Health Education

The District’s Health Education program includes Growth, Development, and Sexual Health education once in fifth grade, comprehensive sexual health education and HIV/AIDS prevention education once in eighth grade, and a comprehensive sexuality education course in 11th grade. These programs are taught by trained SCUSD classroom teachers.

The District informs each parent about instruction in comprehensive sexual health education and HIV/AIDS prevention education several weeks before instruction begins. The instructional materials are available for inspection at our District Resource Center. A parent or guardian of a pupil may request in writing that his or her child be excused from all or part of the comprehensive sexual health education, HIV/AIDS prevention instruction, and any assessments related to that education. 

If you have additional questions, please reach out to Lori King, Instructional Resources Coordinator,  lking@scusd.net.

State Law

Education Code is the law of what must be taught in public schools in California. Specifically, the California Healthy Youth Act (which became law in 2016) requires schools to provide students with comprehensive sexual health education, including HIV and STD prevention education at least once in middle school and once in high school.

The Framework

This is a guidance document that districts may use, but are not required to use when developing health education programs for students.

The California Department of Education has created a helpful guide to understanding the differences between the California Healthy Youth Act and the new framework. Click here to view it.

CHYA also states that comprehensive sexual health education and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention education may be taught earlier than in Grade 7. However, all instruction and materials utilized must meet the instructional criteria or baseline requirements of the law. (EC §§ 51933, 51934(b)).

Curriculum

This is what our schools will teach. 

Santa Clara Unified School District (SCUSD) evaluated, recommended, and Board adopted the following instructional materials as the District’s 7th - 12th-grade sexual health education and HIV/AIDS prevention curriculum in 2017. 

• Middle School (8th grade):  Teen Talk Middle School 

• High School (11th grade):  Teen Talk High School and Teen Talk Adapted for All Abilities

  • Adoption of a new Health curriculum was completed in the spring of 2023 and will be implemented starting in August 2023. Beginning in the fall of 2023, SCUSD will move the Health course from 11th grade to 9th grade in order to include the mental health component that is now required. This semester-long 9th-grade Health class will be paired with a semester-long required Ethnic Studies course, based on AB101 (Stanford/Ethnic Studies Benefits). 

Santa Clara Unified School District (SCUSD) is currently evaluating the following instructional materials as the District’s 5th-grade Growth and Development education program.

• Upper Elementary ( 5th grade): Puberty Talk

In evaluating a number of CHYA curriculum options and recommending the above curricula, SCUSD convened committees at both the secondary and elementary levels composed of the following  participants:

• Secondary Physical Education, 5th Grade teachers, and Special Education teachers

• Elementary and Secondary school administrators

• District administrators

• Community members

The California Healthy Youth Act is a state law that says districts must ensure that students in grades seven through 12 receive instruction covering human growth and development, including comprehensive sexual health education as well as HIV prevention education. Each student must receive this instruction at least once in middle school and at least once in high school.

The law spells out five primary goals:

1. To provide pupils with the knowledge and skills necessary to protect their sexual and reproductive health from HIV and other sexually transmitted infections and from unintended pregnancy;

2. To provide pupils with the knowledge and skills they need to develop healthy attitudes concerning adolescent growth and development, body image, gender, sexual orientation, relationships, marriage, and family;

3. To promote understanding of sexuality as a normal part of human development;

4. To ensure pupils receive integrated, comprehensive, accurate, and unbiased sexual health and HIV prevention instruction and provide educators with clear tools and guidance to accomplish that end;

5. To provide pupils with the knowledge and skills necessary to have healthy, positive, and safe relationships and behaviors.