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California Health Education

An effective school health program can be one of the single most cost-effective investments a nation can make to simultaneously improve education and health. -World Health Organization

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Guiding Documents, Toolkits, and Data

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Framework

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Standards

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Professional Learning Opportunities

TRENDING TOPICS

Foundations of Mental Health High School Curriculum

Sonoma County Office of Education's Behavioral Health and Well-Being team is thrilled to announce the launch of Foundations of Mental Health! This curriculum provides psychoeducation and instruction about mental wellness and mental health conditions, de-stigmatizes mental health topics and help-seeking behaviors, and helps students understand how to access appropriate mental health support.

This FREE 8-lesson introductory series meets requirements for CA SB224 and CA Educational Code 51925 for Health classes at the secondary level. It was developed with guidance from Sonoma County youth, educators, On the Margins and more than 35 local youth- and community-serving agencies.

The Menstrual Equity for All District Handbook

The Menstrual Equity for All Act (AB 367 of 2021) makes access to free menstrual products for students of all genders in public schools a reality. The Menstrual Equity for All District Handbook will help guide school districts and school communities in implementing a robust menstrual product program that supports all students who menstruate and helps remove the stigma around menstruation. It includes an overview of the law, a 101 on menstrual products, information on how to fund menstrual product programs for schools, tips for engaging your school community, an FAQ of commonly asked questions, and much more.

Menstrual Equity for All Act Handbook_Updated 4.9.2024.pdf

Addressing the Fentanyl Crisis Among California Youth

California faces a rapidly growing fentanyl epidemic affecting youth and adults that predates COVID-19 by nearly a decade. Fentanyl deaths accounted for more than 80 percent of all drug-related deaths among California’s young people in 2021. Most of our young victims ingested fentanyl accidentally, thinking they were using something less dangerous. The State Superintendent of Public Instruction is encouraging all local educational agencies (LEAs) to take immediate steps to educate students, staff, and families so that we can prevent unintended use of this deadly drug. Read more in the October 27, 2022, CDE letter from Superintendent Thurmond to LEAs, and access comprehensive resources in the flyer HERE.

Health Education Instructional Materials Evaluation Toolkit (2021)

This toolkit has been created to help local districts in their evaluation and adoption of new instructional materials that align with the 2008 Health Education Standards, the 2019 Health Education Curriculum Framework, and current CA Education Code and State Statutes. Local educational agencies (LEAs) – school districts, charter schools, and county offices of education – have the authority and the responsibility to conduct their own evaluation of instructional materials and to adopt the materials that best meet the needs of their students. This toolkit will help guide that process.

2020-21 California Healthy Youth Act (CHYA) Curricula Review

The California Healthy Kids Resource Center, together with the Adolescent Sexual Health Work Group (ASHWG), conducted an intensive review of growth development and sexual health curriculum in accordance with the California Healthy Youth Act. A total of nine publishers submitted curricula to be reviewed. Access all of the Curricula Reviews by expanding the ‘Links to Compliance Assessment Tools and Resources’ tab, which includes the following: A table that lists the curriculum reviewed along with the information on where it can be borrowed or purchased. The Compliance Assessment Tools (used to grade the curricula against ed code) are specific to each curriculum that was reviewed. Also included is a California Healthy Kids Curricula Review Introduction Methodology that describes the law, review process, and the Compliance Assessment Tool grading. This 2020 – 2021 California Healthy Youth Act Curricula review is intended to be an update of previous reviews done by ASHWG, and these reviews will be posted on the ASHWG website as well.

Weight Bias Hurts Kids, and We’re Not Talking About It - Edutopia

A growing body of evidence suggests that weight-based discrimination begins as early as 3 years old, and then persists. What can we do to stop it?

Students’ Rights and Resource List (Template) and Instruction Guide

This new mapping tool, which includes a Students’ Rights and Resource List Template and Instruction Guide, will help students find resources specific to their community where they may access health, mental health, sexual assault, drug and alcohol services and LGBTQ support. Administrators, teachers, students and families can use the Template and the Instruction Guide to find local resources.

➡️ Template

➡️ Instruction Guide

Providing this handout to students helps to meet the requirement of the California Healthy Youth Act to inform students about their “local resources, how to access local resources, and pupils’ legal rights to access local resources”.

Cultivating a Culture of Authentic Gratitude

A school staff that makes a point of expressing gratitude—even during a pandemic—can positively impact students and lift morale.

CDE’s Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth page

Instructional guidance, law, and policies for local educational agencies to support Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning (LGBTQ+) students and provide safe learning environments that protect the health and safety of LGBTQ+ students.

"If we really want all students to leave school having developed certain academic, social, personal, and cultural capacities, we need to think really carefully about whether we as educators are creating the types of experiences that we know from research

How Does SEL Support Educational Equity and Excellence?

Imagine a school community that fully supports students’ learning and development so that all children can thrive.

"If we really want all students to leave school having developed certain academic, social, personal, and cultural capacities, we...

3 SEL Practices Teachers Can Use Every Day

These social and emotional learning strategies won’t take a lot of time, but they can have a big impact on students and adults. This Edutopia article provides specific examples of the three SEL signature practices from CASEL that we should use whenever we come together as a community.

Vaccination Education: K-12 Resources Available Now

Resources have been created to provide educators and students accurate and up to date information regarding COVID-19 and vaccination. Educational materials link to the CA Health Education Content Standards and Framework and have been developed for grades K-3, 4-6, 7-8, and 9-12. Materials for each grade band include a Student Information Sheet, a Mini-Lesson and Student Activity Sheet, as well as a universally designed Model Learning Activity.

CA Health Education in Practice: Teaching Sensitive Topics via Distance Learning

A non-profit with many years of experience teaching Growth, Development, and Sexual Health Education to elementary, middle and high school students throughout California was forced to pivot to teaching via online platform during the 2020 COVID-19 related school shutdown. This transition was especially difficult as the accepted best practice standards for comprehensive sexual health education, prior to COVID-19, was in-person instruction.

Vaping linked to COVID-19 risk in teens and young adults

Data collected in May shows that teenagers and young adults who vape face a much higher risk of COVID-19 than their peers who do not vape, Stanford researchers found.

Building Relationships Remotely

As a teacher of 25 years, it took me an embarrassingly long time to realize that relationships with each and every student were crucial. I’d been taught HOW to teach, but I come from the era when teaching was something that we did TO students, not WITH. I come from the era that was taught to call students by their last name, and I come from the era that was told that we shouldn’t smile until Winter Break!

About The HEF Project

Information about the California Health Education Framework Project rollout, including project goals and activities.

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Orange County Department of Education

200 Kalmus Drive
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
PO Box 9050
Costa Mesa, CA 92628-9050
(714) 966-4000

Developed by Orange County Department of Education in
partnership with California Department of Education

This Internet site contains hypertext links to information created and maintained by other public and private organizations. These links are provided for your convenience. The Orange County Department of Education does not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness or completeness of this outside information. Further, the inclusion of links to particular items in hypertext are not intended to reflect their importance, nor is it intended to endorse any views expressed or products or services offered on these outside sites, or the organizations sponsoring the sites.

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