-building educational programs. The Indiana Family and Consumer Sciences Education program provides a platform for students to move into a new era by gaining a strong foundation of the knowledge and skills needed for successfully living and working in the 21st century.

Family, Career & Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) is organized nationally and at state, district, and local levels. FCCLA is the official student organization for Family and Consumer Sciences Education in Indiana and across the country. The FCCLA organization helps students develop leadership and citizenship skills while synthesizing and applying Family and Consumer Sciences content and skills in family, workplace, and community settings. As a teaching/learning approach, FCCLA offer teacher-developed and student-tested strategies and materials that center the responsibility for achieving FACS standards on students through in-class and co-curricular chapter programs and projects.

Statement of Philosophy

The discipline of Family and Consumer Sciences has as its central focus preparing individuals to become independent, to assume family roles, to contribute to the good of the community and society, to balance work and family, and to transfer personal skills to the workplace.

Family and Consumer Sciences Education Vision Statement. The foundation for the development of the current Family and Consumer Sciences Education program in Indiana was laid with Indiana's adoption of the national vision statement:

"Family and Consumer Sciences Education empowers individuals and families across the life span to manage the challenges of living and working in a diverse global society. Our unique focus is on families, work, and their interrelationships."

Mission Statements. The national mission statements, adopted in 1994 by the Family and Consumer Sciences Division of the American Vocational Association, provide additional details that Indiana adopted as foundational to the state Family and Consumer Sciences Education program:

"The mission of Family and Consumer Sciences Education is to prepare students for family life, work life, and careers in family and consumer sciences by providing opportunities to develop the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors needed for:

* Strengthening the well-being of individuals and families across
the life span.
* Becoming responsible citizens and leaders in family, community,
and work settings.
* Promoting optimal nutrition and wellness across the life span.
* Managing resources to meet the material needs of individuals
and families.
* Balancing personal, home, family, and work lives.
* Using critical and creative thinking skills to address problems in
diverse family, community, and work environments.
* Successful life management, employment, and career development.
* Functioning effectively as providers and consumers of goods
and services.
* Appreciating human worth and accepting responsibility for one's
actions and success in family and work life."

Changes in Family and Consumer Sciences Education. The idea that all aspects of life may be reduced to tasks--make a garment, prepare food, clean a room--has been being replaced by emphasis on social structures, knowledge of relationships, and achievement of mutual goals. This change is reflected in the decision this discipline has made to change its name to Family and Consumer Sciences. Indiana has officially adopted the name "Family and Consumer Sciences Education" and "FACS" as the acronym for use in their state and local programs. The name and the acronym are used in local middle school and high school programs and in state wide activities in order to communicate the transition this field has made and to focus on our vision of the future. Educational reform and new directions in the FACS program have led to these developments:

* student-centered curriculum with emphasis on hands-on involvement,
* focus on practical problem solving skills in real-life applications,
* activities that build skills for into family, workplace, and community settings,
* activities that aid students in planning the transition from school to career,
* increased involvement in developing basic academic educational goals for all learners,
* learning environments, including process-based learning,that meet developmental needs of students.

The Family and Consumer Sciences Education program in Indiana is designed to be comprehensive, holistic, and multi-disciplinary across FACS areas of study, and to be compatible with local school-wide approaches.

• Students in Indiana Middle Schools are expected to achieve, at the minimum, Academic Standards for the Family and Consumer Sciences Five Essential Units by the time they finish the 8th grade. Multiple FACS areas of study are expected to be integrated into the FACS program offered at each grade level (sixth, seventh, and eighth) as detailed in the FACS Five Essential Units Framework and Pacing Guide and the more comprehensive Middle School FACS Comprehensive/Enrichment Framework that details 13 units of study.
• High school FACS is organized into a variety of semester-long and year-long courses. State-approved high school FACS courses and the curriculum framework for each course provide educators with guidelines for developing local FACS programs that focus on building strong and resilient individuals and families and helping students manage personal and family issues. Concepts, standards, and competencies in the FACS course frameworks were identified from a review of characteristics and needs of learners, the current vision and mission statements for FACS, the FACS national standards, curriculum developments in other states, and examination of current FACS programs in Indiana. They provide the information and structure needed to develop a strong common identity among FACS programs across the state.

Indiana State Board of Education Rules
(information about specific FACS-related rules)

511 IAC 6-1-1 (r) (3): Name for Middle School Programs

The curriculum "area of study" is Middle School Family and Consumer Sciences.

