An annual conference
Health Education Instruction
As required by New York State law, Health Education must be taught by a certified health education teacher. Health education is the school's instructional program that provides the opportunity for all students to understand and practice concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention.
The Health Education component promotes:
Access to valid health information and health promotion products and services; The practice of health enhancing behaviors and reduction of health risks; The ability to analyze the influence of culture, media, technology, and other factors on health; The use of interpersonal communication skills to enhance health; The use of goal setting and decision making skills; and Advocacy for personal, family, and community health.
Health Education Standards
New York's Standards for Health Education, Physical Education and Family and Consumer Science were passed by the Board of Regents in 1997. The Health Education Standards developed for New York are in line with the National Standards established for Health Education. School districts must have their curriculum aligned to the standards and assess student progress at the benchmarks. The New York State Education Department and its network of Statewide and Regional Coordinated School Health Centers are developing an array of standards based curriculum and assessment products and services to guide the improvement of school health education across New York. The Statewide and Regional Coordinated School Health Centers can provide technical assistance in curriculum alignment and assessment.
The Emerging Model of School Health Education
The emerging model of school health education focuses on skills and standards-based health instruction. Traditionally health education has emphasized the learning and comprehension of health facts. The health education curriculum was organized around health topic areas taught as multiple independent instructional units designed to increase knowledge.
The emerging model of health education emphasizes the ability to use essential knowledge and skills necessary to adopt, practice, and maintain healthy behaviors. Health education as life skills requires a curriculum focused on the prevention of six high risk behaviors:
- + Use of tobacco, alcohol and other drugs
- + Dietary patterns
- + Sedentary lifestyles
- + Behaviors that result in sexually transmitted diseases and unintended pregnancy
- + Behaviors that result in unintentional injuries
- + Violent and other anti-social behaviors
A skills approach to health education provides sequential K-12 instructional units designed to develop essential knowledge in these skill areas:
- + Advocacy
- + Communication
- + Decision-making
- + Goal setting
- + Self-management
- + Stress management
Health Education Law: Characteristics of a Quality Health Program
In order for a school to create and maintain a quality health education program, it must have an appropriate infrastructure in place. Following are the characteristics of a quality program:
Health education and physical education are taught by certified teachers qualified to teach their particular health skills.
Community resources are used at all levels to reinforce instruction.
Coordinated training of both teachers and community should be augmented to provide a quality program.
Staff development activities should ensure that teachers encourage students to talk to family members about health issues and associated values of the family unit; personalize instruction and facilitate individualized assessment and goal setting; and model a healthy lifestyle.
A quality health program is hands-on, activity-based, developmentally appropriate, and leads to positive changes in behavior.
Effective health instruction methods promote personal responsibility, lifelong learning, critical thinking, and cooperation.
Effective health instruction uses interdisciplinary approaches.
A curriculum advisory committee with representation from health professionals, civic leaders, family members and students is in place.
The curriculum reflects the priorities of the local community, builds sequentially throughout the grades, addresses all content areas for healthy life skills, includes a focus on providing students the opportunities to practice the knowledge and skills learned in the classroom, and includes learning activities to involve family members and community experiences.
The local school board and individual school buildings have in place a philosophy/mission statement for student learning that includes health education as basic to the curriculum. This policy should address the importance of healthy life skills in the education of every student.
At all levels, health instruction is scheduled during the school day as an integral part of the total school curriculum. Research indicates that, to have an impact on health behavior, a minimum of 50 hours of instruction in healthy life skills from grades K-12 needs to be conducted annually.
Adequate resources are in place which support and enhance the quality of health instruction in grades K-12. Resources should include adequate time for instruction and planning, qualified staff, and facilities, a dedicated teaching area designed to meet program needs, equipment (including current technology), and moneys for materials, tools, instruments, reference materials and supplies.
A variety of current materials are available for a thorough study of healthy life skills. This includes supplemental materials such as manipulatives, supplies, equipment, textbooks, live and taped presentations, interactive video disks, and other forms of technology.
Assessment is an integral part of health instruction. Teachers regularly monitor, analyze, and evaluate their teaching and student progress.
They use a variety of assessment and evaluation methods including student self-assessment.
There are opportunities for teachers to collaborate, participate in professional development, and join professional associations related to health.
Due to the nature of some of the topics and possible discussions that may develop during health instruction, it is very important that teachers and staff are aware of sensitive issues, have confidence in community and school norms and policies surrounding such topics, and are aware of community or state resources available for additional information or assistance if needed. Please refer to the reference section for further information.
It is very important with issues that may be sensitive and difficult to discuss that the teacher and the students feel safe and able to share information that is of a personal nature. Ground rules and norms should be established, trust must be developed and a mechanism for "passing" if the participant chooses to should all be well understood before such topics are discussed.
Extracts from Education Law - Article 17
Click here for extracts from:
§ 803-a: Course of study in prevention of child abduction
§ 804: Health education regarding alcohol drugs and tobacco abuse
§ 804-a: Comprehensive school health education demonstration program
§ 804-b: Education regarding child development
Extracts from Commissioner's Regulations:
Commissioner's Regulations, Subchapter G, Part 135 - Health, Physical Education and Recreation
