The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education unanimously handed the state’s first well being and sexual schooling guideline modifications in 25 years Tuesday morning — revising the framework to incorporate extra LGBTQ+ inclusive language, replace sexual well being and consent requirements, usher in media and know-how issues, and extra.
“The overarching goal of this framework is to foster healthy, safe, equitable and inclusive learning environments that enable success in school and in life for students of all identities and backgrounds,” mentioned DESE Student and Family Support Associate Commissioner Rachelle Engler Bennett, presenting the 2023 revised framework to the board Tuesday.
The vote is the end result of a assessment of the 1999 Massachusetts Comprehensive Health Framework launched in June 2018 below the Baker administration. The Healey administration introduced the draft of the framework replace convened by about 50 assessment panelists of assorted backgrounds in June, adopted by a 60-day public remark interval with practically 5,400 responses.
The board launched a closing draft revised based mostly on public remark forward of Tuesday’s assembly.
The framework is non-mandatory, and closing curriculum selections stay on the discretion of particular person college districts.
Key updates within the 2023 framework embody: emphasis on practices to “maintain lifelong physical, mental/emotional, and social health;” updates to incorporate newer well being and know-how elements like social media and vaping; inclusion of media literacy as a element of well being and well-being; and trauma-informed integration of expertise for “personal safety, personal boundaries, and child sexual abuse prevention.”
The framework additionally consists of frequently-debated touchpoints concerning the inclusion of LGBTQ+ identities, notably concerning sexual schooling curriculum.
“It’s so important that we give kids windows through which they can see the world and mirrors that they can see themselves, in addition to helping these kids by providing age-appropriate education to students about diversity in sex and gender,” mentioned Massachusetts dad or mum Adam Schepis in assist of the updates Tuesday. “I believe that will lead to a more informed, accepting and empathetic future generation.”
Speakers Tuesday additionally praised the inclusion of matters like expanded sexual consent schooling
The up to date framework additionally acquired pushback from vocal opponents, a lot of whom argued the sexual schooling and different matters included must be taught at house on the discretion of fogeys or are age-inappropriate throughout the grades they could be taught.
In a abstract of the general public remark, survey respondents broke on a number of broad statements concerning the framework by comparatively slender margins. Asked whether or not the “vision is clear and compelling,” 57% agreed. Asked whether or not the requirements “represent a reasonable progression of expectations for student learning,” 53% disagreed.
Board members expressed gratitude to the “enormous amount of work” that went into the method and expressed optimism concerning the upcoming implementation of the rules.
The updates provide results in replace extra curriculum pointers and hold them present, audio system mentioned, just like the digital literacy and pc science framework.
“We’ve now worked through all of the curriculum frameworks during the time Chair Craven and I and member Stuart have been on the board, and so what I would just say is don’t stop,” mentioned board member Michael Moriarty. … “They should be working with continuous improvement as just part of the culture of this department, of our entire educational system.”
The handed 2023 Massachusetts Comprehensive Health and Physical Education Framework is accessible on the state Department of Education web site.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”