511 IAC 6.1-5-3.5 i (1) and (2): Practical Arts Offerings in the Middle Schools

Current language regarding middle level (grades 7 and 8; and grades 6, 7, and 8 in schools that include grade 6) specifies that practical arts is to be delivered each year in each grade through the practical arts program areas of agriculture, business, home economics (Family and Consumer Sciences), and industrial technology (Technology Education). Although the word "and" in this section of the state rule implies that instruction in all four program areas must be provided to all middle level students, it has consistently been interpreted to mean that the learning experiences and educational expectations listed in 511 IAC 6.1-5-3.5 (i) (1), (A) through (E) be taught through a minimum of two of the four practical arts program areas cited in this section. 511 IAC 6.1-5-3.5 (o) specifies recommended minimum time allocation of 100 minutes per week for practical arts instruction.

As a reminder and clarification of this rule, the following points should be considered when examining and revising middle school program offerings to ensure that schools comply with the legal standards for school accreditation:

- Course offerings in the middle school practical arts curriculum must provide students in each middle school grade with instruction in a minimum of two of the four practical arts education curriculum areas of agriculture, business, home economics (Family and Consumer Sciences), and industrial technology (Technology Education).

 - The recommended time allocation for practical arts is a minimum of 100 minutes per week or the equivalent of 100 minutes per week allocated on a yearly basis. This means that the total time of 3600 minutes may be divided into a variety of scheduling options, but the total needs to equal 3600 minutes of instruction each year for each student.

- The five broad expectations for learning experiences (competencies) will be incorporated at each grade level (grades 7 and 8; and grades 6, 7, and 8 in schools that include grade 6).

- Instruction in the practical arts curriculum will be provided through course offerings in two (or more) of the selected practical arts education curriculum areas.

- The course offerings will be taught by teachers who hold appropriate licenses in the selected practical arts education curriculum areas.

- To facilitate scheduling challenges, the practical arts education curriculum may be provided by teachers from two or more practical arts areas working together in team teaching or interdisciplinary environments.

511 IAC 6-7-1 (c) (10), (15), and (16): Name for High School Programs

Curriculum "areas of study" include Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS) and Occupational Family and Consumer Sciences (O'FACS).

511 IAC 6.1-5.1-10.0 (a) (6): Family and Consumer Sciences Course Titles

These changes were approved by the Indiana State Board of Education in 2004 and 2005 and have received final approval and signature from Indiana's Attorney General. Schools began to use these new course titles in 2004. The old course titles expired on June 30, 2005.

511 IAC 6.1-5.1-10.1 (c): Approved Family and Consumer Sciences Programs

After June 30, 1998, schools may qualify their family and consumer sciences programs for vocational status, and thus be eligible to receive state vocational funding through the APC formula by meeting specific criteria:

To be approved for vocational status and state vocational funding, FACS programs must choose one of these two courses to teach every year:
Orientation to Life and Careers
Interpersonal Relationships

Further, programs approved for vocational status must teach a minimum of four additional courses from the following list of courses at least once in any two year period:
Orientation to Life & Careers (if not used above)
Interpersonal Relationships (if not used above)
Nutrition & Wellness (or Culinary Arts Foundations, beginning in Fall 2008)
Human Development & Family Wellness
Child Development & Parenting
Consumer Economics (or Personal Resource Management & Family Finance, beginning in Fall 2008)
Adult Roles and Responsibilities
Advanced Life Science Foods (beginning in Fall 2008)
Fashion & Textiles Foundations or Housing & Interior Design Foundations (beginning in Fall 2008)

The remaining courses may be offered in accordance with local needs and resources.

11 IAC 6.1-5.1-9 (3) (A) (i) - (ii): Eliminated Courses

Beginning July 1, 2000, the State Rules ELIMINATED the following one (1) semester, one (1) credit, general home economics course titles: General Home Economics Level I, II, III, IV; Nutrition and Food 1, 2, 3 and 4; Textiles and Clothing 1, 2, 3 and 4.

These changes were approved by the Indiana State Board of Education on April 9, 1998, and have received final approval and signature from Indiana's Attorney General. Schools began to use these new course titles in July 1998. The old course titles expired on June 30, 2000.

511 IAC 6.1-5.1-10.0 (a) (8): Career Preparation (Occupational) Family and Consumer Sciences Course Titles

These changes were approved by the Indiana State Board of Education in 2004 and 2005 and have received final approval and signature from Indiana's Attorney General. Schools began to use these new course titles in 2004. The old course titles expired on June 30, 2005.

511 IAC 6.1-5.1-10.0 (e): Majors (This section will be eliminated beginning in Fall 2008.)
A major in Family and Consumer Sciences Education consists of at least six (6) credits including AT LEAST THREE (3) OF the following: (A) Orientation to Life and Careers; (B) Adult Roles and Responsibilities. (C) Nutrition and Wellness; (D) Child Development and Parenting or Human Development and Family Wellness; (E) Interpersonal Relationships; ) AND THREE (3) additional courses from the Family and Consumer Sciences area of study.

