Many of us remember having to dissect animals in science class, no matter how gross or morally objectionable the practice may have seemed. But more and more school districts are allowing students to opt out, and this year the Office of the State Superintendent of Education adopted a policy allowing D.C. public school students to refuse to participate.

“Although schools and teachers are free to use dissection as a part of their lesson plan, students who do not wish to dissect an animal for moral or religious reasons can be provided with an alternative lesson that accomplishes the same level of mastery,” read the policy published on September 10.

According to the policy, those alternatives could include “web-based dissection, plastic or clay model dissection, videos/films, books, transparencies and any other activities crafted by educators that address the same standard(s).”

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, which pushed the policy change, celebrated the move. “Students no longer have to harden their hearts to study biology,” says PETA Vice President of Laboratory Investigations Kathy Guillermo in a statement. “Now, District of Columbia Public Schools students can choose the most sophisticated anatomy lesson available, and no one gets hurt.”

States from California to Rhode Island allow students to opt out, and locally Virginia has laws offering students alternatives to dissections. According to PETA, all but one district in Maryland also allows students to choose not to dissect animals, as do school districts in Delaware and Pennsylvania.