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Compulsory Sexual Health Education: The California Healthy Youth Act mandates comprehensive sexual health education for students in grades 7 through 12. This curriculum must be delivered at least once during middle school and once in high school, encompassing topics on development, sexuality, pregnancy, contraception, sexually transmitted infections STIs, and HIVDS.
HIV Prevention Education: Students are also required to receive instruction on HIVDS as part of their education, covering the nature of the virus, modes of transmission, strategies for preventing infection, and related social and public health issues.
Opt-Out Option: Parents have the right to opt-out their child from comprehensive sexual health education programs in California schools. This decision must be made prior to or at the beginning of the school year, allowing parents to provide an exemption based on personal beliefs or values.
Exemption from Other Health Education: The ability to opt-out applies only specifically to comprehensive sexual health education and HIVDS instruction, not to other required health education topics.
Parents might express concerns about including discussions of sexuality in the curriculum. A simple way to frame their rights is: Parents have the right to exempt their child from comprehensive sexual health education at any time during the school year.
Revised 2019 Health Education Framework: California schools are encouraged, but not required, to adopt or utilize the updated 2019 Health Education Framework. This document guides educators on best practices for teaching health education.
Health Education Content Standards: These standards outline specific learning objectives and competencies that students should acquire in health education classes across different grade levels.
Content Recommations by Grade Level: The Health Education Content Standards provide guidance on what topics are appropriate for each grade, starting from kindergarten through high school.
Framework vs. Standards: The Framework serves as a comprehensive guide detling how to implement the standards in the classroom, offering strategies and approaches based on best practices.
Required Health Education: In public schools within California, certn health education topics are mandated by law to ensure students receive age-appropriate instruction aligned with state standards.
Support for Administrators: District and school site administrators can access resources through the Orange County Department of Education OCDE or collaborate with the California Department of Education for professional development in health education. OCDE works closely with CDE to provide guidance on instructional materials adoption and evaluation processes.
For more information about comprehensive sexual health education, HIVDS instruction guidelines, and the educational frameworks used in California schools:
Visit the CDE Comprehensive Sexual Health HIVDS Instruction Web Page
Explore California Legislative Information
Educational resources provided by OCDE are designed to support educators, administrators, families, and communities. The department serves as a bridge between state education policies and local implementation, ensuring that all stakeholders understand their rights and responsibilities under California's educational standards.
This resource is developed in collaboration with the California Department of Education CDE and med at providing clear guidance on health education requirements for students across different grade levels, emphasizing parental rights, instructional content recommations, and access to professional learning resources.
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Comprehensive Sexual Health Education in California Schools HIVAIDS Instruction Requirements for Students Opt Out Options for Parental Rights Mandatory Health Education Standards 2019 Health Education Framework Overview Grade Level Content Recommendations for K 12