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Wikimedia Wikipedia Commons
Education Dive
Future of Sex Education Initiative issues updated standards
Shawna De La Rosa
March 13, 2020
Dive Brief:
The Future of Sex Education Initiative recently released its second
edition of "The National Sex Education Standards: Core Content and
Skills, K-12" in an effort to support teachers seeking a medically
accurate, trauma-informed and inclusive sex education. The resource was
produced by Advocates for Youth, Answer and the Sexuality Information
and Education Council of the United States.
The updated standards include advancements in research regarding sexual
orientation; gender identity; social, racial and reproductive justice;
and the long-term consequences of stigma and discrimination. It also
includes information on new developments in medical technology and the
impact of social and sexually explicit media on relationships.
Discussing contraceptive options and STD transmission, acknowledging
young people who identify as LGBTQ, and teaching about consent will
result in positive outcomes for young people, Dan Rice, interim
executive director of Answer, said in a press release.
Dive Insight:
Sex education is an often controversial topic.
In Washington state, lawmakers recently passed a comprehensive bill
requiring sexual health education to be taught in grades K-12.
Lawmakers supporting the bill, including Democratic state Sen. Manka
Dhingra, say the curriculum is “age appropriate” and will teach about
informed and voluntary agreement. State Sen. Steve O’Ban, a Republican,
claims the content is too explicit. No Republicans voted in favor of
the bill.
There has been no shortage of dissension over the bill, which has yet
to be signed by Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee. Even amid concerns around
the spread of coronavirus, hundreds of angry parents stood outside the
state capitol protesting the bill.
In Texas' Austin Independent School District, administrators asked
parents, students and community members for input into its curriculum.
The responses ranged from the impact of social media on body image to
teaching students the concept of consent. Particularly in the wake of
movements like #MeToo, awareness has increased around the need for
students to know how to say “no” and to also accept when someone else
says "no" to them.
Boston Public Schools, meanwhile, has comprehensive sex education
starting in elementary school, based on the National Sexual Education
Standards. Topics covered early on include hygiene, puberty and
positive friendships. In later years, the curriculum discusses
reproductive health, contraception and sexual decision-making. It also
covers dating violence, consent, gender identity and sexual preference.
When to start teaching sex education and answering the inevitable
questions that come with it is among the most frequently controversial
aspects of the subject. One way this has been navigated with younger
students is age-appropriate introductory videos like those from Amaze
Jr., which is largely dependent upon parents introducing their children
to the topic themselves. Raising parents' awareness of these tools is
equally important when educators begin fielding questions from young
students about where babies come from or other topics about their own
origins.
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