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Oct 18, 2024 · Counseling, Psychological, and Social Services. Identify, track, and provide direct care to students with emotional, behavioral, mental health, or social needs. Help students with chronic health conditions during transitions, such as changes in schools or family structure. Provide or refer students and families to school- and community-based ...
Preparing Students for Long-Term Healthy Living Beyond School. To prepare students for lifelong health, fostering habits extending beyond school is vital. Besides traditional subjects, prioritise comprehensive health education covering nutrition, physical fitness, and mental well-being.
- Christopher Pepper
- Providing Quality Health Education, Including Sexual Health Education. As an organization, SHAPE America provides guidance and resources about effective health education, and recently published a position paper called “Sex Education Is a Critical Component of School Health Education.”
- Implementing Systems to Increase Student Access to Health Care. We have become used to the idea of school nurses, but people don’t always think of schools becoming access points for sexual health care.
- Promoting Activities to Decrease Bullying, Increase Parent Engagement, and Help Students Feel More Connected to School. Creating safe and supportive environments involves schools, communities, families, and youth working together to protect students’ health and improve academic performance.
- Overview
- Health education is effective at addressing adolescent behaviors and experiences
- Health Education Curriculum and Standards
- Sexual health is a critical component of health education
- Educator and Staff Professional Development and Training
- Resources
- References
CDC’s What Works In Schools Program improves the health and well-being of middle and high school students by:
•Improving health education,
•Connecting young people to the health services they need, and
•Making school environments safer and more supportive.
Health education is part of the primary mission of schools. It provides young people with the knowledge and skills they need to become successful learners and healthy adults.1
Health education is a fundamental part of an overall school health program and helps youth acquire functional health knowledge, strengthens attitudes and beliefs, and builds skills needed to adopt and maintain healthy behaviors throughout their lives.1
See CDC’s Characteristics of an Effective Health Education Curriculum to learn more about research on effective curricula in school health education.
Health Education Standards
Health education standards are designed to establish, promote, and support health-enhancing behaviors for students in all grade levels.1 These learning standards have been updated or are currently being revised by multiple professional organizations in school health. Versions of these standards are available here and here.
National Sex Education Standards
The National Sex Education Standards outline foundational knowledge and skills students need to navigate sexual development and grow into sexually healthy adults. The standards are designed to help schools focus on what is most essential for students to learn by the end of a grade level or grade span and can be used to create lessons and curricula with aligned learning objectives.18
Quality health education uses qualified teachers, connects students to health services, engages parents and community partners, and fosters positive relationships between adolescents and adults who are important to them.19-21 Successful in-service professional development programs can improve both the amount of time teachers spend on health topics and their confidence to provide health education.22-23
You can find professional development tool and resources here:
•Health Education Curriculum Analysis Tool (HECAT). This tool helps school and community leaders conduct clear, complete, and consistent analyses of health education curricula across a wide variety of topics (e.g., nutrition, tobacco, mental/emotional health).
•HECAT Webinars. A series of six videos introducing HECAT and featured health topic modules.
•HECAT Online. A free, interactive tool that allows you to work collaboratively in teams to complete projects related to curriculum analyses, comparing strengths and weaknesses of multiple curricula, and developing a scope and sequence (S&S) for health education.
•HECAT Online Instructional Guides. A series of four guides detailing how to use HECAT Online for curriculum analyses or scope and sequence development.
1.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Health Education Curriculum Analysis Tool, 2021, Atlanta: CDC; 2021.
2.Eisen M, Pallitto C, Bradner C, Bolshun N. Teen Risk-Taking: Promising Prevention Programs and Approaches. Washington, DC: Urban Institute; 2000.
3.Lohrmann DK, Wooley SF. Comprehensive School Health Education. In: Marx E, Wooley S, Northrop D, editors. Health Is Academic: A Guide to Coordinated School Health Programs. New York: Teachers College Press; 1998:43–45.
4.Nation M, Crusto C, Wandersman A, Kumpfer KL, Seybolt D, Morrissey-Kane, E, Davino K. What works: principles of effective prevention programs. American Psychologist 2003;58(6/7):449–456.
5.Coyle, K., Anderson, P., Laris, B. A., Barrett, M., Unti, T., & Baumler, E. (2021). A group randomized trial evaluating high school FLASH, a comprehensive sexual health curriculum. Journal of Adolescent Health, 68(4), 686-695.
6.Goldfarb, E. S., & Lieberman, L. D. (2021). Three decades of research: The case for comprehensive sex education. Journal of Adolescent Health, 68(1), 13-27.
Schools can give students mental health support and link them and their families to community behavioral and mental health services. Schools that promote student mental health and well-being can improve classroom behavior, school engagement, and peer relationships.
These guidelines address the eight separate components of the comprehensive school health program: school environment; health education; health services; physical education; counseling, guidance and mental health; school food and nutrition services; worksite health promotion; and integration of school and community health activities.
People also ask
How can schools prepare students for lifelong health?
How can schools improve student mental health?
How do schools promote healthy lifestyles?
How can schools improve health?
What should be included in a comprehensive school health program?
What makes a good health education curriculum?
Schools can implement policies and practices that encourage healthy eating and physical activity during the school day, and can also help children and adolescents establish lifelong healthy patterns. Healthy Eating During the School Day.
