HEALTH EDUCATION

BOARD POLICY - 6142

The Board of Education believes that health education should foster the knowledge, skills, and behaviors that students need in order to lead healthy, productive lives. The district’s health education program shall teach personal responsibility for one’s own lifelong health, respect for and promotion of the health of others, the process of growth and development, and informed use of health-related information, products, and services.

The district shall provide a planned, sequential, research-based, and age-appropriate health education curriculum for students in grades K-12. The goals for comprehensive health education shall include, but not be limited to, goals for staff and student wellness, for nutrition education and for physical activity and fitness.

The Board intends for health education to be part of a coordinated school health system that links district, school, and community programs and services to promote the health and well-being of students.

The district's educational program shall also provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to protect them from sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancy and to have healthy, positive, and safe relationships and behaviors. A critical component of this program is a well-planned, integrated sequence of medically accurate and inclusive instruction on comprehensive sexual health and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention. The district's educational program shall also promote understanding of sexuality as a normal part of human development and the development of healthy attitudes and behaviors concerning adolescent growth and development, body image, gender, sexual orientation, relationships, marriage, and family.

Comprehensive sexual health education and HIV prevention education shall be offered to all students in grades 7-12, including at least once in junior high or middle school and at least once in high school. (Education Code 51934)

The district's curriculum shall support the purposes of the California Healthy Youth Act as specified in Education Code 51930-51939, be unbiased and inclusive of all students in the classroom, and be aligned with the state's content standards. The district shall respect the rights of parents/guardians to supervise their children's education on these subjects and to impart values regarding human sexuality to their children.

Annually, parents/guardians shall be notified that they may request in writing that their child be excused from participating in comprehensive sexual health and HIV prevention education. Students so excused by their parents/guardians shall be given an alternative educational activity. (Education Code 51240, 51938, 51939) (cf. 5022 - Student and Family Privacy Rights) A student shall not be subject to disciplinary action, academic penalty, or other sanction if the student's parent/guardian declines to permit the student to receive the instruction. (Education Code 51939)

Legal References

Education Code
California Education Code Section 33350
California Education Code Section 51240, 51934, 51938, 51939

Policy Adopted: June 6, 2006
Policy Revised: March 7, 2017

See also:

Board Policy 5030 - Student and Staff Wellness
Board Policy 3551 - Nutrition Education and Food Services
Board Policy 6146 - Physical Education and Fitness

Administrative Regulation