Health Secondary

The academic success of America's youth is strongly linked with their health. Health literacy is essential for preparing students to be healthy and productive members of society.

Health Education is achieved through a partnership of teachers, students, families, administrators, schools, and community. The task of the Tigard-Tualatin School District is to create a learning environment in which all students are valued for their diversity, fostered in their wellness development, challenged, and motivated to continue learning and leading a healthy lifestyle throughout their lifetime.

Instructional Resources

In June of 2022 the Tigard-Tualatin School Board voted to adopt the Comprehensive Health Skills for Middle School and Comprehensive Health Skills for High School health curriculum published by Goodheart-Willcox.

The Goodheart-Willcox curriculum was the final recommendation of our Secondary Health Adoption Committee, a dedicated group of teachers, administrators, parents, and community members that worked together for over 9 months to complete this curriculum adoption process. We are extremely grateful for the time and dedication that the Secondary Health Curriculum Adoption Committee demonstrated in service of our students, community, and staff.

Upon adoption, teams of teachers have worked to create Scope and Sequences of health instruction for both the Middle School and High School levels. These Scope and Sequences of instruction are designed to teach the Oregon Health Standards and Performance Indicators in a way that is aligned with the TTSD Best Practices in Secondary Health Education Statement.

TTSD Middle School Health Scope and Sequence

6th Grade

7th Grade

Health 1

Health 2

EXEMPTION FROM COMPREHENSIVE HUMANS SEXUALITY INSTRUCTION

PARENT/GUARDIAN NOTIFICATION, PREVIEW OF MATERIALS, AND OPT-OUT PROCESS

Parents and guardians are a child’s first and most influential teachers and as such, can choose to opt their student(s) out of Comprehensive Sexuality Education. Families considering this option may do so with or without previewing the materials. The following process will be used at the Middle and High School levels in TTSD.

Parent/Guardian Notification

A Parent/Guardian Notification Letter will be disseminated by your student’s Middle or High School teacher or administrator each year prior to instruction in human sexuality and sexual abuse prevention education.

Parents must also be informed in advance of all guest speakers on potentially controversial issues and an opportunity must be provided to opt their child out of the presentation. (TTSD School Board Policy IICB)

Health Materials Preview Process

Upon receipt of the Parent/Guardian Notification letter, parents/guardians may contact their student’s school to schedule an opportunity to preview all health instruction materials in the school’s office.

A school administrator will be available for parents/guardians to ask questions regarding the health instructional materials or scope and sequence of instruction.
If a parent would like to excuse their child from specific lessons or units of instruction, follow the Exemption from Instruction (Opt-Out) Process below.

Exemption from Instruction (Opting-Out)

According to Oregon Law, parents can opt their children out of any or all comprehensive sexuality education components (ORS 336.035 and OAR 581-022-2050. However, parents cannot opt their children out of the entire health curriculum without written documentation of a religious or disability-related reason and a board approved plan for an alternative individualized learning activity which substitutes for the period of time exempt from the program and meets the goals of the learning activity or course being exempt (OAR Rule 581-021-0009).

The Exemption from Instruction (Opt-Out) process is as follows:

If a parent/guardian would like to excuse their child from specific lessons or units of comprehensive human sexuality instruction, they can complete and submit a copy of the Student Opt-Out Notice form.
Paper copies of the Student Opt-Out Notice are available upon request in your child’s school office.
Copies of your student’s completed Student Opt-Out Notice will be shared with your student’s teacher, administrator, and will be added to your student’s permanent school record.

Plan for Alternative Instruction

If a student is opted-out of a portion of the instruction, the school principal and health teacher will work with the parent/guardian to determine the appropriate alternative materials and instruction. If a student is opted-out of the entire health curriculum, the parent/guardian is responsible for providing alternative instruction that complies with the health education standards (OAR Rule 581-021-0009).

Comprehensive Health Education Guide

Health Education Abstinence-Based Statement

Abstinence means “voluntarily choosing not to participate in a particular activity.” In the context of human sexuality and HIV/AIDS prevention programs, abstinence refers to choosing not to engage in sexual activity, including other behaviors that contribute to the spread of sexually transmitted disease/infections. The Tigard-Tualatin School District, in accordance with Oregon state laws and rules, mandates abstinence-based sexuality education.*

Abstinence-based sexuality education programs “emphasize that abstinence from sexual intercourse, when practiced consistently and correctly, is the only 100 percent effective method against unintended pregnancy, sexually transmitted HIV and hepatitis B/C infection and other sexually transmitted infections and diseases. Abstinence is to be stressed, but not to the exclusion of other methods for preventing unintended pregnancy, HIV infection, hepatitis B/C infection and other sexually transmitted infections and diseases. Such courses are to acknowledge the value of abstinence while not devaluing or ignoring those students who have had or are having sexual relationships.

