In 2016, the state of Oregon adopted new health education standards and with the adoption came new guidance for designing and delivering health education. Beginning in January 2020, a team of TTSD teachers and administrators alongside parents and community members began to articulate how the new standards would be addressed in the Tigard-Tualatin School District. Human sexuality standards are a subset of the comprehensive Oregon Health Education Standards.
We know that talking about human sexuality can be challenging. The work of the school district is not to influence or evaluate the beliefs of our families, but rather to provide comprehensive health education instruction that is age appropriate, medically accurate, free from shame or fear, and inclusive of all students. This is important for student safety and well-being. Expanding our health education instruction K-5 meets the required Oregon’s Health Education Standards outlined by the state of Oregon and is critical work. In public education we continue to navigate varied beliefs around the education of students. This is why grounding ourselves in our core commitments is crucial as we plan for the future together. The TTSD position statement that was co-created to use as the foundation for the work is:
“In the Tigard-Tualatin School District, we believe comprehensive health education is a vital component in preparing students for success in our rapidly changing world. As each student shapes their own personal values and beliefs about healthy behaviors, our role as public educators is to provide medically accurate and balanced information that is age-appropriate, and inclusive of all students.”
Below are some frequently asked questions and responses that arose during the work of creating the Elementary Comprehensive Health Education Plan.
How and when instruction will occur?
The human sexuality lessons will be taught by the classroom teacher within the regular class setting in their full, heterogeneous class. These more sensitive topics will be covered in the second half of the school year, allowing time for a classroom environment of mutual respect and trust to develop before these lessons are taught. Parents will be notified at least three weeks prior to the teaching of human sexuality lessons, and will be given the opportunity to preview materials and opt out of specific lessons, if they prefer. School counselors will be available to students who might find it difficult to talk about personal situations and feelings.
What is the TTSD parent notification and opt-out process?
TTSD honors the role of the family/guardian as being the primary teacher and respects families rights to be fully informed and involved in choosing what is best for their own student. In our Tigard-Tualatin School District, in accordance with Oregon’s laws, families will be notified at least three weeks in advance of Human Sexuality Instruction - all lessons that fall under the domains of gender, human sexuality, disease prevention, violence prevention and consent (Erin’s Law). Families will receive notification from their school’s main office and be provided the opportunity to preview all lessons and materials being used. The school principals will be available to discuss any of the content that is shared and answer any questions that may come up. Parents will be given the opportunity to opt their child out of specific lessons and will engage in a conversation with their building principal to determine how to best support their student in a respectful, non-judgmental way.
How are questions handled, so to minimize confusion and ensure inclusion of all students in a way that is free of fear and shame?
Our teachers will be collecting student questions in an anonymous question box and will answer these questions using the Question/Answer Protocol. This protocol (see below) enables teachers to provide medically accurate responses to student questions that are free from fear or shame. If the question is a value-based question, the factual part of the question is answered, all perspectives are recognized, and students are then directed back to families or a trusted adult to determine where their values might lie.
Teacher to Students Question/Answer Protocol
- Validate the question.
- Identify the question as a belief or value question.
- Answer the factual part of the question.
- Describe the range of beliefs.
- Refer the student to family, faith leaders, or other trusted adults.
- Leave the door open.
How is sexual intercourse defined?
Two adult bodies coming together to feel close and sometimes to make a baby.
The content is being presented earlier than it used to be delivered. What is driving the earlier exposure for the children?
Oregon’s Health Education Standards rely on the National Sexuality Education Standards for guidance, along with local expertise from Oregon educators, adolescent health experts, child abuse prevention organizations, and others. Major professional organizations and research supports age-appropriate sexuality education starting in early childhood. At this age, topics cover empathy, friendship, child abuse prevention, and other age-appropriate topics.
With some students experiencing menstruation earlier, do they cover this topic before fourth grade?
The third grade Great Body Shop lessons address the names and functions of the reproductive body parts, including the process of the menstrual cycle.
What is the definition of medically accurate?
Medically accurate means information that is established through the use of the scientific method. Results can be measured, quantified, and replicated to confirm accuracy, and are reported or recognized in peer-reviewed journals or other authoritative publications.
What grade do you begin teaching about reproduction?
Students are first introduced to the internal reproductive system and the function of these organs in third grade. At third grade students learn how hormones affect body changes during puberty. They learn the names and function of the reproductive organs, and that a pregnancy occurs when a sperm cell fertilizes an egg cell. This message is repeated in greater detail in the fourth grade curriculum. However, it isn’t until the fifth grade that students are introduced to sexual intercourse as being the primary (not the only) route for the joining of the sperm and egg cells. During this time, students learn that abstaining from sexual intercourse is the only 100% sure method of preventing pregnancy and of the spread of sexually transmitted infections.
I understand why we talk about disease prevention and how different types of diseases spread, but why do we need to introduce the terms HIV/AIDS so early? Do students have the developmental context to understand these terms?
Experts say that it’s never too early to start talking about HIV. Young children will be ready to hear different levels of information at different ages. Without talking about sex, you can still build an understanding of diseases, how body fluids can carry viruses, and that they shouldn’t be shared. HIV and hepatitis C are mentioned as examples of diseases that can be spread through body fluids, not through talking, playing, or other forms of casual contact. Students learn not to be afraid if they do meet someone with HIV or hepatitis C, but rather to treat others with kindness and respect.
Is the term non-binary ever introduced? If so, at what grade level?
The term non-binary is introduced in third grade under the general topic of gender identity. During the instruction, terms such as “sex assigned at birth,” “male or female,” and “transgender” are defined. Defining non-binary creates a more inclusive environment for our students as gender identity is being covered. These terms are all defined under the context of understanding our own personal identity and how we get to choose our identity. The text used states, “For most people their identity of being male or female matches their sex assigned at birth, their anatomy, but for some people it does not. Transgender people feel that they identify with a gender that is different from their sex assigned at birth. Non-binary people may experience a gender identity that is neither exclusively male or female.”
Are blended families, single parent families, grandparent-led families, and foster parents included in the study of families?
Yes, all types of families are shared and included in the unit on families beginning in Kindergarten and continuing through second grade. We are aware that while some of these families may not exist in a particular classroom of students, when the student leaves that classroom, they will definitely encounter these various family structures.
Will teachers use inclusive language when teaching about body parts?
Yes, teachers are trained to use language that is gender neutral such as “a person who…,” some people that..,” etc. Please reference the TTSD Guidelines for Using Inclusive Language for Instruction.
