Growth, Development and Sexual Health Overview

  • In January 2016, California adopted a new law covering comprehensive sexual health education and HIV prevention in public schools, the California Healthy Youth Act. (Education Code Section 51930-51939)

    In the fall of 2017, 2019, and 2022, the District focused on the Growth, Development and Sexual Health curriculum for grades 5, 6-8, and 4 (respectively). The focus was to ensure all instruction and materials support and align with the purposes of the California Healthy Youth Act.

    In each of the respective grade level adoptions, there was a small group formed, consisting of teachers, parents, and administrators. The goal of each group was to ensure that our Growth, Development and Sexual Health curriculum under the new law was in compliance and that everyone had the opportunity to achieve these content goals and curriculum outcomes.

     

California Healthy Youth Act

  • The California Healthy Youth Act, Education Code Section 51930-51939, requires California public schools, including charter schools, to provide comprehensive sexual health education.  

    State law allows a parent/guardian to remove (opt-out) their student from Growth Development and Sexual Health instruction (EC 51938). Parents/guardians may opt-out of selected lessons or the entire program by writing a letter or email to the school principal before the instruction begins. If you would like your child to be excused from specific lessons, please list the name of the lesson with your written request to your child’s principal stating that your child should not be in the classroom during that specific lesson/s.

    Below are some facts about the law.

    https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/he/se/faq.asp

California Healthy Youth Act Fact Sheets

Curriculum Resources