511 IAC 6.1-5.1-10.0 (f): Minors (This section will be eliminated beginning in Fall 2008.)
A minor in Family and Consumer Sciences Education consists of at least four (4) credits from the following: (A) Child Development and Parenting or Human Development and Family Wellness. (B) Nutrition and Wellness. (C) Orientation to Life and Careers. (D) Adult Roles and Responsibilities. (E) Consumer Economics. (F) Interpersonal Relationships.

511 IAC 6-7-6 (4) - (6): Health and Wellness Credit
The Health and Wellness one-credit requirement is fulfilled for a student if the student's program includes three (3) credits from the following Family and Consumer Sciences courses (A) Child Development and Parenting. (B) Human Development and Family Wellness. (C) Interpersonal Relationships. (D) Nutrition and Wellness. (E) Orientation to Life and Careers or Adult Roles and Responsibilities.

These options for the Health and Wellness credit required for graduation, Core 40, and Academic Honors were approved by the Indiana State Board of Education on April 9, 1998, and have received final approval and signature from Indiana's Attorney General. Schools began to use these courses in July 1998.

511 IAC 6-7-6 (c) - (5): Science Credit for Graduation
Of the four (4) credits of science required for graduation, two (2) of the credits may be from a family and consumer sciences course having predominately science content.  Advanced Life Science: Foods or Chemistry of Foods (or Chemistry of Foods and Nutrition) may be used for science credit under this rule.

511 IAC 6-7-6 (C) - (2): Social Studies Credit for Graduation
Of the four (4) credits of social studies required for graduation, two (2) credits must be inn United States history and one (1) credit must be in United States government.  The remaining one (1) credit may be in another social studies course or in global economics, or the student can fulfill this requirement by taking the one (1) credit course Consumer Economics in the family and consumer sciences program.

State Rule 511 IAC 6-7-6.1 Section 6.1(8) and (9): Technology Requirement for Graduation
This rule specifies that Family & Consumer Sciences (FACS) courses may be used to fulfill the technology requirement for graduation if certain stipulations are met.  There are two separate ways this rule could be applied: the student takes a course or courses (for a total of two credits) that have predominately technology content {Section (8)(M)}; or the student demonstrates five (5) technology competencies by completing a project that addresses individual, workplace, or community needs {Section (9)}.

1. Section (8)(M) states that the requirement is met by the student’s taking two (2) credits in family and consumer sciences courses having predominately technology content taught through a project-based approach.  The individual teacher or the local school makes the final determination regarding whether a course has “predominately technology content” and decides how to manage the project-based approach.

1.1 “Predominately technology content”

1.1.1 Delivery - Content might be delivered to students through a variety of technologies, including computer-based programs, Internet explorations, broadcast media, etc.

1.1.2 Content in context - In the context of the content standards and competencies specified in the curriculum framework for each course, content would include study of tools and materials, processes and systems, and applications and impacts of the technologies that apply to that area of study.  Students would investigate applications of technology in individual, family, and community settings.  They would analyze or evaluate impacts of the technologies under consideration on individuals, families, communities, society, and the environment.

1.2 Project-based approach
Learning experiences are to be authentic real-world projects that emerge from real needs in the community, workplace, school, or home.  Teachers can design increasing complex and student-centered projects that engage students in hands-on/minds-on active learning.

Students are active in planning and carrying out their own learning; they assume responsibility for achieving course standards and competencies through a closely-correlated project or series of projects; they determine what new content and skills are needed and they figure out how to acquire them.  Students use and demonstrate their leaning rather than just storing it.  Students document their planning, acquiring, applications, evaluations, and reflections of their learning by maintaining a student portfolio (Appendix II).

2. Section (9) states that the requirement can be met by the student’s completing a student project that addresses individual, workplace, or community needs and demonstrates the ability to:

(A) evaluate, select, and apply appropriate technology tools and resources;
(B) use telecommunications tools and resources to meet needs for collaboration, research, publication, communications, and productivity;
(C) use technology tools for managing and exchanging information;
(D) use technology tools for information analysis, problem-solving, and decision making; and
(E) design, develop, publish, and disseminate information, models, or other creative products that include printed information and graphics, charts, tables, or other visual elements.

Our interpretation is that this option does require that student projects address their achievement of all five (5) learning abilities specified in A through E above.

IPSB Assignment Code - Revised March 2003
The Assignment Code published by the Indiana Division of Professional Standards (IN-DPS) was revised in March 2003.  Go to the IN-DPS website at http://doe.state.in.us/dps/licensing/assignmentcode/welcome.html and download the appropriate table of specifications for the licenses required to teach Family and Consumer Sciences.  The licenses needed to teach middle school Family and Consumer Sciences and high school comprehensive and occupational Family and Consumer Sciences courses are listed in their charts.

