Give the Gift of Evidence Based Health Education
by Eme Crawford on Dec 13, 2016
Once every seven years the South Carolina Department of Education updates the health and safety standards (standards that provide the basis for decision-making and educational policy development and development of curricula at the local level), and as a South Carolina citizen you have the opportunity to voice your support of evidence-based programs that help prevent disease and unintended pregnancies.
Below is a step-by-step guide to filling out the public feedback survey. The entire process should take about 5-10 minutes.
Deadline: January 20, 2017 at 5:00 pm
The draft standards can be accessed using this link:
http://ed.sc.gov/instruction/standards-learning/health-education/standards/
The public review feedback form can be accessed using this link: https://scde.formstack.com/forms/schsestandardspublicreview
Click the “Next” button at the bottom of the right corner to get started on the survey.
Screen 1:
- Select the primary role/roles that apply to you. If none of the multiple choice answers apply to you then select “Other.” Upon selecting “Other” you will be required to provide your own short answer. Potential responses include: community member, healthcare provider, former student.
Screen 2:
On which grade level do you wish to provide feedback?
- Select “High School” from the drop-down menu.
Do you wish to provide general feedback on the grade level selected above?
- In this section, emphasize the importance of requiring the use of evidence-based programs and highlight the need for a clear definition of evidence-based programs in the glossary. Here you can also mention the need for the standards to articulate the number of hours for health education instruction mandated by the Comprehensive Health Education Act.
- Sample comments:
- The department’s requirement for evidence-based programs is an essential step in ensuring South Carolina students receive accurate and outcomes-based health education at all grade levels. However, in order to be effective evidence-based programs must be clearly defined for instructors and administrators as programs that have been rigorously evaluated, are supported by credible scientific studies and are proven effective at reducing risky behaviors.
- By clarifying what constitutes an evidence-based program in the glossary, the department can provide guidance to instructors and ensure the requirement is properly adhered to. Evidence-based programs are programs that are rigorously evaluated, supported by credible scientific studies and proven to be effective at reducing risky behaviors.
- The Comprehensive Health Education Act mandates the number of hours health education is to be taught during the school year. By adding the specific time mandates of the Comprehensive Health Education Act to page five the department can help instructors meet the law’s requirements.
Screen 3:
On which Key Concept do you wish to provide feedback?
- Select: Growth, Development, and Sexual Health and Responsibility
Please provide detailed feedback, including the specific indicators(s) if applicable, below.
- This section should be used to state the need for clarification on what pregnancy prevention methods may be taught.
- Write in indicator G-HS.1.3
- Sample comments:
- The department can do more to provide clarity on the methods of pregnancy prevention that may be taught, by providing a definition that includes: continuous abstinence, FDA-approved birth control, natural family planning, permanent birth control methods and barrier methods.
- By providing a comprehensive list in the definition of pregnancy prevention methods, the department ensures students will be knowledgeable on all the appropriate tools to prevent unintended pregnancy. A listing of pregnancy prevention methods should include: continuous abstinence, FDA-approved birth control, natural family planning, permanent birth control, and barrier methods.
