"SAY" Advocacy Training Review: New York City Department of Education

Review of New York City Department of Education – Sexual Health Education

NYC Department of Education:

· Chancellor

-Appointed by the Mayor of New York City (currently Bloomberg)

-The current Chancellor is Dennis M. Walcott

· Leadership team

-This is composed of officers, deputy chancellors, and executive directors of the different divisions of the Department of Education

-We were unable to find any information about how these individuals are appointed or elected

· Panel for Educational Policy (PEP)

-This panel consists of 13 appointed members and the Chancellor

-Some of the members are appointed by borough presidents and others are appointed by the Mayor

· Community and Citywide Education Councils

-Members are parent volunteers (parents of public school children)

NYC Public School Health Education “Requirements”:

· Elementary School

-Health Education regulations do not require a specific number of lessons or a specific instructional time requirement; It is recommended that teachers incorporate health instruction into weekly classroom instruction

-Regulation mandates HIV/AIDS instruction for “every student, every year” and requires five lessons taught per year in elementary school

· Middle School

-Health Education regulations require one semester of daily health education in middle school; It is recommended that this take place during 6^th or 7^th grade

-Regulation mandates five lessons of HIV/AIDS instruction be taught in 6^th grade and six lessons be taught each year for the 7^th and 8^th grades

· High School

-Health Education regulations require one semester of daily health education in high school (this must be a 1 credit graduation requirement)

-Regulation mandates that six lessons of HIV/AIDS instruction be taught during each year of high school

· These health education requirements are based on three very broad learning standards set by New York State:

1) Personal Health and Fitness

2) A Safe and Healthy Environment

3) Resource Management

The Recommended Comprehensive Health Education Curriculum:

· For grades K-5 HealthTeacher is the recommended curriculum

· HealthTeacher focuses on the following units of study: 1) alcohol & other drugs 2) anatomy 3) community & environmental health 4) family health & sexuality 5) injury prevention 6) mental & emotional health 7) nutrition 8) personal & consumer health 9) physical activity 10) tobacco

· HealthTeacher focuses on the development of specific skills: 1) advocacy 2) communication 3) decision making 4) planning and goal setting 5) relationship management 6) self management 7) stress management

· For grades 6-8 HealthSmart is the recommended curriculum

· For grades 9-12 HealthSmart and Reducing the Risk is the recommended curriculum

· Reducing the Risk includes the following session topics: 1) pregnancy prevention 2) HIV prevention 3) abstinence: not having sex 4) using refusal skills 5) delaying tactics 6) avoiding high-risk situations 7) getting and using protection 8) skills integration 9) preventing HIV and other STIs 10) HIV risk behaviors 11) implementing protection from STIs and pregnancy 12) sticking with abstinence and protection 13) skills integration