Curriculum Frameworks

Curriculum Frameworks for the middle school FACS program and high school FACS courses were initially developed in 1998 and continue to be refined, based on the following guidelines:

* consistent with the national Vision and Mission Statements and the new national standards for family and consumer sciences education.
* provide consistency and common identity among FACS programs across the state.
* shift in focus to building strong and resilient families and helping students manage personal and family issues; less focus on basic homemaking skills.
* high priority on family, workplace, and community skills needed for the 21st century, as defined by SCANS competencies and foundations and process competencies in the national FACS standards.
* designed to meet the needs of the full spectrum of a school's diverse population, including male and female students with a wide variety of interests, abilities, and career pathways.
* provide a sequence of courses that help students build depth in an area of study, achieve higher standards in FACS and in ISTEP+ proficiencies, and begin career preparation. See ISTEP English/Language Arts Correlations for clarification.
* minimize duplication among courses and provide integration of content in an applied context.

The Frameworks are available through the Family and Consumer Sciences Course/Curriculum Frameworks Index.

Curriculum Frameworks include several components: Course Title, Course Specifications, Course Description, Course Rationale, Content Standards, and Competencies. The following section includes further information about each of these components.

Course Titles are the official state titles for state-approved FACS courses.  To help clarify the identity of the new FACS courses across the state, schools should utilize the state-approved titles either as stand alone titles or in conjunction with corresponding local titles.  If a different title is useful for identifying or marketing the course at the local level, it can be combined with the state-approved title. For example, a local school may use "Adult Roles & Responsibilities" as a stand alone title, or it could correlate to a locally preferred title such as "Independent Living" by showing "Independent Living (Adult Roles and Responsibilities)" or "Independent Living: AR&R" on the student's transcript. Use of a local title for a course, accompanied with clearly-defined correlated state-approved title on student records, does not require state approvals or waivers.

Course Specifications clarify suggested grade levels, recommended prerequisites, DOE course numbers, CIP codes, and Additional Pupil Count (APC) funding levels. While a wide range of FACS professionals gave careful thought to grade levels and prerequisites for each course, the specifications are clearly marked as "suggested" and "recommended". Local programs have the responsibility of developing a sequence of FACS courses that meet their own needs and resources and provide a logical sequence for their students, and thus may deviate from the suggested grade levels and the recommended prerequisites at their own discretion. Such deviation does not require state approvals or waivers. The APC funding levels refer to the amount of additional state money for vocational education which is made available to schools with approved FACS programs, based on the number of students enrolled in each course.

Course Descriptions provide guidelines for curriculum development, implementation, and evaluation. Topics in the course descriptions help clarify the content that each course is expected to include. There are generally more topics in the course description than can be addressed in depth in any one course. Therefore, local FACS programs have the flexibility to design courses that fit within the state-wide course descriptions while meeting their local needs by selecting the degree to which they will emphasize each of the topics. This approach allows for local customization while still providing for common definitions and identity across the state. These course descriptions are technical in nature and suited for curriculum decision-makers and planners. Schools are encouraged to develop more lively course descriptions with less technical detail for students to use in selecting courses.

Course Rationales provide a brief justification and explanation of the importance of each course.

Content Standards are broad statements of what students should know and be able to do when they have completed the course.

Competencies further define and clarify each of the Content Standards. Both the Content Standards and the Competencies are intended to be measurable EXIT standards. That is, they define what students should know and be able to do at the end of the course rather than specifically defining a sequence for teaching or learning. Likewise, specific course content or activities would depend on student entry competencies and other learner needs. It is recognized that there may be considerable variation among local programs in the level to which they develop the standards and competencies in each of their courses, and that individual students may vary from one another in the level of achievement of the standards and competencies. However, the expectation is that local courses would be designed so that students in a particular course would have the opportunity to address each of the content standards and would develop most of the competencies specified for that course framework.

Correlation of FACS Academic Standards to ISTEP+ Standards
Student achievement of FACS Academic Standards is the primary goal of Indiana's Family and Consumer Sciences program.  By its very nature, the subject matter standards and competencies also provide students the opportunity to build skills in subject areas reflected in ISTEP+ testing.  Students will experience gains in higher level thinking, reading, writing, listening, and speaking, computation, measurement, prediction, and other mathematics processes in project-based learning activities that are highly motivational and geared to real world applications.  The English/Language Arts Standards in the correlation at http://doe.state.in.us/octe/facs/ISTEP-correlations.html are those that correlate most directly to FACS content and processes and to typical teaching/learning strategies utilized in FACS courses.  Grade 10 E/LA standards are the target for ISTEP+ so Grade 10 standards were used for identification of correlated standards.