Further, sexuality education materials, including instructional strategies, and activities must not use shame or fear based tactics. Materials and information shall be presented in a manner sensitive to the fact that there are students who have experienced, perpetrated or witnessed sexual abuse and relationship violence.”

Quoted excerpt taken from TTSD Board Policy IGAI

* In accordance with: Oregon State Law 336.455, Oregon Administrative Regulation 581-22-1440 and 581-022-1440 Abstinence-based programs are supported by: Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Division of Adolescent School Health (DASH), American Medical Association (AMA), American Psychiatric Association (APA), American Red Cross, Guttmacher Institute, Advocates for Youth, Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States, National Association of State Boards of Education, The Kaiser Family Foundation, Child Trends, UCSF Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, Harvard AIDS Institute, The National Commission on Adolescent Sexual Health

Additional Health Education Resources

Teaching About Controversial Issues

“The Board supports the inclusion of controversial issues as part of students’ education. The presentation and discussion of controversial issues will be informative and not persuasive. The development of the ability to meet issues without prejudice and to withhold judgments while facts are being collected, assembled and weighed, and to see relationships before drawing inferences or conclusions are among the most valuable outcomes of a free educational system.”

…”Before beginning a class in the study of an obviously controversial topic, a teacher will discuss with the administration:

Its appropriateness to the course;
Its appropriateness for the students’ maturity level;
The approach to instruction including effective facilitation;
The instructional materials to be used

Quoted excerpt taken from Teaching about Controversial Issues-Board Policy INB

Drug, Alcohol and Tobacco Prevention, Health Education-Board Policy IGAEB

Bias Incidents and Hate Speech-Board Policy-JBC/GBB

Controversial Speakers-Board Policy INC

Guest Speakers-Board Policy IICB

Health Curriculum Documents

TTSD Best Practices in Secondary Health Instruction

TTSD Best Practices in Secondary Health Instruction

In the Tigard-Tualatin School District, we believe quality health instruction is characterized by:

A Curriculum that…

Is aligned with Oregon Health Education Content Standards, Benchmarks, and statutes.
Is sequential, comprehensive, and engaging from Pre-K through grade 12
Is developmentally appropriate, medically accurate and is not shame or fear based
Is accessible to all learners, consistent across grade levels and schools, and progresses to higher-order thinking
Fosters safe, supportive, and nondiscriminatory community for ALL students and families regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, ability, SES, and past/current sexual experiences.
Reflects the cultural diversity of our school and community
Promotes positive family-school communication and involvement
Builds essential skills that support health-enhancing behaviors, empower student voice, foster a growth mindset, and supports all students with becoming health-literate.
Enhances students’ understanding of sexuality as a normal and healthy aspect of human development
Addresses social pressures and influences, while providing examples of healthy relationships
Supported with ongoing professional development on research based best practices in Health education.
Undergoes consistent revision and reevaluation to ensure accuracy regarding facts, statistics, and current research; alignment with evolving standards; and relevance to students’ lived experience.

Instruction that…

Equips students with knowledge and skills to realize their health, well-being, and goals.
Is balanced, age-appropriate, and medically accurate
Is intentional, specific, and evidence-based
Is guided by clearly defined learning objectives and differentiated to meet student needs
Engages students using a variety of relevant modes of delivery (reading, writing, discussion, self-reflection)
Gives students the right to be treated with dignity and respect, regardless of identity
Follows research-based protocols when engaging with value-based questions
Is balanced to present an overall view of controversial issues
Includes families and community members as partners in the child’s education
Encourages self-advocacy and engages students with relevant community resources
Promotes abstinence but not at the exclusion of other material/information

Assessment that…

Aligns with national and /or state standards
Makes students feel safe and respected
Are both formative and summative in nature
Measures students’ functional knowledge acquisition and application of skills and content into daily life
Provides multiple opportunities and methods for students to collaborate and demonstrate their learning

Contact Us:

Alison Heath
K-12 Health TOSA
(503)431-3790
aheath@ttsd.k12.or.us

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