Health education teaches about
physical, mental, emotional and
social health. It builds students’
knowledge, skills, and positive
attitudes about health. Health
education motivates students to
improve and maintain their health,
prevent disease, and reduce risky
behaviors.
State Requirements
Health education is required by state law for
all students in grades 1-12.
Students should receive at least an average of 100 minutes per week of health
and physical education (combined). The health education curriculum must be based
on the health education standards of the
Rhode Island Health Education
Framework: Health Literacy for All Students. The curriculum must be
sequential, developmentally appropriate, medically accurate, and comprehensive.
It must also cover a variety of required content areas. These
requirements are spelled out in the
Rules and Regulations for School Health Programs.
Like all subjects, health education must be taught by appropriately certified
teachers. At the elementary level, that includes school nurse teachers,
certified health educators, certified health and physical education teachers, or
any certified elementary teacher. At the secondary level, that includes school
nurse teachers, certified health educators, or certified health and physical
education teachers.
The Rhode Island Health Education Framework: Health Literacy for All
Students
The Rhode Island
Health Education Framework provides district curriculum committees with a
resource to help develop, evaluate, revise and improve existing health education
curricula. It links health education to other education reform efforts which
seek to improve teaching and learning and contribute to high levels of
achievement for all students. To increase the likelihood that young people will
develop healthier lifestyle practices and resist engaging in risky health
behaviors, instruction, as guided by this Framework,
should be skill-oriented and
emphasize the practical applications of learning.
The Framework, aligned
with national standards, was developed by a task force comprised of a diverse group of
educators, parents, health professionals, Department of Education staff, and
other Rhode Island community members. The Framework was endorsed by the
Rhode Island Board of Regents of Elementary and Secondary Education in 1996.
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Rhode Island’s Health Education Standards
The
seven standards describe
what all Rhode Island
students should know and
be able to do as a
result of K-12 health
education.
Standard One -
Students will understand the concepts related to
health promotion and disease prevention as a
foundation for a healthy life.
Standard Two -
Students will demonstrate the ability to access
valid health information and health-promoting
products and services.
Standard Three -
Students will demonstrate the ability to
practice health-enhancing behaviors and reduce
health risks.
Standard Four -
Students will analyze the influence of culture,
media, technology and other factors on health.
Standard Five - Students will demonstrate the ability to use
interpersonal communication skills to enhance
health.
Standard Six -
Students will demonstrate the ability to use
goal-setting and decision-making to enhance
health.
Standard Seven -
Students will demonstrate the ability to
advocate for personal, family, community, and
environmental health.
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The
Comprehensive Health Instructional Outcomes
The
Comprehensive Health
Instructional Outcomes (2003)
complement the Rhode Island Health Education Framework,
by attaching content specific topics to the performance
descriptions for each standard. Specific performance
descriptors are presented across each of the seven
health education standards, grouped by grade spans (K-4,
5-8, 9-10, and 11-12), for each of seven major health
content areas:
- Personal Health,
- Mental and Emotional Health,
- Injury Prevention,
- Nutrition,
- Sexuality and Family Life,
- Disease Prevention and Control, and
- Substance Use and Abuse
Prevention.