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Florida Department of Education releases 4 examples of 'prohibited content' after 54 math textbooks rejected

One of the images provided by the DOE shows a math problem based on data that tests people on their level of racial prejudice.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — (Editor's Note: The video above is from a previous report)

The Florida Department of Education has provided examples of content within 54 math textbooks that have been rejected by the state.

According to the DOE, the textbooks were rejected for kindergarten through twelfth grade curriculum out of 132 submitted because some included references to Critical Race Theory (CRT). 

Governor Ron DeSantis banned CRT from classrooms last year.

Others, officials said, included the Common Core, which DeSantis removed from classrooms in 2020, and the "unsolicited addition of Social Emotional Learning in mathematics."

Of the 54 textbooks banned, the DOE released only four examples of the content in question. 

"Based on the volume of requests the Department has received for examples of problematic elements of the recently reviewed instructional materials, the following are examples provided to the department by the public and presented no conflict in sharing them," says the DOE on its website.

The department says the examples do not represent an exhaustive list of input received, and it's continuing to give publishers the opportunity to "remediate all deficiencies identified during the review to ensure the broadest selection of high quality instructional materials are available to the school districts and Florida’s students."

One of the images provided by the DOE shows a math problem based on data that tests people on their level of racial prejudice.

"What? Me? Racist? More than 2 million people have tested their racial prejudice using an online version of the Implicit Association Test... in this section's Excercise Set (Exercises 103 and 104) you will be working with models that measure bias."

Credit: DOE
An example of what the DOE calls problematic elements of the recently reviewed instructional materials.

Another image shows an SEL Objective as students being able to 'build proficiency with social awareness as they practice with empathizing with classmates". 

*Scroll down to find more photos of the examples provided by the DOE.

Credit: DOE
An example of what the DOE calls problematic elements of the recently reviewed instructional materials.

A spokesperson with DOE previously told First Coast News that it's important to remember that publishers may appeal any non-adoption decision and substitute or revise their submitted bids to be included on the state’s adopted list.

First Coast News reached out to local school districts and asked what their responses were to the DOE rejecting the textbooks.

Duval County Public Schools sent the following statement.

"Each year, the Florida Department of Education provides a list of approved instructional materials from which school districts can select their materials. We are currently waiting to see if publishers whose texts didn’t make the approved list are going to adjust their materials so that the Department of Education will approve those materials to be on the list. We are watching the situation closely, and we will be able to say more about the impact in Duval County once we learn how each publisher will respond."

Clay County District Schools sent the following statement.

"Clay County District Schools adopts textbooks in a cycle according to subject area. Within that schedule, the district has adopted some mathematics textbooks for the next school year. As with all manners of operations, the district leans on guidance and instruction from the Florida Department of Education and will continue to modify and align the district’s actions accordingly."

Examples of 'prohibited content' released by DOE:

Credit: DOE
An example of what the DOE calls problematic elements of the recently reviewed instructional materials.
Credit: DOE
An example of what the DOE calls problematic elements of the recently reviewed instructional materials.
Credit: DOE
An example of what the DOE calls problematic elements of the recently reviewed instructional materials.
Credit: DOE
An example of what the DOE calls problematic elements of the recently reviewed instructional materials.

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