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THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
/ THE UNIVERSITY
OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234
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Application Form for Commissioner of Education WaiverEducation Law §809(5) Treatment of Live Vertebrate AnimalsEducation Law §809 (5) provides that no school district, school principal, administrator, or teacher shall permit the performance of certain specified types of lessons or experimental studies on live vertebrate animals in the school or during an activity conducted under the school’s auspices. These activities are prohibited whether or not they take place on school premises. For example, a teacher may not allow a student to conduct the prohibited experiments on live vertebrate animals for a school sponsored science fair even if the experiment is conducted at a research institution. See Appendix A for the text of this law. Under certain circumstances, the Commissioner may grant a waiver from this restriction upon a school’s submission of a written program plan. The school district must obtain a waiver before the lesson or experimentation begins. Instructions for applying for such a waiver and the appropriate forms are provided below. Note: Only projects involving the use of live vertebrate animals as indicated in New York State Education Law §809(5) should apply for a waiver.
The Application Process and Waiver ProcessStep 1: Complete the Application Form for Waiver - 809(5) Treatment of Live Vertebrate Animals and Written Program Plan for Lesson(s) or Experimental Study. The application form including the Written Program Plan must be completed in order for the application to be considered for a Commissioner’s waiver under New York State Education Law §809(5). The application and written program plan must outline and describe in detail the lesson(s) or experimental study of live vertebrate animals. Step 2: Mail all completed forms to:
New
York State Education Department Attention: §809(5) Waiver Application Be sure to retain a copy of all materials submitted. Application Form for §809(5) Treatment of Live Vertebrate Animals & Written Program Plan for Lesson(s)or Experimental Study
School District ___________________________ BEDS CODE_________________ Address ____________________________________________________________ Superintendent of Schools _______________________________________________ School Building __________________________ BEDS CODE _________________ Address ____________________________________________________________ Principal ___________________________________________________________ Certified Science Teacher _______________________________________________ Title of Proposed
Lesson or Experimental Study _____________________________ Student Participants in this project: §809 (5) (b)(i) Requires that the student(s) must be in grade 10, 11, or 12.
Supervising Science Teacher(s) §809(5)(b)(ii) provides that the student(s) must be under the supervision of one or more teachers certified in science:
Accelerated Course of Study §809(5)(b)(iii) provides that the student(s) must be pursuing an accelerated course of study in the sciences as defined by the Commissioner in preparation for taking a State or national advanced placement examination.
Written Program Plan§809(5)b Summarize the Written Program Plan in the spaces provided below. Each of the following three areas must be addressed in the summary.
1) Educational basis for requesting a waiver:_______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________
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_______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ 3) The methods and techniques to be used:_______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ Description/Explanation of Procedures Used in the Written Program Plan New York State Education Law Section 809(5) — Treatment of Live Vertebrate AnimalsPlease
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Treatment of Live Vertebrate Animals |
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Applicant comments Include a description and explanation of necessity to use this/these procedure(s) in the program plan submitted. |
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(i) Micro-organisms which cause disease in humans and in animals |
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(ii) Ionizing radiation
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(iii) Known cancer producing agents |
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(iv) Chemicals at toxic levels
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(v) Drugs producing pain or deformity |
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(vi) Severe extremes of temperature |
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(vii) Electric or other shock
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(viii) Excessive noise
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(ix) Noxious fumes
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(x) Exercise to exhaustion
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(xi) Overcrowding
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(xii) Paralysis by muscle relaxants or other means
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(xiii) Deprivation or excess of food, water or other essential nutrients |
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(xiv) Surgery or other invasive procedures
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(xv) Other extreme stimuli
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(xvi) Termination of life
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Title of Project _____________________________________________________________________
1. Attach a typed copy of the Written Program Plan that must include the following detailed information listed below:
Explain and provide more information why live vertebrate animals must be used, including the reasons for the choice of species and the number of animals to be used.
Describe in detail, how the animals will be used. Include methods and procedures, such as experimental design and data analysis.
Provide detailed information on the animal’s housing, husbandry, and environment.
