Policy 6142.8 - Comprehensive Health Education

Comprehensive Health Education

The Board of Education intends for health education to be part of a comprehensive district program to promote the health and well-being of students and staff. As part of this program, the Board is committed to providing for physical education, health services, nutrition services, psychological and counseling services, a safe and healthy school environment, and involvement of parents/guardians and community members.

The Board believes that health education should foster the knowledge, skills and behaviors that students will need in order to lead healthy, productive lives and avoid high-risk behaviors. The district’s health education program shall be part of a coordinated school health system which supports the well-being of students and is linked to district and community services and resources.

The district shall provide a planned, sequential, research-based, and developmentally appropriate health education curriculum for students in grades K12 which is aligned with the state’s content standards and curriculum framework.

The Superintendent or designee shall determine the grade levels and subject areas in which health-related topics will be addressed, in accordance with law, Board policy and administrative regulation.

The district shall provide age-appropriate health education including, but not limited to, instruction related to:

1. Family living
2. Individual growth and development
3. Nutrition, including but not limited to, lessons that address the negative effects that obesity has on an individual’s long-term health and well-being and ways to promote lifelong healthy eating and physical activity.
4. Communicable and chronic diseases
5. Personal health, including but not limited to, lessons that address the hazardous effects of excessive noise and overexposure to sun
6. Mental and emotional health
7. Injury prevention and safety
8. Alcohol, tobacco and other drugs
9. Environmental health
10. Consumer and community health 

As appropriate, the Superintendent or designee shall involve school administrators, teachers, school nurses, health professionals representing various fields of health care, parents/guardians, community-based organizations, and other community members in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the district’s health education program. Health and safety professionals may be invited to provide related instruction in the classroom, school assemblies, and other instructional settings.

The Superintendent or designee shall provide professional development as needed to ensure that health education teachers are knowledgeable about academic content standards and effective instructional methodologies.

Upon written request by a student’s parent/guardian, he/she shall be excused from any part of the health instruction that conflicts with the parent/guardian’s religious training, beliefs or personal moral convictions. Parents/guardians shall receive notification at the beginning of each school year regarding their right to excuse students from health instruction on these grounds.

The Superintendent or designee shall provide periodic reports to the Board regarding the implementation and effectiveness of the district’s health education program which may include, but not be limited to, a description of the district’s program and the extent to which it is aligned with the state’s content standards and curriculum framework, the amount of time allotted for health instruction at each grade level, and student achievement of district standards for health education.

Rule 6142.8

The district’s health education program shall include instruction at the appropriate grade levels in the following content areas:

1. Alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.
2. Human growth, development, and sexual health.
3. Injury prevention and safety. Instruction related to injury prevention and safety may include, but is not limited to, first aid, protective equipment such as helmets, prevention of brain and spinal cord injuries, violence prevention, topics related to bullying and harassment, and Internet safety.
4. Mental, emotional, and social health.
5. Nutrition and physical activity.
6. Personal and community health. Instruction in personal and community health may include, but is not limited to, oral health, personal hygiene, sun safety, hearing protection, transmission of germs and communicable diseases, symptoms of common health problems and chronic diseases such as asthma and diabetes, emergency procedures, and the effect of behavior on the environment.

Within each of the above content areas, instruction shall be designed to assist students in developing:

1. An understanding of essential concepts related to enhancing health.
2. The ability to analyze internal and external influences that affect health.
3. The ability to access and analyze health information, products, and services.
4. The ability to use interpersonal communication skills, decision-making skills, and goal-setting skills to enhance health.
5. The ability to practice behaviors that reduce risk and promote health.
6. The ability to promote and support personal, family, and community health.

Upon written request from a parent/guardian, a student shall be excused from any part of health instruction that conflicts with his/her religious training and beliefs, including personal moral convictions.

Students so excused shall be given an alternative educational activity.

Involvement of Health Professionals

Health care professionals, health care service plans, health care providers, and other entities participating in a voluntary initiative with the district are prohibited from communicating about a product or service in a way that is intended to encourage persons to purchase or use the product or service. However, the following activities may be allowed:

1. Health care or health education information provided in a brochure or pamphlet that contains the logo or name of a health care service or health care organization, if provided in coordination with the voluntary initiative.
2. Outreach, application assistance, and enrollment activities relating to federal, state, or county-sponsored health care insurance programs.