Provide a description of any analgesic, anesthetic, or tranquilizing drugs (show dosage in mg/kg of body weight) and comfortable restraining devices used to minimize discomfort, distress, pain, and injury. Also indicate dosage of any drugs or substances used in the animals in mg/kg of body weight.
Explain what will happen to the animal(s) after the project is finished.
2. Is this course and lesson(s) or experimental study intended to be offered on an annual basis?
___ no ____yes
Explain ______________________________________________________________________
• If a waiver is granted for a course that is offered on an annual basis, a school district must submit a new waiver application if the program plan represents substantial changes.
3. Indicate the work site(s) location(s) where the lesson(s) or experimentation on live vertebrate animals will be conducted. (Check all that apply)
____ Research Institution ____ School Other ___________________________
Name, address, and phone of each work site:
Work site 1: ____________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Work site 2: ____________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
4) Fill in the following regarding the animals used. (If more than one species is used, make copies of this section, fill it out for each species, and attach it to the back of this page.
A. Genus, species, and common name of the animal(s) used:
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
B. From where will the animals be obtained?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
C. Number of animals to be used? ______________ Average weight ____________________
D. Cage size ___________________________ Number of animals per cage ______________
E. Type of food ______________________________________________________________
F. How often are they to be fed and given water? ____________________________________
G. Type of bedding used (Do not use cedar chips, newspaper, or paper towels.) ____________
___________________________________________________________________________
H. Where will the animals be housed? ____________________________________________
Note: The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) website at http://www.sciserv.org/isef/about/background.asp provides guidance on research procedures and practices using live vertebrate animals that are generally accepted within the scientific community.
The undersigned hereby certify that they have reviewed and approved this application and the attached written program plan for submission to the Commissioner for a waiver of the restrictions set forth in Education Law §809(5) – Treatment of Live Vertebrate Animals.
__________________________ _____________________________ __________________
Name and Title Signature Date
School Principal:
__________________________ _____________________________ __________________
Name and Title Signature Date
Superintendent of Schools or His/Her Designee:
__________________________ _____________________________ __________________
Be sure to submit all specified forms or the
application will not be reviewed.
Application Form for Waiver - §809(5) Treatment of Live Vertebrate Animals: All information pertaining to a waiver request must be included in the application form for Department review.
Written Program Plan: A typed written program plan must accompany and be attached to the application form.
Appendix A
§ 809 (5) Treatment of live vertebrate animals.
a. Except as provided for in this subdivision, no school district, school principal, administrator, or teacher shall require or permit the performance of a lesson or experimental study on a live vertebrate animal in any such school or during any activity conducted under the auspices of such school whether or not the activity takes place on the premises of such school where such lesson or experimental study employs:
(i) micro-organisms which cause disease in humans or animals
(ii) ionizing radiation
(iii) known cancer producing agents
(iv) chemicals at toxic levels
(v) drugs producing pain or deformity
(vi) severe extremes of temperature
(vii) electric or other shock
(viii) excessive noise
(ix) noxious fumes
(x) exercise to exhaustion
(xi) overcrowding
(xii) paralysis by muscle relaxants or other means
(xiii) deprivation or excess of food, water or other essential nutrients
(xiv) surgery or other invasive procedures
(xv) other extreme stimuli, or
(xvi) termination of life.
b. Notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of this section, the commissioner may, upon the submission of a written program plan, issue to such school a written waiver of such restrictions for students subject to the following provisions:
(i) the student shall be in grade ten, eleven, or twelve; and
(ii) the student shall be under the supervision of one or more teachers certified in science; and
(iii) the student shall be pursuing an accelerated course of study in the sciences as defined by the commissioner in preparation for taking a state or national advanced placement examination.
The Commissioner shall issue a waiver of such restrictions for any teacher certified in science instructing such student. The written program plan shall include, but not be limited to:
(i) the educational basis for requesting a waiver;
(ii) the objective of the lesson or experiment;
(iii) the methods and techniques to be used; and
(iv) any other information required by the commissioner.
